Thursday, September 11, 2008


The Sarah Palin Bubble

Watching the "Fascism Now!" button-pushers make all the right moves and come up in the polls has been frustrating, but hey, that's what they do. Sarah Palin is the political equivalent of a black leather miniskirt. Lots of people stop thinking and don't spot a tramp right away. Fortunately the McCain Muppeteers tried to piss off the punditry, who've been showing signs of doing something radical, called "Their Job." I heard live NPR coverage of a McCain/Palin rally Tuesday night, and while supporters in Virginia cheered USA! USA! in the background, the reporter drily said, "Sarah Palin touted her stand against the Bridge to Nowhere, as she will continue to do, despite all evidence to the contrary." Worthy sentiments from Wonkette:
Political Sages Tell Democrats To Quit Freaking Out

No sooner had frontierswoman Sarah Palin finished her nasty little attack on elite community organizers last Wednesday than panic began to sweep the hallowed Chardonnay cellars of America’s liberals. Above plaintive wails of “What is happening to Our Barry?” and “We’ve got to FIGHT!” we heard the rending of garments, gnashing of teeth, and furious swilling of Two-Buck Chuck. Everyone was freaking out. Well here are some remarks from various writers who would like Democrats to unknot their panties for a moment and relax.

First: David Broder, that guy who earned a reputation as a Washington Wise Man by always saying the most blandly obvious thing.

[I]nstead of reserving judgment, many of the Republicans I talked to in Washington have started a premature celebration, while their Democratic counterparts have panicked and called for Obama to “start fighting.”

The two reactions were based on suspiciously large shifts the Post poll and others reported among some voter groups — especially white women — and on some issues. McCain vaulted past Obama among those women and scored big gains on the economy and on the capacity to change Washington. I call those shifts “suspiciously large,” not because I doubt the accuracy or the methodology on the surveys but because the years have taught me that such swerves in voter opinion are likely to be temporary.

What we know is that the American people take the choice of a new president very seriously — especially when their nation is at war and the economy is behaving in a way that causes real concern.

Next: Gail Collins, the not-insane person’s Maureen Dowd.

If the Obama brain trust seems relatively serene compared with its seething base, it’s because they live in the Electoral College world, where the presidential race only takes place in a third of the country. They don’t care about national polls — a concept as quaint as measuring one’s wealth by caribou pelts. They worry about the undecided vote in Minnesota and Ohio and run their TV ads (about the economy) in places like Colorado and Michigan and Florida. If you live in California or New York or Texas, you don’t really have much of a feel for their level of effort because as far as they’re concerned, you’ve already voted.

Ha ha, and because we need three quotes to make this a “trend,” let’s throw in Andrew Sullivan, who has returned from his space odyssey to dispense a mantra that could only be delivered with a straight face by David Caruso:

"Obama mustn’t let these schoolyard tactics unbalance him. He hasn’t in the slightest, so far, mind you, a feat of astonishing mental and psychological calm. My advice for what it’s worth: Hang in. The facts are on your side and the issues are overwhelmingly in your favor. They’re trying to force you to blink. Don’t. Hysteria will end at some point."

Patience and steel.

Not so sure about hysteria ending anytime soon, but the Obama campaign has shown deliberation throughout, and an awesome ability to plan a good response and stick to it. The McCains pulled a long pass out of their ass, but Obama has the better ground game and a sound defense.

13 comments:

Bruce said...

Speaking of Obama's strategy, I like the theory that he used the "lipstick on a pig" phrase because he knew he'd draw sexist fire from the McCain camp. That way, he can attack them for phony outrage and cynicism and get a lot of mileage out of the point of the remark, that McCain's policies are the same stinking policies of Bush.

reconstitution pointed that out.

MarcLord said...

that would be playing a very deep lawerly game--something the other side would have definitely counseled.

Davoh said...

mm, local meeja are making mileage out of it - one mention by Obama .. followed by a quick cut series (4,5?) of McCain saying exactly the same words about Hillay's economic policies.
Um, Dunno much about the economics of karma .. heh.

