Gov. Sarah Palin's pick as John McCain's running mate was a risky, but potentially rewarding way to restart the culture war and fire up social conservative voters, according to U.S. News & World Report's Jay Tolson. But couldn't the same be said in reverse for Obama's pick of Sen. Joe Biden?
Here's how Tolson treated the Arizona senator's pick of Palin in a September 9 article (emphasis mine):
When Palin addressed the convention, she made it abundantly clear why she was there: Alluding to Obama's gaffe about working-class Americans who turn to guns and God when the economy sours, she presented herself as proof that his characterization was not only false but condescending. Proof, furthermore, that he was out of touch with God-fearing heartland America.
McCain hardly needed to say any more on that point when it came time for him to speak. His choice of Palin said it all. Not only was she anti-abortion; she was against it in all cases. Not only was she pro-gun; she was a hunter herself.
Story Continues Below Ad ↓The Palin pick was McCain's way of reigniting the culture war, a limited culture war, while not getting too directly involved in it. Depending on how it works out, it will be deemed a brilliant or disastrous strategy. At the very least, it is a risky one.
Yet Sen. Biden's pro-choice and anti-gun rights bona fides are equally impressive. In a Democratic YouTube debate in 2007, Biden mocked a gun owner who asked him for his thoughts on gun control:
As the NRA has noted, Biden voted against confirmation for all but one of the Supreme Court justices that signed the majority opinion in June's landmark District of Columbia v. Heller decision. That case overturned D.C.'s handgun ban on 2nd Amendment grounds, citing the individual's right to keep and bear arms:
The Supreme Court's recent ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller—the case that overturned Washington, D.C.'s handgun ban—offers two more insights into Biden's position on the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.
First, Biden has been in the Senate long enough to vote on the confirmation of all nine justices now on the Court. Biden voted to confirm only one of the five justices who ruled against D.C.'s handgun ban in Heller, and he voted to confirm all four justices who believed D.C. could ban handguns without violating the Second Amendment.
Second, before the case went before the Supreme Court, more than 300 members of Congress signed a legal brief supporting the Second Amendment and opposing D.C.'s handgun ban. Biden, like Obama, refused to sign the brief.
On the abortion issue, Biden voted a solid 75% of the time in 2007 with NARAL Pro-Choice America and both Biden and Obama earned a 0% score in the 110th Congress when it comes to agreeing with the National Right to Life Committee.
If Democrats were not interested in fighting an election along the lines of a culture war, wouldn't it have made sense for Obama to find a significantly more pro-gun and pro-life running mate?
Of course to the media, it's always conservatives who are divisive and close-minded on hot button issues, never liberals like Obama and Biden.
—Ken Shepherd is Managing Editor of NewsBusters
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Palin paid to stay home
September 9, 2008 - 16:45 ET by billbWHO PAYS BIDEN'S AMTRAK FARE?
billb, and furthermore...
September 9, 2008 - 17:33 ET by goldenthroatWho covered the expenses for Osama Bama's World Appeasement Tour before the convention?
Hmmm - isn't it funny the dimwit Demos haven't said?
"The sun's not going down, the horizon's moving up!" - Firesign Theatre
Yes Mr Tolson, I am up for a culture war too.....
September 9, 2008 - 16:48 ET by JTPAnd any other kind of war you desire. There is much to fight for and fortunately us NRA members and others are armed thanks to people like McCain, Palin the Supreme court picks of President Bush and dont forget the NRA and like groups.
"I need more cowbell!" SNL
Uh...Wouldn't Palin's use
September 9, 2008 - 16:46 ET by usinkoreaUh...Wouldn't Palin's use of Obama's smack against working-class America reignite the --- class war?
I thought the Dems felt pretty good about class warfare?
I guess that was way before now.....before the Dems became the party of narrow special interests instead of the working masses.
There is more than one reason the South shifted from Democrat to Republican -- but the shift toward disdain for the blue-collar and small town people was one a big one....
