Published: October 31, 2008
Op-Ed Contributor
The Rise of Sarah Palin a Catastrophe for The GOP
By Robert Paul Reyes
"John McCain appears to be headed for a defeat, with only a residual hope of a re-run of the great Dewey versus Truman upset in 1948 to sustain him. But in his reckless choice of running mate he has ensured that attempts to rebuild the Republican party in the event of defeat will be hampered by the soaring ambitions and dead weight of Sarah Palin."Iain Martin/Telegraph.Co.UK
I like to read foreign publications to get their read on the United States presidential election, and this guy from the UK is spot on in his assessment.
You don't have to be a rocket scientist or a psychic to predict that John McCain is on the verge of a humiliating loss. All of the national polls, without exception, show Barack Obama enjoying a lead anywhere from 4 to 15+ points. Even in his home state of Arizona McCain is in a statistical tie with his opponent.
McCain's reckless, desperate, irresponsible and cynical selection of Palin as his running mate has not only doomed his campaign, but it also spells disaster for the long-term prospects of the Republican party.
Sarah Palin has made it abundantly clear that she isn't going anywhere, at this point she isn't running for Nov. 4, 2008, but for 2012. The Diva has gone rouge, and she is laying a foundation for a future run as president.
Palin has been exposed as an airhead who is woefully unprepared to be vice-president, but the base of the Republican party could care less. Palin loves God, guns and the American flag, and that makes her the perfect candidate for the anti-intellectual conservative base of the GOP.
Palin may have alienated moderate Republicans, Independents and women, but she has energized the base. Palin had the base at her first wink, and their love for her has only increased as she bashes Obama with baseless accusations.
Palin has proved that any American, even an idiot, can dream of being a formidable presidential candidate. Joe the Unlicensed Plumber, Sal the Slacker, and Henry the High School Dropout all stand a chance of being a credible GOP presidential candidate, as long as they are fervent conservatives.
If the GOP wishes to avoid another landslide loss, they must become a Big Tent party that embraces pro-choice and pro gay rights voters. If Palin becomes a leading presidential contender in 2012 the GOP is doomed to be a niche party with no realistic hopes of reclaiming the White House.
Robert Paul Reyes is a NewsBlaze writer on Politics, Pop Culture and Pointless Pontificating. Contact him by writing to NewsBlaze.
* The views of Opinion writers do not necessarily reflect the views of NewsBlaze
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