I am starting to worry.
The speed with which the Sarah Palin scandal (for what else should we call it?) is unfolding is almost impossible to believe. Are we really supposed to believe that John McCain's vetting process for a potential running mate was less thorough than that required of one seeking a government security clearance? Are we really supposed to believe that he chose the person who will be a heartbeat away from the presidency after one fifteen minute meeting? Are we really supposed to believe that a campaign with Karl Rove on their payroll considered this to be the best way to reveal potentially damaging information about a candidate they plan to keep?
I know the GOP doesn’t put much value on competence, facts, or truth, but this is a little much, don't you think? I am starting to suspect this is all a trap.
Here is my theory:
The McCain campaign announces their Vice Presidential pick on the day after Barack Obama makes a monumental speech in Denver. They choose someone who was never even mentioned as being on the short list and is a total surprise. They successfully capture some of the news cycle and dampen any post-convention bounce Obama may experience.
The person they pick is Sarah Palin. At first, we wonder if she was picked to appeal to Hillary Clinton supporters, however we eventually are told that Sarah Palin is picked as McCain’s running mate to appeal to conservatives. We all know absolutely nothing about Sarah Palin, so everyone is left searching for information. Instead of highlighting some of the potential hot button issues, issues we are now told conservatives adore about Sarah Palin, the campaign chooses to be secretive. When information is released, it is done in the most incompetent way possible, thereby fanning the flames of rumor, gossip, and innuendo.
People start to ask questions and the campaign demands that people respect the Palin family’s privacy, but only if they are going to ask uncomfortable questions or say anything that isn't 100% positive. If conservatives wish to violate the family's privacy, that is alright with them.
The McCain campaign accuses the Obama campaign of being behind all the negative things said on the internet by anonymous bloggers. Even though McCain is not held responsible for the death threats against Obama or the "secret muslim/he went to a madrassa" emails, Barack Obama is responsible for every single thing any of his alleged supporters say at any point in time.
Eventually, the enormity of everything proves to be too much and Sarah Palin drops out of the race, citing specifically all terrible lies which people on the internet/in the media have perpetuated and saying she must drop out because her family comes first and no one would respect her requests that they have some privacy (at which point she will tear up).
Then McCain can appoint someone he really wants to be his Vice President (even Joe Lieberman) because the conservative base will have been successfully fired up against Obama. Other people whose votes he may garner from this will be parents of unwed teenage mothers who feel Sarah Palin was just like them and feel she was treated unfairly, people who feel turned off by this and want to blame the Obama campaign for the actions of those who are not affiliated with the campaign, and some women who feel warm and fuzzy over McCain because he picked a woman for his Vice Presidential choice (who cares that he doesn't support equal pay for equal work or reproductive rights?)
In return for putting her family under the spotlight and then stepping down, Sarah Palin gets a lot of publicity which she can use to get a show on Fox News when her term as governor has ended.
The Republicans knew they couldn’t use the Swift Boat tactics this year, they knew too many people were waiting for it and were prepared for it. So instead they set themselves up for attack, knowing that too many people would be unable to resist taking the bait, and then the Republicans get to claim that they are the victims of the politics of personal destruction.
Have we learned nothing from the Supreme Court appointments? Conservatives have learned that if they put forth an extremely unacceptable candidate, Democrats will spend their energy fighting them and after successfully blocking that candidate, they won't have the fight left to stop a slightly less outspoken conservative candidate. Reagan nominated Robert Bork, who was blocked, so then we got Anthony Kennedy. Bush nominated Harriet Miers, but then her nomination was withdrawn, so we got Samuel Alito. Does anyone really feel that the court is less conservative than it would have been if the first nominees had been approved?
So I am very worried.
Of course, this is all just a theory right now. It is a theory that I know others are putting forth and I hope it builds momentum, because then the campaign won't be able to go through with it. If Sarah Palin dropping out is seen as proof that the campaign never expected her to remain the VP nominee for long, it may backfire on them with regards to the conservatives they so desperately want to keep in the fold (how bad would it be if conservatives thought Sarah Palin was just a pander to pave the road for Joe Lieberman?)