Hey everyone, I'm a long time lurker on the site (think loooooong 2002) who hasn't had occasion to post since the 2004 heartbreak.
Well... not as much haven't had the occasion but more like needed time to deal with the fact that eight years of my early adulthood were under the governance of a man whose highest achievement in office has been surviving an errant pretzel.
Last weeks convention was a big success with people I've talked over. McCain people were nervous and worried, Obama people absolutely ecstatic, undecideds... well those bastards can barely decide on a toothpaste (Extra Whitening or just Whitening Protection? Ahh!) but they we're still impressed.
Why am I worried then? The GOP has pulled a bait and switch on us. By throwing such an outrageous candidate at us with so much errant baggage (and some of undeniably false) they have us bogged down focusing on her.
Stop. It's a bad strategy.
Why? Follow me to the flip.
Sarah Palin is a bad choice.
How bad?
Historic bad. Imagine future historians trying to explain this entire 2008 election, with Hilary v. Obama, the 72 year old POW POW POW, and now a 40 plus year old conservative woman with five kids and who is sorta a hottie? Everything about her sticks out like a sore thumb.
It doesn't matter if you focus on her credentials (which don't exist), her awkwardness with her intended boss, or her messy and muddles personal life (which we really, really don't need to hit).
Why? We should only have one goal in this election cycle. Take down John L. McCain.
So why does the Palin choice matter? For reason and one reason only.
It shows John McCain's complete ineptitude as a decision maker and a leader.
That's it. Don't focus on her personal life. Trust me, the tabloids will. It also makes us look small and bitter and petty. It's not our job. Leave it the carps and sharks who make money off other people's personal lives.
What should we focus on? The experience card. That's what clearly shows John McCain was completely and utterly wrong in choosing her as a running mate.
The 1 knot theory I learned in undergraduate is tie everything to one source. Why? It's easier to market out to the masses and filters better in our psyches. That's why catch phrases and symbols have the power they do.
If we focus on muddled, confusing, and unimportant things we risk confusing those undecided voters STILL in the toothpaste aisle. This election is too important for that.
So please, for the love of God, stop the diaries with the personal conspiracy theories. If it doesn't tie back to John McCain it is NOT IMPORTANT. AT ALL.
To recap: Pail is a distraction to take the focus off McCain and its working. Bring it back to him. And make sure every argument and attack you use is tied back to the knot that John McCain is inept as a decision maker and leader. That's something the masses can digest.
ps. This spell check doesn't have Obama on it haha. But it does offer up Obidiah, Bamako, and Alabama haha. What in the word is Bamako?