The second and third angles are class and region, Cambridge vs. Moscow, Idaho, windsurfing vs. snowmobiling, arugula vs. mooseburgers. Outside of what Peggy Noonan calls the Bubble, Moscow, snowmobiles, and moose meat win.

The Presidency is partly a quasi-royal position. Symbolism counts. The gun-toting beauty queen trumps the “articulate” Columbia-Harvard orator. The GQ suit suddenly seems mighty empty.

Should it be about the issues? Sure, but this is the country of TR, the Boy Orator of the Platte, “Give ‘Em Hell” Harry, and the Great Communicator.

Relatedly, at times I think that the GOP position on social conservative issues – loud support in theory, little action in practice – is not JUST a reflection of the fact that your average GOP politician doesn’t really share socially conservative values, but it a reflection of that same swing voter. They want their politicians to talk a good game with regard to social conservative issues, but don’t REALLY want the relevant platform positions on abortion, etc., to be adopted.

*”fault” from the perspective of a social conservative and/or evangelical. I’m neither, and I don’t want either overlapping group to increase its political power, but I can sympathize with their frustration.

For 18 months, the Democrats have laid claim to two historic candidates – a black man and a woman. Forget their actual values / positions / campaigns, the simple fact is that the left of the country has spent nearly two years pointing out how enlightened they are (with the unspoken implication that Republicans are all closet racists / sexists by default).

Now Palin arrives, and suddenly the Right gets a chance to be the party of equality, of opportunity, of multicultural melting-pot veneration. In other words, Palin’s vagina gives them a rebuttal to holier-than-thou liberals. Obviously it’s not the main reason her embrace has been so enthusiastic, but I think it’s a part of it.

Exactly so, because no one thinks that Palin is going to be Dick Cheney mark II, power behind the throne. People are looking for her to be a living affirmation of a life and lifestyle that they idealize. This is, of course, exactly the wrong reason to pick a VP candidate, and not at all a reason to vote for the ticket, especially as it throws into very sharp relief the contempt that McCain feels for the office. But as a political pick, it was sheer genius. I can’t think of McCain without my gorge rising, but, as Ross Douthat said a few days ago, I am rooting for her (Gov. Palin) like crazy. It is stupid and atavistic and crassly identatarian of me, I know, but there it is.

I have been impressed with Gov. Palin on many fronts, but I am inwardly cringing that she has simply been raised too high, too fast, too soon; that she will make a mistake and be ridiculed off the public stage, and one of the (precious few) rising conservative stars left.

Maybe partially, but I don’t think that really explains the sheer depth and breath of the outpouring of support for this woman. (Not just on the internets, in my own social/religious circle it has been nothing short of astonishing.) She is fulfilling the same role that Obama is for both blacks and upper income-highly educated white voters: they are both viewed as the avatars of their respective cultures, and view the success of the candidate as a resounding endorsement of their lifestyles, just as they would view the defeat of their candidate as a crushing blow.