What possessed McCain to take a punt on Palin?

David Hutchinson

Rod Liddle is usually very perceptive but on this occasion he's got it wrong.
Middle America won't vote for Obama and now a lot of women wont.
Sarah Palin is just what they all want and need....George Wallace with breasts and fluttery lashes.
They'll bury Obama...just you watch.

Joe Camel

Ron Liddle, you misunderestimated the lady. Badly.

Revd Bill Sands

Not that I believe it, but she believes the world was made in 4004 BC, not 4004 years ago (about 9:15am, I think).

Jez

How much is riding on a NeoCon victory in the coming few months, for a great many people on every continent, for every type of personal reason?

Lot's perhaps?

You can't go up against the media backed power that non-white and liberal Obama uniquely emits with a 'stiff' run of the mill clone politician.

'Like for like' almost certainly would fail if trying to duplicate the Democratic nominees.

Remember that the Conservatives tried that with William Hague to counter the poster-boy image of young Blair with his guitar striding into Downing Street, didn't they?

You have to find an alternative and they'll have had the very best brains analyzing the ground before this decision.

Whoever has to put on the Punch and Judy show has to pick the puppet required to make that crowd clap the loudest.

And that's what they've tried to do here maybe.

Hysteria

as I understand it she is not a creationist.

she kicked off the independence party conference fulfilling her role as governor

she has been voted best mayor and best governor by her peers

80 % approval rating from the electorate

sorry Rod - I think you have called this one wrong

But - she needs to come out with a coherent story about the bridge to know-where about turn

Tino

Oh, Rod! I'm not with you on this. The VP pick is pretty much irrelevant as always but McCain has achieved two things with it:

1) He has energised the grass roots of the party who weren't with him - and who will pay proper attention to the VP in the way a lot of voters won't.

2) He has made the media take an interest in his campaign from now until polling day. The Obama campaign was soaking up an awful lot of air time due to the 'newness' of his packaging and now the Republicans at least can get people to look at the ticket. A lot of people simply didn't want to look because of Bush, but this helps to deal with that.

Chris

This week, for a change, I'm not going to bother to read Rod Liddle's column, because after last night I know it'll be garbage, and his 'Dewey Defeats Truman' moment. (Yes, I know the election hasn't happened yet; it's the proposition that she - rather than some other problem - may be McCain's undoing that's utter b*ll*cks.)

jb

Rodney your timing is terrible.Her speech blows away virtually all of the spiteful nonsense directed at her.It is no business of yours what vetting McCain and co undertook.She needs to be judged on what she actually says and does-not prejudged on the basis of smears.

The Laughing Cavalier

The reasons why Liddle and the rest of the trendy lefty chatterati hate Sarah Palin are the ones that make her such a great candidate. She's breath of fresh air; if only there were more like her.

Austin Barry

A strident ball-breaker like Palin may not play well in Henley-on-Thames, or indeed anywhere in the UK, with the possible exception of the Princess Royal household, but most American women resemble her, being very tough cookies indeed.(Check out, for example, the US female TV journalists - for all their Potemkin village hyper-grooming they could probably reduce sensitive Englishmen to tears within ten minutes.) So American men, who presumably like to be dominated, and American women will vote in droves for the McCain/Palin ticket. Rod, your winnings are assured.

Niallster

Rod Liddle a man with as much judgement as a pork pie reckons that the 'inexperienced' Sarah Palin is a bad pick for McCain.

I am glad of this as though I though that Palin was a good pick but Liddle's opposition proves that it was a master stroke.

I could point out that Palin has more executive experience than The Messiah but whats the point?

Liddle is always wrong about everything and no more proof is needed.

Kevin Foy

My god these right wing nuts in Alaska are against big government and mass immigration. I've never heard anything so insane.

Seriously Mr Liddle at least try and be consistent. Next week you'll be complaining about a Polygamous Muslim getting welfare for each of his three wives or a new smoking ban near trees.

You'll end up being dismissed as just a kook.

Ed B

The first ever trailer trash veep

jb

Trailer trash ?She introduced her parents at the conference-weren't they primary school-teachers ?

James currin

I assume that Mr. Liddle's piece was written prior to Thursday night. Mr. McCain's "punt", as he would have it, is looking like a pretty good "bet" from over here. I just heard that her address last night drew an audience of 37 million viewers. The other contenders were either bores or, like Rudy Guliani, past their sell-by date. They would not have had anything like that audience even if they had taken the convention stage together and done the full Monte. By this move McCain has given himself a chance.

