McCain's Gambit

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright September 1, 2008
All Rights Reserved.                    

               Rolling the dice, Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) read the tealeaves, picking 44-year-old mother-of-five Alaska Gov. Sarah  Palin.  Showing either he’s a genius or a fool, the 72-year-old, four-term Arizona senator proved he’s gambler, taking a risk on a virtually unknown quantity,  completely unfit, by his own standards, to be president.  McCain has blasted Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (D-Il.) for his lack of experience, now undermining his campaign’s central argument against his 47-year-old opponent.  Picking Palin, an avid moose hunter, lifetime member of the National Rifle Association, vociferous opponent of abortion and gay marriage, aims at shoring up evangelicals.  While Palin excites antiabortionists, she’s not going to attract supporters of former presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.).

            McCain’s brain-trust, campaign manger Rick Davis, chief strategist Charlie Black and communication director Jill Hazelbaker, couldn’t have hatched such an oblique strategy, picking pro-life, pro-gun Palin.  Palin’s pick had Bush’s former chief strategist Karl Rove’s fingerprints all over it.  McCain went outside the box because he was convinced he needed a major jolt to jumpstart his campaign before the Sept. 1 Republican National Convention.  He certainly stole the show from Barack’s blockbuster acceptance speech.  Apart from certain right wing groups, McCain’s pick has received almost universal disapproval, dumbfounded how the septugenarian maverick senator could pick some wholly unqualified for president.  Every objective voice expressed the same disbelief.  McCain’s pick undermined his theme about Obama’s “dangerous” lack of experience.

            Palin’s pick reveals a purely strategic gamble, not choosing the most qualified, prepared candidate should the 72-year-old President McCain not complete his term.  When McCain talks of the dangers of a post-Sept. 11, he’s referring to dangerous riptides in foreign affairs that threaten U.S. national security. Picking someone with no foreign policy experience presages McCain's presidential decision-making, where gambling takes precedent over reasoned judgment.  No senior GOP official would support McCain’s pick based on logic or responsible preparation.  Picking Palin showed singled-minded focus on winning a key constituency:  Evangelicals, whose limited goal involves reversing Roe. v. Wade.  “She’s a fresh new face in a party that’s dying for one—the antidote to boring white men,” said an unnamed senior McCain official, admitting she’s an untested gamble.

            McCain lost sight over the big picture, succumbing to boiler-room strategy over logic and common sense.  With the nation at war, the economy floundering and new foreign policy dangers on the horizon, McCain opted for a half-cocked strategy over picking a qualified running mate.  He passed over former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former Homeland Security Director and former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and a host of highly qualified GOP men and women ready to serve, including Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Huchison, North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole, and, of course, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.  “She’s a perfect selection,” said Daria St. Martin, Co-director of the National Right to Life Committee, one of nation’s most powerful antiabortion lobbying groups.  Few independently-minded women will take the bait.

            Right wing talk shows have shown high praise for McCain’s bold move, seeking a youthful woman to compete with Barack’s change message.  With Palin, voters get an indefatigable worker for a Constitutional amendment banning abortion and gay marriage.  She’ll seek with McCain to privatize Social Security, offer vouchers for private schools, liberalize current gun laws and pursue and adventurist foreign policy, continuing Bush’s doctrine of preemption with Iran and Russia.  Palin offers no crosscheck against McCain’s stated belief that the U.S. cannot allow Iran get the A-bomb.  More dangers lie ahead with Russia, with Bush moving forward with installing missile defense in Poland and the Czech Republic.  Russia has already signaled they will bomb any U.S.-installed missile sites.  With McCain’s tough talk about Russian involvement in Georgia, there’s no telling what he might do.

            McCain might have solidified Bush’s base but alienated over 70% of the electorate seeking real solutions to real problems.  Putting the focus back on banning abortion and gay marriage, demonstrates how tone deaf McCain has become to disgruntled Democrats, Republicans and independents.  His first official act picks a virtual unknown with zero national security experience to be heartbeat from the president.  There’s nothing wrong with Palin’s experience with the Iditarod or her husband’s love of racing snowmobiles but a vice president must bring more to the table.  Pandering to his Party’s right wing, McCain sought votes over sound judgment and principle.  “She’s exactly who I need,” said McCain introducing Palin to the media Aug. 28 in Dayton, Ohio.  Palin might be what McCain needs but it’s not what the country needs to face today’s challenges.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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