GOP's Gender Gambit

After 8 years of making the office of the Vice President the de facto President with Dick Cheney, a maneuver stealthily undertaken by Cheney and David Addington; the Republicans are now proposing to transform the same office into an apprenticeship program for the highest office of the country. George W. Bush was rendered a puppet President by the previous alteration that became so obvious he had to declare himself the "Decider" (sic). Now, the GOP hopes to make the office of the Vice President a scholarship project with experiments in gender acceptability and suitability.

The selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is undoubtedly a brilliant move. She will add luster to the boring campaign of John McCain and energize the tired and geriatric appearance of the GOP Presidential candidate. No sooner than her selection was announced, the Republican propaganda machinery headed by Fox network, expressed public opinion influencing statements extolling her qualifications and background. The media machinery of the GOP has been busy promoting her and creating news stories that step over the main candidate. Conservative bloggers who had previously rejected McCain but consistently bashed Obama are all praises for theVP nominee, and state that they will now vote for McCain because of Sarah Palin; who is a stunner and a former beauty queen.

They have now changed their minds because of a woman, after trashing Hillary because she was a woman. If Hillary had been a beauty queen, could they have accepted her? There is also the angle that Palin is not a lawyer which is ideal as far as they're concerned. Perhaps Hillary should have had 5 children too and perhaps played hockey? The conservatives have thrown their conservatism out the window because she is a Republican. And one with a lot of spunk, charisma, and a successful track record in governance and administration for at least 2 years. The Republicans have chosen someone better looking than Geena Davis to take over the Presidency as Commander-in-Chief. Strategically, her selection is a brilliant move. It is however, a gambit that is not foolproof.

The Republicans hope that Palin's youth would provide sustainable cover for the alzheimeric age of John McCain, rally the young voters to their ticket by her vibrant personality and younger than Obama's years factor, win over Hillary's supporters disgruntled by her failure to capture the DNC nomination, attract those voters who want a woman in the highest echelons of government, and provide a beautiful face for America in the global stage. Experience is her biggest drawback since 2 years as governor may not be sufficient exposure when transposed to the concerns of America today and in the next 4 years. So too would be her total absence of foreign relations and foreign policy expertise. Her role as facilitator for the President with Congress, Washington lobbyists, and power brokers could be detrimental to her longevity if she pursues her former tack. Her acquiesance, on the other hand, could transform her into a Washington type politician in a very short time.

The empowerment of women and their involvement in the highest positions of the country must be supported and advanced, provided this is not a ploy against all women aspiring for higher position. If elected and she is led to fail in this post, it would take a whole generation before another woman could be trusted with such a post or higher. America is late in this development and it has taken a long struggle to get to this point. If she is merely a smokescreen to get McCain elected to continue the policies of the Bush Administration, then this could be damaging to the idea of having a woman President in the next 2 decades.

What American voters should bear in mind is the fact that if the Republicans win, it will be McCain who will be President, not Palin. And if the expectations of the GOP about what they hope to achieve with Palin as McCain's running mate are true, then they consider Republican supporters and American voters at large as an entity with a ridiculous incapacity for logical thinking, blinded by party loyalty that discriminates against the interest of the country as a whole. Party bigwigs and strategists most probably see American voters as manipulable, gullible, and possessed with brains that are valued in the organ donor market for their slightly used or mint condition.

On the other hand, all the enthusiasm and jubilation at the appointment of the sensational Sarah Palin may be appropriate and timely. McCain, who pales in comparison to Palin, could really use the sizzle she could bring to the campaign. The GOP could truly want both their nominees to win and would want Palin to be prepared immediately for the highest post, because, shortly after the election, they expect McCain to die.

Haaarrrrwwwwwk...Twoooooooph...Ting!