Dave Weigel argues that because
Sarah Palin isn't taking any questions, "it's having the effect of
making Barack Obama seem stronger, actually" when he appears
without a script, such as on O'Reilly. But I think Palin is having
the exact opposite effect on Obama.
Since Palin's selection, Obama has been drawn into a debate over
whether his experience is superior to the candidate on the
bottom of the opposing ticket, and rather than merely have
Joe Biden or his surrogates go after Palin, Obama hasn't been able
to resist going after her directly.
The Politico reported the following from a rally in
Michigan yesterday:
Obama told the crowd that McCain and Palin spent most of the
convention talking about their biographies.
Palin's bio is "compelling," Obama said.
The crowd booed. "No, it's an interesting story." More boos.
"No, no, it is. I mean that sincerely. Mother, governor, moose
shooter."
The crowd broke out in laughter. "That's cool. That's cool.
That's cool stuff," Obama said.
To me, this doesn't make Obama look stronger, it's
belittling for a man running for president to be spending time
mocking his opponent's number two.
Furthermore, I think this specific line of attack is a
poor choice for Obama, and a perfect example of why Democrats have
managed to blow so many elections. When Republicans, during their
convention, mocked Obama's time as a community organizer, a lot of
Americans probably laughed along with them, thinking, "Yeah, what
the heck is a community organizer?" But when, at Obama's prodding,
a Democratic audience starts laughing at a mother and "moose
shooter" (using an odd construction rather than the standard word
"hunter"), a lot of Americans probably think, "Hey, he's making fun
of me!"
topics:
Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Sarah Palin
