McCain/Palin 2008

Palin/McCain '08Reports that the Democratic convention has given Obama a “bump” are greatly exaggerated: he was ahead by six points a month ago, McCain caught up and passed him just before the Democratic convention[1] and, now, after five days of nearly exclusively Democratic coverage in the media, Obama has clawed back his six-point lead.

Bravo, Democrats.

This is clearly still the party that knows how to speak to the American people and holds a tremendous amount of appeal. Obama didn’t have the guts to choose Hillary as his VP, which would have doubtless given him a bigger bump and … here comes McCain with a choice clearly born in the fevered depths of Rove’s brain: Sarah Palin.[2]

Next to no experience, but a staunch defender of core Republican talking-points and a former beauty queen, at that. Probably some cheerleading in her past, just like good old GWB.

You got me, RNC; you managed to snag this cynic: I am now officially morbidly interested to see what the hell would happen in the next four years with America helmed by this duo.

There are so many succulent scenarios into which one can sink one’s mental teeth, were one to be a former massive cynic who has recently been driven back to the fold by the sheer bloody-mindedness of an America clearly willing to elect someone like John McCain. For example, imagine that McCain succumbs to one of his dozens of medical maladies and must transfer the reins of power early in his presidency. America would have a female president with almost no experience in any of the areas that matter. The ascendent executive would fade quickly, as Senators and Congressmen scrambled for a return to power.

Perhaps that’s the strategy to adopt: in the face of an overwhelmingly powerful executive, we should perhaps vote for the ticket that will be the least effective at getting anything done. In that sense, the McCain/Palin ticket looks quite good with respect to the Obama/Biden ticket.

Obama/Biden will likely keep the machine running just as Clinton did for eight years, but from the starting point of an America reeling from eight years of the Bush administration. That is, Clinton played center-right field most of the time (not liberal-left, as media historians would have you believe) and Obama would be free to do the same, though even more pronounced because the situation he inherits imposes fewer obligations on him and his administration. After all, what can you expect from someone who inherits a country in this condition?

The McCain/Palin ticket, on the other hand, has ideas so extreme that it’s hard to see them being enacted. Attack Iran? Logistically dubious, given the lack of resources, people and funding, but, well, you never know. Repeal Row v. Wade? Probably not, though the last eight years have drilled into our heads that anything’s possible. Drill in Alaska? Indubitably a hobby-horse of Palin’s and McCain might go along, depending on the phase of the moon. At any rate, exciting things could happen, with the existing governmental apparatus being dismantled more and more as it is exhausted by another four years of vultures at the helm.

For ineffectiveness, nothing beats a Nader presidency, though. He would stymie the legislative branch as well, as he vetoed things right and left for his whole presidency. McKinney is, in this regard, more of an unknown quantity, as she’s got “experience” in Washington, which is usually more of a detriment when it comes to not getting things done.

For a cynic interested in a continuation of the fireworks show that has been the decline and fall of the American empire under the Bush administration, it’s truly hard to resist all of the apocalyptic promise inherent in the McCain/Palin ticket.