The Blog of Record

“High Risk, High Reward”: The Sarah Palin VP selection story.

The McCain campaign did vet Palin well. The vetters simply couldn’t predict that the media, smelling danger for their candidate, would tear her apart in an unprecedented campaign of pure, undisguised hate. But you won’t read that in the Washington Post, of course.

The campaign’s real problem with Palin was that her ”handlers” didn’t have half an idea what to do with the gem they suddenly found in their hands. I think they were scared of her.

Yuval Levin has the best analysis of the Sarah Palin phenomenon I’ve read so far:

Palin did not merit her instantaneous conversion into the Joan of Arc of the American Right, just as she did not deserve the opprobrium that was heaped upon her by the Left.

So why did it happen? What was the Palin episode really about? The answer has much to do with the age-old tension between populism and elitism in our public life, which is to say, between the notion that we are best governed by the views, needs, and interests of the many and the conviction that power can only be managed wisely by a select few.

It’s much longer than that, so read it all.

Or is it only when they insult Sarah Palin?

I just talked to a source who told me that CNN, from its Political Director, through a Wolf Blitzer producer Jill Chappell emailed a PRIVATE apology to the Governor of Alaska for putting her (unfairly trashing her) on the list with Senator John (”my wife is in cancer remission so I figured it was ok to cheat on her”), Governor Elliott (”has anyone seen my other black sock? the dryer again?”) and others….and then blasting the unfair trashing  around the world!  The producer emailed that she did not know about the trashing and neither did Wolf nor the Political Director.

(Via Rightwing Sparkle.)

His name is Tripp. Hey, why not Trigg? We all know the boy will be a hunter as soon as he learns to walk!

It’s pretty easy to guess who she is, but it’s an interesting read.

Maybe the best man did win, after all:

Sen. John McCain said Sunday he would not necessarily support his former running mate if she chose to run for president.

Speaking to ABC’s “This Week,” McCain was asked whether Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin could count on his support.

“I can’t say something like that. We’ve got some great other young governors. I think you’re going to see the governors assume a greater leadership role in our Republican Party,” he said.

He then mentioned governors Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and Jon Huntsman of Utah.

No wonder Joe the Plumber was not impressed by the Maverick when he got to know him better.

“I think my job is, of course, to be a part of, and hopefully exert some leadership, in the loyal opposition. But I emphasize the word loyal,” McCain said.

Hey, maybe that’s what Palin should do if she (for whatever reason) wants McCain’s invaluable support – switch to the party to which he has no problem being loyal.

Here is what Joe the Plumber had to say about John McCain in an interview to Glenn Beck: “the Republicans didn’t put out a candidate for us to really vote for. It’s the lesser of two evils.”

Doesn’t sound like praise for McCain? It will when you read more:

I asked him pretty direct questions and some of the answers you guys are going to receive, you know, they appalled me, absolutely. You know, I was angry. In fact, I wanted to get off the [McCain campaign] bus after I talked to him.

Joe kept campaigning for McCain, but only because the thought of Barack Obama becoming president scared him even more.

His opinion of Sarah Palin is starkly different:

Sarah Palin’s absolutely the real deal. You know, I only got to spend a short amount of time with her but, you know, it was been asked if I felt any presence when I was with John McCain or Barack Obama. You know, with Sarah Palin, I don’t want to say I felt a presence but she definitely had energy and she definitely went to work for American people, and it disgusts me on how often they try to bash her just for her sincerity. It’s just, you know, she really wants to work for America and I mean, I wish people would listen to her and let them, and let her work for us. You know, she wants to serve us. She’s not looking for power.

Did the Republicans have their ticket upside down? That’s the question I’d like to hear Joe the Plumber answer.

Newsweek headline: “Jesus And Witches. Video clips of Sarah Palin attending Alska church services have raised questions about her views on Christianity and government“.

Sorry again, no excerpt. Because I’m not reading it until I see a Newsweek headline saying, “Clinging to their Bibles. Obama’s remarks have raised questions about his views on Christianity”.

Because a phrase like “they cling to their Bibles” surely sounds strange coming from someone who said (in a 2004 interview), “I have a deep faith … I’m rooted in the Christian tradition.”

(That’s the same interview in which Obama says that sin for him is “[b]eing out of alignment with my values” and “Father Michael Pfleger is a dear friend, and somebody I interact with closely”. Jeremiah Wright? A “good friend”.)

I guess I’ll have to live without ever finding out Newsweek’s answers to the questions it so bravely raises.

The headline reads, “AP INVESTIGATION: Palin pipeline terms curbed bids“.

Sorry, no excerpt. If you want to know what they have in that story, you’ll have to go read it yourself.

Because I’m not reading it until I see a headline saying, “AP INVESTIGATION: Obama received illegal campaign donations”.

Or “AP INVESTIGATION: Is Bill Ayers the real author of Obama’s Dreams from My Father?”

Or “AP INVESTIGATION: Obama trained ACORN activists”.

I guess I’ll never find out what dirt they dug up in that Palin story, then. Oh well.

Some genius lets you play an interactive game with Sarah Palin and her Oval Office so you can see for yourself how dumb she is.

Oh, what’s that? That’s not the office she’s running for? Who cares – let’s have fun anyway! It’s on her!

The Left’s instinctive piling on Palin reminds me of those movies where aliens take over the Earth by getting inside people’s bodies and taking over their minds. When a human who is still a human wanders into a town full of human-looking aliens and does something to betray his humanness, they all turn toward him, point, and shriek at the top of their lungs.

Except these movies aren’t half as fun to watch.

(Via Admit One.)

Slate has a new blog called “The XX Factor: Slate Women Blog About Politics, etc.”

It’s funny, but there doesn’t seem to be any “etc.” - or even much meaningful discussion of politics, for that matter. All there seem to be is digging dirt on Sarah Palin, mocking Sarah Palin, and throwing mud at Sarah Palin. All the bloggers are women, so that readers don’t get the wrong idea that it’s sexism or a smear campaign. Because if women are piling with such passion on one of them who’s trying to reach a new level of achievement for the fair sex, then it’s clear that she is unworthy.

Sarah must be scaring them spitless.