ST. PAUL, Minn. - The biggest "prize" so far in the quest to destroy Alaska
Gov. Sarah Palin's vice-presidential candidacy is the "news" that her
unmarried daughter is pregnant. I have little to say about that because I
don't think the press should be saying much more about it.
But what is remarkable is how little that or other revelations matter to the
GOP rank and file. Simply put: They love Sarah.
This is my sixth Republican National Convention, and I've never seen
anything remotely like the excitement Palin has unleashed. Some compare it
to the enthusiasm for Ronald Reagan in 1976 or 1980. Even among the cynics
and nervous strategists, there's a kind of giddiness over John McCain's
tactical daring in selecting the little-known Alaskan.
Readers of National Review Online - a reliable bellwether of conservative
sentiment - flooded the site with e-mails over Labor Day weekend. The
messages ran roughly 20-1 in almost orgiastic excitement about the pick. On
Friday, one reader expressed Christmas-morning delight over the gift of
Palin, proclaiming that McCain had just "given us our Red Ryder BB gun."
Hundreds of NRO readers announced that they were finally donating to McCain
after months of holding out. Many had hard feelings toward the senator, who
too often defined "maverick" as a willingness, even an eagerness, to annoy
conservatives. They weren't kidding: Between the Palin announcement Friday
and Monday morning, the McCain camp raised $10 million. This enthusiasm
reflects how, although the party wants Barack Obama to lose, it is just now
getting excited about a McCain win.
The naysayers argue Palin undermines McCain's core message so far:
"experience" and the necessary foreign policy expertise for a dangerous
world. They say choosing her was a gimmick that runs counter to McCain's
mantra about country before politics, particularly given his age and health
record.
If Palin fumbles badly in the next few weeks, the critics will surely be
proved right. And one doesn't have to be obsessive about liberal media bias
to recognize the media's desire to Quayle-ize her.
But what if she doesn't fumble? What if McCain's gut was right?
Then, picking Palin just might go down as one of the most brilliant
political plays in American history.
The experience theme was not going to carry McCain to victory. This is a
change election. Hillary Clinton, after all, ran on experience and got beat
by Obama, a former community organizer and state senator. McCain weakened
Obama with the "not ready to lead" line, but to win he needed to promise
change - i.e. "reform" - too.