Tonight we went to the second-to-last last stump speech of the McCain-Palin campaign, held here in Reno with the Alaska governor. I went to the last one, too, but this one was different. It was bigger, more serious, and more hopeful – no matter who wins tomorrow.
When we arrived, there were thousands of people waiting in the rain to be riled up, despite having been told this race is over. Unlike the kind of weird crowds that seemed to form at the conventions and caucuses, the folks here were refreshingly normal. They weren’t all party regulars. I doubt they would have come out to see Dick Cheney in 2000 or 2004. They were here to keep up the fight for this election, but I think that was only part of it.
They were here for the future.
Sarah Palin brought out some of the same lines that have already become a bit tired. (Really – can we please consult a thesaurus on “shake things up”? Please?) But she didn’t seem to have the energy for those anyway.
Instead she devoted her speech to the difference between socialism and capitalism. She spoke in philosophical terms about big government and its negative effects. She talked about how government can just as easily be the problem as it can be the solution. She talked about her accomplishments, and described those successes in terms of her political principles.
It was a beautiful thing to hear.
The flesh isn’t yet fully developed on Sarah Palin’s philosophical understanding of conservatism. She understands it viscerally and has brought conservative principles to bear with tremendous success while governing her state. But now she needs to understand what she already knows so she can better explain, defend, and advocate for it.
Ronald Reagan spent years honing his philosophy by writing about it, speaking about it, and reading about it. Reagan wasn’t yet Reagan when he was 44.
If McCain loses tomorrow, there will be some Republicans who will blame Palin. They will be wrong to do so – deeply and stupidly wrong. She made some bad mistakes, which limited her positive impact – but that is not the same as doing harm, and in any event would have happened with any pick (and happens with every candidate).
Sarah Palin can be the future. She, like Reagan, needs to broaden her philosophical understanding of conservatism. She needs to become well read and conversant in the wider world around her. She needs to become a fierce, biting, and insightful critic of a President Obama.
She needs to continue succeeding in Alaska. Her record is an excellent one. Keep it growing. She needs to walk the fine line between avoiding giving her enemies ammunition, and avoiding timidity.
It’s easy to see a lost election – especially one this important – as a final defeat. Watching Sarah Palin tonight reminds me that even if defeat comes, there is always another battle around the corner, with heroes, allies, and fellow warriors yet unknown just around the corner.
The future is always a bright one, full of possibility.
God bless America.
