I’m looking forward to seeing Tina Fay’s portrayal of Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live tonight. It’s probably the first time I’ve looked forward to an episode since Steve Martin left the show. I know it will probably suck, but I’m hopeful that at least the Palin stuff will be good. Like it or hate it, I probably won’t write about it here, though. I don’t know if I’ll be able to stick to it, but I’m going to make a concerted effort not to mention Palin’s name from here on out. I’m sure I’ll fail at it, but that’s the goal.
Palin, we now know, in addition to being a gun-toting, Bible-thumping, Ms. Alaska-losing, pit bull of a “hockey mom,” is an ineffective leader and an accomplished liar. She has abused the office of Governor to pursue personal vendettas, lied about her willingness to accept earmarks, and failed as an abstinence only educator. According to the most recent news, as Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, if you can believe it, she even charged rape victims for their forensic tests. Oh, yeah, and then there’s also that thing about believing that the planet is only 6,000 years old, and that dinosaurs once roamed the earth alongside man.
She’s a gold mine of material to rant about, but I’m going to try to keep focused on the big picture from here on out. The truth is, Obama can’t win by attacking Palin, regardless of how bad a candidate she is. Obama wins or loses this based on how successful he is at tying McCain to the failed policies of George Bush. We need to acknowledge that, forget about the Palin distraction for the time being, and get back to the real work at hand.
[I was going to illustrate this post with another photo, but I didn’t think that it would pack the same punch.]
update: The “Saturday Night Live” video can be found here.
10 Comments
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to stick to it, but I’m going to make a concerted effort not to mention her name from here on out. I’m sure I’ll fail at it, but that’s the goal.
Palin, we now know,…”
FAIL.
Steve Martin has never been a cast member on Saturday Night Live.
Why do you two hate America?
Palin’s important, in that her appointment proves that McCain 1) makes poor decisions, 2) does not have the best interests of the country in mind, 3) cares more about winning than he does about integrity, and 4) that he’s sold his soul to the religious right. We can keep trying flogging away at her support for the Bridge to Nowhere, but it’s not going to change the election. No one on the right really cares. Where we’ll more likely to make headway is on the Bush economy and McCain’s promise of 4 more years of the same. Sure, Palin sucks – she may even lead the country into despotism if given the chance – but that’s not going to win us the election.
I agree, we all know why he picked Palin, now it is time to charge at McCain, and get Obama talking about education, manufacturing, the economy, the war and the state of the world. I am with you Mark. Palin is here, she is not going anywhere, so time to beat McCain.
I agree with your decision not to go after Palin. I don’t know of any election that was won or lost solely on the VP.
But, I’m not sure tying McCain to Bush will win it. Bush was tied pretty neatly to Bush and he beat Kerry.
People know what McCain is. The devil you know.
I wouldn’t describe my parents as racist, in the least. My dad, a former pastor, orchestrated a multi-church service to welcome the first black church into Dearborn (a historically very white town with a racist history).
Despite that, my parents have never had any close black friends. Not one. They’ve met dozens of McCains, but, strictly based on color, they don’t really know Obama.
I don’t think many folks really love McCain. But they can stomach him. He’s familiar. We all, to a degree, know what McCain is.
I think the challenge of this election won’t be pointing out McCain’s flaws but helping folks believe in Obama. Get to know him. Trust him. For many, he will be the first person of color they trust with any part of their lives.
So, as a strategy, I’d focus more on building Obama and less on Bushing McCain. There’s not a lot time. Maybe not enough.
And, as I’ve never voted for a winning presidential candidate, maybe my advice isn’t the best to take…
The absolute BEST moment on Saturday Night Live was the opening skit between Tina Fey and Amy Poeller. The rest of the show sort of sucked ass . . . but I did enjoy those first few moments.
How could anyone trust a person of no color as president? I mean, talk about indecisive.
Ol’ E Cross you are dead on with your strategy. The problem is the Democrats may not be organized enough to follow that strategy. And I know just what you mean about Dearborn, I grew up there too. Sitting in AA/Ypsi it looks like Obama will have a landslide win but that’s only a small part of the country.
A lot of good all that ‘experience’ McCain has in Washington does him…he didn’t even know that the president can’t fire the SEC chairman.