The Palin Affect
Todd Culbertson
Nov 10, 2008
Mark Lilla, a professor at Columbia, opened a column in the Nov. 8-9 Weekend section of the Wall Street Journal with an arresting paragraph: “Finita la commedia. Many things ended on Tuesday evening when Barack Obama was elected 44th president of the United States, and depending on how you voted you are either celebrating or mourning this weekend. But no matter what our political affiliations, we should all - Republicans and Democrats alike - be toasting the return of Governor Sarah Palin to Juneau, Alaska.“ Lilla takes provocation almost to the level of cruelty, but, as they say, intellectual combat ain’t beanbag. Conservatism’s transformation into an ideology of grievance, as exemplified by Palin’s nomination and by the serial rants of Hannity and Limbaugh, has many causes and likely consequences. The immediate question asks whether Palin helped the 2008 GOP ticket. Her selection immediately energized the so-called base. Yet as the campaign proceeded it appeared she hurt McCain’s chances among independents, where the election was to be lost or won. Another thing, although voting numbers went up, the election did not produce the expected surge in turnout. Some analysts suspect conservative Republicans stayed home, the better to nourish Lord knows how many resentments. Palin did not bring them back in, and may have pushed them out. Palin helped for a week or two, then hurt. If she and what she represents become a major player in the inevitable battle for the GOP soul, then the party is in for a rocky stretch, and probably a disenchanting one.
Was Sarah Palin a plus or minus to the GOP?
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Sarah Palin was not a drag to the GOP ticket—she was the only candidate who (at least) tried to get it revved-up! McCain laid docile most of the time. Too docile. In fact I think he chose her because she’d do all the talking. Any blame for a loss needs to fall squarely on HIS shoulders. I don’t think he was cut-out for any of this.
Palin is a typical country girl. She might not ever qualify for “Jeopardy”, but this still doesn’t preclude her from being a leader.
Right or wrong, these are my feelings on this.
Larry Lanberg of Richmond city
Nov. 15, 2008 at 12:25 PM
Bob Powell doesn’t know what he is talking about. Everything that was negative about Palin was manufactured by the “great left-wing conspiracy” known as the drive-by media. She is a very intelligent, conservative, well-focused individual. I guess because she doesn’t want to give the whole country away to the left-wing zealots, she is not a viable candidate for Senate or President? Give me any day, Sarah Palin. Send the freak-show that we are being forced to see, back to Chicago, as soon as possible. (1-20-2013-An end to an Error.)
Kay Martin of Richmond
Nov. 13, 2008 at 03:02 PM
You answered your own question. She energized the base of the Repos. But what does this base consist of ? Anti-abortion zealots, christian conservative wing nuts, gun nuts and the whole spectrum of Repo crazies. You can not win an election on those people alone. To the middle, she was plainly arrogant, narrow minded, anti-intellectual and pitifully unprepared. The biggest winner with Palin, Saturday Night Life and Nieman Marcus. If she gets the nomination in 2012, she has good chance of sinking the Repos again. With the exception of Joe the welfare Plumber, she was the biggest Repo disater.What a bizarre cast of characters representing a majot political party.
bob powell
Nov. 11, 2008 at 07:17 AM