H&I Fires* 1 SEP 2008

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Now, plowing through the commentary over at National Review, I see there are several on the conservative side who aren't all that impressed with the choice of Governor Palin for Veep.  Well and good - that sort of discussion is good for us. 

Heather McDonald, writing at City Journal makes a case that resonates a bit with me - the danger that this "diversity choice" will create an evironment where there must always be a woman or a minority on the ticket, qualifications notwithstanding...

Thanks a lot, John McCain. With his selection of an unknown, two-year female governor as his running mate, he has just ensured that the diversity racket will be an essential component of presidential politics forever more. Had the 44-year-old Sarah Palin, whose greatest political accomplishment before being elected Alaska’s governor in 2006 was serving as mayor of Wasilla (population 9,780), been named Stanley, she would have had exactly zero chance of ending up in the Oval Office in the next four years. But from now on, any presidential ticket that consists solely of white males—no matter their qualifications—will likely be dead in the water.

She goes on further:

Presidential politics, and especially vice-presidential selections, have always been driven by sectionalism, poll-driven voter segmentation and demographics, and economic stratification. But race and gender are different than whether someone comes from a Sun Belt state or can appeal to disaffected auto workers. Race and gender are almost never a valid job qualification. Yet they have taken over in field after field—whether in the hiring of lawyers and selection of judges, in the choice of books and art to which students will be exposed from the moment that they step into a classroom, in the composition of police and fire departments, or in the selection of corporate boards. This tendency must be fought, not capitulated to.

One wonders, however, how this piece would have been written had Senator Hutchison of Texas been the choice.

Another meme running through some of the commentary  - and reflected in Academic Ronin's comment yesterday - all things considered, it just doesn't matter in the long run, expressed here by Jeff Jacoby writing at the Boston Globe:

Of course McCain is taking a big gamble. Palin has been governor for less than two years, has no foreign-policy or national-security experience, and has never been through the gauntlet of a national campaign. Whether she can hold her own on the stump and under the withering glare of the national media, we will all know soon enough. Many voters will understandably read McCain's choice as cynical, in part because he has made such an issue of Obama's limited record. But surely Palin's lack of expertise on defense and international issues makes Obama's inexperience all the more conspicuous. The Democratic nominee is as green and untested as she is. There is one key difference between them, however: She's not running for president.

Which is why it seems to me that McCain's choice of Palin, like Obama's of Biden, probably changes very little about this campaign. For all the attention they get from the pundits and politicos, VP picks rarely make a difference in the essential nature of any presidential contest.

Of course, the Left has immediately gone to work trying to make Governor Palin look like Dan Quayle (unjustly, in both cases) on steroids.  The meme of "her whole state has fewer people than *Cleveland*" rings hollow for people who were struck dumb with lust for Governor Howard Dean of Vermont (estimated 2006 population 623,908, vice the estimated 670,053 for Alaska), who's foreign policy experience was fighting off the invasion of tony New Yorkers ruining his bucolic paradise. 

Here's E.J. Dionne in today's WaPo:

It's amusing to watch Republicans play gender politics. At the time Bush chose Miers, he was under pressure to pick a woman to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. But most of the plausible female jurists were either too moderate to satisfy conservatives or so right wing that they faced serious confirmation problems.

Speaking of qualifications - From Jeff Emmanuel over at Red State here's a slightly tongue-in-cheek look at the Republican Veep's resume' against the Democratic Presidential candidate's resume'...  H/t to the Duke.

Also over at Red State - John Hawkins discovers that kicking Senator McCain in the metaphoric 'nads can come with a price, right or wrong.


Heh.  60-some days to go.  -the Armorer

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Snerk-  While some Kossacks are ready to move on regarding the "faked pregnancy" story - others desperately want to cling to it.  The comments are instructive - and show that Kossacks aren't quite the drones *we* wish them to be.  But threads like this one are the gift that keeps on giving...  Mind you, I'm sure our side produces similar drivel - but at places I generally don't read, I admit.  -the Armorer

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Following politics as I do, I thought I pretty much knew the McCain story, but two articles this weekend two articles showed me how little I actually did. One is a look at development of his leadership skills/style (h/t Maggie). The other is a sympathetic and much more in-depth study of how his background and life experiences have shaped who he is today. I mistrust media so much these days that I am no longer sure anything I read is true, but both articles are fascinating. The second one quotes extensively from Faith of My Fathers, leaving me impressed with McCain's honest self-awareness, and wanting a copy of the book for myself.

The headline sounds alarmist, but the original source is worth paying attention to. In short, they claim Biden has told Israel that under an Obama Administration, Iran will have its nukes.

Another perspective on McCain's possible VP strategy to add to John's discussion above:  The Man Trap. - FbL

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Well, have to give the Lefties some credit for getting part of a story right - Governor Palin's daughter Bristol, 17, is pregnant.  Going to keep the baby and marry the father.  Heh.  Most parent's nightmare - and they get to deal with it in this political environment.  This will swirl in the toilet that is the misogynist left fringe, and will only add to the problems laid out in Fuzzy's "Man Trap" link above.  Heh.  There's going to be no protecting Bristol from the dregs of the DU.  Ain't this an interesting twist.  One assumes Senator McCain's people knew about it when they made their choice.  -the Armorer

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