With the emergence of Sarah Palin, this is officially the year of personal narrative in national politics--no more Bush or Clinton dynasties, but a quartet of compelling biographies to let voters choose from a menu of American success stories.
Last week it was all about Obama's mixed racial heritage with heartland grandparents and an idealistic single mom, paired with Joe Biden's journey, on Amtrak, from hardscrabble Scranton childhood through personal tragedy to decades of public service.
Next week John McCain's transition from POW patriot to straight-talking politician will be paired with the rapid rise of Sarah Palin from hockey mom to crusader against corruption who detoured from the Bridge to Nowhere to Somewhere Indeed.
In our llogorrheic panel's eye view of the conventions through cable TV squeezed down into an hour of network coverage of highlight orations, there is little tolerance for all those boring speeches about policy and issues.
Those who care about such stuff are reduced to watching C-Span, wading through web sites or putting up with the rants of their favorite bloggers.
If you want to send a message, the old movie moguls used to say, try Western Union. Their wisdom still prevails in the Capraesque melodramas of the candidates that dominate the campaigns today. `
As to their plans to save the economy or reorient foreign policy, many, perhaps most voters will take a pass and decide on whom to trust based on their life stories and likability. It worked out well enough with George W. Bush, didn't it?
What a season! Have you noticed Democrats have given up all interest in truth. It has become necessary to smear Sarah Palin no matter what. Reason: she is far more qualified than Barack Obama. See:
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Dude, I'll pass on your fake scriptures-based wisdom for reality-based analysis. Like the reality that Palin wants state control over the uterus.
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