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October 1, 2008So, Anchoress, what do you think of Palin, now?I’ve had several - more than several, actually - emails from both left and right asking me what I think of Gov. Sarah Palin in her performances over the past weeks and what I think will happen at the debate. From the left the missives have been jeering. They remind me a little of Edward G. Robinson saying, “ya, yah, how do you like yer Moses, now?” From the right, I get hand-wringing…”what do you think, will she pull it off???” I have no idea how Palin will do at the debate because none of us have seen enough of her - unfiltered through media edits - in the past month to know her very well. A wild salmon is much tastier and feistier and more exotic than a farmed one. They’re also healthier fish, and healthier food. Now, Palin - tanked for a month - may not be the same wild, intriguing thing she was. The problem is, she won’t be the optimumly mellowed thing the McCain camp seems to have wanted - there wasn’t enough time for that. So…she’s just going to be a fish out of water. There. Have I used the fish metaphor to death? Here’s another. In Palin, McCain picked a diamond in the rough. He then proceeded to try to overgrind and overpolish it, until it was too smooth, unnatural-seeming, and - because it no longer had ANY edge - lacking value. He has done NOTHING to release its intrinsic brilliance and glow. Hmmmm….do I seem pessimistic about Palin’s chances in debate? I’m not really. I have no idea what is going to happen. Palin may come out overprepped, overstimulated and too flat to do much but hurt herself, or she may surprise everyone and reveal a core strength that could not be destroyed in all of this over-handling from the right and poison from the left. Given the utter hatred the press has for her, and the venom of the left, Palin will have to do ten times better than Biden, simply to get a grudging “well, she didn’t totally blow it.” And she’s going to have to do five times better than Biden to convince some on the right, as well. So…this debate has now - thanks to some bad judgment on the part of the McCain camp, and the press’ unrelenting nastiness (yes, yes, I know that the Boston Globe had a front page lie about the rape kits today, and I linked to it!) - the veep debate may be the hour which Palin was meant to face her whole life. I hope she’s up for it. And yes, I’ll pray for her good. Because so many people and deatheaters are directing such hate toward her, that it seems only fair to do so. But my expectations are nil. I have NO idea what to expect. What she’s capable of and what she’ll deliver may be two different things. Patterico is worried and becoming disenchanted with Palin http://theanchoressonline.com/2008/10/01/so-anchoress-what-do-you-think-of-palin-now/trackback/ 23 Responses to “So, Anchoress, what do you think of Palin, now?” |
October 1st, 2008 at 3:57 pm
I think your fish metaphor is fitting. And all the other critter references as well.
I’ve been feeling a little nervous about tomorrow night, too. But then I realized that tomorrow Sarah will go to the battlefield, trusting in her instincts, her common sense and in God. Go Sarah!
Today the folks at FOX were puzzling over why she would practice for the debate outdoors in beautiful Sedona, rather than in the more realistic environment of the debate arena. Loving the wilderness as I do, I know why she chose it and what inspiration and confidence she will find there.
I loved her pensive little dig at the media when she mused over how much journalistic standards have changed since she studied it in college.
You know, I wonder if some of the media is a little sour because they really wanted Hillary - and now they’re taking it out on our Sarah.
No matter how this all ends, we know that both of these public servants will have done their very best for their country against very great odds.
October 1st, 2008 at 3:57 pm
The left has so convinced itself of its own narrative on Palin that they’ve lost any sense of perspective on her. She’s a bimbo who stepped right off the Miss Alaska pageant runway into John McCain’s reckless stunt-pulling.
No, she is not a highly effective politician with an almost unheard of popularity, a bipartisan approval rating. No, she’s not a conservative who has governed as a libertarian on social issues rather than being a crazed wingnut. No, she was never called upon nationally to comment on energy issues, one of the most important issues in the election cycle. No, no, none of that matters.
