The complete reversal of momentum in the McCain campaign IMMEDIATELY following the introduction of his running mate is disturbing to me for a number of reasons:
1. Those who had been hesitant to support McCain for who HE is seemed too eager to jump on the bandwagon the INSTANT he brought on board someone who seemed to them to more directly represent and embody a candidate they had WANTED to support. Do those people suddenly think, "O.K., I didn't like the look, smell or sound of John McCain before, but when he stands next to HER, he is surprisingly transformed into my kind of person!" I seriously doubt almost anyone could truly be that naive on a conscious, intellectual level. Nevertheless as an outside observer, that IS very nearly how Palin's unveiling seems to have effected throngs of people, especially in the 'farther right' and the 'evangelical Christian' camps.
The speed with which so many hearts seemed to change suggests only one plausible explanation That I can come up with: many, many people would support an institution or 'brand' with which they choose to identify EVEN IF it meant backing a candidate who did NOT appear to represent the "values" which they themselves attributed to that label. That is to say people's loyalties are STRONGER to the institution or label than to the core pricipals which they believe BROUGHT them to that label IN THE FIRST PLACE!! "Yes, I'm a Christian, and I have to admit I was taken aback a bit when my PARTY nominated Satan; but now he's chosen someone as a running mate who looks to me like an angel, so I guess maybe Satan isn't as bad as I thought. GO, TEAM, GO!! DRILL, BABY, DRILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Now I'm NOT saying John McCain is Satan, or anything even remotely close. (In fact, I once thought of him as a rather honorable person, but he seems to be trying to rid me of that illusion lately.) I'm only using hyperbole to illustrate how the thought processes of this mob seems to me to be functioning in this strange situation.
AND, of course, it seems to me that WE THE PEOPLE includes people of ALL beliefs, so I think a person's particular religious affiliation should not be a deciding factor in casting my ballot. My struggle here is that EVEN IF I DIDN'T see it as best to separate church and state and include people of all beliefs in the political system, I can't see how the sudden 'conversion experience' of so many people on and after the penultimate night of the GOP convention could be logically explainable, based on my understanding of what Christians are supposed to believe.
3. What kind of anger and animosity must it take for people to WANT to support some previously unknown person who comes on to the stage in the role of "pit bull". The motivating force here seems to be RAGE dressed up as patriotism. Honestly, though, I think a lot of people would much rather tear down than build up. I can understand desparation and the deep sense of division that exists, but I think supporting the barriers that separate us both distracts our focus from the REAL problems we ALL face TOGETHER and saps the strength we require to attack our REAL common enemies: poverty, illness, homelessness, violence, corruption, greed, polution, et al.
{I return to this thought after nearly a month of leaving this posting as a draft}
If htere were more bullets, I didn't keep track of them, so I'll sum up:
I find the Palin Phenomenon both interesting and terrifying in light of what it appears to tell us about the human political mind. For the record, I seriously doubt these problems are peculiar to one party, one moment in history, one nation, one religious mindset, or even one culture. I'm no expert on social psychology, but what I've been seeing (and especially what I saw from the initial response to Ms. Palin) has had the trappings of a more universal human experience. That, I think, is the most frightening aspect of all!
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