Nothing chromozonal or diverse about that. Over the last four days I have researched her and her positions and experience and that is my honest assessment irrespective of the other distractions.
HOW THE PALIN PICK TRUMPS OBAMA-BIDEN
Posted on 09/02/2008 10:28:04 AM PDT by quesney
Thanks a lot, John McCain. With his selection of an unknown, two-year female governor as his running mate, he has just ensured that the diversity racket will be an essential component of presidential politics forever more. Had the 44-year-old Sarah Palin, whose greatest political accomplishment before being elected Alaska’s governor in 2006 was serving as mayor of Wasilla (population 9,780), been named Stanley, she would have had exactly zero chance of ending up in the Oval Office in the next four years. But from now on, any presidential ticket that consists solely of white males—no matter their qualifications—will likely be dead in the water.
Of course, Democrats have been playing the identity-politics game to the hilt this election cycle; it’s what they do. And it will be amusing to watch them twist themselves into knots to avoid criticizing the Palin pick for what it is: a diversity ploy. As short-term political strategy, the Palin selection has diabolical appeal. Prevented from stating the obvious—Palin was chosen because she was a woman—the Democrats will instead have to seize on her lack of experience. They are right to do so, but then they have to explain why Barack Obama is so much more qualified for the top of the ticket, let alone the number two spot.
Washington Republicans have hardly kept themselves free of race- and gender-based decision making: one can think of many cabinet members and judicial nominations made on these grounds. But now they’ve gone all the way and introduced irrelevant chromosome considerations into the presidential race—the most important political choice in the land. And they have lost any standing to criticize Democrats for playing the race and gender cards.
Palin herself drew on hackneyed feminist bromides at her first rally as vice presidential nominee, quoting no less an establishment diversocrat than Hillary Clinton. Clinton’s run had “left 18 million cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling in America,” Palin said in Dayton, Ohio, yesterday. “It turns out that the women of America aren’t finished yet, and we can shatter that glass ceiling once and for all.”
I thought that conservatives scoffed at the idea that American society systematically blocks accomplished women from advancement. But within less than an hour of the vice-presidential announcement yesterday morning, the diversity epidemic had spread rapidly in the Republican political machinery, including among analysts for whom I have only the highest respect. Talk-show host Laura Ingraham enthused about Palin’s identity profile: “A lot of women are calling in excited,” Ingraham said. “The women of America will see that she might be the first woman vice president.” Palin’s identity-based advantages go beyond gender, in Ingraham’s view: “Palin has an Eskimo husband, a Down’s Syndrome son, an Iraq-bound son.” CNBC host Larry Kudlow echoed Ingraham’s assessment: “This is a breakthrough for the stodgy Republican party.”
Republican operatives are also promoting the inevitable family bathos. A Republican consultant on National Public Radio pushed the fact that Palin had declared her Down’s syndrome son “perfection.” Other pundits noted that “she loves her family.” Many people—including Democrats—feel the same about their own families. Palin’s motherly dedication is admirable—though with a 4-month-old infant, and a disabled one at that, to care for, this may not be the best time to audition for the second-toughest job in the world. But her maternal feelings are irrelevant to her executive acumen and knowledge of economic and geopolitical issues. Palin may have those attributes in spades, but if so, let’s hear about them, not her domestic relations.
Presidential politics, and especially vice-presidential selections, have always been driven by sectionalism, poll-driven voter segmentation and demographics, and economic stratification. But race and gender are different than whether someone comes from a Sun Belt state or can appeal to disaffected auto workers. Race and gender are almost never a valid job qualification. Yet they have taken over in field after field—whether in the hiring of lawyers and selection of judges, in the choice of books and art to which students will be exposed from the moment that they step into a classroom, in the composition of police and fire departments, or in the selection of corporate boards. This tendency must be fought, not capitulated to.
True, Palin brings traditional political strengths—such as gun enthusiasm and a pro-life record—to the ticket. Her fight against self-dealing in Alaskan politics counters the inside-the-Beltway corruption that damaged the Republicans in the 2006 elections. And her stance on drilling for Alaskan oil admirably bolsters the Republican Party platform on energy issues. But admit it, fellow conservatives: none of these attributes pushed her over the top. Your enthusiasm for her is driven in large measure by the fact that the McCain camp has beaten the Democrats at their own game, and in so doing, driven Obama’s moment of glory off the wires.
Republican strategists openly hope that Palin will attract disaffected Hillary Clinton voters, who believe that they had a right to a woman in the White House. There are, alas, many women who are pathetic enough to put gender above politics, for whom a candidate’s stand on substantive issues matters less than her reproductive plumbing. But just because such voters are out there doesn’t mean that the GOP can cater to them without permanently compromising its principles.