No, Obama didn’t have two years of rehearsal as a professional candidate, cutting his teeth in presidential election mode while few people were watching. No, he hasn’t spent two years throwing things out, testing them, flip-flopping, flopping back again (sometimes within a day or two), and still messing up even today, especially when away from a teleprompter. No, he has no adoring press who edits and airbrushes him while pouring slime over his opponents. No, no, none of that matters either. We will stick our fingers in our ears and not hear any of it.
I do hope we get to hear Sarah Unscripted, but the hypocrisy is astonishing.
October 1st, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Well, I heard some of Hugh Hewitt’s radio interview with Sarah Palin yesterday, along with commentary by Jim Geraghty. For what it’s worth, I thought she did very well.
October 1st, 2008 at 4:10 pm
[...] October 1, 2008 Ms. Ifill Is Full Of Obama Posted by mcnorman under Uncategorized | Tags: biden, book, debate, gwen ifill, ifill, Obama, Palin | Update: McCain’s campaign did not know about the book? WTH? The Anchoress describes Palin very well. In Palin, McCain picked a diamond in the rough. He then proceeded to try to overgrind and overpolish it, until it was too smooth, unnatural-seeming, and - because it no longer had ANY edge - lacking value. He has done NOTHING to release its intrinsic brilliance and glow. [...]
October 1st, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Judging by how she did at the convention–with at least as much riding on it–I think she’ll do just fine.
October 1st, 2008 at 5:03 pm
I suppose we will find out, but I don’t know that I really blame McCain, I think the press would have done a bang up job of sabotaging her no matter how she had been presented. Destroying people is their best thing.
October 1st, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Please, please B’rer Fox - don’t throw me in that briar patch. Karl Rove strikes again! The campaign knew Gibson and Couric would edit to make her look as bad as possible. The campaign knew about Ifil’s book. I have never seen the expectations game played so masterfully - and I watched Kennedy-Nixon live.
October 1st, 2008 at 6:11 pm
“the veep debate may be the hour which Palin was meant to face her whole life.”
When I read that, my favorite Bible verse jumped to mind (well, second-favorite after John 3:16)–Esther 4:14.
October 1st, 2008 at 6:15 pm
Excellent salmon metaphor.
She was over prepped for her sit down interviews (bad mistake from the McCain team). They should let her do public questions to the press at every public event. They should do all the talk radio shows. Let Sarah by Sarah. She has excellent instincts, is not a policy wonk (except on Alaska related issues, where she seems to be very much on it).
That is fine.
I disagree she has to be 10 times better than Biden now. If she does a decent job and scores a draw–that is a partial victory for her (it may not be enough to win the election, but expectations have been driven down so far she has no where to go but up). Voters (who are the ones who matter) might realize the MSM is overreacting again. If Palin does really well, well then she may change the dynamic of this race. McCain-Palin were a few points ahead after the convention, they are about 4-6 points behind now with all the economic turmoil (and gaffes mostly by Mac not Palin). With a deal coming into place and the panic starting to subside, they do not have to sway that many to tie this back up again. The Couric interviews had poor moments, but fortunately Couric’s ratings are down. It won’t change most of her critics (Palin Derangement Syndrome by most on the left is driven by fear of Obama losing not anything personal about Sarah Palin), but it might sway some of those critics on the right.
October 1st, 2008 at 6:19 pm
“… the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds …”
The VP debate will be important of that there can be no doubt, but what will be more important will be the reactions to the debate. If the honorable Govenor stumbles and falls will her supporters start to attack her in the same manner as the MSM and others have been doing these last few weeks?
It is my opinion (worth the proverbial 2 cents) that her ability to take the punch will be more telling about her character. There will be no filters, no editing to put her in a bad light during the debate. She will have to show that she can take the punch and not only get back up off of the deck but also throw a jab or two herself. If she can do that with a smile on her face and more importantly do it with “honor” then she will be fine. She must let her inner light shine, more importantly, she must let her inner “core” shine.
October 1st, 2008 at 7:12 pm
At the risk of arrogance, please consider this:
WE ARE WINNING, the only way we lose if if we give up.
Fear not. Finish the race.
