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Ed. note: From now until Election Day and beyond, GQ correspondent Robert Draper will be blogging on the '08 race's final twists and turns. Check back for more up-to-the-minute campaign reporting and insight.

Palin, Alone Aboard the Bus

Almost from the very beginning, the Palin pick created tension.

An armada of handlers descended on McCain’s running mate like the flying monkeys in The Wizard Of Oz. The day after the ticket made its debut, it was August 30 and the campaign staged a rally outside of Pittsburgh, on the field of a minor league baseball team called the Washington Wild Things. I remember seeing Tucker Eskew—an old Bush hand out of South Carolina who had never spent a day in McCain World until Nicolle Wallace recruited him to be Palin’s counselor—wandering around the premises, looking somewhat lost. He and Wallace took charge of schooling the Alaska governor on message discipline. Two days later at the GOP convention, an adviser watched them coach Palin on how to answer routine press questions and warned Steve Schmidt that she was being overly managed. Three weeks later, Wallace arranged for the interview with her former CBS colleague Katie Couric, which proved to be a disaster. Meanwhile, Palin’s debate prep was going miserably, to the point where Schmidt had to peel off from McCain (who was having his own challenges responding to the financial crisis) and join Nicolle’s husband Mark Wallace in simplifying Palin’s prep so as to avert catastrophe. The latter efforts resulted in what one senior adviser would describe to me with palpable relief as “a campaign-saving performance.”

I’m sympathetic to Eskew and Wallace, and not just because they’re decent people. They’ve held their tongue from leaking what a couple of McCain higher-ups have told me—namely, that Palin simply knew nothing about national and international issues. Which meant, as one such adviser said to me: “Letting Sarah be Sarah may not be such a good thing.” It’s a grim binary choice, but apparently it came down to whether to make Palin look like a scripted robot or an unscripted ignoramus. I was told that Palin chafed at being defined by her discomfiting performances in the Couric, Charlie Gibson, and Sean Hannity interviews. She wanted to get back out there and do more. Well, if you’re Eskew and Wallace, what do you say to that? Your responsibility isn’t the care and feeding of Sarah Palin’s ego; it’s the furtherance of John McCain’s quest for the presidency.

On the other hand, it had to be hard for Sarah Palin—who has achieved all she’s achieved with a highly personal touch—to take all this ridicule under an enforced gag order. After being introduced to the world as one of the “Team of Mavericks,” she’s admonished not to be one. She’s being called out by some McCainites for not cleaving to all of the senator’s positions. The Republicans who fawned over her superstar looks are now shocked—shocked!—to learn that her much-admired wardrobe has been purchased with RNC funds. I’ve heard from one well-placed source that McCain has snubbed her on one long bus ride aboard the Straight Talk Express, to the embarrassment of those sitting nearby. It has surely been implied to the governor that she should be eternally grateful to have been plucked from obscurity. And yet the high water mark of John McCain’s campaign for the presidency unquestionably began on September 3, when Palin gave her nomination speech—and ended precisely twelve days later, when McCain went off-script—I have that on the authority of the person who participated in the writing of said script—and told an audience that he still believed the fundamentals of the economy were strong.

More on all of this later. I have just informed my girlfriend Lara that I’m now a blogger. She stared at me for a long moment before saying quietly, “I don’t know you anymore.”

Comments

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Watch the video:

http://www.bankingonheaven.com/

BANKING ON HEAVEN . COM

XPolygamistWife
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Welcome to the world of blogging. You're off to a great start--your first comment is off-the-charts kooky!

fnarf
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Nice job of reporting Robert. Good luck with the blogging -it can suck the life out of you.

Ellis

evener
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Sounds right on target to me. There aren't many bloggers out there who can muster empathy for Palin and at the same time point out her deficiencies in a clear, non-hysterical manner.
It's obvious she had not the slightest interest in events outside of Alaska, aside from whatever power could be gained by cozying up to fresh-off-the-boat Bill Kristol and the cruising conservatives.

MrsPolly
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First off, I have to thank Rob Draper for his excellent NYT Mag article. Given your familiarity with the McCain camp--and the risks you were taking to be denied said familiarity further on--it was a bold and public serving move. Now, here you are saying exactly what every decent person with a little life experience could surmise (and was surmising, actually). What I wonder is why these really spicy details don't reach the mainstream media. Well, I'm an European, and I'm used to the European style of reporting and commenting: much better than the over-cautious, shall I say timid, American one.

