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Palin is Not the Answer
Why the former Alaska governor will spell doom for conservatives
(Page 2 of 2)
Such a zeal can energize the base—but also fatally split it and alienate the unconverted.
Most likely, Palin will be back. But if conservatives expect her to be their warrior princess in shining armor, they are courting defeat.
Cathy Young is a Reason contributing editor and a columnist at RealClearPolitics. She blogs at cathyyoung.wordpress.com. This article originally appeared at RealClearPolitics.
EJM|7.10.09 @ 3:09PM|#
This article originally appeared at
RealClearPolitics.
That apparently explains why there's an embedded ad in the same
relative location on both article pages.
|7.10.09 @ 3:13PM|#
What? No article about her former future son-in-law saying that she resigned so she could chase the money in publishing and speaking?
kinnath|7.10.09 @ 3:15PM|#
No article about her former future son-in-law saying that
she resigned so she could chase the money in publishing and
speaking?
I assumed that was given. I also assume she has a contract locked
up with Fox.
|7.10.09 @ 3:16PM|#
"I assumed that was given"
The kid came right out and said it. Said she was wishing back in
Jan and Feb that she could get her hands on all that media
money.
|7.10.09 @ 3:16PM|#
I say this half kiddingly, but I knew I wouldn't like her when
they announced the "trendy-cool" names of her kids.
That said, how anyone can take the position that she was unfit to
be president while not thinking the same about Joe Biden is a
mystery. He is a dunce among dunces. He makes GWB, Al Gore, and Dan
Quayle look like political geniuses by comparison.
|7.10.09 @ 3:18PM|#
Cathy Young says Palin was the cause of the polarization and 'playing the victim.' What is she smoking?
kinnath|7.10.09 @ 3:23PM|#
She gave herself just enought time to have her new show firing on all cylinders for the November sweeps.
|7.10.09 @ 3:24PM|#
"That said, how anyone can take the position that she was
unfit to be president while not thinking the same about Joe Biden
is a mystery."
I don't like Joe Biden, he's a blowhard with bad ideas. But he's
been in Washington long enough that inertia would get him through
the presidency. Sarah Palin, by contrast, might decide to quit
without any warning.
|7.10.09 @ 3:28PM|#
For someone that is just a dead-end, there sure does seem a
whole lot of effort going on to discredit Palin. Other than being a
middle age guy that gets hot over the Tina Fey look, I really
haven't given much thought to Palin. Maybe I should, as with so
much energy going into attacking Palin, maybe there is something
good there.
One more point, how can anyone that is an Obama supporter attack
Palin for her supposed lack of experience? Every attack on Palin
about her "inexperience" highlights the Messiahs lack of anything
near experience. (Though, he does now have more time, give or take
a few days, as president than he did as a senator before starting
his run for President.) Palin may not be the brightest bulb in the
room, but she is a floodlight in comparison to Obama and the
fucking sun compared to Biden.
President Obama + VP Bidden + 60 seat senate + majority
house + Reid + Pelosi = we are so fucking fucked
She is even hotter holding a gun.
Agreed!
Mike|7.10.09 @ 3:33PM|#
Obama at least showed that he can run a really good campaign,
and that he can argue policy issues.
The lack of experience argument against her was mostly a product of
the fact that she couldn't argue a single policy
intelligently.
Obama is inexperienced, but at least he's educated, intelligent,
and well spoken. I've always gotten the impression that even if I
EXTREMELY disagree with his policies and often consider him a
sell-out, he at least did bother to think about his policies before
he talked about them.
|7.10.09 @ 3:42PM|#
Obama is a snake-oil salesman, and Palin and Biden are the dufuses in the crowd. We must do better. But how would YOU like to have your entire life and family dissected by the pack of yapping dogs of our 24/7 media? Most decent people don't want the intrusion and won't put their families through the hell of a campaign. Thus, we are left with megalomaniac assholes.
|7.10.09 @ 3:42PM|#
Mike: Obama ran a good campaign, even allowing for all the free
support he got from most of the media, including Reason - I'll give
you that. But argue policy positions, I call bullshit on that one.
Obama strings a bunch of nice sounding words together that mean
whatever the listener wants them to mean, but actually have a well
thought-out position - BS.
But, lets return to something more fun and productive - Obama's
life insurance policy - Joe Biden.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/kausfiles/archive/2009/07/07/joe-biden-the-perfect-diplomatic-weapon.aspx
24AheadDotCom|7.10.09 @ 3:50PM|#
To be frank, I DGAF about the "future of conservatism", I just
want someone to beat back the aholes. Palin could do that if
someone would sit down with her and coach her on not saying
Bachmann-like things. I'm not talking about the topics, but the way
she says them.