Of course, the writer could say that class warfare is cultural warfare - but we know he really meant "cultural warfare" as code for race-based conflict...
"Reigniting?" I didn't
September 9, 2008 - 16:48 ET by lotr"Reigniting?" I didn't know that the culture wars had somehow been extinguished. Looks like they are parroting Barack's pro-abortion promise: "The culture wars are so 90s..."
Love the little youtube clip -- hope everyone here watches it. Biden basically said that the caller was insane, and he needs to "work with police" to do something about "his ilk." Me thinks he has search, seizure, confinement and medication in mind.
Biden
September 9, 2008 - 17:25 ET by iveseenitallThat tape goes to the heart of the lib's attitude towards Sarah Palin and millions of other Americans. Condescending, snippy remarks from this jerk, Biden. His point of view is so obvious. His mocking of his fellow Americans is disgusting. Joe Jerk simply thinks he knows better; in fact, he thinks he IS better. But his biggest mistake is how he demonstrates this attitude every time he opens his mouth. I've seen him many times on committees and he does the same thing, no matter what the issues. He doesn't seem to realize how obnoxious he is. So I want him and all his "elite " friends to recall this tune: JUST KEEP IT UP (dum,de,dum,dum), JUST KEEP IT UP (dum,de,dum,dum), JUST KEEP IT UP--- AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS!
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal"
Isn't this like accusing. . .
September 9, 2008 - 17:10 ET by WingletDriveronly one hand of clapping?
The Left...
September 9, 2008 - 17:11 ET by Prester John...like the Islamo-Fascists, can't stand it when someone stands up to them and fights their aggressions.
Democrats and class warfare...it's their model....
September 9, 2008 - 17:29 ET by spiderdanFind a conservative enclave, and you'll find legitimate Americans of every race, color, and creed working to make the most of their lives. Find a liberal enclave, and you'll find illegitimate Americans seeking handouts, wealth re-distribution, forgiveness for repeated criminal activity, a class of people essentially wasting into misery and despair. Along comes the frequent panderer and socialist -- very much personified by the current Democratic presidential candidate -- to promise "elevation" and "salvation", the ultimate forgiveness for lives spent doing nothing, seeking nothing, consummate underachievement. Conservatives come to aid of those in need, knowing the assistance will not be abused or taken as an "entitlement", but an extension of decency by decent people.
Liberals possess none of this decency. Instead, this poisonous ideology crushes the hopes and dreams of otherwise capable humans, literally enslaving entire generations and classes of people into little more that staring through a dirty window at the mailbox, waiting for a check to come. A check, by the way, that was not earned, not deserved, nor issued to reward initiative. Liberals insist this "downtrodden" soul is, in fact, deserving of these funds because America rejects portions of its citizenry by race or creed.
The phony intellect assigned these contentions -- by liberals -- is as evil as the mindset possessed by slave traders or those religious zealots incinerating young women for being possessed of demons, practicing witchcraft. To debunk this intellectual fraud is easy, but it takes a mind capable of understanding the only victims are those subscribing the mantra advanced by the current crop of liberals running for or occupying various political office across this land.
Tolson
September 9, 2008 - 17:42 ET by iveseenitallThis clown Tolson has it backwards. I think, no I'm sure, it was Barry Obama who mocked small town America. And if this tape of Biden doesn't demonstrate the condescension of the so-called "elite", what does? "Liberals" never look in the mirror to see themselves. Joe Biden needs someone to slap that smirk off his face. He is an ass.
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal"
Please Tolson and all your
September 9, 2008 - 17:45 ET by bigtimerPlease Tolson and all your ilk, keep up the fear, disdain and hypocrisy you all are demonstrating...you do not know how much you are helping our side of the aisle.
Palin Power!
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
Pollution
September 9, 2008 - 17:51 ET by Copperhead RidgeToday, I read that the Democrats were sending 30 lawyers to Anchorage to check the background on Sarah Palin.
