Hurricane Gustav proved a blessing in disguise to the Democratic ticket as it kept George Bush and Dick Cheney away from the convention. John McCain and Sarah Palin got a golden opportunity to launch their campaign without the presence of eight years of Bush baggage. Palin, in her address last night, cast herself as the most down-to-earth of the 4 principal players by dwelling on her small town roots and traditional
old-fashioned values. The "hockey mom" sought to connect with Hillary Clinton's white female following and voters living in suburbs and rural areas. She indicated that any criticism of her would come from an elitist East Coast media with whom she does not fit. Most importantly, she sought to seize control of the "change" mantra, Barack Obama's key instrument in his White House quest. An attempt to portray the presidential contest as being between two change agents, the recently arrived outsider (Obama) and the long-term insider (McCain) whose maverick history of advocating change dates back at least to the Straight Talk Express of 2000. Interesting to see how McCain addresses change in his acceptance speech tonight.
Palin, in her address, did not explicitly refer by name to either Bush or Cheney. Would Sarah be a free agent in the general election, running a campaign independent of the Bush presidency? She's an establishment outsider to begin with, the only one of the 4 principal players not serving in Washington. Could be the Straight Talk Express relocates to Wasilla, Alaska, with a woman driver.