Which TV star does Palin most resemble?

John McCain found a masterful way to dominate TV coverage the day after Barack Obama gave one of the most majestic political convention speeches in history:

He nominated a real-life Geena Davis for vice president.

Telegenic Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin not only looks a lot like Davis' Mackenzie Allen from ABC's short-lived series about a woman who becomes America's first female vice president and president, she is poised to follow in her footsteps if elected, backing the oldest man ever to seek the presidency.

TV chattering class seems unwilling to admit what a masterful move this is, politically: Palin is a staunch conservative in ways McCain is not; she's youthful, which McCain is not; she adds the tinge of history-making change to his candidacy. Because the press must explain her, she will help balance McCain's media coverage with Obama. But because there's only a few weeks to the election, she won't get scrubbed raw the way Obama was.

But I'm just struck by how many TV characters she reminds us of.

So is Palin more Geena Davis?

Or Tina Fey?

Or Seinfeld's Elaine?

Comments

[beltwaybandit]

BigRealist....

"You don't put someone with zero foreign policy experience in the #2 slot when there are much, MUCH better people to put in there..." ?????

Really?

It seems to be working well for the Democrats to put a person with zero foreign policy experience in the top slot. Why not into the #2 slot when a guy with LOTS of foreign policy experience occupies the top slot?

Personally, I support Obama. But candidly, or should I say..."realistically"...Sarah Palin has indicated a willingness to slug it out with opponents and she also brings a certain tone of change that in some ways seems at least as serious as that brought by Obama.

And...unlike McCain, Obama and Biden, she actually has RUN something.

But, I still think Obama will win and I still think Obama is what the country needs right now.

It's the Democrats' turn to screw things up for awhile.

The key to change lies not with the occupant of the White House but the controlling occupants of the Congress and Senate. It is there that spending bills are created and passed or rejected, and all laws are made or not. Most recently, control of Congress was in the hands of the Democrats.

The most recent congress had the lowest approval ratings I've ever heard of...9%...a fraction of the approval rating George W. Bush has. Pathetic.

The Clinton years had the best results economically for this country...and that was a result of a Democrat in the White House who was not inherently liberal (sorry, Eric) and a Republican controlled congress that had to work with the White House.

The two worst performing periods of this country in the last 50 years came when Democrats controlled both congress and the White House (1960's JFK and LBJ) and when the Republicans controlled both congress and the White House (W's earlier years).

We may be headed toward another disaster with congress and the White House being controlled by the same party.

[Khan of the Wastelands]

Not a fan of the new Battlestar Galactica I see?

Do a google search for "President Laura Roslyn".....

[bigrealist]

This move only changes the buzz for a few days. Unfortunately, it only highlights McCain's age and his horrible judgment. You don't put someone with zero foreign experience in the #2 slot when there are much, MUCH better people to put in there who are reformers, experienced politicians, younger, AND women. This is political suicide. Once the buzz fades, they are toast. There are no mulligans now.

[beltwaybandit]

There is a reason why it is "Obama-Biden" and not "Biden-Obama".

Yes, Biden has a lot of foreign policy experience and Palin does not.

Yes, Biden is a very experienced talker.

BUT...it is precisely the talking Joe Biden has done over the years that has cuased him great harm in terms of credibility.

If he is such a powerful presence, then why has he never been on the top of the ticket?

VP debates are mostly irrelevent anyway. Dan Quayle totally blew his VP debate in 1988 and it did not dissuade voters from making Bush 41 President anyway.

This move is a big time play by McCain. It accomplished several things:

1. Got the discussion immediately off Obama's production speech the night before;

2. Got a female candidate into the 2008 election...but not on the Democratic ticket as expected;

3. Created a focus point for the press not named Obama;

4. Gives a fraction of the 18 million who voted for Hillary a female to vote for. (* Note: Palin will NOT get all of the disgruntled Hillary voters...but she WILL get 5-10% and in a close race, that can be critical)

5. McCain addresses the age issue and also the "insider" perception.

[Erich Bailey]

Karen Walker from Will and Grace came to mind when I saw her last night. If only she had a martini glass in hand, looking at Hillary Clinton with her orange pant suite she had on the other night saying "Honey, did you just end your shift at Orange Julius?". Now that would be priceless!

[Eric Deggans]

John -- that was a good line!

[Jim]

Tina Fey immediately came to mind. Palin has that bookish yet still attractive look about her. I sort of see why McCain chose her, but I'm still scratching my head.

It'll be very interesting to see her debate Joe Biden, well known motormouth. I'm thinking that Biden will probably run miles around her.

Then again, nobody knows that much about Palin. Maybe she is a good orator??

[John]

Tiny Fey. And unlike Fey, Palin still is a Not-ready-for-prime-time player