Sarah Palin: Heroic ‘Mrs. Smith Goes to Washington’

Sarah Palin, in three days, has changed everything about the 2008 election campaign. She’s the most fascinating character to hit national politics since, yes, Barack Obama.

I like Obama. In some ways, he is a breath of fresh air for the Democratic Party (he’s ready to save Social Security, cut taxes on the middle class, expand CO2-free nuclear power, encourage strong families, get tough with Iran). In other ways, he seems tied to some of the mindless Democratic theology (oil is evil, liberating millions of people is evil).

All year, I’ve been inclined to vote for Obama. That’s still my inclination.

Three huge things. With that in mind, I watched three days ago as Sen. John McCain introduced Gov. Sarah Palin in Dayton, Ohio. This mother of five and governor of less than two years swept into the room. In 10 minutes, she described three huge things that she has accomplished: overturning Republican corruption in Alaska; raising taxes on oil companies’ bulging profits and giving a large chunk of that money directly to Alaskans; and pushing through a new $40 billion natural gas pipeline “to help lead America to energy independence.”

Those items don’t include raising five children, including a baby boy with Down syndrome and a young soldier who will be shipping off Sept. 11 for Iraq.

But it wasn’t just what Palin said that impressed me. It was the fully energetic way she said it. Maybe I had low expectations, but she wasn’t the 1984 Miss Congeniality I had read about. She was cheerful, yet in control. She was steady, confident, natural and full of life. By the time she was done, she had that crowd in a frenzy.

Unknown to America. Remember, just a night before, Barack Obama had delivered his Democratic acceptance speech before 80,000 adoring fans at Invesco Field in Denver, Colorado. There couldn’t have been more than a few thousand in this hall in Dayton, and these people didn’t know her at all. Yet, when she was done, they knew her, they liked her, and they were solidly in her corner.

As maverick feminist Camille Paglia said after Palin talked:

“As a Democrat, I am reeling. That was the best political speech I have ever seen delivered by an American woman politician. Palin is as tough as nails.”

Nearly 40 million Americans saw Obama’s Aug. 28 prime-time speech on television. Perhaps 1 million watched Palin’s comments the afternoon of Aug. 29. That means most Americans have yet to see her in action. If her first act was any indication, she might win the hearts and minds of millions.

Heroic story. Obama must not underestimate the added power this relatively inexperienced (relative to McCain and Joe Biden, anyway) vice presidential candidate brings to the Republican ticket. In that one speech, I learned three more big things about her record in office than I’ve heard about Obama’s record. For Obama, this is a problem. Honestly, I can’t name one big thing he’s done, besides beating Hillary Clinton.

More importantly, Palin’s story is far more inspiring than pencil-pushing her way through Juneau’s bureaucracy. In her willingness to expose the corruption of the same politicians who brought her into government, she is more like the heroic Jefferson Smith of “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” than any other leader I’ve ever seen.

Yes, she’s a conservative. I noticed. I’m a liberal, and I can’t imagine ever voting for a Republican for president. But Democrats, beware.

Broadly appealing. Lots of liberals, including me, will find appealing her big tax increase on Alaska’s oil companies. Lots of liberals, including me, will find appealing her gutsy fight against corruption in Alaska’s government. Heck, she was battling Republicans!

If Palin doesn’t suddenly fall apart -- and Democrats, don’t count on it -- it won’t be women alone finding something in common with her, something attractive about her. Lots of men, including me, are going to like her.

It is stunning that McCain took this gamble. He couldn’t have been certain how well she would do. He couldn’t have known she wouldn’t freeze up when he introduced her three days ago. He couldn’t have known she would come in like a whirlwind and still manage to hit all the right notes.

In this year’s campaign, Palin is America’s other breath of fresh air. With her on McCain’s ticket, all bets are off.

Frank Warner

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UPDATE: Her teen daughter’s pregnancy might be a momentary distraction, especially after the earlier Daily Kos false rumors that Palin did not give birth this year to her youngest son. Riddle for Kossacks: Now who's the real mother of her daughter's child?

Comments

[Greg]

I regard myself as one of the last real liberals, also. Recently I stripped my "favorites" of several blogs because I simply can't stand the nonsense that passes today as liberalism, which is, mostly, just republican-hating masking as sound political and policy thinking. I am from Chicago and no fan of Barack Obama. He is an unaccomplished cipher. Before running for the U.S. Senate he was al little known,minor political player in IL. Talk about an unfavorable comparison to Palin -- she did more as a town mayor than he did as a an IL senator.

Keep up the good work. And God help the democrat party.