Carol L. Douglas

She's a fabulous American type, and her performance so surprised Democrats that they’re swaying gently, as if they’ve just walked into a pole.

I wasn’t that surprised. I heard her on Friday and nearly drove off the road when she thanked Geraldine Ferraro and Hillary Clinton for cracking the glass ceiling in American politics.

Pundits on American TV last night were burbling with excitement. Today, I heard someone compare her to Diana, Princess of Wales—I kid you not.

Best line of the night, though, went to Rudi Guiliani, who mocked Obama for thinking small American cities aren’t cosmopolitan enough, while standing in front of video of the New York skyline.

Derek Smith

One has to question the judgment of a woman who names her daughter Bristol.

James R

Unlike Mr Liddle, I don't see how McCain was going to fall over the line with some vetted-to-death time server on his ticket. He needed to gamble and he has done so brilliantly.

Hereford

Rod, you are unusually off the mark here.

John Haynes

So Rod, were you trying to be witty or something ? Either you don't understand how the American Electoral process works or, women frighten you. If they make it to the White House, do not be surprised to see a "Woman for POTUS" run off in 2012 between S Palin and H Clinton.

True it may not work the McCain/Palin Ticket but if so for reasons that haven't occurred to you in this article. As for the bookies, my money is still on McCain as it was last January.

David Cram

Had you ever heard of Governor Palin before last week? Thought not. Instant pundit, whining with rage at a political appointment in another country that you don't seem to like or understand. Not up to your usual jokey standard at all.

Ian C

Rod, I think you will need to re-write this article next week - the post-speech version.

Chingford Man

Given she can handle an automatic rifle, count your lucky stars you didn't marry her, Rod.

A. MacAulay

Rod's comments are in order and our scrutinising American pols is mandatory. Governor Palin may likely one day be making decisions about our future whether we feel it to be in our interests or not.
She is also a person who fits into no known electable category in any West European State. Indeed, she represents debating positions that have been argued, lost and forgotten here for decades. Persons who loudly took such positions as Ms. Palin does would probably be under observation from our security forces.
Once upon a time Britain had a Foreign Policy but with pipsqueaks like Blair and his clone Miliband simply fulfilling State Dep't diktat a look at who's giving the orders is a good idea.
David Cameron should also take a long hard look at her because he may find himself holding hands with her at a prayer meeting before sending our boys off to fight in Georgia

philip

Couple of points Rod. Idaho is not "pretty distant, geographically and philosophically, from the centre of American politics" It si probably justa little right of centre, unless, of course, you think Boston is the centre geographically and politically.

Wasilla " is stuck in the middle of Alaska proper". Er no, it is five miles from the coast and a commuter town of Anchorage.

makes me doubt the conclusions.

David Short

This was an inspired appointment.

And if what these Americans refer to as the Good Lord takes McCain during his administration, the US would have its Margaret Thatcher, and Amen to that.

The horror of a President Hillary with her W C Fields husband behind her would be too awful to contemplate.

Like having your hectoring mother in charge of you all your adult life.

John Havenhand

Dear Comrade Rod. (just in case he's reading it you understand!)I too think you usually get it right but I'm not convinced this time. Nevertheless, better to come down on one side of the fence with a well written and amusing piece - than bore us to death. Keep it up comrade - even when you get wrong you do it with style.

Jonathan Dickson

I'm surprised, Rod, I would have thought you would like someone who can talk other than in vague platitudes. Also, you write as if 'right wing' has something bad about it. After the almost totally consistent failure of the left in every area it gets involved, why is this? Surely anything is better for both the U.S. and the rest of the world than anything more to do with the left? I am not judging it right or wrong, just looking at its record of bringing failure wherever it goes, and death to millions. Do I conclude that you believe there is some third way? And is not the term 'extreme libertarian' an oxymoron?

Marc Silver

The only explanation I can think of for such an idiotic analysis of the McCain/Palin ticket is that the author must be British/European. Sarah Palin embodies the unique character attributes, organic human virtues vital to transversing the Atlantic, settling the American colonies, struggling across the continent, writting of the Constitution, and founding the New World. Those who do not share her genetic/cultual heritage are blind to the historic phenomenon this woman is. Sarah Palin embodies our frontier roots and pioneers. We yankees recognize our soul in her. Let the Teletubies vote for Obama. Your progenitors who stayed back in the Old World will inevitably despise Sarah Palin for the same reasons you have despised American values from 1776 on.

