Who in their right mind approved Sarah Palin’s 150k shopping spree? Who vetted Joe the Plumber before shoving him into the spotlight? Who decided that lying to Letterman was okay?
The McCain Campaign is a train wreck. Or, in Jason’s words: Worst. Campaign. Ever.
Palin’s shopping orgy is just one more stupid mistake. Since naming her as the VP pick the McCain Campaign has gone out of its way to cultivate her image. Jane Six Pack. Hockey Mom. Small Town Values. The message was: Sarah Palin is just like you and me.
150,000.000 later that message is in tatters, ripped to shreds by a campaign that just doesn’t get it.
And if you think this won’t be a big story, think again. John Edwards payed 400.00 for a haircut, and everyone went ballistic. Compare that figure to Palin spending 4700.00 on hair and make up for the month of September. Who, other than Cindy McCain, can relate to such extravagance? And that’s the point. In John McCain’s world this type of spending is normal.
In everyone else’s world it’s unimaginable. But what’s even more unimaginable is how the McCain Campaign got into this situation. Everyone knows that as soon as they picked Palin an image consultant was hired. Fair or not, her clothing was going to come under scrutiny. For crying out loud, it’s like putting Mother Teresa in flippin’ Armani! But what really gets me is how good this campaign is at stepping on their own message – which up until yesterday was: Palin = Walmart.
These “gaffes” are more serious than some people give them credit. Dropping 150k at stores like Neiman Marcus and Saks is easily understood and processed by “real” Americans. We aren’t talking Economic Bailout here.
Idiots.