A. Peasant said...

When it comes to the undecided voters, who must be operating on some level other than reason, Obama would need to do something very savage to take Palin out. And I think he should do that to acknowledge the republican rulebook and his mastery of it. It's kind of like an initiation ritual for these people...rubbing your blood together or some such thing. If he's not willing to go there, he will lose. I'm not saying I approve, just that this is the sick way it works in my opinion. The 'high road' leadeth not to the White House.

MarcLord said...

davo--

the economics of karma, i hope there are some in this and other dimensions.

a.peasant--

there is, it seems, a human need for blood in change of leadership, something out of the golden bough. Obama at least intuits that. and most people don't see how ruthless he is because he has such discipline. he waits to strike, keeps a lot in reserve. Trouble is, the 'kill the nigger' shtick has automatic appeal with a wide, albeit declining, swath. it plays easy.

the election is a constitutional referendum. betting on our better selves is a mite risky, but that too is a deep irrational narrative. the slave-whippers, the committees of correspondence, Rousseau-reading progressives, they're all in our national DNA.

Anonymous said...

Obama is a COMMUNITY organizer. This is his STRENGTH. He knows how to motivate people. Think of his fundraising gambit: fundraising is aenimic. "oh my fucking god, mccain might win, here, here is my $2300. stop mccain & palin."

Karl Rove wrote this book, so I guess McCain is right when he says Obama is opportunitic. McCain is so out of touch that he doesn't understand what happenned to him on the View today. Sarah Palin will probably avoid prision time, but there are too many smart people who hate bush (and that is not a lipstick on a pig comment:) who are digging into troopergate. And the shooting of cute furry animals that look like Fido from airplanes doesn't look good in parts of the lower 48 -- like Cleaveland, Scranton, or Disney World). That cross in Wasilla will be shoved so far up her ass that come christmas, no one will be serving wassail this year because of the association.

When you look behind the wizzard's curtain, you understand everything. Fox News is just the camera/propaganda machine left over from the DDR, but they have added a smiley face and advertisements. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to email five honest, truthful anti-Republican videos to five friends each day. If they are incidary enough, they will continue being passed around. But with any mission, there is a downside: the reconsitituted east german stassi has been monitoring your email traffic and they know who you and your family are. You will be at risk. Ask Lenny Bruce. It is not over.

Anonymous said...

Marc --

I have to appologize. Someone from work came in and took over my computer. I never wrote, would write, would dare to think those thought expressed above. Please, please, take that comment down before, well, uh, befo... oh, just do it please. Lives depend on it.

Anonymous said...

The computer is free again, yeah!!!

Like this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iogEFNlRpg&eurl=http://firedoglake.com/

Send it out...(no one will ever know)

MarcLord said...

SLL--

good speculations there. the Obama camp may be methodical, but they're smarter, too; the ways they attack aren't as obvious. That's a good thing, given that they're going up against 44 years of Republican myth-making since Reagan's speech at the 1964 convention.

I will leave your posts up as evidence supporting your denials at your show trial.

Naj said...

Marc,

you know there's an election (this time rather exciting too) campaign going on up here, right?

You know how things are grace when CBC's "The Current" dedicates a significant portion of Canadian's morning to discussing how wacky Palin is, following/being blessed by the "witch-hunting" African priest; suggesting that her "miraculous" winning the office of governor in Alaska (and now the vice-presidency) is the divine intervention of the Priest, or the will of God (or an interaction of both ;) )

Naj said...

grace should read graVe!

MarcLord said...

Yes I knew you had a race going on up there, synchronized swimming for democracy as it were, but once again you snow-commies are outside the news blackout here, so I've not seen nor heard of the African priest.

She did inform us that God likes her best.

Who do you think will win your elections?

Naj said...

S.A.D.L.Y: Harper!
I say Haprer, as opposed to conservatives, because he has become the face of the party; keeping his minions in check and in shadows!