Okay, here it is. Why McCain/Palin? How did the Republican Party end up with such an . . . unlikely ticket. My conspiracy theory (cause ya know I love a good conspiracty theory) is that the Reps have decided on a little blood letting this election. Make a sacrifice this year and come out stronger for next big congressional election and 2012. Here's how I think it plays out:
How do you solve a problem like Johnny?
John McCain has been a pain in the keister for the RNC for years. That whole "maverick" thing. He's constantly drawn outside the party lines and it's made them crazy. You can't bounce him entirely. Look what happened to the Democrats and Liberman. Yeeouch. Nobody can put a leash on Joe now, and he was nearly the Republican VP nominee. Embarrassing. You've got to keep McCain in the fold. What do you do? Give him what he's asking for - sure, go ahead, we're behind you! They didn't think they could beat Obama anyway, so why not use this election to rid themselves of this meddlesome senator? And they're hoping he goes down in FLAMES. So that they can say "Awwww, dude. Too bad. Better luck next time. Oh, wait . . . Awwww. Too bad."
The Governor of Alaska? Really?
Then there's Sarah Palin. Who wasn't even on the radar until everybody's saying "Who the hell is Sarah Palin?" Yet, this makes sense too. I think the Republicans are tired of getting jerked around by the ultra-conservative Christians. They've had to build their platforms on "moral issues" for 10 years. And let's face it. Morality is no politician's strong suit. They'd rather talk about small government and cutting taxes. WWJD is not in their wheelhouse. And the strain is starting to show. So, what to do? Put in a Veep nominee who will have to stand in a debate and say that she believes in strict Creationism (that's dinosaurs and people living together, folks) and that it should be taught in the schools. And that abstinence only should be taught too teenagers (did you think the pregnant daughter coming out right at the convention was a coincidence? Ohhh. I think not). Sarah Palin can change her name to Canon Fodder. Cause she's going to be taking a lot of flak in the next month or two. And a lot of Christians who aren't fundamentalists (and there are more than a few of those, despite what the extreme right would like you to think) are going to start wondering if they want people who represent such a small sector of believers controlling the national debate and speaking for them.
So maybe this is the Republican leadership's chance to steer their boat in to calmer waters. Trim some dead weight. Cruel to be kind. I for one think they could come out better for it. It's a theory at least.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
Last week, my theory was that they trotted out Sarah Palin to pander to the extreme right-wingers and women because they picked a girl! And an ultra-fundamentalist one! I figured she'd quit in a few weeks because it was too much stress dealing with a new Down Syndrome baby and her daughter's pregancy. Then McCain was going to pick some dude and if anyone argued he could say he TRIED to be different, but she had to resign. Now I'm just not sure what's going to happen.
I will say one thing. I live just outside the beltway. I'm no "Washington Insider," but I'm starting to get offended that everyone's falling over themselves to prove they're no "evil" Washington Insider. If Sarah Palin and some of the crazy wing-nuts who are falling all over her are examples of the "outsiders" then I'm glad I live around here! Oh, and I'm pretty sure McCain and even Obama are more insider than me.
5 kids is a lot, even if you have a run-of-the-mill job or a stay-at-home dad. But if she can handle that end of it, good for her. Has a VP candidate ever quit? That would certainly be interesting to see how they handle it.
Yeah, they flip/flop on the Washington Insider title. One election, that means that you know the ropes and can get things done. The next election it means that you're too compromised and corrupt to be trusted. Anything they can do to avoid actually talking about ideas, or even scarier, plans.
The Washington-is-evil thing is always offensive to me.
As to a VP quitting - they were nominated at a slate - that would require another convention - I can't recall this ever happening though I know of several instances where they wished their VP choice would quit cause it cost them the election - see early 1970s.
There was an interesting bit in Time on the worst VPs in history. A side note was how many of them died in office. And some really early in their term. Some Presidents just finished out the term without picking another, until they passed legislation that there had to be a VP.
I read that one VP-elect was "fired" before he took office, but essentially stepped down from the position. I can't remember who?
You know, the more I find out about 19th Century America, the whackier it sounds. I may have to start reading some of the history books from that era. I used to avoid it because slavery makes me mad and the Civil War depresses the hell out of me. But I'm starting to become curious about what all went on in that century.
Post a Comment