I just figured out why McCain picked the inept Palin.

[joshcryer]

It's really simple. Throughout the primaries Hillary was bashed to no end (arguably unfairly), now that Palin is inarguably the most inept pick that anyone could make, she is being bashed to no end (though it's completely justified). Just incredible levels of hate toward her. Innunendo, exaggerations, and so on.

McCain picked her so that those who identified with Hillary during the primaries would indeed identify with Palin now. It's basic mob mentality. My first bit of evidence for this is the pro-Hillary racist Yahoo! message boards. They are screaming happily for Palin as if she's the second coming or something. And we know that a certain "pro-Hillary" website out there is singing praises for Palin.

Mob mentality, it's amazing.

[TrogL]

1. It's a lot simpler than that

They want to lose. They've gotten everything they wanted. They want Democrats to put America back together again so they can start all over.

[joshcryer]

2. No I think they think it's a great strategy but they don't know how horribly it will fail.

[HooptieWagon]

3. No, Palin was forced on him by the christofascists...

I don't think McCain or close staff really knew much about her or how inept she was. Right now, a lot of the cheering seems to be astro-turfers... I'm sure most of the sincere Hillary supporters are on board with Obama.

[joshcryer]

5. Yeah I agree with that last bit.

If my theory is correct (which is a long shot I can admit), then they are just stupid thinking it would work (winning over "disassicated Hillary supporters"). It just seems from my observation that she has taken a shit load of heat and that is something some of those supporters can identify with, as convoluted as it is.

[votetastic]

4. One possible reason:

She was the only one he could find who wouldn't appear more competent than him.

[joshcryer]

6. HAHA

That's great.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

7. That sounds reasonable!

And, BTW, welcome to DU!

:hi:

[VolcanoJen]

8. Naw. He picked her because he is now Fundie Wingnut Superman...

... and he needed a Fundie Wingnut Supergirl.

The Repubs have ceded all serious conversation about our nation's future and will now try to wedge the country into a discussion about moms and babies. It's nauseating.

And it ain't gonna work.

But, hey, he's a Maverick with a Maverick Sidekick and that's all you need to know. They gotta turn out the whackjob base, if only to save them the humiliation of getting beat worse than they were already going to.

Even Bush tried to fly under the "choice vs life" radar more than this... he hid it from the mainstream while they pumped it in the pulpits. 2008 is most certainly not 2004 or 2000.

[krkaufman]

9. That's possibly a secondary plan ...

... but the main reason is her religious Right positions, helping bring the fundies into the McCain camp.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

10. Ah, the fundies were already there...

This just seals the bargain.

[krkaufman]

11. "The fundies were already there" .... Not even remotely.

The far Right religious groups were not at all enthused about McCain, but are apparently fanatical about Palin, possibly even more so than they have been about Bush.

[TheKentuckian]

12. There's a trap in here somewhere too

and it's related to the experience conversation.

Let's all do a Bill Clinton and just point at the Constitution for qualifications and then slam them on fitness to run our great nation and to lead our even greater people.

[writes3000]

13. Three reasons: 1) To excite the fundie base. 2) To steal HRC supporters. 3) To out "change" Obama

McCain definitely achieved number one. But it's looking like his pick is actually sending HRC supporters to Obama.

And as for three, I expect McCain is about to learn that all "change" isn't necessarily good.

[Frank Booth]

14. They do seem to be playing this to draw the sympathy vote.

I doubt there are that many people who will vote McCain/Palin just because they feel sorry for her. But, I've been surprised at the depth of voters' stupidity in the past, so you never know.

[krawhitham]

15. If it's sexist to criticize Palin, then it's racist to criticize Obama.

as said by Roland Martin