I believe Palin was an inspired choice, and will actually impact the election.
Before I attended the convention, I accepted the conventional wisdom that the number of women who really felt ill-used by the Obama campaign’s treatment of Hillary was very small, and/or that the depth of feeling was shallow and the importance of electing a Democratic candidate would overshadow any hurt fee-fees.
I was mistaken.
From talking with a fair number of ordinary but enthusiastic Democrats, it became quite clear that for a certain demographic - mainly, but not entirely, white women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, and large numbers of them - were extremely invested in Clinton’s success. For these women, she was them - maybe differences in marital life, maybe with different career tracks, maybe with different hopes and dreams - but the identification with Hillary was really strong. For some of these women, a tinge of racial resentment is part of the picture, but mostly it seems like they’re just mad that the first viable woman didn’t get the respect she deserved.
But they were OK with it, they really were. (Up until this morning, my next DNC blog post was going to be on the reconciliation of these voters to Obama.) They weren’t happy, they weren’t filled with fulsome Obama love, but they wanted a Democrat to win and they were willing to suck it up and take one for the party, in pretty much the same way that an emotionally-abused wife sucks it up and takes the abuse for her kids’ sake.
The nomination of Palin basically takes this freshly healing wound, rips the scab off of it, and pours Obama brand salt into the cut. “THEY - the awful, misogynist, woman-hating THEY - think enough of women to put one in the #2 spot. Why wouldn’t you do that for us?”
Not all of those women are going to turn around and vote Republican at the top of the ticket in November. For some, the pro-life thing will rankle - though for the many in the middle, the walking of the walk by Palin and her family is sure to resonate. For others, her general social conservatism will be off-putting. However, I think her personal charisma and the appeal of her bio will “convert” a lot of those Hillary supporters into Palin pals, and they will pull the lever for the ticket with their new identity-partner on it.
The objection has been raised, fairly, that she isn’t very experienced. And she’s not; certainly, she isn’t ready for the Presidency on day one. However, as the VP, she’s got time to learn the job. If McCain strokes out in July of 2010, she’ll be quite well-prepared. (Double standard alert: she has the same level of experience as Tim Kaine, who nobody was critiquing as inadequately prepared last time I looked.)
On balance, she is an excellent choice and she will strengthen both the ticket and the campaign.
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5 users commented in " Democratic National Convention - The Hillary Voters and Sarah Palin "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackSo out of touch with women- seriously think that any women that wanted to vote for hillary because of QUALIFICATION would want to vote for Mccain cause there is now a woman on his ticket. Dude work it out!
I’m basing my opinion on talking with Hillary voters motivated enough to come to the party’s national convention.
What’s your opinion based on?
Mr. Hayes your statement “but they wanted a Democrat to win and they were willing to suck it up and take one for the party, in pretty much the same way that an emotionally-abused wife sucks it up and takes the abuse for her kids’ sake.” is a very bizarre, grotesque comparison.
Sarah palin is indeed a fine human being, with attractive family values. However, Clinton supporter do not support her because she is a women, granted that is an plus for some women, but do not insult the intellegence of women whom would vote for clinton. She is pro choice, pro civil union, pro national health care to name a few and Palin is NOT- hello women be it 40, 50 or 60 are not so simple minded ,as you portrayed in your creative writing, to vote for someone cause they are bitter, -again written in a creative way in your writing.
You go on to write ” think her personal charisma and the appeal of her bio will “convert” a lot of those Hillary supporters into Palin pals, and they will pull the lever for the ticket with their new identity-partner on it.”
New identity partner? Clinton supporter (and it seems you think they are only women) are selecting their choice based on issues they identify with not -”oh she has kids, I have kids, she played sports, I played sports and she is pretty and has charm- YUP I’M VOTING FOR MCCAIN/PALIN TICKET”
Not sure but seems like you may be the Misogynist….
Sarah Palin is a Creationist who wants Genesis taught coequally with biology in science classes (so how does she feel about federal funding for medical research?). She homeschools her children (most homeschoolers want to see the public education system destroyed). She is so anti-abortion that she knowingly chose to give birth to a Downs Syndrome baby (she is unlikely to support women’s reproductive rights). Women supporting Hillary Clinton weren’t voting for Hillary’s vagina but for her stance on political issues—I can’t imagine any Democrat with an IQ higher than 10 supporting Sarah Palin.
And there’s more. Education? Palin has only a BA in journalism from the University of Idaho (compare & contrast with Obama’s JD Harvard). Experience? Nothing in foreign relations— just at the moment when the Middle East, Russia, and Africa are all tinderboxes. Domestic policy, executive experience? A housewife who went from the School Board to being mayor of a town of 6500 to <two years as governor of a remote and thinly-populated state. She has spent very little time in the Lower 48 (talk about Obama being alien to American life). Ethics? While she is supporting Alaska’s oil interests, her husband is pulling in an income from BP Alaska. This appointment was politically brilliant but it shows McCain’s motto of “Country First” to be a BIG LIE because this was “Politics First”. And to top it all off, we are now told that Palin is an athlete, a hunter, a gun-shooter, tough, a rebel, a maverick, strong etc—but that Biden must handle her with kid gloves in debate because she is a WOMAN (and you can bet that if he does that, he will be criticized by the Republicans as patronizing a woman.
Bob I agree that if the Dems allow the message to focus on the individual or rather mocking her commendable accomplishments they will lose a big slice of women voters, but If we offer respect for her personal accomplishmenmts while pointing out her Ideals are contrary to the very reason they call themselves democrat to begin with, Its going to be President Obama
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