Turkey Pardoning Wasilla Style

I had promised myself that I was not going to make any more posts for awhile about Sarah Palin, if only to avoid the whining I would inevitably hear from my brother, the lone Palin cheerleader remaining east of the Mississippi. Well, I tried but I just couldn't--this story was just too juicy--literally.

Governor Palin decided to perform a presidential tradition today and pardon a Thanksgiving turkey today. Well, there is a right way and a wrong way to pardon a turkey, an act presidents have performed in one form or another since Harry Truman first began the practice (though there is some controversy about when exactly when and in what form the pardon tradition began).

Right Way: Gather reporters and photographers outside the White House, say something pithy and/or witty, smile for the camera, and walk back to the Oval.

Wrong Way: Gather reporters and photographers at a turkey farm, say something incoherent, and smile while the photographers capture a different turkey being slaughtered directly behind you.

Um, not exactly the image the Governor was probably going for (or maybe she was given her love of hunting and fishing). Oh, and she was informed by the photographer what was going on behind her and decided to continue with the interview without changing spots.

Classic. If Alaska reinstated capital punishment on Governor Palin's watch I wonder what that would look like...

Cavett on the Wasilla Wordsmith

Dick Cavett has a great piece in the NYT today on Governor Sarah Palin. Which leads me to the following question: Why doesn't Cavett still have a show? The guy was great when he had one. Seriously, anyone can have a show. Dr. Phil has a show right? Maury Povich has a show doesn't he? I say bring back Cavett!

A Hoax Does not Alleviate Palin's Africa Problem

There's a great deal of hyperbole surrounding the question of whether or not Governor Sarah Palin knew that Africa was a continent at the time of her selection as John McCain's running mate. In the desperate hunt to be first to break a news story, MSNBC's David Shuster recently identified the unnamed source in the Africa story as “Martin Eisenstadt, a McCain policy adviser, who has come forward today to identify himself as the source of the leaks.” The problem: Martin Eisenstadt doesn't exist and neither does the Policy Institute that "employs" him, the Harding Insitute for Freedom and Democracy. MSNBC is only the latest media outlet to be duped by a pair of film makers who want to create a TV show based on the character.

The veracity of the claim that Palin didn't know Africa was a continent is still unclear. The hoax only surrounded the identity of the source, not the actual claim itself. In the end, however, it is irrelevant whether or not Palin knew Africa is a continent. There is a lot of other evidence out there that both critics and supporters will turn to to try and prove their case that Palin was qualified or unqualified to be vice presidential nominee. The hoax will do little to change people's feelings on the topic.

As I have pointed out in a previous blog post, I am unequivocally in the "unqualified" camp--and not for any reasons of ideology of partisanship. Her resume alone, irrespective of her general intelligence level, should have been enough to disqualify her. I also had numerous conversations with Republicans who raised similar reservations. And polling confirmed that a great majority of Americans, 3 out of 5, felt Palin was unqualified for the job. If Palin is set on become a national figure for the GOP, she will need to work extra-hard to rehabilitate her image. Four years is a long time in politics and she could do it. However, if the Africa story is true, I have some advice for her: buy an atlas!

Haley to the Rescue

I often wondered why Haley Barbour, the Republican Governor of Mississippi, didn't run for president in 2008. I was more astonished that he was rarely mentioned as a possible VP runningmate for John McCain, a position for which he would have been ideally suited--a governor of a Southern state with loads of Washington experience. As former chair of the RNC from 1993-97, he oversaw the GOP takeover of Congress in 1994; and as co-founder of a successful lobbying firm in 1991, he has strong connections to the GOP establishment. He also was one of the few public officials who was viewed favorably in the wake of Hurricane Katrina as Mississippi fared better relatively than Louisiana in its response and recovery efforts.

In the face of last week's electoral losses, the GOP is now turning to one of its most seasoned pros: Barbour. According to CQ, "Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour will meet next week with the Senate Republican Conference to talk about regrouping and developing a strategy to stem the tide of losses the GOP has experienced the past two election cycles, according to Conference chairman Lamar Alexander."

