Mary Katherine Ham and Phillip Klein weigh in on McCain’s recent tactic of defending Palin in ads.
First MKH:
The McCain camp, meanwhile, is opening itself up to criticism by whining entirely too much of late. The central attraction of Sarah Palin is that she is a female politician in a new mold. She campaigns graciously, without the Gloria Steinem grievances. She is demonstrably happy with her family and with her life, without obsessing over sexism that has been incapable of keeping her from the governor’s office and the national stage.
She’s strong, but not strident; ambitious without being entitled. Why undercut that appeal with three ads in one week about Palin’s victimization? Wolves, Lipstick, and Disrespectful.
The end of the “Disrespectful” ad says “Palin proves (her critics) wrong every day.” If that’s the case, the McCain campaign should just let her do it, as she has shown herself perfectly capable.
This seems spot-on to me. The McCain campaign appears to be working with a template of a generic female, which is wholly inappropriate to Palin as a politician. There’s a gap between The Real Palin and Palin the Vulnerable so wide it makes the Grand Canyon look like a sidewalk crack in comparison. And the McCain campaign is in real danger of letting Palin fall into that gap, never to be heard from again. There’s so much peril here, it’s hard to fully articulate. But, I’ll just give a few examples. By running ads on this subject, they have now made Palin complicit in charges of sexism, unfairness, bias, etc. This is so bizarre I’m not sure what to make of it. There are two ironclad rules for women politicians; 1.) Don’t seem “shrill” (read: overly and mean-spiritedly aggressive). 2.) Don’t seem “weak”. Palin already has some difficulty on the latter point, given her lack of foreign policy experience, but luckily she has some natural biographical advantages that cut against that.
She’s from a hardy state, Alaska, which doesn’t breed weaklings. She’s defeated two entrenched male, Alaskan politicians, and has basically disrupted the entire Republican establishment in the state. She’s a hunter, a fisherwoman, and an avid fan of sports. And she’s all this, despite raising 5 children. Palin and tough have almost become synonymous, and there’s a sense in which this mitigates the “inexperienced female” narrative which could all too easily form. Voters aren’t saying ”if she can stand up to a charging moose, she can handle Putin”, but that sort of idea is an unconscious factor. This all goes to rot if you make her complicit in charges of “sexism” and “unfairness”.
But, there’s a bigger danger: at some point Palin will have to address these ads, and there’s a real danger that she’ll sound hopelessly insincere (because she really isn’t a grievance-monger) and pathetic. The McCain campaign has severely limited her room for manuevering.
Here’s Klein:
Today brings yet another ad (the third by my count) in which the McCain campaign plays the victim card on behalf of Sarah Palin. If they think she’s ready, then put her out there and let her fight for herself. But the way they’re playing this bolsters the critics who believe Palin was chosen in a cynical ploy to win disgruntled Hillary voters. This just seems like the most patronizing way to go after women voters, and assumes that women are dumb and easily manipulated. Talk about disrespectful. This is just an utter embarrassment.
Klein identifies perhaps the more immediate problem: it’s not going to work. There’s an echo chamber tone-deafness to these ads that worries me, and resurfaces questions about how much thought the McCain camp put into the Palin selection. Get it together folks. Play the gender card behind the scenes, subtly, and through surrogates. Let Palin emerge as a strong woman who can defend herself, without these cringe inducing ads impeding her. Hopefully I won’t have to write a third front-page post about this silliness.
September 12th, 2008 at 10:33 am
I agree. The politics of victimization don’t work for the Democrats. If Palin is all that (and I think she is), then let her loose to defend herself. The GOP is pushing this “sexist” thing too far.
I plead to the McCain campaign not to undue an absolutely brilliant month by overplaying your hand.
September 12th, 2008 at 10:38 am
A new University of Cincinnati Ohio poll has McCain leading 48-44.
September 12th, 2008 at 10:40 am
OUCH!!!
WA- Obama +2
OH- McCain +4
OH- McCain +4
GA- McCain: +13
September 12th, 2008 at 10:45 am
The McCain campaign pulled off the biggest comeback in American history in the primaries, made the most powerful VP choice in American history at the convention, and leads Obama in the worst environment for Republicans since Watergate.
Maybe you should let them do their job and quit being an armchair quarterback critical of success.
September 12th, 2008 at 10:45 am
No more campaigning in Ohio. Get moving to the other states….
September 12th, 2008 at 10:48 am
The add is fine. She does defend herself every day, just like the add says.
Her speech was so effective because after 4 days of relentless lies and bashing, she didn’t come out defending herself, she came out smiling and cutting with a stiletto.
She has changed the election, and Obama’s shift to attacking McCain about emails means they have given up on trying to tear her down to make the election like it was before she was chosen. Instead, they will go back to fighting McCain and they have conceded that the election has been altered.
