Palindrone

Although he may be labeled as out-of-touch in other areas, John McCain was no fool when he picked Sarah Palin as his VP. McCain's campaign was in some serious need of energy when compared with Obama's just prior to the Democratic and Republican conventions, and the selection of Palin was a total boon for the GOP. I think almost everyone can agree with that statement, whether you're now buying Palin glasses or sporting a "Women for Obama" sticker on the back of your gas-efficient Prius. Palin energized McCain's conservative base, generated headlines, further substantiated McCain's reputation as an unpredictable maverick, and made the Republican party look progressive. Those are pretty significant accomplishments that have to do with more things than her gender. Not just any Republican female politician could have been Palin to McCain, if that makes sense.

As with most other things in politics, opinions about Palin are extremely polarized. To many Democrats, Palin's appointment as VP candidate was almost laughable--McCain was essentially pulling a publicity stunt by selecting an attractive, articulate, but inexperienced female to manipulate vulnerable and disgruntled Hillary voters. To many Republicans, putting Palin on the ticket was invigorating proof that McCain is sufficiently conservative and innovative enough to lead and reform the many woes of the 30% approval George Bush party--in other words, they could not be more thrilled.

But, in accordance with my usual manner of thinking, I don't really agree with either side wholeheartedly. I don't dislike Sarah Palin. Categorizing her as nothing but a down-home mother of five who got lucky politically in Alaska is to deny her the attribution of intelligence, raw talent, and political skill that she deserves. However, I think McCain selected her because she had the potential to be a campaign and public relations gold mine--not because she was the best candidate for the position. She gave McCain the bump in the polls he needed; deal with the practical ramifications later.

Disregarding her experience, Palin is, to me, the perfect female politician. She's tough, smart, and confident, all the while maintaining valuable female characteristics. In other words, unlike Hillary Clinton, she is not a "bone shrinker." Somehow, she's managed to acquire the male qualities necessary to succeed in the political world without compromising her femininity. She is the sought-after supermom--cradling her children one moment and leading the office (or state or nation) the next. The pitbull-with-lipstick joke may have been more apt than she realized.

Yet her experience is the sticking point. Being a mayor and governor in Alaska provides limited experience, even when compared with governors of other states with larger budgets, larger and more diverse populations, and with the complex concerns associated with the continental United States. There are some crucial issues upon which Sarah Palin hasn't even a sliver of knowledge. That isn't meant to be an attack on her person; it's simply the truth about what she knows and what she has done. She doesn't know the Bush doctrine, yet emphatically delivers heavily scripted words about Iran's nuclear program? That is problematic. If McCain was interested in gaining a political edge that would be beneficial to him before and after the campaign, should he be elected, he should have selected another female Republican, one with more broad and lengthy political experience. Considering the overwhelming number of problems the next president will inherent from George W., I simply wouldn't feel comfortable with potential that Palin could take the helm.

And honestly, as a woman, her selection feels like an attempt at manipulation of the "weak" female mind (Hillary supporters were not just hungry for a female president) and affirmative action. It would be one thing if Palin hoofed it on her own. Her riding into the White House on 72 year old McCain's coat tails doesn't really look like the glass ceiling shattering to me.

The question is, I suppose, if McCain felt it was politically gainful to select a female VP, why Sarah Palin above other, more experienced female politicians? I said at the beginning of the post that not just any female Republican could have been Palin to McCain. That statement makes complete sense to me on an intuitive level, but it seems to be difficult to substantiate. McCain met her once prior to vetting. Alaska is not exactly a place many of us think about or hear of often. A pro-life woman with a large family and lifetime NRA membership from a rural, backwater town sounds more disaster on a Dan Quayle scale than diamond in the rough. Still, whether or not you like her or think she's truly capable, most everyone admits they underestimated her.