Blind ambition Is the reason so many worked for her. And why McCain picked her. They care for nothing but their own advancement, and they saw a kindred soul in Palin. They believe, really believe, that nobody can do what they do as well as they can.

Why she was/is popular is just the opposite side of the same 'I see what I am' coin. Too many people pride themselves in not just being uninformed, but believe being uninformed is a type of wisdom. Of course that means they (and Pain, and Bush for that matter) can be led around by their noses.

So the simple answer is that it all leads back to the worst of the original sins.

Pride.

nalbar

Simple answer: marketing. Sell her as "real" as in "reality show". Bad timing, though, as we'd already had an ignorant narcissist in the White House for 8 disastrous years.

As to McCain, his own intellect seems highly overrated. He might not have noticed the little problem about Palin's.

FDR's response to progressive demands: "I agree. Now go out and make me do it."

Sex appeal is the main thing in showbiz, ain't it?

It's real simple.   Republicans didn't think America would vote for a black guy.

They were wrong.

More at Zandar vs. The Stupid.

The McCain campaign was banking on the idea they could poach Hillary supporters.  Don't we remember the not-so-subtle appeals to Hillary supporters at Sarah Palin's introduction/announcement?

The Republican Party is very much still in identity politics operating mode.  So they were thinking if they put a woman in as VP and constantly remind Americans that Barack Hussein Obama is black (and Muslim), then they'd get 50%+1.

They were wrong.  But we should thank them for smoking the Geraldine Ferraros and the Harriet Christians (i.e. the bigots) out of the Dem Party.

"What does it say about the nature of modern American politics that a public official who often seems proud of what she does not know is not only accepted but applauded?"

simple answer: speaking as someone who has a number of conservative friends, the people who support her are, almost to a man, not very bright. I watch them, flip out over sotomayor's empathy and then at the same time flip out because the court didn't feel sorry for the white firefighters for their hard work to pass the test. I shot you not.

these are people who DESPISE what they see as "book learnin'". Many didn't go to college or perceive themselves as self-made men. and they think they see that in  Palin too. In short they see themselves in her. No, not that way.

"What does her prominence say about the importance of having (or lacking) a record of achievement in public life?"
simple answer #1: well, she DOES have a record of achievement, just not a very long or distinguished one.
simple answer #2: the other thing conservatives fetish is appearance over substance. and when powerful, monied conservatives see themselves in someone like Palin, they spend money to build buzz, which builds prominence. In this case, they built a Frankenstein Monster with a nice body you could see yourself in, that way.

"Why did so many skilled veterans of the Republican Party--long regarded as the more adroit team in presidential politics--keep loyally working for her election even after they privately realized she was casual about the truth and totally unfit for the vice-presidency?"
it's called "a paycheck".

"Perhaps most painful, how could John McCain, one of the cagiest survivors in contemporary politics--with a fine appreciation of life's injustices and absurdities, a love for the sweep of history, and an overdeveloped sense of his own integrity and honor--ever have picked a person whose utter shortage of qualification for her proposed job all but disqualified him for his?"
because he knew that guys like girls with nice legs and a a nice rack, and could see themselves in her (that way) and he wanted the fuckin' presidency dammit!


John Mccain Called his wife WHAT??

Why does the media still take the Republican Party seriously? It's essentially a regional party now, restricted to the ex-slave states.

The best answer I can think of is that it were recognized that we only have one serious, national party now, that would set the scene for a new party emerging: one to the left of the Democratic Party.

don't ever pretend that SHE was his ONLY female choice.

THAT is complete and utter bullshyt.

There is quite a fine group of QUALIFIED

did I say QUALIFIED

Republican Elected Female Officials

That McCain could have chosen?

What did Palin have that they didn't have?

They weren't puppets of THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT.

THAT is what the Palin pick was about..

SELLING OUT COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY TO THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT.

was/is her selection and notoriety a legitimate representation of the RATpublican party, or just a opportunistic  provocation on their part as a set-up for 2012 with a new and improved image/platform?

they knew they were going to lose, just no how badly, and mcstain was the sacrificial candidate...ala dole...give the old war horse a nice closing line on his resume and send him back to the senate until his retirement. why not pander to the reichwing bible thumpers and give them their shot? now they can come back in 2012 and say 'hey! we tried it your way, and look what happened'...now stfu and sit down.

granted, this presumes a level of awareness and planning on the part of the saner voices in the RAT party that may or may not reflect reality.

ultimately, the question is: why should l or anyone else,  other than a RATpublican, care?


the revolution will not be televised...

Losers keep making decisions that come back to haunt them thus setting them up for more losses.  The Republicans are becoming more and more a party of losers so it fits that they would have as their vice-presidential candidate a bone fide loser of rare vintage.  One who had practically no qualifications for national office and who was bereft of any self knowledge of her many deficiencies.  Sarah Palin was a political accident waiting to happen.  Thank God she didn't get the opportunity to f..k up at as vice president, or even worse, as president.  What a nightmare that would have been.

Suppose you scrub your ethical skin until it shines, but inside there is no music, then what? Kabir

Here's some simple answers (or at least rejections of the premises...)

"What does it say about the nature of modern American politics that a public official who often seems proud of what she does not know is not only accepted but applauded?"

Applauded by a MINORITY of the country. So all that it was is that there's idiots out there. Is this really such a shocking, distressing proposition?

"What does her prominence say about the importance of having (or lacking) a record of achievement in public life?"

It says that such a record ISN'T very important. BTW, Obama's election says the same thing- as would Lincoln's, FDR's, and on and on and on. This is at it should be; elections are about what you can do tomorrow, not what you did yesterday. Records are only valuable for their predictive value in this context, so if you can make the same predictions based on other criteria, a record need not be that important.

"Why did so many skilled veterans of the Republican Party--long regarded as the more adroit team in presidential politics--keep loyally working for her election even after they privately realized she was casual about the truth and totally unfit for the vice-presidency?"

Well, you have to question how "skilled" they are, and where the perception of them as the "more adroit team" came from. Helping Reagan beat Mondale, Bush beat Dukakis, or another Bush beat Gore or Kerry really isn't that impressive; I could've won those races. And of course, these guys weren't even the high command of ANY of those campaigns, so let's not prop these guys up as the Varsity squad.

Beyond that, there's plenty of explanations- belief in McCain, fear of Obama, apathy, institutional momentum, and of course, money. In general, I would surmise that Republican operatives don't need to "believe" in their candidates as much.

"Perhaps most painful, how could John McCain, one of the cagiest survivors in contemporary politics--with a fine appreciation of life's injustices and absurdities, a love for the sweep of history, and an overdeveloped sense of his own integrity and honor--ever have picked a person whose utter shortage of qualification for her proposed job all but disqualified him for his?"

What makes McCain "one of the cagiest survivors in contemporary politics"? The only two difficult elections he ran- the 2000 primary and the 2008 general- he lost. Sure, he had problems in the 2008 primary, but those were self-inflicted, and he didn't so much survive as watch everyone else die first. Politically, he's actually lead a pretty charmed life.

But the question suggests the answer- "overdeveloped sense of his own integrity and honor". McCain is so convinced of his righteousness that if HE does it, it can't possibly be cravenly political.

Really, these questions aren't that hard, or that troubling.