September 12th, 2008 at 10:50 am
I agree with Matt Miller. Pull this ad. This could ruin Sarah.
Her response when questioned should be, “I made them stop those ads.”
Maybe that’s the plan all along……
September 12th, 2008 at 10:52 am
The ad is good (as long as she doesn’t mess up too bad). I tell you the less media attention Obama gets the better.
September 12th, 2008 at 10:54 am
We need to not over-analyze things. Remember that we pay 1000 times more attention to these things than the average voter.
September 12th, 2008 at 11:00 am
AP poll just came out with McCain up, but did not see the numbers…
September 12th, 2008 at 11:21 am
#9 – EricB – you’re right. I got up this morning and turned on Fox News and there was Geraldo standing near a wall with water splashing all around him in Freeport, Texas. A hurricane is getting ready to pounce on Texas.
Then Carl Cameron (sleepy-eye Carl) talked about the new ad and they showed it. I cringed when I saw it. I thought, “No! Let her be. Don’t play the victim card!”
Last night I watched the History Channel’s compilation of people’s videos of 9/11/1. It was heart-stopping.
Which event(s) do you think the average voter will be focused on?
I can guess pretty safely that it won’t be this ad.
September 12th, 2008 at 11:21 am
AGREED Matt
We the People already get it about the far left elitist media and the dems. We don’t need McCain to instruct us.
Just let it be.
Great analysis man.
September 12th, 2008 at 11:22 am
ABC’s Charles Gibson: But, Governor, I’m asking you: We have the right, in your mind, to go across the border with or without the approval of the Pakistani government.
PALIN: In order to stop Islamic extremists, those terrorists who would seek to destroy America and our allies, we must do whatever it takes and we must not blink, Charlie, in making those tough decisions of where we go and even who we target.
GIBSON: And let me finish with this. I got lost in a blizzard of words there.
Oooh, that’s a blizzard! How could Gibson be expected to process that? Too confusing! I mean it was like 42 words. 43 if you count ‘Charlie’.
September 12th, 2008 at 11:36 am
In rapid fire fashion they have highlighted Obama’s negativity, thereby throwing that ball back in his court. Now with the negative campaign label placed squarely where it belongs, they can go back to the issues as they start their separate campaign efforts.
September 12th, 2008 at 11:43 am
Palin presents a multi-dimensional dillemma to Obama. It takes attention away from Obama and I think this hurts his ego which makes him want to strike out at her. Having the Dem pres nominee spend most of his time attacking the Rep VP nominee is really weird. Palin also appeals to women. She appeals to the “common man” or “common woman”. She appeals to religious people. By striking out against her (and missing their mark way too much) they present the image of a blind executioner flailing his sword at this little lady who dances around and taunts him. People are identifying with that and the more the campaign swings away, the more its energy will be sapped.
September 12th, 2008 at 11:49 am
Yeah, because were it possible it would be almost as nearly as pointless, speciously argued, misleading, and badly written as this particular post.
Is there any front page talent on this blog who actually understands campaign communications?
September 12th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
The lipstick ad wasn’t so good but nothing wrong with the wolf ad. Just pointing out a sick tactic by the Dems, donesn’t mean they’re making Palin out to be a victim.
September 12th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
I completely disagree with the premise of this article. The brilliance of the VP selection (and yes, I’ll happily eat my crow and admit that the selection was in fact, brilliant–despite my continued concerns about her readiness to take over as President) is that McCain has immediately and resoundingly changed the entire discourse surrounding the election. No one is questioning McCain directly anymore. No one is comparing McCain with Obama. Instead, the media, and the country for that matter, are completely enamored with the Palin vs. Obama experience debate. it’s absolutely historic how team McCain has been able to so quickly and so forcefully disable the democratic, not just the Obama, election machine. Think about it. What is everyone talking about now? What is the print about? What is the water cooler conversation of the moment? It’s on Palin, it’s on experience, and it’s on Obama’s attempts to undermine the creditibility of Palin… not McCain.
This has a two pronged effect. First, it keeps one of Obama’s chief weaknesses on display, vetted for all to see, for a sustained period of time, and with the help of the MSM no less! Second, it has kept team Obama from staying on message. When was the last time you heard the campaign talk about anything else? I’m sure they want to, but the media won’t let them. It’s been all Palin/experience, all the time. So, while McCain can discuss anything he wants, team Obama is in a corner trying to attack the VP candidate on the other ticket. McCain himself is off scsott free, Obama is finds himself throwing stones in a glass room, and whats even more exciting, the more the left and their pals in the MSM try to smear Palin, the more backlash they’re seeing in the polls.
You think McCain should try to decentralize the defense of Palin? Not on your life! The longer he can keep the national dialogue on the fruitless attacks from the left on Palin’s experience, the better!
September 12th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Very very well written, Matt.