Jones Beene wrote: . . . although Palin was probably a positive choice for McCain, given all > the demographics, it is turning out not to be anywhere near the brilliant > strategy that it first seemed. He shoulda gone with Condi. > > I have a distinguished older friend who has never voted for a Democrat, and > will not this time either, but he dropped his support for McCain BECAUSE of > Palin.
Well, no political strategy is perfect. No matter who McCain chose, he was bound to alienate someone. I think, all in all, it was an effective choice. I suppose it brought him more support than it lost. (But you can never be sure of such hypothetical assertions. You can't run history over again!) He needed the enthusiastic support of the religious right-wing GOP, and he got it in spades. It is easier to second-guess a political campaign than it is to run one. I think Palin is a lot smarter than she comes across as. She and some other modern politicians have developed the art of looking like aw-shucks, awkward, common folk. You wouldn't think to look at them that the Bush family are members of America's old-money, Ivy League WASP elite -- but they are. It is funny to me that people like Jeff Fink, who despite Ivy League elites, are so fond of the Bush and McCain types. Who do you think they are? Salt of the earth proletariat? Believe me, you don't get any more blue-blood than these people. By an act of skillful legerdemain, the GOP has spent the last generation passing off such people as down-home common folk. I liked the GOP better in the old days when they were honest snobs and they thought people should respect them *because* they were old money movers and shakers, not despite the fact. Elite people used to take pride in their class. They expected to be put in charge of corporations and Wall Street and be elected Senators because they were Ivy League snoots. Obama is something of a throwback in that respect. I cannot image anyone in 1960 or 1940 arguing that the man is too well educated! It is a strange world, and this political season is the strangest since 1968 -- which was a dreadful year, by the way. - Jed
