Posted by
GenXDad on Thursday, June 14, 2007 2:41:42 PM
For those of you new to the latest center-right blog phenomenon, a
"blogroots" movement is growing in support of Alaska governor Sarah Palin for the 2008 VP spot.
I have to admit, I was originally skeptical of the idea of putting a governor of one of the reddest states in the nation on the 2008 ticket, but I'm warming up to the idea, and not just because I'm
blogrolling one of her biggest fans but because she has the look and feel of someone who could very well be the future of the Republican Party.
And she might even help the ticket win.
Let me break down that last point first, because to me, it's the most important. We cannot - absolutely cannot - throw away 2008, and every little thing matters, including the choice of VP. So how can a little-known conservative governor from a solidly Republican state help put the GOP ticket over the top? Three reasons:
1. She is the ideal contrast to Hillary Clinton (who I believe will be the Democratic nominee). Think about it, a young, beautiful, charming, articulate woman who represents the "flyover mother" with a blue-collar husband and four kids next to the shrill attorney married to a philandering ex-President with only one kid. You cannot draw up a clearer contrast between "red state mom" and "blue state mom."
2. It solidifies the biggest weakness of the current GOP field: the gender gap. For Republicans to win, we don't need to win over single moms, DINK wives and urban mothers. We do, however, need to get a large percentage of the wives whose husbands will vote Republican. Right now, Rudy, and Fred have some problems with that demographic. Well, guess what, Palin IS that demographic! She can talk directly to the women we absolutely must get to the polls to win and calm their concerns with Rudy's marital difficulties and Fred's cradle-snatching. (I'm leaving Mitt out of this one, not because I don't think he can win, but because he has ZERO baggage on this issue, but he'd benefit from having someone like Palin on the ticket for the same reasons, just to a much lesser extent than the other two.)
3. Cheney proved that picking an intelligent and competent VP choice from a "safe" state won't hurt your campaign. Palin has intelligence and competence nailed down, and a peraonslity to boot, which means she'd be at least as strong as Cheney was for Bush in 2000.
So that covers the "how Palin could help us win," now let's look at the other side - the future of the GOP. Regardless of what happens in 2008, the GOP needs to build a Presidential bench. Palin is smart, charming and brilliantly successful in Alaska. She has over an 80% approval rating in a state that elects Democrats to the statehouse and where a GOP senator found herself in a difficult race. You have to earn that kind of support, and you don't earn it by being a mediocre governor.
She's right on the issues - she fits right in with the GOP's core values. Pro-life (a good balance if Rudy is the nominee), lifetime NRA member, fiscally conservative with strong religion and family values. She's the Republican's Republican on the issues that matter, and she's been able to parlay that conservatism into sky-high approval ratings among those who know her best.
Her one drawback is she comes from a small state, and thus lacks the national stage. But this is the kind of person who deserves a national stage. If the rest of the nation got to know her, she could possibly find herself on the top of the ticket in a couple election cycles. Putting her on the ticket puts the small-town, small-state girl on the national stage and she could develop a large following in no time.
Obviously, I couch my endorsement with the caveat that she passes the background tests and whatever else the eventual nominee throws her way. Being from a small state, there's a risk she could stumble badly or something in her background that Alaskans don't care about could come out and damage the ticket. But assuming she passes the vetting process, there's also a very good chance she could be a very pleasant surprise for the GOP, and a welcome alternative to Hillary.
So count this blogger as a "Blogger for Palin."