WELL, Well, well. McCain pulls the string on a pitch while the Dems were sitting on dead red on a 3-2 count with runners in scoring position. For you non-baseball folks out there, what I'm saying is that the GOP went with a pick that no one saw coming, and as a result has the opponents scrambling to counter. Just as it's commonly considered a bold move to throw a change-up in the above baseball example, it was equally bold for McCain to pick someone that was way off the radar of conventional thought, especially given her political experience. But the most caustic issue seems to be her gender. Over the weekend, I've scoured the op-ed pages, and all agree of the opinion that the move was made solely to appeal to the HRC hold-outs. I cannot imagine that McCain would make this pick just to pick up a few thousand votes -- we all know that most of the HRC supporters' ideologies do not agree with Palin's, therefore it wouldn't make sense to, in essence, throw this pick away. What I did find, however, was that women were very polarized by this pick, and the female liberal base was so upset about it that they could not see beyond the blood boiling in their eye sockets.
As a long-time admirer of the female persuasion, I felt as if I've seen this reaction before. You can generalize it and criticize it and debate it all you want, but the fact remains: women do not like not having the last word. When Obama made his triumphant nomination acceptance speech, the euphoria attached to it was embraced by all Obama supporters like a warm quilt on a snowy evening. And just as sobering and unsettling, that same quilt was yanked away within 12 hours, courtesy of the Palin pick (to be honest with you, I was fully prepared to see McCain announce his pick DURING the Obama speech, as a political ploy to split up the media attention. The very idea that this did not happen tells me the two candidates want to share a "gentleman's agreement" to keep things as civil as possible, outside of the negative ads. I believe this "agreement" carried over to Obama's reaction later about Palin's private family matters, but more on that later). The vitriol that spewed from the various female blogs (see the commentary on jezebel.com, for example) was so one-sided, so eye-opening in terms of getting a feel for what the reaction was on the pick. Women feel both threatened and angered by the pick, for all of the reasons you've (no doubt) heard by now. This speaks to me of fear -- fear that their feel-good story has been shattered, and maybe this Obama election victory may not be such a sure thing after all. Suddenly the Bush-dread has come back and it's deja vu all over again. Suddenly the feeling of doubt has re-appeared in the minds of the formerly euphoric Dems, and it's only human nature that when fear appears, one of the first immediate reactions is to get defensive.
This pick was not made to capture the disgruntled HRC supporter vote -- if that happened, it would be considered an added benefit. This pick was made to soothe the staunch conservative base, and, as evidenced by the incredible fundraising bounce in the past 72 hours, it is a home run with them. Palin is the ideal pick: attractive, tough, pro-life, pro-NRA, a devoted wife and mother, and not afraid to fight for the cause. And please stop with all the conjecture that she's only a heartbeat away -- have we not learned anything from Watergate? It's the people you surround yourself with that will make or break you. Don't we always tell our children the same thing? McCain-Palin or Obama-Biden will hold the posts, but the real policy will be shaped by the administration, and the real decisions will be made by the three branches of government. For instance, Palin is pro-life, but if elected, she and the GOP will still have a very difficult time rescinding Roe v. Wade. And with congressional elections held every two years, the balance of power is never a sure thing.
Personally, I think Palin is in for a very rough ride. She's a mother of five children, and most parents with children know how tough it is to juggle work and family schedules, with every child adding an expotential number of obstacles with it. The Dems will not be kind to her, just as the GOP will not be kind to Obama (by the way, please remember that the campaign is just getting started, the dirt has yet to fly). She has, to bring back the baseball analogy, gone from Single-A ball to the major leagues overnight, and is expected to perform at the top level from this day forward. Any player that has gone through a similar flight will tell you the pressure is enormous at the top, especially when compared to where they came from. I'm sure the McCain camp talked through all of this before making the pick, but you still never know how someone will do when put under the microscope (see Eagleton in recent history, for example). I just cannot imagine how she will hold up under this scrutiny. In one respect, it's only 65 days, so I guess she can look at it that way, saying to herself that she'll exchange 65 days for a personal and professional life that will never be the same after the election, for her and her family, win or lose. Think of the doors that will open for her and her family if she loses. Regardless of outcome, she's now a part of history, plus she's a role model for all young women, as a symbol of strength in moving closer to shattering that glass ceiling. My only comment to that is, "be careful what you wish for".
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