Ann

Mr. Little, I agree with you. Wholeheartedly. But---never underestimate the ignorance of the American Public. Never.

John Main

Sorry Rod, you are dead wrong. I think it is a master stroke. You say she is inexperienced. That's not what I've read elsewhere. And of Obama's experience? McCain's choice of Sarah Palin has galvanised the Republicans and she is returning the party to Conservative principles. This is a problem with Britains Conservative party too, conservatives have lost their way over the years by moving too far to the centre and left.
There is nothing wrong with being right wing.

Dianna Williams

I think that the appointment of Palin was a deliberate political move on the part of the Republicans in their quest to open up the North to oil and gas exploration. A Vice-President who is a former Governor of Alaska could go a long way in swinging the vote in favour of hacking up the environment yet again.

Dana Arnason

Tell me Rod, did Maggie Thatcher get her start with the Parent Teacher Association, getting political to make things better for school children?
Or did you dislike Mrs. Thatcher also? An honest answer would be telling, given your nuanced dismissal of Mrs. Palin. I suspect her constituents, (she is a Governor with an approval rating hovering around 90%, name another politician with that sort of approval rating) would disagree with your opinion.

"...Canada once the eastern, socialistic and frog-friendly quadrant has been sloughed off somehow...."

Watch the West of canada slough off; Mr. Harper gets one shot of reviving Confederation, another minority Parliament will seal the deal and a liberal minority will mean open revolt. Like your American revolutionaries had back a couple of hundred years ago, some crazy experiment (and we all now how that turned out), that led inexorably to the selection of a moose-hunting hockey-mom from Alaska as a Vice-Presidential candidate.

The conservative base of America, the same one that gave Ronald Reagan a landslide victory sees Sarah as one of their own. John McCain dropped a bomb right on the target, and the Republican party endorsed his choice, Sarah Palin, as the future first Madame President.

Put lipstick on that, Rod.

Andrew Green

Good work Rod. American women just got their very own Clarence Thomas. They are smart enough to know what to do.

A. MacAulay

Dear All who feel that Rod Liddle usually gets it right but has got it wrong here. Please pause for a minute and consider that he may have got it right, again!

Also please define your categories a bit more carefully, as for instance, "Right Wing". Just for the record, because discussions like these usually die of misunderstanding on Omaha Beach, Adolf Hitler was "Right Wing" and Winston Churchill was, "Conservative". OK? Is the diference clear now?

Where Rod Liddle has miscalculated is that he cannot imagine why any rational person would be fooled by such an obviously false face as that of Gov. Palin. She seems to have had a lift before the wrinkles set in.

It is dismaying to watch the Republicans at their Congress. It is embarrasing to watch "Values" being defended by nasty, self-serving fakes whose political concept is to trash the opponent so long that their own failure escapes scrutiny. The values are real, and simply that Palin is presented as being a pistol packin' Momma with a family Bible and a heart of gold and that this is the recipe for solving America's problems means that the masses are being manipulated with a load of phony, PR Bull! That "Middle America" will vote for this is cause for sadness for the USA and deep unease for the rest of the planet.

Alex Weber

Speaking of vetting -- Did Liddle vet this:

Don't dismiss the fact that Sarah Palin is Commander of the Alaska National Guard-- consider:

Alaska is the first line of defense in our missile interceptor defense system. The 49th Missile Defense Battalion of the Alaska National Guard is the unit that protects the entire nation from ballistic missile attacks. It’s on permanent active duty, unlike other Guard units.

As governor of Alaska , Palin is briefed on highly classified military issues, homeland security, and counterterrorism. Her exposure to classified material may rival even Biden's and certainly by far exceeds Obama's.

She's also the commander in chief of the Alaska State Defense Force (ASDF), a federally recognized militia incorporated into Homeland Security's counterterrorism plans.

Palin is privy to military and intelligence secrets that are vital to the entire country's defense. Given Alaska 's proximity to Russia , she may have security clearances we don't even know about.

So tell us about Obama's level of IntellSec clearances.

According to the Washington Post, she first met with McCain in February, but nobody ever found out. This is a woman used to keeping secrets.