Zlatko
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The inability of political professionals *not* to recognize what they had on their hands by choosing Gov. Palin is staggering. How long does it take to recognize someone's lack of curiosity, someone's indifference to substance over style? I'm a teacher, and it requires perhaps 3 conversations in a class of 25 kids to recognize who's faking it and who's not. That's not to say that I dislike the kids who couldn't be bothered to read...oftentimes, they're *very* personable. But they're not getting a pass just because I like them; I won't be recommending them for National Honor Society.

How hard would it have been for someone to measure her depth? The problem is, politics has too many talkers, and not enough listeners.

hathead
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Firs off, I want to thank and commend Rob Draper for his NYT Mag article. Given his intimate access to his sources--and the risks of being denied said access further on--it was a bold move. What I wonder is why the details he gave us here couldn't be published by the mainstream media. Well, I'm from Europe and used to a bolder and public-serving style, and I find the over-cautious, shall I say timid, ways of the American media a disgrace to journalism.

Since early in Gov. Palin's involvement in the campaign I've wondered what we could all learn if she were to have her own "Roman Holiday" - like Audrey Hepburn, the princess who escapes her handlers and falls under the influence of Gregory Peck (unbeknownst to her, a journalist) and really lets her hair down.

drober99
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Nice write-up. I look forward to more. You GF will get over it.

nethead
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One thing no one mentions is that Palin could have simply said NO to being "plucked from obscurity." Being VP isn't winning the Lotto, and I think that's why people argue about the level of her intelligence. She was ignorant enough to think that being vice president or God forbid, president, was something she was qualified for. She wasn't even smart enough to know she wasn't smart enough, and clearly she didn't even know how politics works -- that a campaign isn't just going to let her shoot her mouth off because she was their pick.

Aelinie
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Palin may very well return to a much more hostile Alaska. She was riding on the coattails of an over-inflated price for a barrel of oil that delivered huge profits to her state. People were willing to give her a pass with respect to her management style so long as they shared a piece of the profit pie.

Well, the price of oil has plummeted and as a result, the Alaskan economy will suffer. Her statewide ratings have already dropped 20 points, and the increased scrutiny of her conduct while governor has given many Alaskans another perspective of her leadership. I suspect we have only seen the tip of her "mismanagement" and "abuse of power" iceberg.

By the next election cycle, Sarah Palin will very likely no longer have the positive image or clout to contend for the presidency. In fact, she may be lucky to get re-elected as governor.

labman57
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With respect to Sarah Palin's debate performance, the bar for Palin was set so low that so long as she didn't barf on herself during the first five minutes, it would be regarded as a success for her. However, that is a far cry from saying that she won the debate or even performed competently.

I think we now know why McCain's people changed their debate prep strategy a few days ago. Palin apparently was horrible at discussing the issues in an intelligent, spontaneous manner. So they decided to have her memorize mini-speeches on various topics instead. During the debate, if a question was posed that Palin knew little or nothing about, she simply went into one of her recitations. She even admitted this during the debate; she blew off the moderator and declared that she was going to address whatever topic suited her.

In the end, her speeches were long on cutesy, faux folksy (wink, wink, you betcha, doggone it) generalizations and short on substance. So if you are interested in someone that has a depth of understanding about the critical issues affecting most Americans and the ability to speak extemporaneously about them, look to Biden. If you are interested in another folksy GWB-type (haven't we learned our lesson!) who can do little more than memorize short talking points and deliver them in a good ol' gal style, then she's your gal.

Good piece. What I find most amazing about the Palin phenomenon is how any of McCain's people who met her failed to see that she is vapid and incurious. Is her mojo so strong that it overcomes one's judgment while in her presence. If so, she should be hired by the State Department and put to work charmin' the recalcitrant. My wife and I first met Ms. Palin through her acceptance speech at the Republican convention. Within ten seconds we were alarmed. Within twenty we were terrified. The speaker was pretty, charmingly disarming, incredibly confident, friendly and, we were certain, had no understanding whatever of the issues of the day. The infamous interviews quickly bore out our initial impression that she was a current events nitwit.

We now know that she can look you in the eye and tell the most outrageous lie with a smile, and with the utmost in confident sincerity. She is a huckster of the first order. Instead of playing politician, she should be selling widgets to those who don't need them and growing wealthy in the process. With her salesman's ability to tell the customer what he most wants to hear, she cannot fail.

