Wyoming Vote Tracker

So, now that the McCain/Palin ticket went depressingly down, it’s time for everyone to get all in a fuss over who did what wrong. Aaaaaaaaaaaand of course, becasue McCain chose to help the base of the party get excited about him by choosing a conservative, it must have been Sarah Palin’s fault, going all the way back to April! Give me a break!

So, let me get this right, her first mistake was NOT having an abortion. Then she (probably) counseled her daughter into not having an abortion. Then she mislead on the selling of the Alaskan jetliner, the bridge to nowhere, etc… Her voice had an accent, which made her too common place and “folksy,” especially with all her common expressions like “Joe Six-pack,” “Maverick,” you betchya,” “Joe, say it ain’t so, there you go again,” the winking, the charming smile, the blowing of kisses, the impromptu campaign stop at Wal-Mart for diapers (for the infant she shouldn’t have had anyway), her waving, her glasses and her hair (which immediately became popular), her lipstick, the super-excited crowds that drove hours to wait hours to get the chance to at least say they were able to see her because they had good strong binoculars, and then her own personal ambitions for 2012 getting in the way of right now, 2008.

I’ll be the first to admit, McCain was no where on my list, even after he reached the front-runner status caused by the suspending of Mitt Romney’s campaign. As time went on, I gradually warmed to McCain, but that was only because I didn’t want whoever the Democrats were going to get. Two days before Wyoming’s August Primary, I saw the Rick Warren interview, and that made me a little more pro-McCain than anti-Obama (though I was still anti-Obama). Sarah Palin was my favorite choice for VP, but I figured McCain is who he is, and would choose who he would choose. I was surprised when he chose who I would have chose. Gov. Palin sealed the deal for myself, and a number of other conservative Republicans.

She did something that, until she came along, no conservative Republican could do, and that was get people excited about voting FOR John McCain. We knew he wasn’t perfect, but it was almost like we had won a plea bargain–we got a young, energetic, conservative, he got to be his old self of “reach out to moderates/independents/Democrats.”

Sarah Palin was not the problem in this campaign. After she was named to the ticket, previously reluctant Republicans were willing to open their billfolds, wallets, and checkbooks. They were willing to donate space on their car for a bumpersticker and space in their yard for a sign, on the condition that both items had both names.

Sarah Palin’s family was not the problem. Kids from 19 in the military on down to months old with special needs, and one in high school expecting a baby. As if Gov. Palin was the first parent to have children in any of these circumstances.  Unfortunately, sometimes life deals challenges that you have to face, and I believe that the Governor and her husband were doing what they needed to to take care of their family.

Sarah Palin’s “down to earthness” was not the problem. Isn’t it amazing that people are always whining about how politicians just don’t get it (especially the higher the office they’re seeking), and then when one that does get it comes along, as far as their concerned, it’s too good to be true (no matter how genuine) and therefore, there must be something (or a bunch of somethings) wrong, and they stop at nothing to “find” (read: create) them. With Sarah Palin, we have the best of both worlds, a politician that’s fought against incumbents and won, who has been able to accomplish tasks after being sworn in, and who has not forgottern her roots.

Being one who only helped the campaign via my local Republican Party, I cannot say what or who was to blame for the loss. As an outsider looking in, it seems like ther was some disorganization, and with people from within the campaign speaking on the condition of annoninimity all the time about how this that and the other thing in the campaign is just awful, makes one wonder how many of the campaign workers were in it to win and how many were in it soley for the resume enhancement? I say, if you’re going to be that involved with that high-profile of a team, do your part to make the team work.

I don’t know what Gov. Palin’s plans are for the future. I know that right now, she wants to get back to governing Alaska, and I’m sure that she’ll do a fine job there. Sen. McCain did us a favor in introducing her to the national party, and it could very well be that we’ll see her again, maybe in the U.S. Senate, maybe in the running for the Republican nomination in four years. I don’t know, and she hasn’t said. But, I will say this. I don’t blame Sarah Palin for the loss on Election Night. The sadness she had on her face went straight to the heart of this blogger as Sen. McCain conceded defeat, because I truly thought she was a winner, and I know she did what she could to help Sen. McCain win.

I look forward to helping rebuild my party over the next couple of election cycles. 2010 is a big year in Wyoming as we get a new Governor (provided that the current one doesn’t successfully challenge the term limits law), we get to hopefully re-elect our new Representative, with hopefully a stronger majority. In 2012, we hopefully have a field of strong conservative candidates to choose from to be our nominee for President, and if Gov. Palin is one of them, sign me up for her team.

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