Before anyone gets too serious about advancing the idea that Gov. Sarah Palin as GOP VP candidate will appeal to Hillary Clinton voters, those voters should understand that Palin is a standard bearer of the Christian Right--opposed to abortion and stem cell research, favoring the teaching of creationism in schools, and supporting a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. (She is also opposed to state benefits for same-sex partners though she signed a law creating those benefits in Alaska under protest after her AG told her it was a matter of state constitutionality.)
On the environment she sued the Dept. of the Interior to keep polar bears off the endangered species list (she'd rather protect oil and gas development in Alaska) and is an ardent advocate for oil drilling in ANWAR, which even John McCain opposes.
On Iraq, Afghanistan, Georgia, or combating Al Qaeda she has no known opinion and didn't mention any of these issues in her appearance with John McCain today. On social security she has no know opinion but as a self professed laissez-faire market conservative can be expected her to adhere to a conservative orthodoxy that favors privatization.
As a matter of identity politics Palin is an interesting choice--she's a telegenic woman, comfortable with an audience, and will certainly appeal to conservative Republican female voters particularly in the West where her outdoors-woman personality will resonate profoundly. To the extent that she can close McCain's gender gap by attracting more conservative women to the polls in states like CO, NM, MT, VA, and NV, she could have an impact on the election, turning it from a map-changing race into a more familiar red state/blue state battle for OH. But make no mistake about it, Palin's represents nothing more than a fresh face for a familiar ideology that has long since turned rancid.
Her selection marks a familiar GOP tactic. Just as George W. Bush sold himself as a "compassionate conservative," sugar-coating for electoral consumption a pure Christian agenda and masking a governing philosophy that amounted to nothing more than a tilting of economic regulation and tax policy towards the wealthiest and most connected, so too Palin's fresh, down-home, attractive appeal does nothing more than put a new face on the same old ideas the GOP has been shoving down the nation's throat for a generation.
The choice in this election is actually clearer than ever. Change or more of the worst kind of right wing garbage.
Sarah Palen Agenda
1. Appoint Supreme Court Judges to overturn ROE v. WADE.
2. Eliminate "Pro-Choice"
3. Terminate Stem Cell Research
4. Force educators to teach "Creationism" in science classes.
5. Advocate PAT BUCHANON agenda supporting Middle East Arabs over Israel...ending criminal prosecution of NAZI war criminals.
6. Adopt Christian Right Book of Revelation belief for death of world's 12 million Jews, except for 144,000, saved at the last minute by accepting JESUS.
I do not see former Hillary backers embracing this woman for longer than it takes them to discover this agenda. On the otherhand this is typical, by the book, Christian evangelican posture. DO YOUR PART BY LETTING OTHERS DISCOVER THIS.
Posted by: Barry | August 30, 2008 at 11:42 AM