McCain Suddenly Comfortable With Inexperience

With his calculated VP pick, John McCain underestimates the intelligence of women and young voters.

Photo Copyright AP.

The choice of Sarah Palin as McCain's VP nominee is about as good as McCain can do, but in reality we have to ask ourselves: Who is Sarah Palin? First, she's a small-town mayor (Wasilla, AK had 5500 people in 2000) turned governor of a tiny state for less than two years. She's also extremely conservative on at least one issue (abortion) that puts her at odds with every independent or left-leaning woman in America. How stupid does McCain think women in this country are?

It's the height of hypocrisy for McCain to slam Obama for his supposed lack of experience and then go ahead and pick someone with even less experience than Obama to inherit the presidency in the event of a tragedy. After all, Obama has been talking and living with Americans and running a multi-million dollar mini-bureacracy for two years now. Palin has been fighting against the universally mocked “Bridge to Nowhere” earmark and unequivocally opposing a woman’s right to choose.

The idea of having a VP is to make the line of succession clear. McCain is 72. He's at the point in his life where it wouldn't be a huge surprise to anyone if his health suddenly failed and the VP took over. And do we really want this no-name small-town ultra-conservative woman running the country? Are you kidding me? This woman proudly describes herself as a hockey mom! I love moms of both the soccer and hockey variety, but I do not want one of them running the country unless they have loads of relevant experience.

In the end I think that the VP choices matter a lot less than people think. Mondale ran with Ferraro on the ticket in 1984, and no Democrat has ever done worse amongst women than he did. The underlying messages of the campaigns don't change at all. In fact, the choice of someone with no Washington experience whatsoever highlights Obama's point that the GOP is an ideologically bankrupt group. All their old ideas are failures, and to inject "new ideas" into the race they give us a 19-month governor? What types of new ideas, relevant for the USA, does she have?

The choice might look good on the surface, but that's about the only place it looks good. McCain is trying to run an old-fashioned GOP campaign but he's too scared to put an old-fashioned GOP name on the ticket because he knows he'll lose. So he chooses a young woman, and he expects people to suddenly think "hey, she looks young and kind of cool...let's vote for her and ignore everything that McCain has done for the past 30 years." It's insulting, just another calculated Rove-style marketing gimmick.

But will it matter? Probably a little, but not much more than that. The dynamics of this race don't change. And anyway, put Biden and Palin in the same room, turn on the cameras, and we'll see who's the dynamic choice.

Nicky

commented Aug 29, 2008, 10:48AM

He knows the odds are against him, so why not make a dramatic and risky pick? He's really got nothing to lose. Although it totally undermines the GOP's experience argument, it's instilled some excitement in a party that's otherwise been dead for months.

Responses to this comment

PumpkinTime

commented Aug 29, 2008, 10:57AM

I was absolutely flabbergasted at the pick of Palin, and still am. I think it's the dumbest choice since Dan Quayle. Not only does she lack ANY sort of experience, but the idea that women (republicans and disenfranchised Reagan Democrats) are going to vote for McCain simply because his VP is female is completely condescending, insulting, and just plain stupid. If McCain and the GOP think the average American woman, republican or democrat, is that shallow and self-righteous, than they're gonna get a serious wake up call come November 4th.

Timothy

commented Aug 29, 2008, 11:04AM

It's probably a Hail Mary pass for McCain, but the author is wrong in implying that McCain was attempting to appeal to pro-choice women and the youth vote with this choice. Palin energizes conservatives with her social views and is far more interesting than Romney. What I don't get is this: isn't there an ethical cloud over Palin about her firing an ex-brother-in-law in Alaska? The Wall Street Journal hyped Palin a month ago, but mentioned this one problem. If she's been cleared, okay. If not, who in the world is doing McCain's vetting?

john

commented Aug 29, 2008, 11:10AM

Oh ho ho, Timothy: they (partisan conservatives) are indeed banking on her to woo pro-choice women. From The Weekly Standard blog's recent post "What Palin Does": "8. As a pro-life super-achiever, puts feminists in a tizzy," which I can only assume means that pro-choice feminists will be so desirous of a female candidate that they'll sacrifice an issue they hold dear just to get a second X chromosome in the Oval office.

commented Aug 29, 2008, 11:28AM

Please. Weekly Standard cheerleading aside (as well as the deliriously happy National Review), McCain will get about as many pro-choice feminists or bitter Hillary supporters to cross party lines as the number of people who'll vote for Ralph Nader. McCain's choice--and let's remember it's Obama vs. McCain--isn't aimed at confirmed Democrats, but rather a play for uncommitted voters and Republicans who might've stayed home otherwise.

ASKlein

commented Aug 29, 2008, 11:31AM

If anything, McCain's pick stole most of the thunder from Obama's nomination speech last night. As for the rest of the campaign, here's this lovely quote from Palin from a few months ago: "I still can’t answer that question until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the V.P. does every day?" Lastly, imagine the VP debate. Does Palin really think she can speak with any authority on Georgia, Russia, or anything related to national security against a senator who has been in the thick of it for decades? Obviously this has echoes of McCain/Obama. I don't run away from the surface-value judgment that Obama is younger and less "experienced" than McCain, but the differences between the would-be POTUSes can't hold a candle to differences between the would be VPOTUSes.

commented Aug 29, 2008, 11:32AM

Oops, context for the Palin quote. She was asked if she would consider accepting a VP nod.

