Emotion vs. Logic: Why Palin might work for the Republicans
Photo courtesy: Charles Dharapak/Associated Press
If it’s not obvious from my previous posts, I truly love starting my mornings with Dowd and Friedman. They just usually seem to resonate with my feelings on life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This morning, however, I think they might have missed the mark a bit. While their logic, as well as a very observant piece by Garry Wills, on the the errors underlying the choice of Sarah Palin as the Veep-to-be, as well as why McCain is no longer the man he was, is very sound, they have forgotten why we are stuck deep in this moribund morass.
For the most part, it’s not logic, nor platforms, nor well-reasoned programs that drive voters, it’s emotion! It’s being able to associate with a candidate and feel like they are “one of us.” Just ask the Big Dub as he sits in the Oval Office for his final days and contemplates the “success” of his administration.
Did George W have any more experience than Obama does now when he was elected? Did he have better platforms and more well-reasoned programs than Gore or Kerry? Was he a better speaker and leader?
I’m going to hazard a guess that the answer to those questions was, “no.” What he did have, however, was an ability to get the majority of the population to feel like he was “one of them.” Like they could sit down and have a beer with him and fit right in.
So, fast forward to today and think about two key audiences leading into the next election:
- 1. Undecided blue collar workers
2. Disgruntled ex-Hillary women
For each audience, I believe there is one key factor that will enable their decisions. For the first audience, as much as I hate to say it, I truly feel that all they need is a believable excuse to not vote for an non-white candidate. Something that lets them save face on the surface, but also satisfies their emotional drive underneath. The McCain campaign has already provided that with the Experience vs Words argument.
But here’s the kicker. The second audience above is really what will take votes away from the Obama campaign. And Palin is just the right person to do that. Not just because she is a woman, but because she isn’t a corporate suit and is clearly dealing with many of the same issues that middle-America moms deal with on a daily basis. She’s just like one of them!
So the way I see it, there is now a truly effective mix of emotions supporting the McCain campaign.
Will Palin survive the process? Who knows. Will she end up hurting the Red Ticket? Possibly? But I am always amazed at the power of emotion over logic when it comes to big decisions. And this one ranks pretty high up there on the “big” scale. To me, the only thing missing to send the McCain – Palin ticket over the top in polls is a good old “husband affair scandal” that Sarah Palin survived, worked through with her church and family and still stands by her man. Anyone got a tip?
Tags: emotion, McCain, Palin, politics