Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Please Don't Squeeze the Palin
Remember that old Charmin tissue commercial? Charmin was so soft, apparently (i wouldn't know--I hate that kind of stuff), that no one could resist giving it a squeeze. It seems to be nearly as hard to resist mocking Sarah Palin. She's such an easy target.
Well, but here's the thing. I'm not defending Palin; quite the contrary. McCain's choice of Palin was, as noted below, cynical in the extreme, and any residual respect that I had for his common sense and "plain talk" has evaporated. And, I'm glad that she's being required by the media to account for herself. She is not in any way qualified for the office she seeks. But is that her fault?
However, all the Palin-bashing may have an unfortunate side-effect. Americans love the underdog. People who might otherwise not vote for McCain may do so, because they feel sorry for Palin, and want to show support for the brave little lady who doesn't blink.
Attacking Palin is like stealing candy from a baby, or shooting fish in a barrel. It may seem to be fun, but it's too easy, and it's the wrong target. The person who deserves the blame for Palin's candidacy is not herself, but McCain. And, paradoxically, attacking Palin could lead to a resurgence in votes for her (because, again, that's why McCain chose her--so that people who wouldn't vote for him would vote for her). So, save your ammo for McCain. He's the one who deserves to be mocked. He's an egotistical old man, out of touch, and not even caring that he doesn't understand this country, the economy, or foreign affairs. He just wants to win, and I'm sure he and his advisors are laughing at all the SNL spoofs as much as everyone else--they just think they're laughing all the way to the White House. Let's not let him get away with it.
Remember that old Charmin tissue commercial? Charmin was so soft, apparently (i wouldn't know--I hate that kind of stuff), that no one could resist giving it a squeeze. It seems to be nearly as hard to resist mocking Sarah Palin. She's such an easy target.
Well, but here's the thing. I'm not defending Palin; quite the contrary. McCain's choice of Palin was, as noted below, cynical in the extreme, and any residual respect that I had for his common sense and "plain talk" has evaporated. And, I'm glad that she's being required by the media to account for herself. She is not in any way qualified for the office she seeks. But is that her fault?
However, all the Palin-bashing may have an unfortunate side-effect. Americans love the underdog. People who might otherwise not vote for McCain may do so, because they feel sorry for Palin, and want to show support for the brave little lady who doesn't blink.
Attacking Palin is like stealing candy from a baby, or shooting fish in a barrel. It may seem to be fun, but it's too easy, and it's the wrong target. The person who deserves the blame for Palin's candidacy is not herself, but McCain. And, paradoxically, attacking Palin could lead to a resurgence in votes for her (because, again, that's why McCain chose her--so that people who wouldn't vote for him would vote for her). So, save your ammo for McCain. He's the one who deserves to be mocked. He's an egotistical old man, out of touch, and not even caring that he doesn't understand this country, the economy, or foreign affairs. He just wants to win, and I'm sure he and his advisors are laughing at all the SNL spoofs as much as everyone else--they just think they're laughing all the way to the White House. Let's not let him get away with it.
