I have to say, I thought choosing Palin was absurd at first, but I've come to see it as an inspired stroke of genius.
The closer we get to November, the more I may agree with you.
Forget about what the candidates actually do and who they actually are for the moment (the truth is they are probably much more similar than different on 95% of the "issues"). But let's set this aside and look at it from the drama of the election.
Even as an historical "LII" low-information independent, I don't think I'd agree re: 95 percent. But stuff like Obama's sucking up on "faith" and travesties like FISA vote do not inspire confidence. I think the stated positions follow their polling. "Yikes, look at the numbers in Minnesota! Gotta talk more about the 2nd amendment!"
By choosing Palin, McCain seeks to take away the "change" message from Obama. As a first-term Senator, Obama doesn't have much of a record yet, so being a "change" candidate and "outsider" and a "historical candidate" is pretty much all he's got to run on. That and some good oratory skills. John Kerry had the whole country saying "anyone but W" and he lost. The "we're not Republicans" platform will only get 45% of the vote. So the change message is vital.
It's pretty good BS, the whole "maverick" and "change" shtick coming from McCain. Interesting choice to surrender their "inexperience" bludgeon, though (when he picked Palin).
Seen that way, this is very much like the Kennedy / Nixon race of 1960. Establishment vs. new blood.
I don't see it. McCain has the same anger problems and disagreeability as Nixon, but Palin doesn't look at all like Henry Cabot Lodge
So McCain tries to blunt that strategy by picking (whatever else she may be) a charismatic Washington outsider and a historic candidate of his own.
Ah, so you are saying it looked like Nixon-Kennedy *before* palin, I think. OK
The subtle point is that it doesn't need to be 100% effective.
Not with this electorate, it doesn't.
All they need to do is establish parity on the "change issue", and McCain will win because he's the father figure. Americans traditionally love a tough-talking, hard-ass father figure for a president, especially in times of "war".
Seen purely as a strategic move, I think it's high risk, but potentially election winning for McCain.
I think the Republican strategy is simply to do everything they can to keep Sarah Palin away from reporters until November 5th (save for highly controlled "deals" such as with ABC. Blech.)
So I think she is going to appear on the ballot and the percentage of voters willing to vote McCain/Palin will just be a handy indicator of how brain dead we have become.
I want to print a bumper sticker: "You
deserve John McCain!"
(edit: I picked Minnesota at random. No offense intended)
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