In 2002, as a member of the Edward Waters College Triple Threat Marching Band, we participated in the Durham NC Battle of The Bands. There were several big named HBCU bands present. Johnson C. Smith University was there, as was Virginia State University, and North Carolina Central University, just to name a few. Fact of the matter is, the two babies in the show were my college, and Shaw University as we were both a year old at the time.
Considering the fact that we (Edward Waters College) were competing against established HBCU bands with rich histories, we decided to incorporate a gimmick. During the show, our "Purple Passion" dance team would be thrown off the field by a group of Extra Plus Sized women (actually members of the Edwards Waters College Choir), who would then mock the moves of the Purple Passion. This group of Plus Sized dancers became known as the "Purple Thunder". The title of Purple Thunder was intended to be a joke, to get the crowd involved in our show, but as the year progressed, people started asking for the Purple Thunder to perform in other shows with the band. Now, even in our present time, whenever the Triple Threat band performs, they are recognized as the "Edward Waters College Triple Threat Band Featuring The Purple Thunder". In short, the gimmick had become the show.
Why is that important? I am so glad you asked. We know that this year's Presidential Election has historic significance. Presently, Barack Obama (an African American, Christian man) has a double digit lead over John McCain. Indeed, it would appear that Barack Obama is poised to become the first African American President of the United States of America (apologies to Bill Clinton, but we will still allow Bill to consider himself the first "Black President". We love you Bill). On any account, the GOP/RNC refuses to be outdone.
The Gophers On Patrol/Racist Never Cease people decide the beast way to counter the momentum of the Barack Obama train would rest in John McCain running with a woman as his running mate. Not a bad idea at all, but instead of John McCain choosing a Rice, or a Dole, he elects to go with a gimmick. John McCain selected 1st term Governor Sarah Palin from the state of Alaska. When I say first term, I mean she has not so much as completed her first two years in office, and is still wet behind the ears.
So why would John McCain select an inexperienced, self professed "Hockey Mom" over Republican Women with more experience? The answer is really quite simple. Sarah Palin was meant to be the gimmick that would capture the "Hillary Voters", those who were disgruntle over the fact that Hillary pulled out of the campaign. Indeed, Sarah Palin is young, she is energetic, she is brash, but she is also a back stabbing little weasel who was merely waiting for an opportunity to steel the spotlight from John McCain.
Sarah Palin spoke against John McCain's position on gay marriages. We pretty much knew she would, after all, John McCain tends to rub the majority of the Republican Party the wrong way with his middle of the road views concerning gay marriages.
Sarah Palin has also taken an openly rogue approach to the campaign by increasing the distortion of the fact concerning Barack Obama. The good ole "Once a Terrorist, Always a Terrorist" style of statements relating to William Ayers, and the twisting of the facts regarding Barack Obama's involvement with Ayers several years after Ayers engaged in radical behavior. The facts illustrate that Barack Obama merely interacted with Ayers for one project involving the Chicago schools, nothing more, nothing less.
The bottom line is this America; Sarah Palin is treating this campaign as if she is the person running for President, and John McCain is her flunky. If the McCain campaign were a mid-day television series, Sarah Palin would be Oprah, and John McCain would be her Steadman. When we consider the fact that it appears the RNC appears to be abandoning the McCain ship and floating their own ads, one can only wonder if the Palin gimmick has now become the Republican Party Show for November. If I were to tie the McCain/Palin ticket to my opening example, John McCain is the ticket's Edward Waters College Triple Threat band, and Sarah Palin is the ticket's Purple Thunder. In short, Sarah Palin is he gimmick which became the show.
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