Saturday, August 30, 2008

McCain's Hail Mary Pass



數天前才說美國總統選舉有點悶場,今天便發生了意想不到的變化:麥凱恩出人意表地,選了阿拉斯加州州長佩林為共和黨的副總統候選人。

「Who is Palin?」是今天全美國都在問的問題。佩林雖然是州長,但她不是「賽前」熱門人選,阿拉斯加又不是權力中心,美國人都不認識她。今早的新聞節目中,評論員還要問 Palin 該怎樣發音才正確。共和黨這決定,給選戰帶來一個很大的「驚喜」。

共和黨人材濟濟,麥凱恩為甚麼要選擇名不經傳的佩林?用不着深入的政治分析,誰也看得出背後最大的原因:希拉莉。

美國政壇,一直是共和民主兩黨二分天下;愈接近選舉,統計數字便愈接近50 :50。但這一次,奧巴馬的氣勢,魅力,財力都比麥凱恩優勝。餘下的兩個月,共和黨不得不使出獨特招數,才能打開缺口。一群死硬支持希拉莉的女選民,便是這個缺口。

名單上出現女候選人,固然能增加共和黨對女性的吸引力。但更吸引的是,一旦麥凱恩勝出,八年後(或四年後,如果麥凱恩不連任)佩林便可能是總統候選人。

當然,絕大部份希拉莉支持者都不會因為她是女性,便盲目地把選票轉投給政治理念和希拉莉南轅北轍的佩林。但不要忘記,對上兩次的大選,都是「一州定生死」的激戰。誰又能知道,決定下屆總統的,會不會是俄亥俄州數百個支持希拉莉的民主黨叛徒,或是佛羅里達州數千個沒政治立場,只希望有生之年能看見一位女總統的家庭主婦?

另外,共和黨這次的保密功夫和時間安排實在配合得很好。在星期五早上宣報消息,令媒體大吃一驚,奪了昨晚奧巴馬接受提名的鋒頭外,也搶了長週末假期前的新聞時段。在競選佈署上,是奇兵特出地勝了一仗。

不過,選佩林當副手,也是個很冒險的決定。佩林可能很有才幹,可能是很出色的政治家;但問題是,美國國民根本不認識她。而九個星期後,他們便要投票了。

副總統雖然沒實權,卻有一個十分重要的責任:預備隨時履行總統職責。麥凱恩已經七十二歲。「大吉利是」一句,共和黨勝出的話,明年一月二十日後,佩林隨時會成為全球權力最大的領袖。這個倉卒的決定(據說麥凱恩和佩林只見過一次面!),「只要能贏,甚麼都是其次」的氣息太濃烈了,必然會惹來中間派的反感。

美式足球中的 Hail Mary pass,是指臨完場時,落後的一隊「置諸死地而後生」的最後一次傳球。共和黨拋出了這個球,民主黨是絕不會望天打卦,聽天由命的。不知奧巴馬陣營會想出甚麼辦法,中途攔截這招 Hail Mary?

5 comments:

  1. Somebody said it’s a risky but brilliant move for MaCain to choose Palin, yet it’s a calculated but conceding step for Obama to select Biden. The former obviously adds value to MaCain but the latter doubtlessly dims the glory of Obama. “Change happens, because Americans demand it”, Obama said. I would rather think America is still good and Americans do not really want to have a change right now. So Obama has a dream, and it would only be a dream of his own.

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  2. mum: Many people also said that Obama shows his determination to govern by choosing the more experienced Biden, whereas McCain shows his desperation to win by targeting a narrow demography. Everything is inevitably distorted when looking through the partisan lens.

    “I would rather think America is still good and Americans do not really want to have a change right now” : I too would like to think that everything is good. It’s easy for many of us, holed up in glittering coastal cities and affluent sub-urban neighborhoods, to believe that America is sound and great and tomorrow will just be as bright as yesterday, except it isn’t.

    No doubt Democrats have exaggerated the adversaries (it’s an election), but America does need changes in foreign policy, in energy strategy, in environmental commitment, in healthcare reform, in public education, and above all, in social equality. I can’t bare to see such a resourceful and ingenious country squanders its wealth and talents. Perhaps it’s the fundamental ideological difference between conservatives and liberals.

    Anyway, the national percentages may look close, but Obama still has a rather comfortable lead in electoral college votes. That’s why I call Palin McCain’s Hail Mary pass.

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  3. 估不到佩林的話題,到今日還不斷冒出。麥凱恩找佩林做拍檔,挖女性選民票的用心,沒錯是十分明顯的,但是我自己懷疑成效會有多大,如果是保守派女性,無論麥凱恩找誰當副總統,都會鐵定在十一月投票支持他,反而希拉莉的支持者,應該不大認同佩林的立場...

    不過這幾天看有關佩林的報道,很懷疑麥凱恩以至共和黨「起」佩林的底時有多仔細(好像是華郵說,阿拉斯加的政界說沒有太多人接觸過他們),恐怕佩林以後還陸續「出事」。

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  4. alex:是哦,美國的政治新聞很久沒這樣八卦和熱鬧過了。我的感覺是,佩林已經出了事,McCain 的人是在 "damage control" 中。

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  5. Thanks for the information!it is usefull!

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