Since the guessing game has now commenced about who in the GOP will run for president in 2012, the same old names are being bandied about: Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Bobby Jindal. My question: what about Haley? Barbour was in fact asked about 2012 recently: “Oh, man,” drawled Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, when asked about 2012 and specifically his own interest in a possible presidential run. “I’m going to tell you something. One of the worst things that can happen to the Republican Party in our effort to rebuild is for a bunch of people to start running for president. Anybody harboring that ambition needs to squelch it until after 2010. … Anybody out there running for president is undercutting what’s important. You do this against your own interest.” Sounds like a shrewd answer. Look for him to announce his candidacy shortly after the 2010 midterm election.

The Schooling (or Lackthereof) of Sarah Palin

As a political scientist who studies the organization and functioning of the White House and teaches a course on the American Presidency, I had serious reservations about the pick of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin by Senator John McCain as his 2008 runningmate. It had nothing to do with ideology of party ID; rather, I felt she was wholly unqualified for the post. One year and a half as governor of one the least populous states in the country, preceeded by her stint as mayor of a small town in Alaska, was not the resume of a vice president. Couple this with McCain's advanced age and dubious health and I was troubled to say the least.

Well, with reports streaming out of the warring camps of the failed McCain campaign over Palin's excessive shopping spree and lack of preparation in the very basics of American civics, it looks like my fears were confirmed. Perhaps the most shocking revelation comes from Fox News Carl Cameron who reports that Governor Palin didn't know that Africa was a continent or which countries composed NAFTA--you know, the North American Free Trade Agreement. Most 3rd graders could tell you that Africa was a continent and probably name several countries. Same goes for North America.

Though the Palin story has provided some very interesting gossipy inside baseball reading for politics-watchers, there is an important sober lesson to be learned: presidential candidates need to pick a highly qualified person for the job. Ideology and geography must be secondary considerations. VPs, afterall, are a mere heartbeat away from the presidency. One out of four presidents have not finished out their elected term. It's a deadly serious issue. All presidential candidates should put their country first, not their campaign, and pick the very best person for the job.

An Historic Election, Regardless of Outcome

The 2008 presidential election is an historic election--providing lots of "firsts" no matter who would win. Here's a few, though this is not an exhaustive list.

If McCain/Palin Win

• John McCain would be the first septagenarian (72) and oldest to be elected.


• McCain would be the first Vietnam vet elected to either to the presidency or vice presidency.


• McCain would be the first Arizonan to win the presidency or vice presidency.


• Sarah Palin would be the first female vice president.


• Palin would be the first Alaskan to win the presidency or vice presidency.
  

If Obama/Biden Win

• Barack Obama would be the first African-American to be elected.


• Obama would be the first President born in Hawaii.


• Joe Biden would be the first Roman Catholic vice president.


• Biden would be the first president or VP from Delaware.

Northeast Ohio is Shaping up to be the Bullseye of 2008

As Rubber City Radio and Akron News Now's Ed Esposito points out, Northeast Ohio will be inundated with candidates over the next 48 hours: "The big push of presidential politics surrounds Akron today with Obama's in Cleveland and Palin in Canton; tomorrow McCain/Palin include Lakewood, Cleveland and Columbus while Joe and Jill Biden hit Copley High School for a Monday night quickie."

Anyone that lived in Ohio in 2004 who wasn't in a cave with soundproofed walls and no TV knows the routine. The fact that all four candidates and their spouses will be in Northeast Ohio for much of their last-minute Ohio push demonstrates that this part of the state, a Democratic stronghold, will be a key to winning Ohio.

For Obama it will be about GOTV in the urban areas and activating voter groups that are harder to activate typically: African-Americans, young people and college students, and first time voters. Obama needs to overperform in Northeast Ohio to offset losses in red Western Ohio. McCain needs to perform well in places like the Mahoning Valley and rural, suburban, and exurban parts of Northeast Ohio that surroung the urban centers. we'll find out Wednesday which campaign had a better plan to win the Buckeye State.