If you live in a Red Meat state like North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, and parts of Ohio you may understand this a little bit better. If you live in red districts of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Florida I think some may also see why this is true.
Whenever I posted comments about this whole Sarah Palin choice being bizarre, many of you agreed. Like many of you, I could not understand why he picked Palin when McCain very well understands that he can't win by only energizing his own base. From a strategic standpoint it makes no sense, or does it? Follow me over the jump.
Sarah may have been a last minute pick, but I doubt that she was a last minute theme. The battleground states are Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Nevada, New Mexico, Montana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Florida, New Hampshire, Colorado, Missouri, Indiana and maybe North Dakota.
Iowa and New Mexico (thank you Iowa and New Mexico) are likely to go Blue. So, McCain must find a way to win more than just the states Bush won. McCain is trying to win Michigan.
If you go to http://www.270towin.com/ you will see that even if Obama wins CO, NV, IA and NM, McCain will still win if McCain can win Michigan and hold onto every other Bush state. Remember the Red meat states I talked about earlier, I live in one and in a very red meat district. And, what do I see on Sunday mornings, one of the most segregated days of the week. A well known history of evangelical churches was the exclusion of people of color, no African American, no Latinos, no Asians, no Native Americans were able to be members in some evangelical churches. Why? My theory is that there is still an unspoken fear and prejudice. And, in the deep heart of states that McCain must hold on to, there is that old fear and prejudice of a Black man and a White woman.
Remember this John McCain Ad?
This ad is still on John McCain's website although many women and African Americans expressed outrage over the ad.
Then, John McCain passed over more experienced women like Senator Kay Hutchinson who would have excited women.
And, even if McCain wanted a woman from Alaska, he could have chosen this U.S. Senator from Alaska who has served since 2002 and who is not facing an investigation.
But instead he picked Sarah Palin. And, if you live in a Red Meat district, I think you understand the reason that Obama can't respond in kind. What I mean by in-kind is not simply identifying her policy positions and what she has voted for and against. What I mean is explicitly go after her in the same manner as she attacked him even if only by the use of surrogates. If Obama sends his surrogates to tear Palin apart, what will people in these districts think? Obama must win Michigan and he needs to win other Red meat places, some areas where Reagan Democrats reside. Obama is counting on the concern over the economy to win them.
I would like to see our Democratic leaders like Nancy Pelosi and Howard Dean hit the media circuit expressing their outrage that Sarah Palin will not give an interview to journalist. I would like to see some press conferences and various left leaning organizations like NOW come out.
But, if none of these things occur, then it is up to us. Those of us who live in Red Meat areas need to boldly talk to our co-workers and friends. If you live in a Red Meat district, let me ask how often do you talk politics with your co-workers? In my district, I will be quite honest, many of the people I live with are nuts. But, I can't live in an America like this anymore. The battleground is in our communities and can be won by talking to people and easing unconscious fears. We just can not let this election be lost because we were afraid to stand up.
