The View From Minnesota: Day 2

In between real life, I’ve taken in some of the events taking place here in the Twin Cities during the Republican National Convention. Yesterday, I went to the “Big Tent Event” hosted by Log Cabin Republicans. (I’m been a member of Log Cabin and past present of the Minnesota Chapter.) We heard speeches from the likes of Jim Kolbe, the former member of Congress and an out gay Republican. We also heard from Patrick Sammon, the head of Log Cabin who officially announced that the organization endorsed John McCain for President.

All in all it was a good event, but some the bigger news was finding out people’s interest on McCain and Sarah Palin, his VP nominee. One friend of mine was upset that the McCain picked a “creationist” and such an ardent pro-lifer that has a thin resume, when McCain could have picked someone like a Kay Bailey Hutchison or even the Maine moderates Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins.

Later that evening, I chatted with a former Minnesotan and a Republican who was also upset with the choice because she is a staunch social conservative.

As I reflected on these two opinions as well some others, I wondered myself about Palin, the angry reaction coming from some quarters and were there any other alternatives.

I do have questions on whether the McCain team vetted Palin thoroughly. Accusations are flying left and right about that point, and frankly, I don’t know whom to believe. But the fact that there are so many revelations coming out does make one wonder if all the i’s were dotted and t’s were crossed.

But the other question that keeps coming to mind is: what would have happened if McCain had picked someone else? Would there have been as much fury?

Some of us have hoped McCain would have picked someone like Tom Ridge and Joe Lieberman. Let’s say he did do that, knowing that both are pro-choice. There are many that think, with the GOP’s brand so tarnished, that the religious right is not in a position to be in the driver’s seat, so McCain could give them short shrift.

There is some truth to that, but I think only some. For one thing, while the religious right is down, they are far from out. The fact is, the social conservatives are the ones in the party that are the worker bees. They are the ones who work to campaign for the candidate. Sadly, moderates are not as engaged in the party process as the socons.

This means picking a pro-choice candidate without GOP pro-choicers backing McCain and his candidate up, would be risky. Listen, I personally would have loved that, but because the socons are the ones who are organized, and we aren’t, it would have been an uphill battle. Politics is all about organization, and moderates lack an active network to challenge the far right.

McCain could have picked a more traditional choice like Tim Pawlenty or Mitt Romney, but then I expect there would be taunts from the Left that again the GOP is picking two white guys against the Dems’ historic and diverse ticket.

I’m not saying that Sarah Palin is the best choice. Clearly there are problems. But the other choices would have also brought problems.