Conservative Donnybrook

With his selection of Governor Sarah Palin, McCain is proving to be an especially adept campaigner. So much so that Cindy could probably go ahead and place a call to Laura to arrange a visit so she can start measuring for drapes at 1600 Pennsylvania.

The timing. The choice. The management of the media. The McCain campaign exhibited pure brilliance in stealing the limelight from Barack before his lackluster convention could even assess the bounce he might enjoy. Friday, the entire news day was subsumed with Sarah Palin’s ascendancy. Forgotten was Obama’s acceptance speech. It will be interesting to see what the newsies are talking about on the Sunday morning shows. I suspect they will be talking about Palin. And then, all eyes will turn to Minneapolis and McCain for an entire week. If Barack ever manufactured a bounce, no one will ever know.

In the wake of the historic announcement, the Obama camp immediately released a statement alerting voters that “[t]oday, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency.” In fact, all day long Democrats have been attacking Palin’s youth and experience and reasoning that the McCain camp had taken Obama’s lack of experience off the table by tapping her. By attacking Palin’s supposed lack of experience (she’s the only one of the four with any executive experience), they are tacitly admitting that Obama lacks experience. Second, they have actually been comparing their presidential candidate to the Republican’s vice-presidential candidate.

There is a huge difference between a president and a vice-president.

Their comparisons of Biden and his years of experience (of being mostly wrong on the issues) to Palin also serve to highlight Obama’s inexperience, especially when compared to his own lieutenant. Pundits all week long have been noting that the vice-presidential pick really only matters two times – first, when the candidate unveils his choice; and second, when the vice-presidential candidates square off in their own debate. The selection of Governor Palin, in this respect, may have been a stroke of genius. Biden is known to be a vicious attack dog. But by nominating a woman, it is very likely that if Biden attacks her, he will come across as a mean-spirited bully. In that sense, the McCain campaign may have taken one of Obama’s tools out of the chest. On the other hand, it seems that politicians have routinely underestimated Governor Palin, who is said to possess a competitive fire, which it is good to remember unseated an incumbent Republican governor.

On the issues, it appears that Palin is a strong social conservative, staunchly defending the sanctity of unborn life. She is a life-long member of the National Rifle Association, a hunter and fisherman. At least we can rest easier knowing that when she goes out hunting, she will be much more likely to hit her intended target than previous vice presidents. She has sought to reduce waste in government, making that a cornerstone of her gubinatorial experience. She has served as the Ethics Commissioner for the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission and took on the “Good Old Boys’ Network” in rooting out corruption regardless of party affiliation.

Most strikingly, in the few moments that she spoke on Friday morning, she talked about her accomplishments and McCain’s accomplishments. After a Democratic convention, which focused not on accomplishments (mainly because those are thin), but rather on promises, it was refreshing to hear candidates who could talk about their records and things they had done.

In her speech on Friday, Palin served notice that she can handle herself at the podium hitting a homerun when she spoke about her historic opportunity:

I can’t begin this great effort without honoring the achievements of Geraldine Ferraro in 1984 and of course Senator Hillary Clinton, who showed such determination and grace in her presidential campaign.

It was rightly noted in Denver this week that Hillary left 18 million cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling in America but it turns out the women of America aren’t finished yet and we can shatter that glass ceiling once and for all.

Disaffected Hillary supporters are sure to have taken notice. Some of them of course will balk at Palin’s pro-life stance, but many of them will find in Palin the opportunity to advance the cause for women. With McCain’s choice of running mate, it appears that whether one casts their ballot in November for a Republican or a Democrat, his vote will be historic.

One wonders what’s left for Bob Barr. Perhaps he can select Dennis Kucinich for veep and court the extra-terrestrial vote.

ON A SIDE NOTE: I’d just like to point out this (check out the last sentence of the first update). But, then again, I also had this. You can’t win ‘em all, I suppose.