She can be entrusted with our national security, because she already is.

zipweb

Clemence de Roch

What a spectacularly ill-informed, snide, short-sighted and all-round stupid article. If the closest Rod Liddle has been to this year's American political process is his high street Ladbrokes, does it entail that you should give him magazine space to fall so publicly on his face? It was very obvious from the start, if you just left your New York hotel room to travel a little, what John McCain saw in Sarah Palin, even if the media chose not to understand it. Now 40 million American viewers have seen it too, and it is far, far beyond the tired, rancorous clichés being trotted out here.

mnbr

Christ! Of all the forms of anti-americanism, isn't mouldy old British Tory anti-americanism just the worst? Stupid as hell too.

Jonathan Dickson

Something that has always puzzled me about the terms 'right & left wing': Hitler was a socialist (Nazi = National Socialist), which is referred to as right wing, yet socialist is otherwise generally referred to as left wing. Can anyone explain why? Everything about Nazism is/was plainly socialist, so what separates it from the other forms of socialism/fascism?
JD.

James Sturdevant

So Mr. Liddle who would you rather vote for for vice president? The Senator from the MBNA credit card company or the Governor who is the first VP candidate since Teddy Roosevelt who knows how to dress a moose?

A. MacAulay

Merely because Rod Liddle said, "Manqué go home" doesn't make him a fusty old, anti-American Tory. I'm sure that Rod would tell us that many of his best friends are Americans.

Walt the Psalt

Lddle's politics are irrelevant here - what he's done is useful in demonstrating the shallowness of the Democrats' screeching denunciations of a woman who has an extensive public record - with more executive experience than either Barack Obama or Joe Biden. She will be judged on her record, same as a man, by women voters of both parties as well as the usual independents.
Women who have had to confront life experiences akin to Palin's will strongly identify with her and McCain.
The Democrats' media ganged up on her and Palin stood right up and stuffed the baby and slutty daughter smears right back down the "New" establishment's throat. So much for an ill-informed ingenue. Liddle's done a good service by illustrating how little the Democrats have to work with when trying to portray an elected State Governor's lack of experience. Liddle's Ladbroke's flutter seems safe.

Iain

Marc Silver: "The only explanation I can think of for such an idiotic analysis of the McCain/Palin ticket is that the author must be British/European."

Except that we elected Margaret Thatcher long before anyone had heard of Sarah Palin. Her virtues are not exclusively American.

A. MacAulay

Tens of thousands of contentedly socialist Swedes go Moose hunting every year and the venison is fairly and socially shared between the hunters in a syndicate.

The Democrats should be asking what she did with the meat after she dressed the Moose? Even with 5 hungry mouths to feed, chewing through a Moose is hard work and dietary monotony is a known cause of juvenile delinquency. Did Gov. Palin share God's bounties fairly? Or is she hoarding venison in a gigantic freezer in her celler?

Augustus

Rod Liddle has clearly taken leave of his senses with this load of crap about Sarah Palin. "What possessed McCain to take a punt on Palin?" Could it have been her winning ways? Language such as Rod uses can only mean one thing; fear that the choice means that with her on the ticket McCain will win. An honest conservative disappointment in the choice, would have presented a proper political argument, not personal and sexist abuse. Shame on Rod Liddle, and shame on The Spectator for printing such a naive and disgraceful attack.

Scary Biscuits

Rod, bigoted articles like this remind me why I stopped buying the Spectator. A few days after its published, you look like an idiot. Maybe the Spectator will revive its fortunes by employing fewer out-of-touch, deluded, London lefties.

Sidney

What a shallow, poorly-thought out article.
Your snobbery and lack of insight come shinning through.
Then again, perhaps your scribble was designed to provoke reader response, and that really you are too bewildered to have a genuine opinion on this lady one way or the other.

NMR

I like Rod Liddle's writing normally, but this is unreadable rubbish.

Rupert Fotherington-Smythe

Why is it that the Americans have a total inability to differentiate between "Left" and "Right" wing? "Socialism" has a capital "s" (because it is a political concept, just as "Capitalism" and "Communism" are.)It's so difficult to take American contributors seriously, because their basic "grasp" of politics is so infantile.

Hereford

Actually I find it more helpful to think of a circle rather than a line with left on one side and right on the other.

