The right response to Sarah Palin is NOT to say she is inexperienced. That is simply falling into the trap. Rather, the Obama campaign should turn the argument around and make a big effort to point out that her accomplishments are incredibly impressive, and if she is elected you can be sure that she will impose her extremely conservative views on America.
The Obama camp should point out that this mother of 4 successfully ran for Governor while pregnant with her 5th child, and that anyone capable of this must be extremely smart, skilled, and determined to impose her vision on the country. Given her tremendous level of skill, Americans need to seriously consider Palin’s vision and decide if they want to take America in her direction, a direction that WILL include banning abortion in all cases – including rape and incest – except to protect the life of the Mother, teaching creationism in schools, and continuing all of Bush’s most socially conservative beliefs.
This argument does multiple things for Obama:
- Flips around the inexperience argument on McCain. Rather than forcing Obama to make the difficult argument that she is inexperienced but that he is experienced, this argument allows him to say that relatively inexperienced but talented people can do great things if given the chance. Do it enough and the Obama campaign might actually be able to raise expectations for her in the debate, which they desperately need to do.
- Diffuses the gender issue. This argument allows Obama and Biden to point out to the women of America that they are incredibly impressed with everything women do: have a career, raise a family, etc. After all, if anyone should know something about Mothers with careers it should be Barack Obama.
- Forces voters to come to grips with her conservative beliefs. After all, if you are going to give accomplished people power you’d better be prepared for that person to impose their vision.
- Frees up Biden during the debate. Biden can’t debate her, but he can disagree with what she believes. During the debate he can say that he is really impressed with her accomplishments, and given her level of accomplishment Americans need to truly understand their choices because those choices will surely come to pass. During the debate I don’t think Biden can blow enough sunshine at her, before he politely explains what she actually believes and how he and Obama want to take the country in a dramatically different direction.
- Forces the Traditional Media to stop play games. Right now the media thinks Palin is a fun game. The Obama campaign MUST force the villagers to discuss the things she actually believes. Make the point that Palin wants to ban abortion, and then see if Fineman still considers her to be "fun," as he told Olbermann. Make the point that Palin truly wants to teach Protestant-style, evangelical creationism in schools, and then see if anyone in the news rooms in NYC and Washington think she is "cute" and "refreshing." The subtext of this is that Obama needs the media, e.g., Chris Matthews, to take her on for her beliefs, NOT on the basis of her gender.
- It has the advantage of being true. Obama can’t smear her for being inexperienced. It isn’t his style or to his advantage. Instead, this argument lets him punch back with the facts on this side which is what he wants to do anyway.