P.S. Guess who came up with "palling around"?
The McCain campaign. They should have beat the Ayers connection
into the ground, but they needed to do it in the correct way. It
was the McCain campaign - and not Palin - that came up with the
wrong way.
P.P.S. In case anyone replies to this, their responses will almost
assuredly be ad homs, thereby conceding my points and showing the
childish, anti-intellectual nature of libertarians.
kilroy|7.10.09 @ 3:50PM|#
I think Palin is waiting to see if she gets a better offer from the GOP or the porno industry.
|7.10.09 @ 3:57PM|#
24ahead, the problem, as I see it, is that the GOP is desparate. Desparation doesn't grant second chances. She may have been very good in 2012 or 2016, but she was brought up to the big league too soon and now we'll never know what she may have been capable of.
|7.10.09 @ 4:03PM|#
X, I'm cutting him some slack. He voiced an opinion without any shots at the locals. I can respect that.
LarryA|7.10.09 @ 4:06PM|#
I say this as someone who initially hoped she would be an
inspiring standard-bearer for conservative/libertarian feminism, a
model of a woman who had it all and was a winner, not a
victim.
Same here. I'm still deciding whether she was just a
disappointment, or someone with potential who got thrown to the
wolves too soon. Can she come back? I've watched too much politics
to lay cash on that bet, either way.
Cathy Young says Palin was the cause of the polarization and
'playing the victim.' What is she smoking?
Not sure what way you're disagreeing. Palin did "cause" the
polarization, simply by being who she was. (Or was supposed to be.)
There is a philosophy of hatred among Democrats/liberals that fixes
on any "minority" that doesn't follow the liberal stereotype for
that group. Blacks that don't act black are labeled "Oreos" and
treated like the most evil traitors to the Black cause. (Whatever
that really is.)
The liberal attacks on Palin began as soon as her name was uttered.
How dare she be a woman who was a mother of more than two children,
a member of the NRA, a Christian, conservative, etc. When liberals,
particularly liberal women, talk about her they get the same look
my wife gets when she thinks about rattlesnakes.
|7.10.09 @ 4:10PM|#
She had better be about to fire with her finger on the
trigger like that.
Well, there is a photojournalist downrange . . . .
|7.10.09 @ 4:12PM|#
Sarah is a conservative. The Repubs. who run the party are no different than the vile left wing liberals. Go make a few million Sarah for your family.
|7.10.09 @ 4:13PM|#
I think most around here would call me a liberal. (among other things) It was Palin coming across as dumber than a sack of hammers that bothered me.
jacob|7.10.09 @ 4:16PM|#
@ Barry Loberfeld - Well said, excellent essay
@ 24AheadDotCom - Part of the reason Palin is hated is her own
doing. She makes completely absurd comments, such as claiming that
the Iraq war was God's will or something or other:
http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2008Sep03/0,4670,CVNPalinIraqWar,00.html
As a Christian, I completely find this offensive. To say that a
pre-emptive and completely unwarranted invasion (to me) is God's
will nothing short of sacrilege. Unless, of course, I missed the
part in the Bible about invading other countries that never
attacked us.
Surely an "intellectual" like yourself can understand this.
BTW what are you doing on this website if you hate libertarians so
much? did you get tired of Townhall or Michelle Malkin?
|7.10.09 @ 4:16PM|#
Thank you for providing links, Mr. LoneWacko. (stares disapprovingly at that dumb fuck Tony)
|7.10.09 @ 4:28PM|#
Mike: i agree with Obama being so much more intelligent, educated, and wise to important decision making that you claim. After all look at his 20 czars, the collapse of two once great car companies, unemployment at 9.5% and climbing, giving in to leaders from all over the world, and using his great knowledge to pass the stimulus bill. Yep, that Palin chick has a surplus in spending in 2010, one of only 6 states (all republican) listens to the people instead of special interests, how uneducated can a person be? But, say Mike, we have an educated, Harvard elitist destroying our country and you are happy with that? How stupid can we common Americans be supporting a woman who wants less government, lower taxes, and a strong defense and went to 4 different schools before she could graduate verses an highly intelligent Harvard Law student who wants to grow government and tax us to death while borrowing from our children's future. You do indeed make a highly intelligent argument!
