Predictably, some Republicans fret about not getting their, er, message out. Their wannabe savior Michael Steele, former lieutenant governor of Maryland, told a group of conservatives meeting at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach:
The cause of the conservative movement in this country is alive and
well. It is strong only if we let it be strong, only if we acknowledge
its principles only if we prepare to go into the town squares and the
halls of America and speak truth to power. If we are to regain the
trust of the American people and restore the credibility of our ideas,
we must break with that which went wrong and once again stand for what
is right.
Did you see the crowd shots during speeches at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul? It resembled an America that no longer exists. The Census Bureau issued a press release in the summer of 2008 that projects that by 2042, the United States will no longer be a White majority nation. Of course, you would have never known that by watching the Republican National Convention. African Americans, for example, comprised just 1.5 percent of the delegates to this year’s convention. Relying on a graying base of a shrinking demographic to win elections is a losing proposition when the other side is collecting virtually all of the groups that are growing…If the GOP doesn’t get serious about diversity, then it will have to write off sections of the far west. How can a party win a national election if it’s not competitive in the northeast, mid-Atlantic, or far west?
Fauntroy adds:
The Republicans have a bigger problem than they think. Continuing with the same ideological leadership and ignoring the demographic reality facing the country will only make things worse. While I do take a bit of a perverse delight in the current state of the party, I also understand that two parties competing for the center of the electorate is, ultimately, better for the country than one. The GOP is so far out of the mainstream and riven with delusion about how they got there that a reality is necessary. Let’s hope someone is listening.
Fauntroy expects Republicans will ignore his advice. That’s a safe assumption. I was a national vice chair of the Republican National Committee’s New Majority Council and they didn’t listen to me. Perhaps if they had, they wouldn’t be facing the abyss.
Palin tore the roof off the Excel Energy Center, as well as the television ratings. According to Nielsen, 37.2 million viewers tuned in to watch her speech. That was just 1.1 million shy of the record-breaking audience for Barack Obama’s acceptance speech. Palin was a ratings hit even though her speech was carried on only six networks (BET, TV One, Univision and Telemundo bailed out).
Johnny wasn’t as good as Sarah. Frankly, the speech was too long and his delivery was monotonous. I probably would have nodded off if I hadn't had the text to read along.
While McCain's policy proposals are GOP perennials, e.g., tax and budget cuts, strong defense, free trade, school vouchers, etc., he said he would be good for hard-pressed Americans:
These are tough times for many of you. You’re worried about keeping your job or finding a new one, and are struggling to put food on the table and stay in your home. All you ever asked of government is to stand on your side, not in your way. And that’s just what I intend to do: stand on your side and fight for your future.
McCain vowed to end partisan rancor, but he couldn’t resist taking a swipe at Obama:
I’m not running for president because I think I’m blessed with such personal greatness that history has anointed me to save our country in its hour of need.
After telling his POW story for the umpteenth time, McCain ended on a crescendo note:
Fight with me. Fight with me. Fight for what’s right for our country…Stand up, stand up, stand up and fight. Nothing is inevitable here. We’re Americans, and we never give up. We never quit. We never hide from history. We make history.
History will indeed be made on Election Day. In the meantime, McCain and Obama will "go at it" so buckle up. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.
The first female Republican vice presidential nominee, Sarah Palin, took the podium at the Excel Energy Center last night, flashed a smile and rocked the house.
Palin introduced herself to the American people:
I had the privilege of living most of my life in a small town. I was just your average hockey mom, and signed up for the PTA because I wanted to make my kids’ public education better. When I ran for city council, I didn’t need focus groups and voter profiles because I knew those voters, and knew their families, too.
Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska, I was mayor of my hometown. And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves. I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a “community organizer,” except that you have actual responsibilities.
I might add that in small towns, we don't quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't listening. We tend to prefer candidates who don't talk about us one way in Scranton and another way in San Francisco.
Ouch. Palin then took a bite out of the media elites:
Well, I’m not a member of the permanent political establishment. And I’ve learned quickly, these past few days, that if you’re not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone. But here’s a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I’m not going to Washington to seek their good opinion - I’m going to Washington to serve the people of this great country.
While I disagree with Palin on abortion, guns, sex education – pick an issue – the media’s coverage has been blatantly sexist. Should Joe Biden have called it quits when his wife and infant daughter were killed in a car accident? Biden was sworn into office from the bedside of his injured sons.
Did anyone question whether the late Robert F. Kennedy should have run for president? Kennedy had 10 children and a pregnant wife. Fast forward 40 years, did the media call for John Edwards to drop out when his wife was diagnosed with an incurable form of cancer?
I am one of 11 children. My father was a blue-collar worker and my mother was a domestic worker. It was exponentially harder for my mother to juggle her dual roles than it would be for a mother of five living in the Vice President’s Residence at the Naval Observatory.
