The Republican National Convention was a study in sideshow politics. The sparsely populated stadium was buzzing with easily led, possibly drugged conservative groupies, fond of shouting buzzwords and only daring to go off script in moments of frenzy. These instances usually ended badly; the preoccupied audience would occasionally shout the wrong catchphrase in response to whatever bit of rhetoric was being spewed on stage. The four of five minorities at the convention were caught on camera frequently, perhaps an attempt at fooling more racist viewers into believing there were many more in attendance. Once attractive lass let loose some sort of guttural wary cry to show approval, others had this spacey, faraway look, which is usually a dead giveaway for inebriation. From the mass produced placards displaying such profundities as “Drill Baby Drill” and “Soccer Moms for McCain” to the hokey, nonsensical jokes, this was just another disappointing reminder of the continual devolution of integrity in politics, which was in short supply to begin with.
Ask a fired up republican about the convention and most likely you will hear a more positive assessment. To these people, the convention was a soaring success, due in no small part to one feisty little pit-bull named Sarah Palin. Now, the American pit-bull can be a great dog, as long as it’s treated with love, care and affection. If not, they cut a startling figure, all snapping jaws and bad attitude. They are renowned for their ability to latch on to their prey and not let go. Palin is probably just a product of her environment, but she definitely falls into the latter category of dangerous dogs who will wreak havoc on any poor fool who strays into their path.
A large part of the convention was aimed at decrying the influence of special interest groups, which is patently ironic when you consider that the GOP is at the behest of the largest special interest group of all, namely evangelical Christians. People are fond of making comparisons between George W. Bush and John McCain, which has its place. However, there is a comparison to be made between Palin and Bush, especially when considering the average Jane appeal and her exploitation of Christian conservatism to garner votes. Palin rode the burgeoning wave of Christianity makings its way through the Alaskan wilderness into the 1996 mayoral race of Wasilla, injecting social issues such as abortion and gun rights into what was before described as a friendly contest between neighbors, often focusing on small town civic matters.
Palin’s speech has been described as a success, according to most. Between passing around her special needs baby for various photo ops and braying maniacally about the horror of being a community organizer, she struck that shrill conservative note beautifully. Her appearance was highly anticipated, due to her surprise tapping as vice presidential candidate. For all the whining coming from the right about Barack Obama’s immediate canonization after giving a mere speech, they sure followed suit where Palin was concerned. Suddenly she has been painted as the great white hope for America, despite her awful record, which has proven tumultuous. It includes allegations of abusing her authority to have a family member fired, backing the notorious Bridge to Nowhere, then rescinding her support after being elected, clamoring for government earmarks, which she has since come out vehemently against in attempts to keep in step with McCain’s reformer stance. Palin has already requested $197.8 million of next year’s federal budget, according to the LA Times. She has also been outed as former director of indicted senator Ted Stevens’ Excellence in Public Service, a shady 527 group allowing Stevens’ to rake in contributions without the typical restraints placed on political fundraising. Palin has attempted to ban certain books in an Alaskan library and threatened to fire the librarian when she refused to do so. She has also had contact with Alaskan Independence Party, fringe nut-job group clamoring for Alaska to secede from the United States, even being labeled as a former member by the vice chairman.
In stark contrast to Palin’s powerhouse performance, McCain appeared stiff and unenthusiastic about accepting the nomination. His attempts at levity were more terrifying than anything, and he became visibly unnerved by smattering of protesters that briefly interrupted the proceedings. Anyone still referring to McCain as a maverick should pursue a dictionary. A true maverick would have picked long time associate Joe Lieberman, despite the difficulty that would pose to the republican constituency. A good politician would have picked someone like Kay Bailey Hutchinson, conservative stalwart and longstanding senator, concurrently sating the republican base and possibly winning over some disgruntled Hillary Clinton supporters. Instead, McCain took the low road and chose Palin all because of the feel good narrative she proffers, as well as her appeal to fanatical Christian conservatives. She is the ultimate in distraction tactics.
The Democrats insist on taking the high road, to their peril. The Republicans are approaching this race like a street fight, with dirty tricks galore. Palin pummeled Obama with lies and misinformation, and he lamely jokes about taunting on the basketball court. The night after Palin’s shrill screed, Joe Biden half-heartedly defended his ticket without the typical aggressive attitude that made him a valuable player in this campaign. There seems to be a concerted effort among democrats to not collectively evacuate bowels in the wake of Palin’s uprising. But the threat is very real, and pretending that she is not invigorating McCain’s tired old campaign is dangerous. There is no need to sink to the subterranean level that Palin so easily descended, as her record garner’s ample evidence that either McCain is advantageous to an unbelievable degree, or he has horrible judgment, and neither bodes well for future decisions. Instead, they weakly dispute Palin’s claims with appeals for rationality and civility. Yet, this is not the time for niceties. The press has been chastised for poking into Palin’s personal life, a claim that has some credence. The press needn’t lead with her daughter’s illegitimate child or hick boyfriend, there is ample damning evidence illustrating corruption and negligence that is still not being expounded on, by neither the mass media nor the Democratic contenders. When those questions are addressed by some brave soul, they are shouted down by the GOP as unfair and scandalous, as though we are supposed to just take their word for it.
It’s about damn time that left leaning Americans start fighting fire with fire. First, we must dispel the notion that conservatives hold a monopoly on patriotism. In my estimation, a true patriot is one who defends their countries’ principals against corrupt governments and politicians, not one who mindlessly echoes any sentiment that trickles down from the powers that be. Secondly, we must loudly counter the steady stream of bullshit coming from the right wing, including the assertion that they are the bastion of morality. Thirdly, we must address the undue influence religious belief has on American politics, which is the breadth of Palin’s appeal. Certain voters need only to hear the words pro-life or god’s work and suddenly the decision has been made for them.
No matter who wins this November, the responsibility to solve many of these problems lies with the people. We should demand leadership that treats us as adults, not authoritarians who slather us in feel-good platitudes involving the glory of the United States, or terrifies us into compliance. We can collectively live up to the expectations we set for ourselves, or we can keep going the way we have been: struggling, on the verge of financial insolvency, with sparsely educated, listless children, with no hope for the future and having learned nothing from the past.