And wipe the smirk off the face of every MSM anchorperson in the country.
DJ Drummond
[DJ - Good to see you, how are you feeling? - admin]
October 1st, 2008 at 8:40 pm
I still think she is as good as she was at the convention. Did you hear her interview with Hugh Hewitt? Perhaps I do not have the same level of political insight, but I have positive expectations for my own reaction - a hallejuiah!
My Hail Marys are for all those misguided Obama-worshipers. I read blogs of parents of children with disabilities. Only those already professing Christianity are saying they like Palin. The rest, added to the adult bloggers with disabilites were already enamored of Obama’s stated ‘disability’ platform - in typical liberal rhetoric. They are a bit tied-up concerning the life issue and can’t go too far in a discussion of that. Everyone of them knows that if you can kill a baby because they have DS, it’s a slippery slope to death of anyone not contributing to the social economy.
October 1st, 2008 at 10:12 pm
Hello again, Anchoress.
The treatments are going well, so is school. Work is tough, and Ike did us for some trouble. My mom’s house was bashed in front by a 50-year-old oak that the storm threw across the living room and parlor. The roof, front eaves, ceiling, windows and some wall damage resulted.
That, by the way, is where a miracle happened. Before I even knew about it (I lost water, power and phone for a few days), my mom’s church had checked up on her and sent people over to cut up the trees (another two fell in the front yard), tarped the roof and hole in the wall, and arranged for a contractor to come out. By the time I got over to my mom’s house, the roof had been repaired, as well as the front wall and eaves and the ceilings had been replastered!
So OK, my mom has gone to Chapelwood UMC since 1975. and been active all those years in the choir, and writing poetry for the church paper (as well as editing it, and making quilts by hand for dozens of fellow members over the years), and I think the minister knew mom did not have insurance, but even so, this was amazing work.
So, my stuff was minor but I had a lot to be grateful for.
btw, watch Obama this week. I will tell you now, that Palin will make a strong impression Thursday, and Obama will be anything but “Mister Cool”.
DJ
October 1st, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Gov Paylin is up to the task.
October 2nd, 2008 at 1:37 am
Anchoress wrote:
From the left the missives have been jeering. They remind me a little of Edward G. Robinson saying, “ya, yah, how do you like yer Moses, now?”
Ah, so they’re still worried about her enough that they’ll try using psychological warfare on those who support her in the hopes of destroying that support.
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:21 am
I only watch The Factor on Wednesday nights because I love Dennis Miller. He opined that Senator McCain has to start firing back at these pinheads - and I think he has made a good start by kicking Maureen Dowd off his campaign plane. She isn’t a journalist anyway - she’s an editorial columnist and hence had no business being there in the first place. Miller also said it was time to let Sarah Palin off the leash and let her be her own authentic self. Again, I agree completely.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:25 am
Victor Davis Hanson on Palin v. Biden
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:27 am
Edward G. Robinson !
Such an amazing actor.
Great comparison.
Except, Edward G. Robinson was still fun to watch, even as he played the ugly character in that EPIC movie, unlike some of these vapid Liberal Partisans who have embraced pure political bigotry.
Perhaps this viewpoint will help regarding the fine Gov. Palin…
She is secure with herself, and even if she cannot carry the Maverick to victory, she has a great Family with real love, who will always be cherished. She is a natural winner, because of her strength, decency, and impressive work ethic. She has nothing to prove. A great symbol of an amazing American Woman.
Could not agree more with the McCain Campaign’s attempt to ‘fashion’ the fine Gov. Palin.
It is regretful. As a cynic of the aged Beltway Celebrity, who still thinks he can sit by and get elected by joining in on the debasing of the fine Republican Leadership, which has served Our Nation so well after 9-11. John McCain may have selected Palin out of his own insecure Nature, which seems to turn everything into a personal obsession. This Campaign seems to be all about John.
