Sarah Palin, the Republican governor of Alaska, was a phenomenal choice for John McCain’s presidential running mate. She gave them the one thing the campaign needed: their base. Sarah Palin is young, good looking, charming, well spoken, virtually unknown on the national stage, a fundamentalist Christian and a hard line conservative, both socially and financially. She does not believe abortion should be available to anyone for any reason. She is pro-censorship, pro-book banning, is strongly anti-contraceptives, and believes strongly in the Christian dogma on the subjects of sex and reproduction. She has a reputation for going after oil companies. As with many Christian fundamentalists, she believes the earth is only 6,000 years old because she believes in the literal truth of the bible. Oh yeah, and she’s a woman. She is yin to McCain’s yang.
Evangelical Christians have resisted dipping their toes into the McCain for President pool. His perceived moderate stance on a number of social issues that are important to conservatives have made his campaign fearful that evangelicals would not vote at all in November. They were nearly certain there was no way the evangelicals would motivate the droves of voters they have in the past.
They had to find a conservative who was fundamentalist and uncompromising enough to ease the evangelicals into the pool. The vice presidential candidate had to have a record of staunch conservatism but not so much of a record they could be attacked on specific decisions. A long term congressman or famous conservative governor would have a voting record that could be picked apart. Palin fits the bill perfectly. Her brief time as governor has allowed her enough time to show her conservative stripes but not enough time to be tied to many decisions, let alone controversial ones.
By picking a person who is virtually unknown nationally, the media, the average voter and other politicians are left scampering to find any information on Palin. Excited attention is drawn to Governor Palin as everyone tries to dig up any stories on her personally, her record, her experiences, her religion, and her family. The buzz about John McCain rises to a roar as they discuss Palin and the choice to make Palin his VP.
Sarah Palin follows the conservative evangelical fundamentalism as closely as possible. Governor Palin is a professed lover and follower of Jesus. She believes creationism should be taught in science class, abstinence education should be the only lesson, in all cases; even in cases of rape or incest abortion should be banned, and contraception is not for schools to discuss. She does not believe in climate change. Palin supports a ban on gay marriage. She is anti-gun control. Palin encourages the complete tapping of Alaska’s resources. She sees value in hunting for sport, and encourages aerial hunting of wolves and bears. She’s a conservative evangelical fundamentalist poster girl.
If the GOP put another old rich white man on the ticket, it would miss the opportunity to revamp their image. In order to capitalize on the disenfranchised Hillaryites and the republican women tired of being offered no choice other than men, the GOP took the opportunity to endear itself to women. I don’t think the Hillaryites were the prime target, but why miss the opportunity to reach a few of them given the choice?
John McCain is in his 70’s, and though youthful for his age, still looks like an old man, leading further to the idea that his ideas are stale, and needing a revamp, even though some find comfort in his experience. The GOP had to shed the “old, rich, white guy” image to compete for the under 60 years old middle class vote that Oboma’s call for change had started to reach. Putting a young, idealistic, beautiful, charming woman known for taking on the “old boys club” on the ticket turned the heat up on the Democrats and encouraged the base to take the dive into the pool.
Sarah Palin’s reputation for taking on the boys club of the oil companies in Alaska can be pitched as proof that the GOP is no longer in the pocket of oil companies. Even though Palin openly advocates for a pipeline in Alaska, her direct attack on oil companies can be seen as a fearless face to face confrontation, in no way endearing her, or by association, McCain. If oil companies don’t own the behavior of the candidates, the candidates are more likely to be seen as willing to do something about the high gasoline costs, even if it requires a show down between oil companies and American government.
There was a little hope HIllaryites would jump ship to follow the vagina, but the truth is, Sarah Palin wouldn’t attract any militant Hillary Clinton supporters and the GOP knows it. The McCain campaign is pandering to the evangelicals and hopes to blow out the musk of oldness, sameness, and frowziness from his campaign by breathing in Palin’s freshness. For those who swing to the red right, she makes them feel jazzed to vote, and gives the campaign the booster shot it needed. Ultra-right wing, evangelical, neo-con republican voters will be excited to jump head first into the Palin Pool.
First Published: September 8, 2008
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