John McCain’s pick of Sarah Palin has generated such enthusiasm that some on the right are so giddy with excitement, they are spinning so fast and furious they forget what they have stood for or said previously.Â
I’m excited by the Palin pick as well, but I’ve tried to remain honest about her strengths (which are considerable) and her weaknesses (ditto). I’m not saying that I am perfect in this regard. It’s just that the Palin frenzy has really exposed those who are trying to be consistent and those who are not.
I used a baseball analogy last weekend on the radio to describe Palin. She reminds me of a highly talented young pitcher, like Craig Hanson or Clay Buchholz, who is brought up to the big leagues too soon, has a terrible experience and regresses, perhaps never again being able to live up to the initial promise. Palin has potential to be a long term asset for Republicans. However, if she was brought up too soon, and is hammered or exposed as not ready, her brand will be damaged and her long term effectiveness muted. That would be a shame.
Here is a solid hour of mostly pro-Palin calls, with me playing the role of the skunk at the garden party,
Some on the right want to believe in her so much, they are willing to say anything to give her a boost, even if it contradicts what they have said previously. Jon Stewart takes a devastating look at what happens to pundits who are partisan first, intellectually honest second (or third),
Others, like Charles Krauthammer, have been more consistent, and more honest,
The gamble is enormous. In a stroke, McCain gratuitously forfeited his most powerful argument against Obama. And this was even before Palin’s inevitable liabilities began to pile up — inevitable because any previously unvetted neophyte has “issues.” The kid. The state trooper investigation. And worst, the paucity of any Palin record or expressed conviction on the major issues of our time.
McCain has one hope. It is suggested by the strength of Palin’s performance Wednesday night. In a year of compounding ironies, the McCain candidacy could be saved, and the Palin choice vindicated, by one thing: Palin pulls an Obama.
Obama showed that star power can trump the gravest of biographical liabilities. The sheer elegance, intelligence and power of his public presence have muted the uneasy feeling about his unreadiness. Palin does not reach Obama’s mesmeric level. Her appeal is far more earthy, workmanlike and direct. Yet she managed to banish a week’s worth of unfriendly media scrutiny and self-inflicted personal liabilities with a single triumphant speech.
Now, Obama had 19 months to make his magic obscure his thinness. Palin has nine weeks.