Posted on 09/04/2008 11:03:53 PM PDT by goldstategop
John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin was the most inspired decision of his long race for the White House. The ads lampooning Barack Obama's messianic pretensions were skillful as well. But the Palin pick accomplished several goals at once.
It is, it must be acknowledged, a terrible year to be a Republican. A decidedly unpopular Republican president is finishing his second term. Republican party identification is at its lowest point in 16 years (27 percent, according to the Pew Research Center). All indicia of excitement — money raising, turnout at political events, buzz — strongly favor the Democrats. Further, the attractive, articulate, and charismatic Democratic nominee is an historic first — the first African-American nominated by a major party.
Who would have believed, two weeks ago, that Republicans would march out of their convention more pumped than they have felt since Reagan?The choice of Palin has recast the entire election. Until McCain chose his vice president, the election was shaping up to be about “change.” Obama was playing the role of knight errant, and McCain was cast as the candidate of the status quo. Many a Democratic speaker in Denver invited the delegates to regard a prospective McCain presidency as “Bush's third term.”
McCain declined to play his appointed part. Had he chosen any of the most often mentioned candidates for the second spot — Romney, Pawlenty, Ridge — it would have been impossible to escape the sense of “same old same old” that would have followed the ticket like stale cigar smoke. However much one might revere older white guys, and some of my best friends are OWGs, there is no escaping the fact that this was not the year for such a ticket.
Liberals have indignantly protested that McCain's choice of a woman was a “cynical” bid for disgruntled Hillary Clinton voters. But I don't think that's what this was about. In Palin, McCain found a reformer. He sees himself as a reformer and a clean government crusader. One might not always agree with his idea of reform (certainly campaign finance reform struck me as a blow to the First Amendment), but that he sees himself in that role is indisputable. In Sarah Palin, he found, as David Brooks shrewdly observed, a kindred spirit. Not just a soul mate, but a gal with pizzazz and spirit! Who can resist a governor who comes into office on a promise to clean house and promptly sells the luxury jet her predecessor had bought on eBay? (She let the chauffeur and chef go, too.) Palin has confronted the corruption of her own party, just as McCain has done in Washington by challenging those among his colleagues he calls, not affectionately, “the appropriators.” This throws down the gauntlet to Obama to cite a single instance when his mantra of change has been backed by actions. Has he ever crossed swords with those in his party? Ever denounced corruption among Democrats? His acceptance speech was a liberal wish list indistinguishable in content from those of Mondale, Dukakis, Clinton, and Kerry. Is this change?
McCain must also have calculated that Palin's expertise on energy would help highlight the one domestic issue that has emerged as a clear winner for Republicans. One looks forward eagerly to the day when he explains that Sarah Palin has convinced him to reverse his opposition to drilling in ANWR.
And McCain must also have sensed that a young, attractive woman from a western state would inject a dose of energy and enthusiasm into the race. On this, McCain may not have even guessed at how right he was (though one senses that Cindy McCain knew). Sarah Palin is political dynamite. She has transformed Republicans from flaccid to fired-up overnight. Just by being pro-life, small town, patriotic, and religious, she set the teeth of the media types on edge. By being all of that AND smart and articulate, and a budget hawk, she sent conservatives over the moon.
Together McCain and Palin have changed the game. They have seized the mantle of reform and dare the Democrats to show anything comparable. In this worst of all years for Republicans, it no longer seems fanciful to imagine that they can win.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
We’ll win
Sarah just gave us the edge..
God bless her and her family....she will need all the grace and grit she can find because she will be put thru the ringer...
I’m so optimistic now that I’m gearing up for 2012: Hillary v. Sarah - knockdown!
I hope so, but i wont feel comfortable until I start seeing Obama’a numbers come down and McCain’s go up.
The 72% of the poll responders >34 years old is betting 51% to 42% that McCain wins. It's just the opposite for the 28% of responders aged <34. Registered voters BTW.
http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=36ee8fde-58bf-4027-a75b-b29d86b66b92
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
It absolutely nonplusses me how fast things can change in the world.
It’s like God in heaven decided to postpone the End Times by a decade or two.
I’m fired up for the ticket and will soon contribute and get some bumper stickers and yard signs. A first for me.
But I cannot but be cognizant of the mountain McCain has to climb. DC is a hell-hole of corruption and entrenched self-interest. Seems that every senator has relatives who have joined the lobbyist gravy train. McCain will be the greatest wielder of the veto pen in history. Maybe Palin can go over the heads of the criminal comgress to the American people as Reagan did. McCain cannot do this. He just doesn’t have what it takes.
IF a giant hole opened up and swallowed DC there might be a real chance for reform but two people alone cannot make much of a difference against the greatest mountain of sin and evil ever heaped up.