[George]

"...he’s ready to save Social Security, cut taxes on the middle class, expand CO2-free nuclear power, encourage strong families, get tough with Iran)."

Frank, I am simply amazed at the persistent disconnect between Obama's positions and your perception of them.

Get tough with Iran?! But they are "tiny" and "they don’t pose a serious threat to us." (Obama's words) And "if Iran ever tried to pose a serious threat to us...we should use that position of strength that we have to be bold enough to go ahead and listen."

I guess what you're saying is that Obama is one tough listener.

Obama's plan is a smoke cloud of changeyness which obscures the underlying unchanged Democrat plan to raise taxes, increase the size of government and ignore military threats around the world.

[Richard]

Is Obama for nuclear power? I'm not sure it's so clear:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92690120

He opposes storage in Nevada. But isn't that precisely the kind of thing he should suppoer? There is a problem (how to store nuclear waste safely). A blue ribbon pannel was convened, and came up with a solution that would serve the nation. But Obama thinks that local self-interest/ irrational fear ought to be enough to trump that plan.

[Frank Warner]

Obama did tell an audience that wanted to hear it that the Iran problem was "tiny." I could argue he said Iran was "tiny" in comparison to the power of the United States, but I won't bother to argue. Politics was at play there.

But when he got serious, he said Iran is a very serious problem and Iran must not acquire nuclear weapons.

-

As far as U.S. nuclear power, he said in his acceptance speech that he wants more of it, in safer form. The nuclear waste disposal problem is Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, who irrationally is blocking the use of Yucca Mountain for storage. Yucca is in an area where we once tested 100 atomic bombs. It's the perfect place to store nuclear waste.

[George]

Obama thinks the act of running for President gives him more experience than Palin and qualifies him to be President. That's convenient for a guy who has accomplished so little in his career in public life.
Hussein thinks his $12 million budget and his 50 employees makes him more experienced than Palin. However, he seems to have forgotten that Palin runs Alaska with an $10 billion budget and 24,000 employees.

[George]

Now that I think of it, Hussein does have more experience voting "present" than Palin does.

[Richard]

Does Obama's fear or Reid suggest that he's intimidated easily? Or is it a reasonable thing to do in politics. Publicly criticizing Reid would have helped Obama with independents, but hurt him in the primaries, I suppose. Now, perhaps he's pivoting.

[Frank Warner]

I'm hoping Harry "this war is lost" Reid's days in politics are numbered.

If elected, Obama would have to pivot on Yucca Mountain. We have to have that waste storage site.

How did Nevada, practical Nevada, wild-western Nevada elect a man so hopeless as Reid? I'll never figure that out.

[Outtanames999]

McCain is trying to turn all Americans into prisoners of war, at least mentally.
He has the emotional affect of a funeral parlor director.
He acts like he is always at a funeral.
He is a third genration government employee.
He has never worked a day in his life for anyone but the government.
Every one of his paychecks for his entire life has come from nowhere but the government.
Think about that.

Sarah Palin is weak, whiny and as unprepared as, well, a hockey mom.
Nobody ever said they wanted a hockey mom in the white house.
But if the voters do something stupid we'll have one - but it will be Cindy McCain, not Sarah Palin.

The nation does not need Sarah Palin. She adds nothing.
In her state, every citizen gets a check from the government.
No wonder McCain, on the government dole himself, likes her so much.

McCain would make a great Democrat. But it is just so much bathos (unintended humor) when he attacks the Republican party. He is a Republican trying to reform his own party which has been in power. It can't work. I have to wonder how Republicans feel when they hear him say he does not work for their party.

But there would be great poetic justice if he is elected because it is only fair that we make a Republican dig us out of the hole Bush has put this country in. The deficit, the war, the failure to hunt down bin Laden, the economy, jobs, healthcare costs, energy costs, mortgage fraud, wall st. fraud and manipulation, everything the Republicans touched went to hell. It is only fair we rub their noses in it for another four years.

[Preevyet]

Wow, and I really hoped the biased media hadn't affected people. Why does everyone think the economy sucks? I'm much better off now than when Klinton I was in office. We have a pretty damn good economy considering we've been at war nearly 7 years. Think about it, the economy is so-so, I'll admit that, but if we didn't have the war going on it would be like the best economy since Reagan was in office. Again, a blind democrat stating something that isn't the whole story, yes Alaska residents do get a check each year, it's part of the excess oil revenues. They have trouble keeping people in the state, and knowing you'll get a couple thousand each year is just a good bonus for living there. And you want to talk doing nothing? I believe the Democrat controlled congress was the least productive in the history of congresses, so you blame a president who has nothing to work from (no significant bills for example) for the economy? Do I want 4 more years of prosperity or 4 years (or more) of more taxes and more government intervention? Wow, that's a no brainer, I guess I'll vote for that shit hot community organizer. (I'm a resident of Illinois, BTW, and the only reason Hussein is even in office is due to the crony machine in Chicago). Go ahead and vote Hussein into office, I realize no matter how bad he f's this country up, the democrats will never admit it. I also believe that whomever wins will be a 1 term guy.

