Posted by
Paul Wamack on Wednesday, September 10, 2008 10:51:45 AM
The phenomenon continues. The incredible hate-speech from the Left is on full-dress parade for all the world to see. The more the left attacks, the more the wagons circle around Sarah and the checks just keep flying in. We had been likening the political contributions to the letters from the Owls, as was shown in the first Harry Potter movie. But more recently, we have concluded that Sarah Palin's letters would come by Eagles -- they have lots in Alaska and everything this season has to be Alaskan -- and besides, eagles are more patriotic, more suitable for carrying in political contributions. Adds a whole new meaning to the term, "when the eagle flies!" Meanwhile, the crowds are getting bigger and louder. At this point, even if the army of smear-mongers were to actually find some dirt, I doubt anyone would believe them, dismissing their findings as just some more hate-speech from the Left.
The interesting thought that I have been kicking around is actually about John McCain. He has decided to stay with her on the campaign trail for another week or so before letting her go out on her own. It doesn't make sense that he should think she needs any on-the-job training, so why would he decide to do that?
I think it's because he is enjoying these enthusiastic crowds of people. He is, after all, a career politician. It's likely to be very energizing for him. In all his years on the campaign trail, he has never gotten these thousands of screaming women to come out to see him. I understand that the two of them go out into the crowds, kissing babies, shaking hands.... (the twist here is that I thought that was standard practice at campaign rallies, but the news is reporting it as if it were unusual... hmmm .. I guess I don't get out much these days.). Given that McCain is a politician, it makes sense that he is enjoying these high-energy rallies.
Which brought me to the next thought. Let's suppose, just for a moment, that John McCain really is interested in what the people think. He has always said that it was "for the people" that he kept crossing the aisle and writing legislation with the likes of Ted Kennedy and Russ Feingold. So for the moment, just for the sake of this thought, let's buy that at face value. We already know that there is something in the water in Washington DC that causes all who reside there to drift left. There must be, because everyone does it. John McCain has been drinking it for a long time. Then, once everyone who runs for office in Washington has drunk the water and drifted left, the Republicans campaign by saying, "Well, I'm not as far left as my Democrat opponent" and that's been good enough to get elected, albeit unenthusiastically.
Just imagine the impact that might be happening on John McCain at the frenzy of energy and enthusiasm he is seeing in his campaign. Sarah Palin isn't running on "I'm less liberal than they are" but is jazzing these people up with a true, unabashed articulation of the conservative message. (She's clean and articulate, too, Mr. Biden). If John McCain thought that crossing the aisle was what the people wanted, he might really be having an eye-opening experience here, an epiphany of the political persuasion, about what the people actually want. I don't speak for anyone but me -- but I am underwhelmed at the thought of compromising with Kennedy and Feingold, skillfully or otherwise. It may be true that half a loaf is better than none, but a whole loaf would be even better and why can't we go for it? And whether the glass is half full or half empty isn't the question either. It just means that some one has been drinking the water again -- and drifting left.
But don't bet the farm on this campaign phenomenon having any lasting or profound effect on John McCain's politics. That's not the way the Potomac River usually flows. The Veep is supposed to be the surrogate, the mouth-piece, the pit bull (with or without the lipstick) for the President. For example, Dan Quayle was a bona fide conservative to Bush's Daddy, but his job was to carry water for Bush's Daddy and not the other way around. All we know is that John McCain was smart enough to listen to some advisor who had enough insight to pick Sarah Palin for the #2 position on the ticket. If History is any kind of teacher here, that's as far as the influence of a vice-presidential candidate goes.