09:45 am
The Palin-McCain Chemistry (Or Lack Thereof)
So it’s been nearly twelve hours since Sarah Palin wowed the Republican National Convention last night. It’s still not clear whether she had a similar appeal beyond St. Paul, particularly among independents. I think it’s important to acknowledge that she did very well under a level of pressure that would have crushed many people.
But I want to talk about something other than her speech today: what happened immediately after she finished, when John McCain came out and spoke briefly to the crowd.
What struck me about that moment was similar to what hit me when I watched the rollout of Palin in Dayton last Friday: there is an utter lack of chemistry between John McCain and Sarah Palin. Tonight, as was the case in Dayton, they awkwardly stood apart, except for one moment when Palin moved over to him and put her arm around him. But then he moved away again.
I think that’s why the closing was so oddly anti-climatic.
It also made me wonder: other than yesterday’s photo-op at the airport, how often have McCain and Palin spoken and/or met since she got the nod? Did he consult her about his speech tonight? Has he talked about next steps? Or has he handed her off to aides and handlers?
I raise this not because I am concerned about the campaign — I think Palin demonstrated that she is ready for the national stage (although she still faces at least two additional tests — her first press conference and her debate with Biden), and will prove to be a far tougher McCain surrogate than Democrats expected. (And barring some big new revelation, she’s not going to be dropped from the ticket.)
But the utter lack of a connection, the absence of any real empathy between the two is a pretty loud warning bell that she will not play a serious or significant role in a McCain Administration.
If that’s true, how long will it take after McCain is elected (of course this assumes he will be elected) before McCain loyalists — the same folks so unhappy with her choice, the same people who leaked to the media those damaging allegations about the vetting process — start leaking stories to the media about how disconnected she is, how out of the loop she is?
Sarah Palin may have won the battle tonight, but if she doesn’t find a way into McCain’s inner circle, she will lose the war.
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