PoMoMad

commented Aug 29, 2008, 12:38PM

I think this move is brilliant and digusting. Brilliantly insulting because he put a woman thinking thats all that mattered. Disgusting because it's a low, low blow to ball sacs everywhere. It's like McLame is saying: OK, I know I'm old and shrivled, so I'll pick a hot young woman as my VP. Nobody will ever know that she's as qualified/interesting as an untoasted bagel.

Greenlight

commented Aug 29, 2008, 02:26PM

You're giving a bad rap to untoasted bagels.

martywombacher

commented Aug 29, 2008, 04:35PM

I think this was a very poor choice. If McCain thinks this choice will swing any youth vote or women his way, he doesn't deserve to be president.

Sourpuss

commented Aug 29, 2008, 06:04PM

This is pretty much a non-story. In two weeks, it's all Obama vs. McCain, and the veeps don't matter. Biden will carve up Palin in the debate, but no one watches them. But they will see Obama take apart grumpy old McCain.

commented Aug 30, 2008, 06:20AM

Here's what I don't get: Palin is under possible investigation for a vindictive firing, as I commented upon yesterday, and yet no daily paper I've read today gives it much play. Is this a minor controversy in Alaska or will it blow up in McCain's face? That seems like a pretty important question. I'm looking forward to the debate between her and Biden. I'm assuming the latter will cream her, like Bentsen did Quayle in '88, but if Biden takes the bully role, it might be a veep debate that matters.

zkauf1

commented Aug 30, 2008, 09:17AM

This coming through on Daily Kos yesterday: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/8/29/17933/7330/417/579267 Just the start of what they'll dig up on her. I don't agree it's a non-story. If, for example, the investigation finds her guilty of abuse of power, McCain's gonna be in for some really bad press. I also agree that nominating a woman was about the smartest thing he could do -- just not, i think in the end, this woman.

commented Aug 30, 2008, 09:49AM

I don't rely on Kos too much, especially for GOP news, but zkauff1 is right that the investigation on Palin has the potential to be McCain's Thomas Eagleton. And that McCain met her for the first time just six months ago strikes me as weird. Conservatives are still glowing; I wonder when the hangover will come. Or, it could be that McCain's staff fully vetted her; of course, that wouldn't be in character for his campaign this year.

dave71112

commented Aug 30, 2008, 10:07AM

McCain made an excellent choice for VP. He wants to clean Washington up so he brings in someone who is yet to be corrupted by Washington politics, or at least I think that is the best way to read his choice. By the way, pro-choice is pro-murder. The choice has already been made. I think this view has to have exceptions for criminal impregnation.

Carreraman

commented Aug 30, 2008, 11:25AM

Why are the writer and a lot of the commentors above such knee-jerk jerks in pre-judging Palin? I can at least understand liberal consultants who are on-the-payroll - their job is to shoot first and to think later. True , Palin has a thin resume, but really no more light than Obama's. However, IF she proves to be smart, articulate, have an engaging personality and possesses political savvy (essentially what Obama brings to the and his party)she'll be an asset to McCain's candidacy.Obviously a lot of people have drunk the Democratic Kool-Aid and won't vote GOP no matter how formidable the GOP VEEP is or is not.Just rather pathetic how reflexively close-minded some people can be. Nice contribution to Barack's New Era of Bipartisanship.

jeremylott

commented Aug 30, 2008, 12:54PM

Here are two things that this author gets wrong: 1 many independents are prolife; 2 Palin has more experience than Obama in doing the thing that a president is supposed to do: govern. Oh and 14 of our 43 presidents were first vice president, so the choice matters.

Christian

commented Aug 30, 2008, 02:10PM

As an Obama voter, the pick of Palin makes me nervous because of its uncertainty. Yes, maybe she wasn't properly checked out by McCain, but on the other hand, as analyst Charles Cook wrote today, if she's underestimated by Democrats, which is certainly happening now, she could pose a serious problem to Obama. She won't sway any diehard Dems, and most Hillary supporters will fall into the fold, but her large family and fresh face are a lot better than Romney or Pawlenty would've offered.

eureka

commented Aug 30, 2008, 02:41PM

McCain's dramatic strategy appears to have paid off in the short term, now we just have to wait and see if it'll work out in the long run. I think Palin was picked largely because of her gender and her status (mother of five including a kid with Downs Syndrome) and not for her governing credentials or her potential to the lead the country one day. She's a Betty Boop, an empty suit with a powerful image and status (politically wise). If McCain thinks that centrist or liberal women will vote for their ticket simply because Palin has a vagina, then he has truly proved that he is completely out of touch with not only women but the American people. It's insulting, but I have to admit it is very daring.

commented Aug 31, 2008, 08:46AM

Two days after the Palin pick, the left's reaction, which alternates between laughter and hysteria, leads me to believe McCain made a clever gamble. A look at the very smart Josh Marshall's "Talking Points Memo" website, demonstrates just how much attention he and other are paying to Palin. Had it been Pawlenty or Romney, they'd still be exulting over Obama's speech last Thursday night.

Politics & Media

Aug 29, 2008, 08:59AM