Last night was without a doubt a defining moment in the history of the Republican Party. Governor Sarah Palin came out of a frozen obscurity being bunkered in the non-contiguous, 50th state, and claimed the heritage of Ronald Reagan and captured the dreams of her generation.There are too many points to make about her speech of perfection, but here are a few points that I would like to make:
First, last night was very successful at throwing the experience debate back at the Obama camp, as now the argument has become who is more qualified, Barack Obama or Gov. Sarah Palin. It does not matter how you answer this question. The fact that we are comparing the top of one ticket, to the bottom of the other ticket has the argument being won by the Republicans, regardless. The dynamic power of Barack Obama was neutralized by the dynamic power of Sarah Palin, and the comparisons then ensued as if they were running for an equal office. In addition, I am in no way a supporter of Rudy Giuliani, but he served his party well last night.
Secondly, Palin very skillfully framed Obama as an elitist. Something that is difficult to do when dealing with a candidate who did not come from wealth. She defended small-town-American life versus a Harvard-educated, condescending candidate that ridiculed a nation's lifestyle in private.
Thirdly, she harpooned a "fake label" into the side of the Democratic Presidential candidate where it will be stuck for a while. The line about the Styrofoam Greek columns going back to the studio lot had nothing to do with convention props being returned and everything to do with Barack Obama. It was a truly brilliant line - I wish I wrote it. Styrofoam was a perfect, subconscious adjective making you think of deception, lightweight and not sturdy. Barack Obama.
Finally, the most earth-crushing line from the speech was Gov. Palin offering her services to be an advocate in "the White House" for parents of challenged kids. Speaking from experience, and having had a handicap sibling, parents of mentally- or physically-challenged kids don’t know where they are going to get the energy to meet the next day’s challenge with their children. This physical worry is met equally by an emotional worry as they ponder about their child’s future and who will take care of them if something happens to them because they are so run-down. I think her vow released an epicenter of emotional support for these parents that instantaneously created a strong bond between the Governor and these fatigued parents. A friend at worked called me first thing this morning who has a slightly, autistic son. He immediately told me that it was a great speech solely mentioning that line. That line was the whole speech for him.
I would have like to have been a fly on the wall when Obama heard this advocacy line. It must have been an epicenter for him as well, shaking him to the bone as he realized this is not an unqualified woman standing at the podium with 36 million people listening, it is a mother who can form emotional bonds wth the masses. This could strike at the heart of the Democrat illusion that they take care of the most downtrodden in our society and Republican’s don’t care. It’s "Morning in America" again, with a very compassionate, Alaskan sunrise.
Here is Gov. Palin's Speech.
3 comments:
I love the pictures of her--I didn't get the whole speech on youtube but I got a chance to see her daughter using her spit to fix baby brother's hair! How cute!
I think this part:
First, last night was very successful at throwing the experience debate back at the Obama camp, as now the argument has become who is more qualified, Barack Obama or Gov. Sarah Palin. It does not matter how you answer this question. The fact that we are comparing the top of one ticket, to the bottom of the other ticket has the argument being won by the Republicans, regardless.
Is a bit misconstrued. I have two friends now that work for the Obama campaign. They told me when Palin was picked, "why would McCain pick someone with so little experience when the republican harps on Obama over experience all the time?" The point of dems pointing out her lack of experience is not to say "Look how experienced Obama is" in comparison, it is to note the hypocrisy of republicans who, for weeks and weeks before Palin was chosen, used Obama's inexperience as one of their main talking points.
But I do agree that you are right--experience doesn't matter as much as people (on either side) make it out to matter. Abe Lincoln only had two years experience prior to the presidency and he did okay. ;)
:)
Oh, another note. What's wrong with a harvard education? I don't think that's a bad thing. I also have to defend Obama's supposed "ridicule" of this nation just like I defended the Dixie Chicks when they said they were ashamed Bush was from Texas--their (and my) home state. It's the same concept as the people who were made out to be enemies of the state for not agreeing with the Iraq war, who were called unamerican and treasonous and were told we should "move to Canada" because we "hated America."
Not agreeing with the way America operates currently or with a certain president's every move does not a traitor make. Pointing out the American people's tendency to think that we are better than everyone else and disagreeing with people's condescension toward nations that don't agree with us does not mean we are unpatriotic.
In the same way, Mrs. Obama saying that for the first time in her adult life, she was proud of her country did not make her hate her as it did so many others. People are entitled to be dissatisfied with their country. One can appreciate good points while still saying "I wish __________ happened in America." Many, many, many people love the constitution--and they should--and it doesn't mean they have to love the operation of our country or the decisions of it's leaders all the time.
I prefer honesty, myself.
I think there are a few missed points in your post.
First, Michelle Obama said for the first time in my life she was proud of her country. I would ask her...she was not proud of her country when hundreds of firemen perished in the World Trade Center trying to save people? Was this not in here lifetime? Why would a person, an American, not be proud of this?
There are thousands of examples of places she should be proud of her country. The line of thought is, that Mark Levine always cites on his radio show, is many liberals really have deep down inside have hostility towards America and don't love their country. Mrs. Obama statement was seen as this mindset. This conversation could be misconstrued as unpatriot. Not stating, as you do, that you can't be longing for improvements or changes in your country, which doesn't make you unpatriotic, but you couldn't think of one time you were proud of your country until your husband ran for President?
That does make you unpatriotic.
I must address the Dixie Chicks as well. The problem with the Dixie Chicks statements was the cowardice they showed. They stated their hate for Bush on foreign soil, facing the comfort of an anti-Bush crowd, when they did not do it in America, and their home state of Texas where they had countless opportunities, because they did not have the courage and did not want to face the backlash. When they were exposed, then they decided to be activists. They were cowards.
I always think of Mohammed Ali taking a stand against the Vietnam war. He stated his opposition publically for all to hear, and gave up his championship title because of it. This was a courageous act. It was not done in the secrecy of an European tour, road trip where their views would face nothing but approval.
The Catholic Church was against the Iraq war, so I would not call that position 'treason'.
I can see your opinion on the Mrs. Obama issue, because I would have said perhaps "This is the first time I have been proud of my government" as opposed to "America"... I dunno where she meant that or not but that's how I took it.
I am proud of fellow Americans all the time and I am not usually proud of the government, if ever. Politics is dirty dirty dirty and I can't stand it. (My friend Missy created a facebook group called "CRAP"- Catholics Resenting American Politics"...
As for the Dixie Chicks, I wouldn't call that cowardice at all. I would call it, not acting like a jerk. I don't hang out with ultraconservative groups because I know that I'll have to listen to them trash-talk people in order to make themselves feel better. Where lots of people of one mindset are gathered, I think it is rude and, quite frankly stupid, to say something you know will be offensive to them.
We have open mic nights at the coffeehouse here on Fridays. If I wrote a song to perform there, and I noticed a bunch of people from College Republicans were there, I wouldn't necessarily bring up my views on how I think both parties have turned to absolute crap and how I avoid associating my name with conservatives because of the (often deserved) stereotypes about them. I would stick to performing my song and moving on. If, however, I was doing it and I knew the majority of the audience was more moderate and/or also completely dissatisfied with American politics, then yeah, I might mention it. I wouldn't say something completely offensive to the crowd of republicans. That would just be dumb and rude.
Then again, I'm the type of person that looks for middle ground so that I can converse charitably with others, even if we disagree on things. Some people don't find this important, and that's okay. Some are called to be warriors and some are called to be peacekeepers. We all have different gifts.
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