Posted by
Prysson on Friday, September 05, 2008 8:25:51 AM
I was hoping for Mit Romney. He was the obvious choice and would have helped deliver Michigan, Ohio, Nevada etc etc. When Sarah Palin’s name was announced I had an immediate reaction. My first thought were. “Wow…that’s an interesting pick.” Those thoughts quickly went into thinking it was brilliant.
The Media has immediately begun assaulting her as well and the liberal democrat elites. They have attacked her family, her children her so called lack of experience. You name it they have tried it and believe me they aren’t finished yet. Even some of the conservative media elites like Peggy Noonan don’t get it. Peggy Noonan said McCain went for the narrative and the narrative approach never works for republicans. Of course she wanted a narrative herself...she just wanted a different one.
The problem with all of these elites from the media to the democrats is that they just don’t get it. When the republican’s ran congress just before the 06 elections the approval rating for congress was in the 30% range. Now that the democrats have taken over its plunged to around 12% and sometimes even lower than that. The problem is that Americans are sick and tired of political elites. They are sick of the elites in the media, they are sick of ruling elites in Washington...they are sick and tired of out of touch people who demonstrate with every word that comes from their mouth that they just don’t get it.
This is where Sarah comes in. Hugh Hewitt picked up on it right away…people call her Sarah. I remember almost two years ago reading about how Hillary Clintons handlers wanted to establish “Hillary” as the way people think of her. Not Hillary Clinton, not Senator Clinton, not Mrs. Clinton…but Hillary. The political advantage is obvious. A first name basis reference personalizes the candidate and creates a sense of ownership and familiarity in the hearts and minds of the people. It is intimate and personal. I wonder how much effort and money the Clinton campaign…or any campaign for that matter spends trying to accomplish that sense of personal ownership and connection with the electorate.
Sarah accomplished in less than a week what any smart politician would spend millions and give their first born to accomplish. People were calling her Sarah, especially women. There was an instantaneous connection and the public at large immediately connected with this woman. Working women connected with her career story, Mothers connected with her…well motherhood, Pro Lifers connected with her dedication to her newest family addition, men connected with her attractiveness, her strength and her personality…and her politics, working class people connected with her working class roots,…the list goes on. The point is people instantaneously connected with this marvelous, impressive woman. She was one of them…one of us.
That is what the media elites don’t get. They slam her for her “lack of experience” Of course that is a lie she has more executive experience than ANY of the candidates…but that’s not really what they mean…they mean political party machine experience. What they mean is that she isn’t one of them…an elite. What they don’t understand is that to most people that isn’t a virtue. Sarah isn’t one of the elite...she is one of the rest of us. And she has frankly captured that “one of us” sense in a way no politician has since the great Ronal Reagan. Now don’t get excited I am not comparing Sarah to Reagan in terms of policy or accomplishment or anything of the sort…yet. All I am saying is that Reagan too had that “He is one of us” feel about him. Despite coming from Hollywood and being the governor of California he was NOT an elite. He talked like one of us and thought like one of us...he was one of us. Sarah Palin also has that sense about her in a measure not seen since Reagan. It’s why her selection works so well, why she electrifies so much, and why the media is so befuddled. Their attacks on her will only endear her more with the public so long as she continues to respond with the same wit and charm she has displayed thus far (and since she is a natural and genuine that shouldn’t be a problem) Yes Sarah Palin “works” and for the first time this election I am truly excited. After all…she is one of us.