Strongly left wing political systems lean towards totalitarianism in just the same way as strongly right win systems do. So, in essence they are side by side on a circle with totalitarianism at 12 o'clock and liberalism at 6.

A. MacAulay

I believe Hereford means liberal in a sense understandable in Europe where it has many positive connotations and not, "Liberal" as understood in the USA.

The term has degenerated into a slur or insult and anyone so described is thought to be weak, degenerate and un-patriotic. My friends in the US who think of themselves as being political liberals now call themselves "Progressives" in order to escape being insulted.

Roy

So, after the best flanking attack we have witnessed in many moons the British political establishment's premature sarcastic reporting finds itself standing flatfooted. Just as – no doubt - were George III’s advisers. While the criticisms of grand ignorance in political affairs circulate the globe in endless repetitions . . . one could be forgiven in wondering what Britain has done in the last 60 years to show what great political expertise its ministers have administered and endowed to the country. To one who has fond memories of his childhood that many years distant; they have made a bloody mess of it. As far as experience goes my granny could have made a better job of it, or anybody else’s granny for that matter.

Mike Mitchell

The more I hear about this woman, the more I think she's a walking train wreck for the GOP. Here we have someone who (a) believes in creationism and wants it to be "taught" in schools; (b) is a gun-toting, right-wing conservative along the lines of "...from my cold, dead hands..."; (c) is viscerally anti-abortion, even for incest rape; (d) appears to be embroiled in some kind of Alaskagate; (e) doesn't want sex education to be taught in schools, and (f) despite (e) brings up a daughter who has premarital sex. Hypocrisy seems alive and kicking in Wasilla, AK.

The more I hear FROM her, the more she sounds like a bandsaw with a voice that could break crockery or drive dogs crazy.

Still, McCain must have vetted her, yes? No? Surely? Maybe? Not?

Just wait unto the orgiastic fervour of a few convention delegates has faded and the journos start asking the difficult questions. This train crash of the GOP's own making is going to need much heavy-lifting equipment, and there's less than 10 weeks left.

The Shadow Chocolate Orange Inspector

Dear God, that was the most boring, vapid, silliest article I've ever speed-read in The Speccie.

Verity

In all his provincial glory, this from the witty:

Derek Smith
September 4th, 2008 11:08pm
One has to question the judgment of a woman who names her daughter Bristol.

Why?

Did you think Saraj and Tod Palin know any more about Cockney rhyming slang than they know the German equivalent or Portuguese equivalent, if any? Do you think they would give a crap what they say "over there in Europe", even if they knew?

The world is a big place. Alaska is a big place. Really big.

Derek Smith, it is important for you to understand, so you don't embarrass yourself further, that Tod and Sarah Palin own a huge fish processing plant on Bristol Bay. They've never heard of Bristol, England. Trust me. Any more than you had heard of Bristol Bay, Alaskia, which is probably considerably bigger than the city of Bristol. Do keep your sexist provincial witticisms to yourself. I say this with kindness.

Verity

Marc Silver - a brilliant post.

Verity

As he often does, Augustus nails it: "Language such as Rod uses can only mean one thing; fear."

Mike Mitchell, do you write comedy for a living? All your little assertions are so last week! Every single one of them found to have been invented by Kos. Every single one. And planted on websites set up for the purpose, linked and those websites then dismantled, untraceable, the next day.

I assume you didn't know that? Why not? Everyone else does.

A. MacAulay

George III didn't have advisors, he had flunkeys. That was the problem.

The last major independent foreign policy action undertaken by the UK was Suez. Since then only Maggie Thatcher has had enough clout in Washington to not allow herself to be pulled up short in at least following, when not protecting British interests.

Otherwise, British foreign policy has been "co-ordinated" with US policy, so I would suggest Roy gets his Granny a job at the State Dep't. I agree with him, whoever she is, she could make a better job of it.

Hereford

A MacAulay. Thank you yes that is exactly what I mean.

:o)

A. MacAulay

Just one last thought to George III. Thanks to him, the Divine Right of Kings fell into terminal disrepute, and rightly so.

Unfortunately it continues to live and kick in a democratised, but no less ominous form, in so called "Middle America". As Rod Liddle pointed out some months ago in an article about Tony Blair's religious tick, the "God" all these awakened ones "talk" to, never urges caution or humility or even adherence to His own commandments! This is why the likes of Palin cause such deep felt unease. If God agrees with everything they think, if they are "saved", then they, just like the "Justified Sinner" are no longer subject to any earthly law.