In the meantime, her combination of looks, her sociopathic ability to lie and her boundless ambition make her attractive to the simple-minded folk who so adore her. Until she leaves the national stage, that makes her one of the most dangerous politicians in America.

NRay
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Great article and nice NYT piece. Looking forward to more. But...

Mc Cain snubbed her?!! I am a 72 yo woman who follows politics closely. Has he lost all his marbles? He picked her. I have never seen the likes of this.

junieb1
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Kudos to Mr. Draper, although his reporting makes me uneasy. I need to get off this thing and get out canvassing for Barack. My two twenty-something sons decided in Feb. '07 that they no longer knew their father. I haven't even watched an inning of the World Series

ggoodburn
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Wayne

Skywalker
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How many weeks has it been and she still doesn't know what the VP does? I think you did a great job at describing the situation Palin is in. Her ambition just got the best of her and she thought she could do it. It must be horrible for her now and I bet she's anxiously waiting Nov 4. I started out angry at her, but over time, my anger is at McCain. How dare he play so lightly with my life, the lives of my children and this entire country? A 72 year old cancer survivor picked her to be his backup. His judgment is what is at issue here. Not her inadequacy.

Willow712
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She should be glad to have been plucked out of obscurity. Like class, a little humility goes a long way. Sadly, Governor Palin seems lacking in both.

Clarity
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Well done!

Redford15
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I stumbled on this when Googling something, forgot what, it was something negative about Palin.

A student of politics long ago [CAL] and junkie [no, not the drug kind albeit I have enjoyed a Vike prescription or two, I confess] I watched with amusement the announcement of Palin. Like others I asked "Who?"

Alas, it not take me but a few days to conclude Palin was a bimbo dumb ass [can I use that word in here?] Considering that every national politician I have ever studied has always had his or her wits, when I studied Palin's history [aka bio] I determined she was trouble.

Within a week of her debut I was saying that the woman was too stupid to realize that the better decision for her was to say "Flattered I was offered the slot, but no thanks, I'm not qualified."

Here we are a week before the election and she did not disappoint on my predictions. Only thing I am mad about is that I did not bet a bucket load of money against her.

What I like best about your article is the description of McCain's snub of her while on the campaign bus. That's priceless to describe the pathetic state of affairs between the two.

LiveFromSanFrancisco
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I'm puzzled why some in the McCain camp are now pointing accusatory fingers at the poor, hapless Palin. Didn't they know what they were getting and weren't they the ones who talked McCain out of his first choice of Joe Lieberman? No doubt Lieberman would have put the campaign in a much stronger position than the one they currently occupy.

God, how I love schadenfreude!!

SwimminCA
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My cat's breath smells like cat food.

RalphWiggum
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So McCain is unable to contain his utter dissapointment in Palin. Well no surprise there. Did he ever master self control and equanimity? He could not even contain his anger when his entire political future depended on it at the debates all three times. So where is the surprise. Charm and magnamity is not his strong suit.

Rock2casbah
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Nicely done, I look forward to reading more.

What I find alarming about Palin is that so many appear to take her so seriously, as if embracing the very qualities that others feel make her breathtakingly unqualified for public service, let alone ...

I know high school students who could blow her doors off in a debate; this is not an exaggeration.

Sometimes it feels like we've become so inured to sound bites and news as entertainment that we've lost track of a good many qualities that at one time comprised common sense. It's no wonder that so many in the world shake their heads in amazement. We welcome a candidate whose idea of inclusiveness is parroting jingoism and slogans that would not be out of place in a campaign for 8th grade class president. From the losing candidate.

I love how Dan Quayle advised her to just "be herself."

Heh.

aztlanblues
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McCain has no one to blame but himself. He picked Palin just because she's a woman. What ignorance! He's's shown himself to be as reckless as Bush and Cheney. Now some of his campaign staff are saying Palin's a "whack job", and she is but they shouldn't be surprised. She's turned into, for the McCain campaign, not a pitbull with lipstick but The Dragon Lady, intent on idiotcially going her own way when she knows less than nothing about national politics nor the issues of war and peace and the econmomy. This is what happens when you think the electorate are fools who will fall for anything and any right-wing extremist religious nut who serves up empty platitudes while waving the flag. McCain used to have a reputation for soemthing. Now, his reputation is smeared in the feces of the same sewer those racist, hateful and fear-laden robocalls are coming from.

Steamboater
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