Palin Unleashes Dobson’s Minions
Watching the usual cable suspects last night, the main effect of the Palin pick took a back seat to analysis about how it would influence female voters, and how the pick re-shaped the experience factor debate.
The main effect of the selection of Palin, the effect that will have the most positive impact on the McCain candidacy, was yesterday afternoon’s endorsement of McCain by Dr. James Dobson. Dobson, host of the daily and widely listened to Focus On The Family radio program, as well as the head of the right wing political organization of the same name that masquerades as a massive ministry, has abandoned his vow to stay home on election day, and will bring millions of disciples with him to the polls. It was the choice of Palin that provoked his change of heart.
Pushing swing states like Colorado, Ohio, and Pennsylvania into the Obama column just became a lot tougher. Great move by the Republican strategists. Palin, a self-described hockey mom, understands the meaning of “save, and a beauty.”
Dr. Dobson’s endorsement initially flew under the radar of most of the talking heads. The Dems got Pearl Harbored and may not have realized it yet.
This game just got a lot tougher for the Obama camp. Hopefully, they rise to the challenge instead of wasting time reveling in the shortcomings of the Palin pick.
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Well, LK, once again we disagree. I think McCain’s pick of Palin as his VP running mate is a wonderful gift to Democrats. I mean, really. After months of attacking Obama on the basis of experience, McCain picks someone who would step into the oval office if anything happened to him, someone literally a heartbeat away from the Presidency, whose government experience consists of mayoring a small town (about 9,000 people) and governing a state which is smaller than cities like Columbus, OH, Charlotte, NC or Memphis, TN. Oh, and she’s a beauty queen.
I think my mother-in-law is very typical of the disappointed Hillary voters. After Obama won the nomination, Mom threatened to vote for McCain. After a few weeks she admitted she wouldn’t do that, but she “couldn’t” vote for Obama, so she would just stay home. Today she’s breathing fire and planning to definitely vote for Obama. She feels insulted that McCain would pick Palin, as if women are too dumb to see the difference between a gun-toting, anti-abortion, drill-anywhere wingnut and Hillary Clinton.
OK, so the right-wing evangelicals are in ecstasy. Whoop-de-doo. McCain still has no viable economic policy, other than more tax breaks for the wealthiest individuals and corporations. He still thinks we need to stay in Iraq, even though the Iraqis have told us they want us out. He still thinks the only way to deal with other countries is by bluster and flexing of military muscles. He even agreed with one of his town-hall attendees that we need to reinstitute the military draft. And, to “balance” his ticket, he picks a beauty queen PTA soccer Mom with pretty much no government experience, certainly no national or international experience. Even the right-wing media isn’t going to be able to sustain any credible positive spin about this for very long.
And what about the “bubba” vote, the blue-collar white male? Are they going to go for Palin? I don’t think so. Or how about the more intelligent Republican women, who know there are better qualified women he could have picked if he really wanted a woman on his team? Kay Bailey Hutchinson, maybe, or Olympia Snowe, or Christine Whitman? Even, God help us, Condi Rice?? It’s a slap in the face to those ladies as well.
In fact, I find it very interesting that he abandoned his injured first wife to take up with beauty queen Cindy, and has now picked beauty queen Palin as his VP nominee. Is that really what he thinks of women? That the pretty face is all that matters? If so, I believe millions of women will prove him wrong in the voting booth in November.
And as an example of McCain’s judgment to lead, it reinforces the notion that he really ought to be tested for Alzheimers. . .
hi Beached. thanks for continuing to check in. as far as rational argument and sane discourse go, you’re right about all of the above.
my problem is that i don’t believe that the voters who elected GWB twice are capable of or have the desire to spend the mental energy following policy points and their ramifications, and then making sound decisions.
this would be considered cynical if it didn’t turn out to be accurate based on the 2004 election, and i haven’t seen any increase in intellectual rigor since then.
video games and wrestling rule. the facts don’t. admittedly a sorry state, but one that has to be confronted and rectified before your well reasoned positions can come into play.
i welcome your response. no joke. LK
ps i hope i’m wrong.