This is not snooty elitism – it’s based on the perception that Mrs Palin’s track record is thin and that while she has real star quality her political prescriptions are vague. Sound familiar? That may have worked for Barack Obama in 2008 but Americans are likely to want much more substance next time around.
I believe this is an obstacle she may not be able to overcome by acting as a populist, virtual “backbencher”, as she is currently operating. I say this as a fan – I would vote for her without reservation and will defend her to the ends of the earth against the BS she gets every day.
I think she will be the right person at the wrong time.
A common observation of recent Presidential elections is that, in at least one crucial personality trait or important aspect, The People elect the polar opposite of the current President.
Ford – Carter: Insider – Outsider
Carter – Reagan: Sour defeatism – Sunny optimism.
Reagan – Bush(1): Idealist – Pragmatist.
Bush(1) – Clinton: Staid – Rambunctious.
Clinton – Bush(2): Undisciplined – Disciplined.
Bush(2) – Obama: Stubborn loyalty – “Under the bus”
I’m afraid that the current amateur hour is going to be that crucial aspect. The country won’t want to give a go to another politician with a thin resume (including sadly, her resignation of the Governorship) like the last, regardless of her policy positions and how good we think she would be.
Sorry, no "fuck" in this post. Oh, wait....
Maryk out.
Hmm, the theory suffers some damage when one attempts to resolve the question, "If Sarah is not a sufficient opposite to the incumbent in 2012, then who is?" We're then left scrambling for someone who is the opposite of 48 years old. So, an old fart.
ReplyDeleteI just don't think it works for age-discrimination. There's this window of age between 55 and 65, and we want to see the "boss" somewhere in that bracket. It does work for how one looks at the world, perceives the things in it, and solves problems. Palin is not only the polar opposite of Obama, there, but she comes across that way too. Words cannot express how tired people are becoming of Him, and ...His fucking bullshit.
Also -- as far as experience goes, the experience that really matters in considering a nominee is the experience of receiving abuse and minimizing the damage that results from receiving it. This tells you valuable things about the candidate's resourcefulness, cool-under-fire, and ability to prevail politically in a worst-case scenario. It's simply silly to regard Palin as a lightweight, or anything like a lightweight, in that department. She's made history.