Palin, the "Female Democrats' Worst Nightmare"

On his 72nd birthday, John McCain made the surprise announcement that he had chosen a woman as his running mate. Sarah Palin, State Governor of Alaska, former beauty queen, openly pro-life and a member of the powerful NRA, is 44 years old. The political analyst and US-specialist Nicole Bacharan takes stock of Palin’s strengths and weaknesses.

Le Journal de Dimanche (LJD): What is your reaction to the announcement that Sarah Palin, the Governor of Alaska, has been chosen as John McCain’s running mate?

Nicole Bacharan (NB): It’s a huge surprise. She wasn’t on the shortlist at all. I’m even a little dismayed.

LJD: Why?

NB: I do see the points in her favor. What is the role of the vice president, apart from standing in for the president? It’s to compensate for the president’s weaknesses, or to reinforce his strengths. She’s young and a woman. She counterbalances McCain’s age, and her nomination addresses the Republicans’ desire to embrace modernity. The Democrats have a black man, the Republicans have a woman. She’s clearly anti-abortion, and that will attract the votes of the Christian Right, who were hesitating to commit themselves to McCain. Her last child, who was born in April, has Downs Syndrome. She knew about it early on in the pregnancy, but she insisted on having the baby. That’s a very strong signal to the pro-life lobby. I’d say those were her strengths.

LJD: And her weaknesses?

NB: They’re obvious. She doesn’t bring any new votes with her from her state. The Republicans are already so sure of winning Alaska that they aren’t even campaigning there any more. And while McCain has made great play of the supposed inexperience of his Democratic rival, Obama looks like a political veteran next to Palin, who appears to be a novice. She has very little experience, especially on an international level.

LJD: Is her attractiveness an asset for the Republican Party?

NB: I would say rather that her physical appearance goes against her. She’s certainly pretty, she’s a former beauty queen, she smiles a lot, she’s photogenic, she’s elaborately coiffed… She doesn’t have any of that masculine streak which Hillary Clinton ended up adopting in order to reassure the voters. To me, she just isn’t credible. McCain is celebrating his 72nd birthday today (29th August, Ed.), and if anything happens to him, she will be the President of the United States.

LJD: She must have some good points though?

NB: She’s an outsider in her own party. In Alaska she has campaigned against the Republicans. She has a reputation for integrity and she offers certain guarantees to the hard right, especially on anti-environmentalism and anti-abortionism. And then there’s the element of surprise which might play in the Republicans’ favor. But in my opinion, it’s a very risky move.

LJD: Her nomination is a strategic error?

NB: Yes, it’s a strategic error. She is going to have to debate with Joe Biden. I don’t know her very well, I’m sure can make her case, but all the same I think things are going to get rather tricky there.

LJD: She’s not up to the job.

NB: No, and her beauty queen past simply underlines her lightweight status. It doesn’t exactly help her to get taken seriously, and nothing will make up for her political inexperience. And female Democrats who are disappointed that Obama took the wind out of Hillary Clinton’s sails will never vote for McCain just because of that. Palin’s anti-abortion stance is too well established. She’s the female Democrats’ worst nightmare.