2008 Election

Sans Guiliani, It’s a Solid Night for Repubs

I managed not to turn off the television when Guliani led the home crowd in a cackle of distasteful laughter at the work of community organizers. Beyond that, it was the most inspired performance by the Republican leadership we’ve seen this year. Romney and Huckabee were passionate and appropriately firm in asserting the (misguided) Republican platform, and Sarah Barracuda* knocked it out of the park. As much as I would have loved to see Biden take Lieberman down in a Veep debate, I’m considerably more pumped now to watch him and Palin duke it out this fall. 

Surely the Republican Spartans are ready for battle after this rousing show, but it’s unclear who exactly they’re mobilizing. I was g-chatting with a Republican pal during the programming and he suggested that Palin’s speech will appeal to rural Americans and that she’ll pull in an easy seven million angry, uneducated HRC voters. I’d be shocked if that happened. 

Undecided voters are not going to gravitate toward the agenda of the evangelical right that has hijacked the Republican party. What Palin didn’t spend much time talking about are the highest priorities of undecided voters: ending the war, reestablishing functional international relations and improving our economic state. Though well delivered under intense pressure, it was largely a cheerleader speech that rehashed her boss’ biographical highlights when we were looking for more information about the substantive things that she brings to the table (besides her pregnant daughter’s boyfriend). Unless an army of angry PUMAs joins the “Raising McCain” crowd on Nov. 4, the Republicans have yet to produce any new voters to counter the increased turnout Obama will deliver at the polls with college students, young professionals and minorities. 

Regardless, in the post-game most of the pundits rightfully proclaimed that a new Republican star was born tonight. She moved fluidly from showing a little personality to delivering scathing criticisms with conviction, and she is an energizing outsider who clearly has leadership ability. The historic nature of her candidacy was subtle and effective; she will clearly not kowtow to the boys club. Amy Holmes said on CNN’s coverage that Palin succeeded at what HRC always struggled for, a balance of authority and femininity. While the “Hoosiers for the Hot Chick” buttons disturbed me greatly, I respect a business woman who is comfortable enough to channel Jackie O and crack jokes about lipstick. (Watch out, Michelle. Your Best Dressed award is in jeopardy.) I also enjoyed her defiant defense of her family, which was achieved powerfully without uttering a word. Even Guliani was (gasp!) correct when he noted that no one would ever ask a man how he planned to spend time with his family if he were elected vice president.

More than anything (even better than the good fortune that allowed them to relegate Bush-Cheney to video conference), the greatest success of this week has been the shift in attention away from Barackstar’s incredible week in Denver. We didn’t even have five minutes to enjoy the Mile High Club before the maelstrom of Palin coverage quashed Democratic momentum. The only thing that could halt the Straight Talk Express any faster is the Maverick himself tomorrow night. Talk about lackluster: When McCain hobbled onstage after all that youth and zeal from Mitt, Mike and Sarah, I thought he was going to challenge Gretchen Wilson to a game of shuffleboard. 

Still, we politicos will sleep well tonight knowing that the 2008 election just got better than we imagined. Even in February. 

 

*NOTE: I really wish someone would give me a ferocious nickname; I’m quite jealous.

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