Sarah's Easy Task... Playing the Victim

In a few hours, Sarah Palin will give her speech accepting the nomination as the vice-presidential candidate for the Republican Party. Unless she forgets how to give a speech or the McCain campaign tries to turn her into someone she isn't, she'll be fine. Her fellow right-wing social conservatives who fill the delegate seats will love her and cheer loudly. She'll look good on TV. The campaign will follow the speech by shaking off any criticism from the media as further "attacks" upon her. In fact, being a victim of the media will be part of the speech according to the released text. The blame the media counterattack will be fully under way and will, again, play very well to the Republican base that still sees the media as in the pocket of liberal Democrats. By the end of the night and through the day tomorrow the Republicans will try to declare Palin a great success and seek to push aside any further questions on her views or record.

Their efforts with her speech is part of the overall strategy the McCain campaign has set for this convention and, seemingly, the rest of the campaign that they are "change candidates, too." Yep, the party that has owned the White House for 8 years and had both houses of Congress for 4 of those years. The party in power is now for change.

Changing who is in power? No.

Changing the policies of the past 8 years? No.

Changing the Republican brand from the tattered wreckage left by W and his disasterous presidency? Oh, they wish for it so much.

Palin's pick is, as I previously wrote, a move by a campaign convinced it is losing and looking for something to alter the outlook. The Republican Party also wishes for a "do over" as they face losses in the House and Senate that will strengthen the Democrats hand next January. They seem fairly resigned to the congressional losses. They are desperate to save the White House as their own personal property.

McCain's campaign advisors realize that "change" is the overriding desire of voters in 2008. Like Hillary Clinton before them, they will try to sell themselves as the "safe change" or "familiar change" while Obama represents "risky change." The Democratic Party electorate didn't find Hillary's familiar change as enough of what they wanted. The general election audience is now asked to find John McCain as "the change you can feel comfortable with." Sort of "new and improved" like a box of detergent.

There is, however, nothing new or improved about John McCain or Sarah Palin. They represent the continuation of policies that have failed miserably and an ideology that hates government except when it can be used to help their friends, bully small countries or impose their interpretation of God's will on the rest of us. It is another playing of a familiar tune that was started with the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980. He was "the outsider" through his entire 8 year term. Then W, son of a president, ran as "the outsider." Now, it seems, a member of Congress for over 20 years is going to try the same theme.

This a theme Palin can play along. She isn't experienced. She isn't the crusading reformer they wish to play her as. Put Alaska is about as outside of Washington as you can get.

Now all they have to do is convince enough voters that the same party that has led 80% of the American public that the country is on "the wrong track" is the choice to change things. It's not impossible, but usually only works when the other party is so weak or divided you are the only real choice. Palin's efforts against the corruption in the Alaska Republican Party is an example. She could successful play "outsider" against the corrupt members of her party in a state overwhelming Republican.

But McCain isn't offering change from W's policy or Republican conservative orthodoxy. He's offering replacing W and Cheny with a war hero and a new chick. But don't look too close to the "new and improved" candidates. You ruin the illusion the marketing boys and girls worked so hard to create. Tonight Sarah Palin will play her part in this illusion.