One has to wonder if he couldn’t handle the successful Mr. Romney standing taller next to him, even if it would have delivered the States of Michigan and Florida in the Election, and bolstered the Senators weak Economic front. Perhaps Senator McCain was gaming the ‘gender’ issue, or maybe he was genuinely impressed with the fine Gov. Palin.
But, we know John McCain truly wanted Senator Lieberman, and even floated a ‘pro-abortion’ VP selection. However, Senator McCain’s incredibly weak poll numbers in the GOP Party, probably forced him to select someone that would cater to a base of voters who would not turn out for him. Maybe he had to chose someone he wasn’t comfortable with, who maintains sincere conviction (which is against his acquired recipe for political success). McCain prefers the fence, playing all the angles, and this is contrary to the honest beliefs of Gov. Palin, which was her main attraction, being from OUTSIDE the Beltway.
Thus, it is possible, that the McCain Campaign tried to manage her, to be more like the Candidate he prefers. Constantly enforcing conceptions, to NOT do this, NOT do that: like offend the Liberal Vote, make the Presidential Nominee shine (not yourself), and to package her as a ‘Maverick’, etc. Instead of sending her out to the American Public after the Convention with endless Campaign stops, the McCain Camp sent to NYC to have foreign policy photo opportunities - which is an anti-thesis to the real American charm of Gov. Palin and something which is quite SENATORIAL and Washington Beltway. (It was clearly a counter image to her appeal - as a proven Beltway OUTSIDER).
This was the problem with the GOP getting a Nominee, who so vividly contradicts his own Party (* with the offering being a true opposition - not an acceptable form of moderation). I am not surprised some Conservatives are shocked that McCain is more eager to placate the Left, then he is in defending the Republican Party. As if they haven’t paid any attention to what John McCain is all about. (Besides the overt problems of having a Candidate well beyond his prime, an aged Beltway Celebrity of over 3 Decades, who is without accomplishment or CEO Experience. Which is disastrous when Congress has historic low approval numbers, and knowing the pattern for POTUS Election victory for the GOP has resided with a proven Governor from Outside Washington). It is clear, John McCain, embraced much of the political populism offered by many in the Liberal Democrat Party. And Palin’s instincts, the vast majority of his own Party’s conviction, including some of the most attractive policies many have supported since 9-11 which has kept us all safe, may simply be contrary to John McCain’s mindset.
But in the long run, all is not lost. Our Nation is very strong, and we will do just fine. Things happen for reasons.
Perhaps John McCain will prove this cynic wrong.
And I would be more than pleased if he wins the Election, and becomes as good as a President as the fine GW Bush.
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:49 am
WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT FAN AND FRED: The Wall Street Journal rounds up some pre-meltdown quotes on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from the likes of Barney Frank, Maxine Waters, and Charles Schumer. My favorite: “Rep. Frank: I do think I do not want the same kind of focus on safety and soundness that we have in OCC [Office of the Comptroller of the Currency] and OTS [Office of Thrift Supervision]. I want to roll the dice a little bit more in this situation towards subsidized housing.”
Well, roll the dice we did . . . .
Glenn Reynolds on Barney Quotes
October 2nd, 2008 at 1:12 pm
So what would happen if Palin did okay, or even a little better than okay, in tonight’s debate? First of all, relative to prevailing expectations, it would be a triumph. The story would be how well Palin did, which could get people thinking maybe they had underestimated her, which could imply maybe they had underestimated McCain. Given the attention this matchup will receive, that might even be enough to nudge the momentum back their way.
Huff Puff asks, what if?
October 2nd, 2008 at 2:55 pm
You will know Palin won if people talk about “the format” or “set pieces like this.” That is, if you hear the same kind of chatter about teleprompters and others writing her speech that you heard after the RNC, then she will have killed.
Call me crazy but I expect a home run from Palin tonight. The dynamic of a debate is much closer to that of a rally or the RNC - she’s speaking to the PEOPLE not to a reporter. If she does that, basically pivots to ignore Joe and Gwen except as props, she wins big time.
October 2nd, 2008 at 3:27 pm
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October 2nd, 2008 at 11:18 pm
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