Learning by Osmosis

Maybe sarcasm does work, politically. At least it seems to have done so for Republicans, according to Michael Crowley: "Here's Johnny," posted online at The New Republic. Republicans, according to Crowley, have increasingly used sarcasm in their political campaigns, and the tactic "seemingly reached its pinnacle in the McCain campaign."

I have recently learned a lot from the McCain campaign:

• I wish I had known in college what I could have learned by "osmosis." This could have saved me A LOT of study time:

  Speaking of geography, Alaskan territory is also along the trajectory of ballistic missiles launched eastward out of Stalinist North Korea. For that reason, among others, Alaska's Fort Greely was selected as the site for the principal U.S. ground-based defense against such missiles.
  
  As that state's governor, Sarah Palin would know more by osmosis – if nothing else – about the necessity for U.S. anti-missile systems than either Messrs. Obama or Biden. (Frank Gaffney, Jr., "Sarah Palin's Experience," Sept. 2, 2008, Center for Security Policy.) Hat tip to Hilzoy

• Or perhaps just sitting across the aisle from the brightest person in class would have worked--proximity, you know: That's all Sarah Palin needs to understand national security.
• Oh, and of course, one shouldn't exploit the children of political candidates. . . . unless the exploitation reflects positively on the candidate and garners support:

  According to [Grover] Norquist, the council [secret conservative organization, Council for National Policy] members, who include the country’s leading social conservatives, became enthusiastic about McCain when they heard of his choice of Palin. “They were uneasy before, and they suddenly became very excited,” Norquist explains, as we talk in the lobby of the St. Paul Hotel, after he has finished addressing the Arizona delegation. Norquist says the story of Palin’s child with down syndrome was particularly important to the social conservatives. Even Richard Viguerie was enthusiastic. I’ve never seen him excited about any Republican presidential nominee. [my emphasis] From: "Republicans Headed for an Iceberg," posted by John B. Judis on TNR's The Stump.