Ann McFeatters
October 25, 2008 05:16 am WASHINGTON — Should we care that the Republican Party spent $150,000 on new clothes for Sarah Palin? There is no easy answer to that question, but how you answer it probably will reflect how you intend to vote. On the face of it, the governor of Alaska probably doesn't have a huge wardrobe that would stand up to the rigors of campaigning in weather from chilly Ohio to tropical Florida. She certainly doesn't have time to worry about shopping for the right clothes. So the fact that others did the shopping for her, even though they spent almost as much as she and her husband earn in a year ($166,000), won't resonate negatively with supporters of John McCain. Supporters of Barack Obama will find Palin's beguiling "hockey mom" image slightly smeared by the disclosure that in a time of economic chaos, when joblessness is rising daily, she was party to the fashion makeover. Would it have been better if her image gurus had gone to Goodwill? Among rank-and-file union members, absolutely. Among upper-class Republicans? Absolutely not. In a nutshell, we have the dilemma of the female candidate. Damned if she does. Damned if she doesn't. She has to look good (hot, in the current parlance). But she can't spend much money to get there. But it is confusing. She's supposed to be a maverick, a reformer with no patience for Washington insider games. So why would she consent to wearing designer clothing from Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus if all she cares about is "fighting" for the "people" who are struggling to make ends meet? Palin as celebrity is so energizing to Republicans, especially after her charming "Saturday Night Live" performance, that she could appear on stage in jeans and a T-shirt, and many would be perfectly happy. But most of them want her dressed up and looking glamorous, striding to the microphone in mile-high heels and well-cut jackets. It's puzzling. What would she do as vice president? Be a GOP fundraiser, traveling from one function to another in cool clothes? Lobby Congress to take care of neglected children and fight against abortion? Be a goodwill ambassador abroad? Be the poster mom for how to do everything? It's frustrating. How do we know who the real Palin is if she's abandoned her Alaska clothes for clothes made by people with unpronounceable names at unimaginable prices? Is she being manipulated by political consultants? If so, she's not a very good maverick. They say she'll give the clothes to charity, which means taxpayers will pay for them. The Palins are known for taking large tax deductions for clothes they give to charity. But if she becomes vice president, what would she wear? Would she be happy returning to fleece jackets and jeans and her own suits? The McCain campaign, which spent a lot of time comparing Obama with Britney and Paris, now is outraged that a few journalists are harping about the cost of their veep candidate's clothes. But there is an issue here. When the economy is uppermost on everyone's mind, Sarah Palin seems a little callous to be sanctioning the spending of a small fortune on clothes she'll wear only for a few weeks. Oh please, let Nov. 4 come quickly. ¬¢¬¢¬¢ Scripps Howard columnist Ann McFeatters has covered the White House and national politics since 1986.
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