In 1984, Geraldine Ferraro was chosen by Democratic Presidential candidate Walter Mondale. The base went wild, polls rebounded dramatically and then when “our Geraldine” became Mrs. John Zaccaro, her real estate developer husband and the press focussed in on his “interesting” business dealings, President Reagan won re-election in a landslide.
Now, Sarah Palin whose high pitched nasal Midwestern one-liner lie voice becomes more shrill by the minute sounds a bit as we approach day-12 of the “when will she talk to the press” watch? We now see the live vetting process as a Chinese water torture drip, drip, drip of scandal. The vetting that should have been done by the McCain campaign is now spinning badly out of control. Stump speech embellishments have now been hit hard by so many MSM questions.
The reams of documents showing her incredibly poor judgment of taking 312 days worth of meal and housing per diems ($17,000+) to stay at home. Just ask Prime Ministers Brown and Blair along with Conservative leader David Cameron and the Lib Dems Sir Menzies Campbell here in the UK how quickly MP private expenses can become political napalm?
Combine this with Trooper-gate, Earmarks and her general feeling of entitlement as well as a being tied to indicted Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, make her viability beyond the base shrink daily.
Were she Obama’s running mate, the right wing blogs trying hardest to protect her would be frothing at the mouth to shoot her down.
McCain had 18-months to pick a real running mate. He wanted Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman, the party said no. He then wanted Tom Ridge, former Pennsylvania Governor and head of Homeland Security but he’s pro-choice and the party said no. So in a last–second up yours to the party he chooses someone who cannot be left alone to campaign because she already made an off-the-cuff gaffe about the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac takeover.
They are desperately afraid she will be worse than Dan Quayle and at this moment she’d have to go a long way to catch up with him. So everybody take a deep breath, remember 1984 and stay-the-course. Keep hammering away on the economy, show leadership by acting Presidential and it will be 1960 all over. Folks will see Obama in the debate and say, OK, yeah, he can lead and it’s game over.
The right will spin outrageous lies because they think that works outside their base. The current advert showing Obama in favour of Sex Education for 5-year olds is scurrilous and ridiculous. Those outside the base will see that.
Just keep breathing.
