The Czar presupposes that comparisons between Geraldine Ferraro, who passed away at the age of 75, and Sarah Palin are inevitable.

But rather than compare the two women directly, the Czar most recently thought of Ms. Ferraro because of the similarity of her fame compared to Gov. Palin.

Specifically, both became nationally famous for the same reason: they were basically run as a gimmick.

Back in 1984, Ronald Reagan was a guaranteed victory for re-election. So much so, that the Democrats ran Walter Mondale against him. “We gotta run somebody,” some party bigwig said, “So don’t run anybody who will kill our chances in 1988 as well.” For that, Mondale was a gag candidate. No one expected him to win. But that presents opportunties for novelty. “I got it,” said another party boss. “We can run some broad with him for vice-president. That way, when Reagan wins, we can say the Republicans hate the broads.”

The irony, of course, is that Geraldine Ferraro would have been a solid, strong candidate for the Oval Office in her own right, and certainly would have made a better president than Mondale. Fact is, everyone liked her personally. She was, by all accounts, a pleasant, intelligent, capable woman who represented a type of Democrat long extinct today.

Jumping forward for 2008, the GOP had a different problem. A serious black candidate emerged on the scene, and was destroying the Republicans in the popular media. Hollywood made Bush unpopular, and the candidates least associated with him were partly responsible for the Congressional financial messes of 2006-2008. McCain was the candidate of choice, because in those days the GOP still believed that a Republican candidate needed to be some easy-going grandfather figure who kind of got that internet thing you kids were all into.

They could probably take on Obama head-to-head on topics, but could not counter the fact Obama was never going to be an elderly white guy in time for the election. So they ran with Sarah Palin, as a gimmick. “Hey,” some GOP think-tanker said, “We either elect the first black president or the first woman vice-president.” Oddly, that seems less stupid—the GOP was at least sensitive to the notion that history was going to be made here.

The Czar has no proof, but is convinced that Palin was the reason the election was not a landslide for Obama’s inherent novelty. Looking back, clearly she would have made a better president than John McCain, particularly as we saw the national economic issue pointing straight back to Washington, DC.

Palin took nothing but ridicule and insults for her efforts, suggesting to many that she must have been very, very right about key issues in order to get the Left that torqued off. Geraldine Ferraro, sadly, was largely forgotten.

Her obituaries ring a little hollow, as if they were written by J-schoolers who had no idea that a real woman vice-presidential candidate didn’t start with Tina Fey. They are short, and fail to mention her colorful background, her long battle with cancer, and how warm and friendly she appeared to all. A good one is at the Boston Herald, if the 24-year-old copy writers want to see an example.

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.