Hereford, you're welcome, though I'm not sure what for!

David Heorot

Rod Liddle has never been the brightest light on the tree, but this piece achieves a degree of stupidity of which I would have thought even him incapable. Palin was chosen because McCain wants to run on a reform ticket--which is in keeping with his own political career--and Palin is the most astonishingly accomplished reform politician in the GOP. Her short time as governor in Alaska has been marked by an outlandishly substantial number of achievements, all of which give evidence of considerable political and tactical skill.
Incidentally, she is not a young-earth creationist. And, since most of our presidents were governors, her lack of "foreign policy experience" hardly disqualifies her.

epaminondas

The galloping PREJUDICE (look it up)exhibited here about anyone not Obamanoid is truly unquestionable evidence of why America exists, and you people are gently sliding away into another 1935 Oxford Union vote, not to fight (in any form) for King and..., well you know.

Perhaps you might question the lady's experience is facing down, outbluffing and then defeating ExxonMobil, COnocoPhillips and BP simultaneously.

Perhaps you might question the previous experience of J Carter, B Clinton, or another Gov who was such a lightweight that Churchill couldn't even remember meeting him in 1917, but turned out to be a serviceable fellow in the late 30's?

Or the other governor, the former B movie actor of scant foreign experience, who also seemed to perform with some little efficiency.

You simply haven't a clue why Palin was chosen. That's the beginning and the end of it

How utterly IGNORANT!

Just BUTT OUT

Morton Doodslag

Some undoing.

Fla Chuck

Re: A. MacAulay, September 6th, 2008 10:01am

"Also please define your categories a bit more carefully, as for instance, "Right Wing". Just for the record, because discussions like these usually die of misunderstanding on Omaha Beach, Adolf Hitler was "Right Wing" and Winston Churchill was, "Conservative". OK? Is the diference clear now?"

Uh, no, actually, it's not. Of course, that's because you're wrong. Your cousin Adoph was the head of the 'National Socialist' party. See that little word, 'Socialist' in there? But, y'all didn't understand ol' Dolph in Munich in '38, so I expect it's a little much to expect you to understand 70 years later.

See, the thing is, you lefties are liars. You don't want to own up to the results you and the policies really accomplish. The death of most of the European Jewish community, for example. The Nazi's were Socialists, and Soci's are Left Wing, not Right. It really is that easy when you're not trying too hard to be cute.

And another thing. Y'all are wrong if you think Sarah is going to be the reason Obambi gets elected. Think about it - right now the Dems' #1 is out there saying, "Look at me! I'm special! I'm more qualified than my opponent's back up plan. Really! I am!" And not really selling it too well. A winning team does NOT brag that "Our #1 beats your #2!"

Dahlia

Isn't it funny how the rest of the world can see through the dirt the Republicans are throwing our way, but Americans are blind to it. Once again we will get the president we deserve.

C Williams

Ron sweety baby!!!
briefly you had "the point" nailed but then with typical journalistic idiocy, you lost it.
I will fish it out for ya.
" Also, a bit of vigorous, libertarian, unreconstructed stop-whining-you-pussies."
There, now think about until you get it.
BTW I've never seen a more petty, low life, braindead, whining, worthless, hit piece.
I always forget, whining is elevated to a profession over there.
You're gonna love her, ......in time.

B. lazer

As an American, and a political observor, I thank Rod Liddle for this background information and spot-on analsysis. She might be popular in Alaska, but this woman was a complete unknown to the rest of the country. Nor do we generally know much about Alaskan politics. Energizing? Media buzz? You bet - we are scrambling to learn anything and everything about her and her beliefs. There isn't much time left before the elections. She is clearly far to the right and the type of policies she advocates are chilling. It is an insult to presume we will vote for Palin simply because she is a female. News flash - We women are not all alike! Policy and positions are what we base our vote on, not gender. WHy the gender gap in Aemrican voting patterns? Women candidates are invisible to many men, they just don't see them. But women will consider voting a female candidate - that's why an extremely well-qualified candidate like Hillary Rodham-Clinton came so close. Gun-toting, bush-hunting, ex-beauty queen Sarah Palin has appeal for men. She's like a men's magazine fantasy figure. Does this mean future female Presidential candidates must have center-fold potential to attract the male vote?