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Tuesday, September 16, 2008
The left is in a quandary over Palin
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
How to destroy Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin?
That’s the quandary of the left, of the campaign Democrats and the bloggers and other commentators who camp with them.
She sailed through the first two tests — her introduction to the nation as John McCain’s running mate and her acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention — with an easy self-confidence that alarmed adversaries expecting a deer-in-the-headlights revelation of the former small-town mayor’s unpreparedness for the duties ahead.
One of her greatest tributes came from an independent-thinking feminist and Democrat, Camille Paglia, a professor at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Writing on Solon.com, she admitted being wowed by Palin at the convention as “a tough, scrappy fighter with a mischievous sense of humor.” Continuing:
“Conservative though she may be, I felt that Palin represented an explosion of a brand new style of muscular American feminism. At her startling debut on that day, she was combining male and female qualities in ways that I have never seen before. And she was somehow able to seem simultaneously reassuringly traditional and gung-ho futurist.
“In terms of redefining the persona for female authority and leadership, Palin has made the biggest step forward in feminism since Madonna channeled the dominatrix persona of high-glam Marlene Dietrich and rammed pro-sex, pro-beauty feminism down the throats of the prissy, victim-mongering, Philistine feminist establishment.”
After returning from the GOP convention, I attended a family reunion near the South Georgia town of Douglas. Politics are rarely discussed. Most are yellow-dog Democrats or occasional Republicans. Years ago, after the Monica Lewinsky affair, a female cousin of about my age sidled up to me and whispered furtively that for the first time in her life, she was voting Republican. She half-expected lightning to strike. “My daddy would turn over in his grave if he knew,” she continued whispering.
At this reunion, perhaps because it came on the heels of the gathering in Minneapolis / St. Paul, conversations often turned to politics — and specifically to Sarah Palin. Men and women alike found her captivating, a blend of smart, independent and accessible woman that women could relate to and the good ol’ girl the men would like in the F-150 beside them on way to the hunt. No other woman on the national scene touches people on the levels that Palin does.
About 37.2 million viewers saw her convention speech, a larger audience than the American Idol finals or the opening ceremonies for the Olympic Games. That she made such an impression on viewers ranging from Camille Paglia to women and men not normally attuned to politics explains why it’s essential for the Obama campaign and its media allies to tarnish Palin.
She has, as polls indicate, changed the dynamics of the election. Even down-ticket Republicans — those running for the U.S. House and for the Senate — see their prospects improved. She’s reinvigorated the base and is much-sought by candidates in close races and by fund-raisers. Obama, who first agreed to abide by public financing campaign limits before changing his mind, raised a record $66 million in August and is approaching half a billion dollars raised and spent on his presidential quest. McCain chose to remain in the public system and is limited to a total of $84 million, though Obama’s advantaged could be lessened or neutralized by money raised and spent by the Republican National Committee.
Palin, in any event, has given spark and energy to efforts to go after contributors who can lift the entire ticket.
Democrats have to attack. Or do they? Every effort so far has failed, whether launched by the Obama campaign or by the crazies on the left who are terrified that an election that was theirs may be slipping away.
Former Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan, now a commentator, offers free but sound advice to the Obama campaign: Aim for the old guy. Palin’s trouble.
They can do the gotchas. They can make sport of her observation about the proximity of Alaska and Russia, as Saturday Night Live amusingly did. They can dig for dirt. But they’d be smarter to take Noonan’s advice and ignore her.
For the record, I’m hoping they don’t. My money’s on Palin.
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