Let’s start a “Pray for the McCain team” prayer chain right here on Freerepublic.com! We don’t need money to buy trinkets if everybody is willing to just do their part on their knees every day!
Who would have believed, two weeks ago, that Republicans would march out of their convention more pumped than they have felt since Reagan?
***Not me. But that’s exactly what happened.
McCain declined to play his appointed part.
***Funny how the MSM sees it as their divine right to appoint the parts to play. McCain is going to have to pay for this little indiscretion. Interestingly enough, since Palin is a social conservative, she’s used to the media acting like antichristian bigots and deftly handled them. But McCain is livid over the way the media’s been behaving, and he is the one being delivered a lesson in media relations by the energetic upstart, rather than the other way around.
.
.
Here’s how I’ve been bumping Palin/Obama threads.
Sung to the tune of “Oh! Susanna, don’t you cry for me.”
“Oh, no Bama, please don’t lie to me... for I’m off to Free Republic with a laptop on my knee.”
I come from Minnesota with my laptop on my knee;
I’m goin’ to Free Republic my true love for to see.
It rained all night the day I left,
the weather it was dry;
The sun so hot I froze to death,
Obama don’t you lie.
Oh! No Bama, don’t you lie to me;
I come from Minnesota,
with my laptop on my knee.
I had a dream the other night,
When everything was still;
I thought I saw Obama dear,
A-coming for The Hill.
The smearing lie was in Duluth,
The tear was in his eye,
Said I, I’m coming for the truth
Obama don’t you lie.
Oh! No Bama, don’t you lie to me;
I’m off to Free Republic,
with my laptop on my knee.
I fight in my pajamas,
It’s plain for all to see.
I aim to be the next Buckhead;
The media all hate me.
I fell in love with Sarah
When my sister bit a moose.
The Guvnor’s family ate it up
And then they set it loose.
Oh! No Bama, don’t you lie to me;
I’m off to Free Republic,
with my laptop on my knee.
She loves her sons, she likes her guns,
and Trigonometry.
The media will jump the shark
When Juan makes history.
Well, JimRob knows she’ll pave the trolls
So controversially,
And Berg will knock Obama down
With friends of Hillary.
Oh! No Bama, don’t you lie to me;
I’m off to Free Republic with a laptop on my knee.
I soon will be in Hawaii,
And then I’ll look all ‘round,
And when I find his birth record,
I’ll fall upon the ground.
But if I do not find it,
This Freeper’ll surely die,
And when I’m dead and buried,
Obama don’t you lie.
Oh! No Bama, don’t you cry for me;
I’m off to Free Republic with a laptop on my knee
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2073903/posts?page=6#6
Obama is facing a divided Party, and is likely to lose between 10-20% of his female support.
McCain can focus on the battleground states, while sending Palin into secure states to keep up the enthusiasm and support.
Moreover, by stressing reform, he has also rallied many Republicans who were distressed over the path the Party had taken.
Watch where zero spends his time and money.There’s a good chance he’s lost some states that were competitive. If he has to spend too much time in states that are usually dimmo, this could be a blowout
Together McCain and Palin may be able to accomplish more cost cutting if they can get a Line Item Veto bill passed that will stand up to SCOTUS’ scrutiny..That would really break the back of wasteful spending and it is time that the Line Item Veto became part of American law..After all this is 2008, not 1776 and the Constitution was made to be adaptable through the system of checks and balances..
I agree that it sure seems as though Heaven is mercifully delaying the day of reckoning so Americans can come to their senses..There is also much need for reform in other areas of our society, not just the government spending reforms that are needed...
I believe this is all a part of Gods plan. God always seems to bless us with the right ones at the right time.
A GOP victory a “distant hope”? When? When did barack mcgovern ever really have a chance? What state was he losing a month ago that he is now winning? What state was he up slightly in a month ago, where he is killing in now?
Does anyone over 12 really believe America will elect a marxist anti American Black man with a Muslim name? Please!
I hope so, but i wont feel comfortable until I start seeing Obama’a numbers come down and McCain’s go up.
As Rush pointed out yesterday, polls do not exist to predict the winner. They exist to sabatoge and deflate Republicans' campaigns. They only become serious predictions of the actual election results in the last week of before Election Day. Both Reagan in '84 and Bush in '88 won in landslides after trailing badly in the polls early.So you cannot expect to have polling results which encourage you in September, or even October. I plan on laying in emergency supplies before Election Day, in anticipation of the possibility of a Bradley Effect election - and the reaction to it which we all know is possible.
The Libtards have no idea what or with whom they are dealing with... even now, a week later... they are totally clueless.
Real clear politics seems to always have one “in the tank for obama” poll to keep any mccain up swing countered.
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