PT Barnum Rides Again or
The Marketing of a Hockey Mom
The absurd circus that Americans sometime refer to as their democracy is revealing itself in all its glory. Our electoral system - like so much of our society - is all about the marketing and branding of products. The selection of Alaskan governor Sarah Palin as candidate for vice president by the controllers of the GOP is a clear message to the electorate: we are going to market an attractive female politician to you, unlike anyone you have ever seen on the national political stage; someone with radical right-wing views; a petite woman with a cute macho swagger who is totally unqualified to be president of the United States! We will succeed in doing this because we are masters in creating brand loyalty and we have ultimate faith in the depth of your stupidity.
The ascendancy of Sarah Palin reads a bit too much like a hymn to PT Barnum. After months of excoriating Barack Obama, accusing him of being a fast-talking, far-left celebrity with no substance and inadequate experience, the Republican electoral team opened the door to someone far less prepared to take on the role as president, a woman whose politics are radically out of touch with mainstream Americans - a woman who has become an instant celebrity because she is a woman.
That anyone would take this person seriously as a vice presidential candidate is hard to fathom. Yet, now the media is simply gushing over Sarah Palin as a proud parent would at the recital of a school-age daughter. Governor Palin read a speech from a teleprompter at the Republican convention, written by McCain campaign handlers. Now she's a star, playing the role of the frugal, bossy housewife to a geriatric, self-aggrandizing Washington insider who has gained his celebrity by branding himself a "war hero" and a "maverick."
In the days after the convention, the Alaskan governor -- America's political sweetheart -- is nowhere to be found. Officials from the McCain campaign, who have already accused the media of being sexist in its attempts to uncover the governor's record, say she will be spending several days with her family and won't be available to reporters. Observers have expressed concern that Democratic VP nominee Joe Biden will have to be gentle with her when she is finally tested in the vice presidential debate or he risks turning off voters. Governor Palin is in a unique position that is a testament to the skillful gamesmanship of the McCain campaign management. According to them, she should be praised because she is a woman and should be immune from serious scrutiny or tough questions for the same reason.
The Republican Party is clearly in the process of trying to absolve itself from responsibility for mismanaging the nation over the last eight years by reinventing itself as the non-Republican Party. They are doing this by branding the Maverick Warrior and the tough-talking Hockey Mom as Washington outsiders who disdain the "elite" and mirror the concerns of ordinary folks. If we as a nation accept this political sleight of hand and allow the standards required for attaining the highest office in the country to be thus diminished, we will be in for big trouble. The operative question is: Will the American electorate allow the wool to be pulled over its eyes yet again? In the words of PT Barnum, "there's a sucker born every minute."
The Marketing of a Hockey Mom
The absurd circus that Americans sometime refer to as their democracy is revealing itself in all its glory. Our electoral system - like so much of our society - is all about the marketing and branding of products. The selection of Alaskan governor Sarah Palin as candidate for vice president by the controllers of the GOP is a clear message to the electorate: we are going to market an attractive female politician to you, unlike anyone you have ever seen on the national political stage; someone with radical right-wing views; a petite woman with a cute macho swagger who is totally unqualified to be president of the United States! We will succeed in doing this because we are masters in creating brand loyalty and we have ultimate faith in the depth of your stupidity.
The ascendancy of Sarah Palin reads a bit too much like a hymn to PT Barnum. After months of excoriating Barack Obama, accusing him of being a fast-talking, far-left celebrity with no substance and inadequate experience, the Republican electoral team opened the door to someone far less prepared to take on the role as president, a woman whose politics are radically out of touch with mainstream Americans - a woman who has become an instant celebrity because she is a woman.
That anyone would take this person seriously as a vice presidential candidate is hard to fathom. Yet, now the media is simply gushing over Sarah Palin as a proud parent would at the recital of a school-age daughter. Governor Palin read a speech from a teleprompter at the Republican convention, written by McCain campaign handlers. Now she's a star, playing the role of the frugal, bossy housewife to a geriatric, self-aggrandizing Washington insider who has gained his celebrity by branding himself a "war hero" and a "maverick."
In the days after the convention, the Alaskan governor -- America's political sweetheart -- is nowhere to be found. Officials from the McCain campaign, who have already accused the media of being sexist in its attempts to uncover the governor's record, say she will be spending several days with her family and won't be available to reporters. Observers have expressed concern that Democratic VP nominee Joe Biden will have to be gentle with her when she is finally tested in the vice presidential debate or he risks turning off voters. Governor Palin is in a unique position that is a testament to the skillful gamesmanship of the McCain campaign management. According to them, she should be praised because she is a woman and should be immune from serious scrutiny or tough questions for the same reason.
The Republican Party is clearly in the process of trying to absolve itself from responsibility for mismanaging the nation over the last eight years by reinventing itself as the non-Republican Party. They are doing this by branding the Maverick Warrior and the tough-talking Hockey Mom as Washington outsiders who disdain the "elite" and mirror the concerns of ordinary folks. If we as a nation accept this political sleight of hand and allow the standards required for attaining the highest office in the country to be thus diminished, we will be in for big trouble. The operative question is: Will the American electorate allow the wool to be pulled over its eyes yet again? In the words of PT Barnum, "there's a sucker born every minute."
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