John McPain is running scared. But when you run scared, you always get lost, and John’s looking a little like a befuddled senior who got lost on the way home, wandering around the neighborhood unsure on which door he should knock to find his family. Apparently, he thinks he found his VP family in Palin. All I can say is, hey, his choice just made the work of Democrats that much easier.
Pushing Palin on what he hopes will be contrarian Clintonians willing to cross party lines and issues simply in order to cast a vote for a woman. Good lord, how old-world sexist and condescending could McPain get? But he’s so out of it, he doesn’t even realize why his choice won’t sit well with women, even Republican women with any sense.
Women aren’t satisfied with being window dressing anymore. And that’s what Palin is in this case. McPain actually thinks women will be so flattered by his asking a woman to be on his ticket that they’ll vote for him out of gratitude. Sorry, McPain, the days of women being grateful for crumbs tossed by men who think it won’t be noticed that they’re keeping the loaf for themselves is over. Over. Over. Over.
But McPain doesn’t get it.
If he wants the female vote he should think about equal pay, health insurance, making female contraception covered by insurance — um, just like Viagra is covered for men, ending the war sooner rather than later, and oh, yeah, doing a bit more for women than choosing one who can support him in the lifestyle to which he wanted to be accustomed and one who gilds his “put me in the White House” ticket with a slick coating of estrogen.
But McPain’s selection in a running mate also shows an egregious slip in confidence in his own electability and in his own party. He’s obviously no longer confident that he can win with the Republican vote alone. No, he’s convinced he’s got to mine Democratic votes to combat Obama’s tidal wave of mojo. And typical of McPain’s 1960s-macho-thinking, he’s convinced himself he can get those votes from what he evidently views as the “weaker” sex — lemming-like ladies or Stepford-like sistahs, dumbly following the scent of their own kind as defined, of course, by a man.
McPain’s choice will have an unfortunate effect on smart Republicans, as well. Let me break it down: Elect McPain, in his seventies, with Palin at his side. The only thing to keep Palin from becoming President will be the luck of continued good health in John McPain. Palin as President? Not on anybody’s watch.
Look, I’m going to be 70+ one of these days. I feel for the guy. It’s apparent he’s tired and a bit unsteady in his physical step, though he works hard to hide it. The look on his face is one spookily reminiscent of Ronald Reagan in the days when his grasp on details started to wane. It’s a look of nearly-not-noticeable concern and surprise. “Am I in the right place?” his eyes seem to be asking as his head sort of bobbles from side to side, with that “What did I have for breakfast?” grin on his face.
But not every seventy-something is as physically frail-seeming or as mentally out of touch as McPain is — and while truly, I’m sympathetic toward the constant barrage of slings and arrows on our person as we age, McPain is not aging well. And we all know what the first year in office does to the aging process of presidents.
Picking Palin reveals McPain’s uncertainty about the world he’s finding himself in. He’s a lost throwback from another era who hasn’t grown with the times. There are plenty of people like that out there. But they shouldn’t be in the White House.
John W. Perkins
August 29, 2008 at 4:30 pm“The only thing to keep Palin from becoming President will be the luck of continued good health in John McPain. Palin as President? Not on anybody’s watch.”
Why not? At least she’s Governed something.
Being held hostage in a Blue State
August 29, 2008 at 8:34 pmDear Mr. Perkins:
You and the rest of the dumbocrats picked the wrong week to give up crack, additionally your fear of strong women is evident. I know strong woman.
I was no fan of Hillary by any measure, however she was direct and unafraid to state her position. Polarizing but self confident. Palin is decisive a former executive and a reformer. Obama has spent the majority of his time in the senate running for president. As I have said earlier during other Reality blogs, Obama is unwilling to do his own wet work his slip in confidence in his own ability to govern was bringing in Biden to sure up the walls and be his attack dog. Joe Bidena member of the same old tired Washington DC crowd OBama wants to change. Biden’s been in D.C. longer than John McCain, maybe you missed that in the Times or on CNN. The duplicity of you Democrats is truly amazing.
Obama calls for an attack free race after and only after he and the Democrats bash John McCain during the convention. Obama and your ilk is a truly a class act. He challenges John McCain last night to discuss the issues but has avoided John McCain and won’t debate him more than 3 times. If Obama is not reading from a teleprompter he’s a stumbling bumbling politician. Finally in closing I hope and trust you beat your habit by November you’ll be going at it cold turkey……….. I understand your perception is your reality albeit skewed, but with respect to the issues you couldn’t hit water if you fell out of a boat. Have a Nice day
John W. Perkins
August 30, 2008 at 10:17 amDear, Being held hostage in a Blue State says:
If you pay close attention to the blog of mine that you so crassly commented on, you may notice that I was quoting M.C.s comments and adding a short comment of my own. “Why not? At least she’s Governed something.”
It was meant to give one pause for more reflective thought on the subject.
And, to quote you, “I know strong woman.”. I too, know at least one strong woman, M.C. Coolidge. I may not always agree with her politics, but I must admire her for putting it out there for the world to see.
As for you, don’t blog when drinking! It causes you to miss the obvious, create gross typographical errors, and makes you appear Non Compos Mentis.
Have a nice day.
John Shields
August 31, 2008 at 12:17 amThe only “Palin” of any substance is Michael of Monty Python but since he’s not on the ticket, we’ll have to restrict our comments to the one-time beauty queen of Walissa. (Do I have that right, the place where she reigned?)
I’m a little skeptical of beauty pageant entrants, but that’s the great thing about America: even a beauty pageant winner can be a heartbeat away from the presidency. (She’ll have a great advantage over Biden in the debate when the question is put to them: Who do you feel is the most popular person in the world? Why?
If Democratic women cast a vote for her simply because she’s a woman, though, they should all have to enlist and serve in Iraq the next four years. McCain picking Palin is a slap in women’s faces, made evident by her (almost immediate) comment mentioning herself in the same breath as Hillary.
—john shields http://www.thatjohnshields.com
Being held hostage in a Blue State
August 31, 2008 at 8:54 amMan you just don’t get it like the rest of your party. Women are smarter than voting for a woman because she’s a woman as are black americans. If her qualifications,experience and time Governor and Mayor do not qualify her to be VP, how can Obama’s 4 years as Senator 18 months of which he’s been running for office and his state time qualify him to be President. Please explain that for me Sparky. You won’t and can’t. You’ll only talk of his vision for change blah, blah, blah.
The party of change selected Joe Biden; what happened Obama couldn’t hold the “change” line caving in to the old time Washington politicians because he admittedly lacks experience. Joe Biden please he tries to paint himself as a working class hard scrabble Scranton PA guy. People are smart enough to realize PA is in play in ’08. You’ll need a lot more than 2 coats to improve that curb appeal.
Your just pissed the Republicans got the order right with respect to leadership and experience to lead the country. Democrats like you don’t argue the salient points. You attack the person and whine. You didn’t have the rocks to hold on to that conviction there were other women outside of Hillary Obama could have chosen. It’s too bad the pressure caused him to drop the ball.
Address the point regarding Obama’s lack of experience posed above. When that happens Hell will have frozen over and I’ll be wearing ice skates.