[George]

Outtanames999, you seem to have a problem with paying our brave men and women who serve in the military -- a problem for Democrats. Those servants to our country earn ten times what they are paid unlike career politicians (e.g. Bill Clinton). I'll bet you didn't have a problem with Bill Clinton's lifelong source of income.

Sarah Palin's preparedness eclipses Barack's. She has already accomplished far more than he ever will and she is far from done.

Regarding the economy and the war, under Bush, average salaries in real dollars are higher and average unemployment has been lower than what Clinton gave us. How do you figure we need to be dug out?

[Frank Warner]

I'm considering voting for Obama, but it's not because I believe the Republican Party is to blame for all our problems. It's partly because Bush has been successful in liberating Iraq that I feel safe to vote for a Democrat.

Many of the problems you list are the result of our energy dependence. If we're shipping nearly $1 trillion overseas each year for foreign oil, we can't afford to end deficits, pay our mortgages, improve health care and create jobs. That's a problem Republicans have done nothing about, and that's a problem Democrats have made sure we could do nothing about.

If the Democrats simply had awakened from their energy complacency 15 or 20 years ago, we'd have new nuclear plants running, we'd have oil and gas wells pumping domestic energy sources, and we'd have wind turbines in Massachusetts and Maryland. Unfortunately, the Democratic religion believes in closing one's eyes and wishing most problems away.

Unfortunately, too, the Republicans were unable to summon a sense of urgency to overcome the Democrat's intransigence. That's partly because every time the Republicans talked of expanding energy, the Democrats told voters that oil or nuclear or anything practical was evil.

Now it's time to get real and solve real problems with our eyes open.

[Outtanames999]

George, I don't think you get it. I'm more conservative than you, even though I'm a Democrat.

I think Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh are liberal pussies, so you can imagine what I must think about you. (Ok, just kidding, you're probably cool.)

Frank, I have no problem paying anyone, least of all the troops who are woefully underpaid for the contribution they make.

I do have a problem with a ticket where both of the candidates are on the dole. Not to mention the obvious, but he's too old and she is a Hockey Mom, lipstick or no lipstick. But like I said, poetic justice if they win.

I mean I never thought the Republicans would pick anybody dummer than Geo. W. Dumdum, but they did - Sarah Palin - all the classic signs of an unqualifed, pre-menopausal woman in way over her head: weak managerial skills, a petty, vindictive, condescending, self-righteous, santicmonious, holier than thou type who takes everything personally and who is on a mission from God to plot revenge against all her enemies. She is an American Ahmadinejad. This is not what we need at the top.

And, like those hockey moms say, fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

So if you vote for Pallin-Bush and she wins, I hope you enjoy the ride on her roller coaster. ;)

[Frank Warner]

"Weak managerial skills, a petty, vindictive, condescending, self-righteous, santicmonious, holier than thou type who takes everything personally and who is on a mission from God to plot revenge against all ... enemies"?

This sounds like most Democratic leaders. But I'd make Obama an exception.

[Christopher]

I would have considered voting for John McCain but since his convention he has increasing launched a gimmicky campaign compared to Mr. Obama. Obama was "fluffed up" by Hollywood and various Musical Artists etc. Ms. Palin has become a cartoon character, her "folksy straight talk" is mendatious. She reminds me of that little girl that works at rasins (in the south park episode) that is nice to people until she gets what she wants and then once she has what she wants she ignors you. I for one am not fooled. I have met people that come across one way and are very differnt later. I might have even liked her regardless of her disastrous interviews but I can't help thinking that it's all a bit overdone and it makes her (regardless of being unqualified) but untrustworthy as well.

[Frank Warner]

I haven't decided finally whom to vote for, but I like Palin. She's a normal woman who respects average people and gets things done, and I can't help but admire the fact that she stands up well to an overwhelmingly ugly Democratic news media.

Biden can't seem to remember what he said about the Iraq war back in 2002, but he can remember FDR on TV in 1929. He seems a combination of used car salesman and old fool. I have no idea why Obama chose him as running mate.