Promoted to the front page by Steven-
by Lance Thompson
Sputtering incoherence. Uncontrollable twitches. Speaking in tongues. These are examples of some of the more considered responses of Obama backers to the two-word stimulus, "Sarah Palin."
What causes these extreme reactions? The Left will say it’s her inexperience (marginally more substantial than the Democrat presidential nominee), her benighted pro-life stance (she lives by her principles), her backwoods lifestyle (a gun-owning, moose-hunting, hockey-playing regular gal). But none of these is the real reason the Left fears Sarah Palin.
Democrats are self-described champions of minorities. They usually bolster this claim with government assistance programs, quotas and set-asides, and legislation designed to protect, expand or guarantee the rights of specific groups. As a result, the Democrat presidential candidate usually claims at least 80% of the black vote and a majority of the female vote. Though there are significant portions of the black and female voting blocs that are conservative and vote accordingly, the Dems continue to regard these groups as reliable supporters.
This presidential campaign began as the ultimate confirmation of Democrat loyalty to blacks and women since the two leading candidates represented each of these groups respectively. No matter who prevailed in the primaries, the Democrats would prove their credentials as champions of either blacks or women.
At the beginning of the campaign, few expected Barack Obama to outmaneuver Hillary Clinton to secure the nomination, but a very closely fought race ended with Obama on top. Then, due to Obama’s refusal to invite Hillary onto the ticket, the Dems risked alienating women, one of their most reliable sources of support.
That opportunity was immediately exploited by John McCain when he named Sarah Palin as his running mate. Women who supported Hillary because of the prospect of electing a female president suddenly had an alternative to the nominee who rejected their candidate. Obama’s ratings among women were already lower than previous Democrat presidential nominees, but Sarah Palin further eroded his base of female support.
When Palin joined McCain, the polls also turned against Obama. His slight lead that sustained him through the spring and summer became a slight deficit. Suddenly, Democrats were faced with the possibility of a loss in November. And this is what is most frightening to the liberal base. If McCain and Palin prevail, it will be the Republicans who elect the first female vice president.
Black and female voters can’t help but notice that it was Republican presidents who put the last black justice on the Supreme Court (Clarence Thomas) over strenuous Democrat objection, named the first black Secretary of State (Colin Powell) who was also named by a Republican as the first black Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and named the first black female Secretary of State (Condoleezza Rice). To be fair, Democrat Bill Clinton named the first female Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright. However, her legacy is sullied by her belief that North Korea has two political parties, based on the fact that she attended two political parties as the guest of ruthless dictator KimJong Il.
If the Republican ticket wins in November, it will be evident that those supposedly opportunity-starved black and female voting blocs that the Democrats claim for their own actually have no shortage of opportunity with the GOP. It’s too early to assess Sarah Palin’s long term potential, but if McCain does win in November, she becomes a strong contender for the next Republican presidential ticket. It’s quite possible that Republicans will have the first female presidential nominee.
In short, Palin may be the final nail in the coffin of Democrat claims that they are the only hope of minority voters. The identity politics that the Dems cling to in every election will again be exposed as so much nonsense, perhaps for the last time. Blacks and women will ask themselves if they are better served by the lip service of Democrat candidates, or the real inclusion of blacks and women in important roles in Republican administrations.
http://www.lowdowncentral.com/feature-article/2008/9/17/why-they-fear-palin.html
I don't see any way that the Democratic Party survives this election. When Sen Obama loses, they will be in total chaos for a decade.