Category: Presidential Politics

by Dave Mindeman

I have to applaud John McCain for putting the skids on the RNC festivities. With Gustav bearing down on New Orleans, it was the right thing to do. There is little doubt that there was political motivations, but, despite all that, it was still the right thing to do.

I visited New Orleans last spring and it is really unnerving to see how much is yet to be done. The French Quarter is back and so are the visitors, but the poorer neighborhoods are still locked in time from 3 years ago.

It is unimaginable that it could all happen again. The levees are still inadequate and the same areas that were devastated before will probably get hit again. But, this time, memories of Katrina will save the lives. People will move. Government will act. The things that are supposed to happen will happen.

Funny how a government debacle and a political convention can change all the dynamics.

Category: Tim Pawlenty

by Roxanne Mindeman

I thought it was impossible that John McCain could make a more ridiculous choice than Tim Pawlenty. I stand corrected.

Category: Presidential Politics

by Dave Mindeman

Sarah Palin?

I guess the obvious correlation here is that John McCain wants to give us all a surprise. (He did) That he wants to send a message to the Hillary supporters (He did but it was the wrong one). And that he wants to placate the religious right. (He did that big time).

McCain has a couple of problems here.

(1) Ready to serve? Governor Palin has been in office for less than 2 years. Prior to that she was mayor of a small town and a runner up in a beauty contest. Consider this.... if Sarah Palin was not a woman and these credentials (with the possible exception of the beauty contest episode) were those of a male Alaskan Governor, would he even be considered at all? McCain is moving down a dangerous road here and any campaign theme he embarks on that talks about the "inexperience" of Obama has just been negated.

(2) Women's Issues? One of the main reasons that Hillary supporters were so fiercely loyal is that Senator Clinton has been a champion for women's issues for most of her life. Sarah Palin is staunchly Anti-Choice (she opposes abortion even in the case of rape or incest), She is a strong Christian evangelical, which I assume includes all the woman subservience rhetoric. When she speaks to Hillary's real supporters (not the PUMA craziness), she is not speaking the same language. Quite frankly, it was almost offensive to hear Gov. Palin invoke Hillary Clinton's name more than once in her introductory speech. She does not belong on the same stage.

(3) Awkward Pair? I am very curious to see these two campaign together. John McCain does not look comfortable around Gov. Palin. Part of McCain's personna is that he keeps people around him that he is clearly comfortable with....where he can say anything he wants. He doesn't even know Gov. Palin and I do not see how they will establish any kind of rapport that can be convincing.
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But I don't want to minimize the long term positives of this choice. Clearly, John McCain has made a bold statement here and having a woman on a national ticket again is still a step forward for all women.

But if John McCain thinks that Hillary people will flock to his campaign merely because he picked a woman as his VP choice, he is very mistaken. Hillary supporters were certainly hungry to put a woman in the White House, but not just any woman.... they wanted one special woman -- Hillary Clinton.

Sarah Palin, you may be an elected woman to a high state office; you may have political clout and political savvy; and you may have friends in high places..... But Hillary supporters know Hillary Clinton, they consider Hillary their friend and hero... and you, Sarah Palin... you are no Hillary Clinton.