So, attack Palin on the issues, her experience and readiness to be a heartbeat away from the presidency. But the notion that Palin has “crossed a tipping point” as a working mother begs the question: Says who?
The Republicans’ "hockey mom," Sarah Palin, will make her prime-time debut tonight. The reaction to John McCain’s veep pick falls along partisan lines, according to a Rasmussen poll. While the bloom is off the rose, 52 percent still have at least a somewhat favorable opinion of Palin. Thirty-one percent view her very favorably.
Among Democrats, 63 percent think Palin was a bad choice. Thirty-six percent have an unfavorable view of the Alaska governor, including 16 percent with a very unfavorable view. By contrast, 69 percent of Republicans think Palin is all that.
Sean Combs, aka Diddy, also thinks Palin is wack and McCain is "bugging."
Diddy should stick to hip-hop videos and fashion because he doesn’t know diddly-squat about blacks in Alaska or Palin.
Hell, I’ve even met a few, including state Sen. Bettye Davis who can go toe-to-toe with anyone in the Lower 48.
Richard Benavides is an Alaska resident and political observer. He first met Palin in 1988 at KTUU-TV in Anchorage, where she was an intern and he was the sports director. I asked Benavides whether he agreed with Diddy that McCain’s choice of Palin is "completely irresponsible":
That depends of course on your political views. From a conservative standpoint, she hits quite a few of the areas that energize that base when compared with the lukewarm reception McCain’s presidential bid had with them previously.
As a local observer of Gov. Palin, I can say this much: She is incredibly savvy in the world of public relations. She knows how to speak publicly to the media in a nation where how you look, how you come across on TV and your ability to smile and stay on point is more important than the issues. She is a godsend to many Republicans who have had to watch others who put forth the same ideological message as Gov. Palin does without her "gosh, gee, I’m just a normal person like you" persona.
So, is Palin all that:
As to her job as governor, it depends on who you ask. The public still loves her, although her high approval rating (80% to 90%) has dropped over her dismissal of popular Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan allegedly for not firing a state trooper who is her ex brother-in-law over issues that paint a poor picture of both the trooper’s actions and Palin's family and staff's handling of the situation.
Several state legislators and members of the capitol press corps perceive her as not having a good handle on her policies or departments’ missions. Some feel she has been focused on the pipeline contract to the detriment of all the other major issues the state faces such as rising health and social service budgets.
Benavides added:
There are many who on Friday were stunned and proud of the pick. As time passes and we learn more, some of that excitement has abated. Many still like her but feel she is being used. Others feel she knows a good chance for national exposure for her future ambitions win or lose.
While the McCain camp says Palin was fully vetted, time will tell whether the selection was half-baked.
McCain moved quickly to distance himself from Bush. In addition to visiting Mississippi, he scaled back the convention schedule. In a conference call with reporters, Campaign Manager Rick Davis outlined efforts to raise funds for charitable organizations in the five Gulf states, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.
The McCain campaign has established the Affected States Working Group to regularly brief delegates and coordinate assistance to the Gulf Coast.
A hurricane relief center has been set up inside the Xcel Center. Delegates and convention volunteers will assemble and send 80,000
“comfort packages” to affected residents.
Within hours of the briefing, McCain probably could have used a shot of Southern Comfort. Sarah Palin’s fairy tale entrance on the national stage is turning into a soap opera.
In the beginning, there was Hillary Clinton and her 18 million votes. Barack Obama and John McCain are courting women voters, who make up more than half of the electorate and represent a majority of undecided voters.
The Obama camp initially questioned McCain’s judgment for choosing a running mate with “zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency.” Obama has since released a statement calling Palin “an admirable person and will add a compelling new voice to this campaign.”
Truth be told, Palin has more executive experience than Obama and Joe Biden combined. And in contrast to Obama’s rhetoric of change, Palin has a track record of shaking up the system.
Is she a gamble? Definitely. But so is Barack Obama, who has himself dismissed experience as a prerequisite for leadership, despite his spot atop the Democratic ticket.
At this point, Palin is so unknown, there's no way to make a clear judgment about her. But listening to Obama supporters take to the airwaves to shriek with indignation about her lack of experience is just a little too rich. Where were they when Obama, two years into the Senate, announced his candidacy for president?
While Biden has been marinating in the Senate for 35 years, Palin has taken on the good-old-boy network. A Rasmussen poll found that Palin made a good first impression. Fifty-three percent view her favorably. By contrast, on the day that Biden was selected as Obama’s VP pick, he was viewed favorably by 43 percent of voters.
With Democrats in control of Congress, there is little chance that Palin’s conservative agenda would see the light of day. So for disaffected Clinton supporters and undecided voters, gender may trump issues.
