Palin is a good choice.*

Posted by Lindsay in US Election 2008.

(* For the Republicans)

I am developing a better understanding of Sarah Palin. At least, I think I am. A late night phone call from a (slightly drunk) conservative yielded several revelations regarding both tickets and my homegirl, Hillary Clinton. If this boy is right, and he’s not just trying to shut me up, I can actually see why Palin is a good choice for the Republican ticket. These arguments are presented in no particular order because the whole conversation was influenced by alcohol (him) and hours of working on a design portfolio during a House marathon (me).

After eight years of Bush, one would assume the Democrats could eat babies and still come out on top in November, but it might not happen because of the mavericks. John McCain’s ads constantly pose the question, “But is [Obama] ready to lead?” Well played, Mr. McCain; you make an excellent point. The Republican ticket has an experienced senator on top and an inexperienced governor in the vice president slot. If they get elected, Sarah Palin would spend some—if not all—of the four years as president-in-training. She would not have her finger on the red button (and from what I’ve heard about her hunting experiences, that is a good thing). However, the Democrats are running with Barack Obama, an inexperienced senator at the top of their ticket, and he will potentially go from barely-in-the-Senate to leader of the free world. Eight years ago, inexperience ran at the top of the ticket, and look where we stand today. If you assume Bush’s lack of experience and not just his lack of brain cells played a role in digging this hole we’re in, then the McCain/Palin ticket might have some appeal.

When Palin was first introduced to America, I thought her appeal was just her two X chromosomes. I felt betrayed by McCain because I thought he wanted me to vote for this cheap Hillary replacement because we both have vaginas. According to my friend, though, Palin is not a replacement for Hillary Clinton: She’s better. He argues that while Clinton rode her husband’s presidency right into the Senate, Palin had to work hard to get from PTA to mayor to governor. In fact, she’s a middle class role model. She has five kids, a hard-working husband, and still fights corruption like a superhero. Everything she has achieved, she earned.  I see his point here, but I will never concede that Palin is better than Hillary.  Hillary has worked hard, too, and she is clearly respected by many in this country because she was nearly the Democratic presidential nominee.  So you lose this one, bud, and I have a Hillary nutcracker that will enforce this opinion.

Why is Sarah Palin the perfect Republican vice presidential candidate, though? Sarah Palin is conservative. Really, really conservative. If Hillary Clinton had an evil twin who was her exact opposite on issues, it would be Sarah Palin. While this does not appeal to me in the least, there is a large portion of America who is jazzed by this moose-killin’, baby-keepin’ Republican “feminist.” She brings in the crowd that thinks John McCain is too liberal. She thrills the Republicans the way the rock star Obama motivates the Democrats.

This argument makes sense. Despite his low approval rating from organizations like Planned Parenthood (0%!), McCain is kind of a centrist. Why else would I like him enough to consider voting for him this year? But while I was considering abandoning my party to vote for him, a lot of other Republicans might have been planning to abstain from voting on principle. Enter Sarah Palin, the hopeful savior of the Republican party. She stands by her very conservative convictions, as reflected in her family life, but also allows Republicans to cry sexism for the first time…ever? She feels right to them, even though to many others she feels all wrong.

After discussing these points, I can kind of see where my friend is coming from when he says Palin is a good choice for the Republican party.  Yes, she is a woman and she is fairly young, but she brings in the disillusioned Republicans because she is strong in her convictions—something they don’t quite trust their fearless leader to be.  McCain is honorable; he brings in the moderates, but Palin brings in those Republicans who really lean to the right (the ones who would probably call me a baby-killing heathen).  So, more power to her, but don’t think for one second that just because I agree with some of these conservative arguments I am anywhere near pulling the lever for McCain in November.  The jury is still out on whether this apathetic voter will be writing in her cat or choosing the lesser of two evils.

US Election 2008 |