And, they worry about polluting ANWR?
copperheae---the good news is 30 lawyers will find NO GW there
September 9, 2008 - 18:33 ET by JayTeeLets hope Alaska slaps them with a Snow Storm when they're wearing shorts.
At this point they could find "Gold" about Palin and nobody would believe the Discovery . . . too many lies . . .
Name someone on the Alphabet networks that you Trust to tell the Truth about a Republican Candidate ? (And I'm not referring to putting an "R" by their Name)
The Republican Revolution will not be Televised
It's not culture, It's a "Lying" and "Factoid" war by the MSM
September 9, 2008 - 18:28 ET by JayTeeJust shows you these MSM people are strange Rangers living in a Strange TV world of their own.
Now the Biden voting record you supplied here (why only here ?) was very informative, and now we know more about Biden....who I think was Picked by obamarama because Delaware is the smallest state and nobody in middle America knows him.......Biden is being morphed by the Dems....but Palin is sucking up all the Air time on the TV.
The Republican Revolution will not be Televised
The Dirty Dems= the politics of personal destruction
September 9, 2008 - 19:16 ET by iveseenitallHere we go again! The Dems are sending 30 lawyers to Alaska in order to find something to personally destroy Sarah Palin. For the last two years the Dem-controlled Congress has spent its time trying to personally destroy President Bush, Karl Rove, et. al. But they just don't (won't) get it. Most Americans are sick of their crap! And now they're pulling their garbage into the drilling debate. The "liberals" make a mockery of representative government. They represent noone but themselves. Disgusting!
NEVER,NEVER trust a"liberal"
Sick of hearing it
September 9, 2008 - 18:59 ET by exLibI am so sick of people like this guy and Howard Dean lecture us about how "Divisive" we are because we stand against Murdering Babies and against detruction of the man/woman parental unit.
What Democrats are really saying is Shut-up, let US control the agenda and push through the most liberal abortion legislation and widest possible meaning for marriage.
I don't understand why Conservatives on TV don't push back when liberals use that language and turn it back on them and say they are the ones being divisive or hey let's take a stand on the issue that are important ; God, Life and and Family.
Liberals have it so backwards: It's Me First, meet my needs, then all hail to the governement, and make the world alright so we can all be "happy".
Ken -- well stated
September 9, 2008 - 19:07 ET by LionKing"Of course to the media, it's always conservatives who are divisive and
close-minded on hot button issues, never liberals like Obama and Biden."
That was so perfectly stated.
Too dumb to notice, I guess
September 9, 2008 - 19:23 ET by CobraMan“The Palin pick was McCain's way of reigniting the culture war, a limited culture war, while not getting too directly involved in it.”
The only "culture war" Sarah Palin as VP could ignite is the war between the culture that treats women as property and the rest of the civilized world. We’re already fighting that war, it’s called The War on Terror. Jay Tolson is, apparently, too dumb to notice.
Obama: My job is above my pay grade
Culture War -- Democratic hate speech
September 9, 2008 - 20:05 ET by LionKing"'You can put lipstick on a pig,' he said to
an outbreak of laughter, shouts and raucous applause from his audience,
clearly drawing a connection to Palin's joke. 'It's still a pig. You
can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called change. It's still
going to stink after eight years.'" [LINK]
Barack has now resorted to calling Palin a Pig. Furthermore, he refers to McCain as an "old fish" that stinks. I guess this is the high-brow sophistication the Democrats want in their president. Hateful and mean-spirited ad hominem attacks we garner a giggle, but in the end, it demonstrates their inner-fear and desperation. In the end, these tactics only alienate swing-voters and may cost the Dems some of their female votes.
Some much for tolerance -- Obama shows his true colors; he is misogynistic and an ageist. (I have now doubt because as a child he was raised as a Muslim that he has antisemitic leanings.)