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In advance of the Vice Presidential debate on Thursday, it seems like a good time to talk about Sarah Palin and her role on the Republican ticket, her role in the Republican Party, and the future of the Republican party. Palin provided a huge surge for the Republicans, arriving on the scene of a lackluster McCain campaign, trying to battle both the tarnish of the Bush administration and the illumination of the Obama campaign by the main stream media. What was McCain to do? If he brings in Romney, he would get crushed (especially now with the financial collapse) of essentially welcoming an 'evil CEO' on the ticket. if he brings in Huckabee, you have Grampa and his Pastor running against the chosen one.
So McCain reaches, pulling in the inexperienced Palin, who has the advantages of being a staunch conservative, a reformer, a mother of five, and an executive of a successful state, with an eye on using the natural resources of the U.S. to help in the energy crunch. She comes to the party saying that she was inspired by Reagan, and that makes sense - she grew up with Reagan in the White House. But is she another Reagan. Well, no, not right now. Reagan had a long journey to his presidency, and had a lot of experience in politics, starting really with being the head of the actor's union. Being first a Democrat, and being able to see the workings of unions and protectionism, he forged a different direction, and changed his arty affiliation. He campaigned for several presidents, came close to defeating Ford for the nomination in 1976, and finally got on the ticket in 1980. By the time he got there, he had a direct and uncomplicated message, honed over three decades of crafting - mostly by himself - that resonated with America.
Simply, Reagan promoted the three legged stool of conservativism 1) Economic - the Federal government, and government in general, is an impediment in most cases to business and to the freedoms of the American people. Lower taxes and less government interference will lead to more prosperity. Hand-outs in the form of entitlement programs make people dependent on government, and that is a cancer that eats away the foundation of the country 2) Defense - The most vital, constitutionally mandated role of the government is to protect the nation. The United States is the greatest nation on the face of the earth and has demonstrated this by liberating countless nations in some of the most horrific wars at enormous cost in blood and treasure. Yet, despite our great status and power, we have not been an imperial power, handing over the reins to conquered nations and helping them rebuild themselves over and over. No Super power has done this anywhere near the extent of the U.S. It is our unique legacy. Evil exists in the form of communism and totalitarian regimes and we should oppose such regimes by proxy, and directly if necessary. Central to this goal is the maintenance of a strong military 3) Social - Our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution mandate and implore us to protect the sanctity of human life, and therefore we should strive to protect life from conception to natural death.
These are the ideas that Reagan advanced. Palin believes in them intrinsically and lives them. But she has had very little experience and opportunity to espouse them. She doesn't state these ideas clearly in interviews. She stumbles finding the right words, in twisted into knots countering gotcha questions and critiques. She likely won't have the seasoning to defeat the pathetic, but savvy Joe Biden on Thursday. She wasn't ready to burst on the national scene and handle all these difficult issues with the skill of a tried and tested Reagan - a must when battling the hostile forces aligned against her. If she somehow performs well on Thursday, it will be stunning, given the very little time she's had to craft her ideology into a direct, compelling, uncluttered message. While she represents the future of the party - the liberated, fully realized woman with the ability to choose a family, choose life, even for a special need child, and the ability to choose a challenging career, all with the support of a stable, cooperative husband. She represents the conservative ideals of Reagan, if not the polished and perfected delivery.
So McCain reaches, pulling in the inexperienced Palin, who has the advantages of being a staunch conservative, a reformer, a mother of five, and an executive of a successful state, with an eye on using the natural resources of the U.S. to help in the energy crunch. She comes to the party saying that she was inspired by Reagan, and that makes sense - she grew up with Reagan in the White House. But is she another Reagan. Well, no, not right now. Reagan had a long journey to his presidency, and had a lot of experience in politics, starting really with being the head of the actor's union. Being first a Democrat, and being able to see the workings of unions and protectionism, he forged a different direction, and changed his arty affiliation. He campaigned for several presidents, came close to defeating Ford for the nomination in 1976, and finally got on the ticket in 1980. By the time he got there, he had a direct and uncomplicated message, honed over three decades of crafting - mostly by himself - that resonated with America.
Simply, Reagan promoted the three legged stool of conservativism 1) Economic - the Federal government, and government in general, is an impediment in most cases to business and to the freedoms of the American people. Lower taxes and less government interference will lead to more prosperity. Hand-outs in the form of entitlement programs make people dependent on government, and that is a cancer that eats away the foundation of the country 2) Defense - The most vital, constitutionally mandated role of the government is to protect the nation. The United States is the greatest nation on the face of the earth and has demonstrated this by liberating countless nations in some of the most horrific wars at enormous cost in blood and treasure. Yet, despite our great status and power, we have not been an imperial power, handing over the reins to conquered nations and helping them rebuild themselves over and over. No Super power has done this anywhere near the extent of the U.S. It is our unique legacy. Evil exists in the form of communism and totalitarian regimes and we should oppose such regimes by proxy, and directly if necessary. Central to this goal is the maintenance of a strong military 3) Social - Our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution mandate and implore us to protect the sanctity of human life, and therefore we should strive to protect life from conception to natural death.
These are the ideas that Reagan advanced. Palin believes in them intrinsically and lives them. But she has had very little experience and opportunity to espouse them. She doesn't state these ideas clearly in interviews. She stumbles finding the right words, in twisted into knots countering gotcha questions and critiques. She likely won't have the seasoning to defeat the pathetic, but savvy Joe Biden on Thursday. She wasn't ready to burst on the national scene and handle all these difficult issues with the skill of a tried and tested Reagan - a must when battling the hostile forces aligned against her. If she somehow performs well on Thursday, it will be stunning, given the very little time she's had to craft her ideology into a direct, compelling, uncluttered message. While she represents the future of the party - the liberated, fully realized woman with the ability to choose a family, choose life, even for a special need child, and the ability to choose a challenging career, all with the support of a stable, cooperative husband. She represents the conservative ideals of Reagan, if not the polished and perfected delivery.
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