One of the things so attractive about Sarah Palin is that she's gutsy -- which she showed in spades by taking on corrupt Republicans. (I could never understand how the politically repulsive Sen. Ted Stevens lasted as long as he did.)
But one of the more interesting columns I've read thus far about Palin is from David Brooks, who says that she lacks a core political philosophy. I find that troubling and it could well be true. Not that I've read much Burke or Hayek (or even Kirk) but I'd like to think our party nominees have. I doubt McCain has and don't know about Palin, but I suspect that she's been too busy dealing with life than with the abstract. (Although the former is a big help to the latter obviously and vice-versa.)
"Conservative rebel" is almost oxymoronic, which is why William F. Buckley and Ronald Reagan stood out so much. Both were conservatives but not temperamentally so. Temperament often tracks political preference, as George Will pointed out, and it takes a freak of nature for someone with a well-reasoned conservative vision and guts to appear on the national stage. It's part of the appeal of former Speaker Newt Gingrinch.
Conversely, I think a large part of Obama's appeal is that he appears to be smart and cool and in control despite having radical politics. He is the sort of hybrid that people long for. A conservative with a vision or a liberal who is smart and self-disciplined are most likely to be successful.
Palin's pro-life position matters politically only in the sense that the VP usually becomes the defacto leading candidate for president in the next election. (Cheney took himself out of it on day one in 2000.) So it matters not a whit to me that her her pro-life position is "pure"; McCain is plenty pro-life for me (by which I mean that I believe he will appoint pro-life judges). Ronald Reagan was a pure pro-life'r and it did nothing for the movement; in fact his choice of Supreme Court Justice O'Connor left a lot to be desired.
Brooks calls Palin a "dazzling political performer". The problem is that, like a star pitcher in double-A ball who can throw 100 mph, you wonder if you're bringing her up too soon. Primarily this is a worry because she could get tied to an unpopular presidency. If she fails because she's not the star we think she is that's one thing. But if she ultimately fails because she was tied to a McCain anchor, well that would be a real shame.
I've heard women say how tough women are on other women, and we see many of so-called feminists like Mo Dowd and Sally Quinn wanting to destroy one of their own. You could see this as primarily a fact of ideology, but a lawyer recently said that women are so hard on each other that in rape trials prosecuting attorneys want men rather than women on the jury. Certainly there's a reason "cat fight" has taken on a certain resonance and why women seem to put up with adulterous male behavior far more than men doing so with women. Do women blame the "other woman" more than her spouse?
I'm not sure what to make of womanly self-sabotage other than it sounds familiar in that the Irish used to hold up to scorn anyone who would dare "rise above their station". Perhaps it is part of the psychology of those who are prejudiced against. Of course if that is true then blacks would not be voting overwhelmingly for Obama, or perhaps that suggests that blacks feel more entitled than persecuted now.
I've heard anecdotally of at least one "older" person who doesn't want to vote for McCain because of his age. Perhaps there's some self-distrust among women and the elderly which carries over to the candidates?
Limbaugh says flatly that women don't like women who can still wear skirts.
It's humorous that because I subscribe to the New Yorker, Newsweek thinks I'm a natural for them. So much so that they gave me a free subscription.
My newsflash for Newsweek: many don't read the New Yorker for the politics or news. If I don't read Newsweek for the politics or news, what exactly am I left with? Ads? I've been circular filing the mag. Life's too short to needlessly raise your blood pressure.
Personally I'm chagrined that likely two of the four presidential candidates could beat me in a game of one-on-one basketball. Obama is an excellent shooter and is likely a step or two quicker than me. Palin led her high school team to a championship. I think I'd prefer to play Palin.
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