The process has already begun. On Saturday, Weekly Standard executive editor Fred Barnes wrote in the Wall Street Journal: “As a 44-year-old woman Mrs. Palin brings desperately needed diversity to the Republican ticket.” Wow. So now gender (and even age?!) diversity is not just needed, but “desperately” needed. Republicans might as well hire Eleanor Smeal and Jesse Jackson as party chairmen (oops! I mean “chairpeople”).
Ironically, Barack Obama stood up to the diversity imperative in selecting Joe Biden as his running mate. And his nomination speech last Thursday was notable for the minimal use he made of the anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech and for his barely noticeable allusion to his race. It was too much to hope for that the diversity agenda would recede into the background of his own candidacy—his supporters and the media will never allow that to happen. Nevertheless, it’s a sad day when Republicans decide to match the Democratic predilection for chromosomal consciousness, since there will be no turning back.
Heather Mac Donald is a contributing editor of City Journal and the John M. Olin Fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Her latest book, coauthored with Victor Davis Hanson and Steven Malanga
I salute McDonald's intellectual honesty and ideological purity -- its the most honest assessment I've seen of the compromise the GOP has clearly made in its pursuit of victory.
But I'd ask Ms. McDonald to consider the very real possibility that the ends may justify the means here and that Palin (a libertarian Federalist if I ever saw one) and her very example may be instrumental in doing away with diversity and affirmative action.
Only Nixon could go to China...
...And exactly how much better off would we be if McCain hadn't picked Palin and more likely lost?
Not good if we lost..
I guess Heather wanted another old white guy on the ticket. Ms Palin seems to have quite a few accomplishments in her young life. No rich husband to back her political aspirations; no political family dynasty to pave the way. Just good old fashioned hard work.
The media, and both sides of it, I might add, are GUILTY of always stating the NEGATIVE side of any issue. Good news does not sell well, bad news does.
Sarah Palin, no matter what your perspective, is a huge positive for America and the GOP. And the GOP must win in November, if we are to keep our Republic in tact, which includes staunch protection of our Constitution and a return to the rule of law in America.
She is essentially correct, but IF is for children and old people. Which one is she?..............
Yes. People like that. They can spew all the garbage they can. They are very afraid of her.
Who cares whether she’s female or not. It’s about her views and beliefs.
Experience counts too...she has more than Barry O.
Ms. McDonald needs a chill pill pronto.
Whether Heather is correct or not will be determined by Palin’s actions and performance over the next 60+ days.
We will see, I have confidence she will fare well, and prove McDonald wrong.
Or perhaps if she were the son of someone named Stanley (Stanley Ann Dunham).
Nothing chromozonal or diverse about that. Over the last four days I have researched her and her positions and experience and that is my honest assessment irrespective of the other distractions.
I should have added: And then over the following 4+ years.
McDonald just sounds like yet another moron to me.
How were we ever going to win running againt a messiah and the entire MSM, though?
Plus the Republican party has been asleep for a few years now and only just woke up when McCain picked Sarah.
Heather McDonald may be "one of the best free-market-oriented journalists" around (though I don't know how much competition she has for that title), but the article is all-negative spin.
Attacking Palin as having been a small-town mayor is a page from the Obama campaign. How often does a small-town mayor becomes governor of a state? What does that say about Palin's quality?
For McDonald to skip over Palin's record as governor, and to attack her small-town roots, negates whatever legitimate point McDonald may have on her mind.
Agreed. But, Sarah Palin gives me hope for the future.
If the ‘progressives’ do win in Nov. they will find it difficult if not impossible to carry out their agenda. The government does not produce anything. In order to ‘give’ someone something they must first take it from someone else. Good luck!
McCain's chief responsibility to the Republican Party... to get elected. I don't see the selection of Sarah Palin as a gross error in strategy. The Democrats have been feeding identity politics for decades. It ain't going to last 1 day longer because of anything McCain does.
No doubt she is an AA pick. Whether it was wise remains to be seen. She certainly has juiced up many in the base. So that cannot be underestimated.
The rest of the “short list” wasn’t looking too good, except Eric Cantor, so the problem was with McCain’s list
Without Sarah - our chances of McCain choosing a CONSERVATIVE would be zero!!
Whatever reason he chose for doing it - I'm okay with that. The fact that he beat the RATS at their own game is a plus for me, too.
Obama's 'moment of glory' is in his own mind & the minds of the RATS who chose him.
Welcome to the world, Ms. Heather.. Palin got herself elected governor and she has performed competently. Whats your problem if there are other motives involved here?
Maybe Heather need to take a break and get her hair done, or something.
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