Paul|7.10.09 @ 4:33PM|#
Could someone a lot smarter than I (that would be pretty much
anyone, I'd assume) explain to me why politicians of all stripes
feel the need to place themselves in Michael Dukakis photo moments?
Why does Michael Dukakis don the helmet and drive around in the
tank? Why does Sarah Palin have to keep fondling assault weapons
(with Bayonet Lugs(tm)!!!)
Is it not enough to forcefully state your position:
I fully support, without nuance, the Second Amendment rights of the
citizens of this country. I oppose the assault weapon ban as it is
an abject failure of the understanding of firearms, firearm
mechanics, crime and its causes. I believe that the Second
Amendment applies to the fifty states, and if elected I will oppose
any restrictions on the right of the people to keep and bear
arms.
|7.10.09 @ 4:50PM|#
I notice some similarities between Obama and Palin.
Both are seen as inexperienced by their opponents.
Whether it is seen as a good thing or not, both are DC
outsiders.
Both rely on party idealism and partisanship to gain support.
Both are media darlings/punching bags.
Both are surrounded by lies and misconceptions (more than most
politicians).
Both are bad for America.
Craig|7.10.09 @ 4:51PM|#
Why shouldn't Palin extoll the virtues of the residents of the
heartland and the hinterlands? Can't she be a "wise rural mother",
to paraphrase a recent Supreme Court nominee?
And holding your own in a debate with Joe Biden isn't much to brag
about -- it's like holding your own in a boxing match, with George
Will rather than George Foreman.
Some Guy|7.10.09 @ 4:52PM|#
I can't think of a better personification of everything that is
wrong with America than Sarah Palin.
Yep, that Palin chick has a surplus in spending in
2010
And her state is sitting on a giant oil field. It's pretty easy to
have a surplus when you don't even have to tax people to pay for
your budget.
How stupid can we common Americans be supporting a woman who
wants less government, lower taxes, and a strong defense
I have seen no evidence to support the belief that electing her
would have led to any of these things. These are exactly the same
things they said about Bush, and she is basically a female version
of him (although at least a real Alaskan is better than a fake
Texan.)
My impression of her, based on hearing her speak, is that she'd do
all the wasteful spending that Obama does, but with additional
wasteful spending in Iraq and a bunch of "family values" crap
thrown in for good measure.
Craig|7.10.09 @ 4:53PM|#
Why does Sarah Palin have to keep fondling assault weapons
(with Bayonet Lugs(tm)!!!)
Is it not enough to forcefully state your position:
A picture is worth a thousand words. If a politician won't pose
with heavy weaponry, do you really trust the words coming out of
his or her mouth?
Paul|7.10.09 @ 4:54PM|#
Whether it is seen as a good thing or not, both are DC
outsiders.
Are they? May I remind you that Obama was Senator Obama. No, not a
senior senator, but a senator nonetheless. He may not be a
full-blown superheterodyne insider ala Ted Kennedy, but an outsider
he's not.
Both are media darlings/punching bags.
Ok, aside from Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity, what mainstream media
source is using Obama as a punching bag?*
*disclaimer, I listen to NPR for most of my straight news so...
Questions?|7.10.09 @ 4:55PM|#
Where did left titty ...errr i mean lefiti go? Why doesn't
Lonewacko use that moniker anymore? Where is Joe?
I leave for a small amount of time and everything
changes...WTF?!?!
Paul|7.10.09 @ 4:55PM|#
A picture is worth a thousand words. If a politician won't
pose with heavy weaponry, do you really trust the words coming out
of his or her mouth?
I suppose it depends on the politician. I mean, what's to stop one
from interpreting the picture as your leader(s) holding you at
gunpoint?
LibertarianBlue|7.10.09 @ 4:55PM|#
What makes Palin Libertarian again? She is a member of the religious right which is very anti-libertarian.
Craig|7.10.09 @ 4:56PM|#
Obama is inexperienced, but at least he's educated,
intelligent, and well spoken.
I keep hearing that, but every time I hear him speak he says
something really stupid, but with a lot of deliberate pauses that I
guess people mistake for intellectual reflection or
profundity.
What he actually does is even worse.
hmm|7.10.09 @ 5:01PM|#
She is even hotter holding a previously banned assault
weapon.
Fixed and agreed.
It's kind of funny "free market people" seem somewhat displeased
about here leaving office to pursue a chance to make money.
Paul|7.10.09 @ 5:03PM|#
It's kind of funny "free market people" seem somewhat
displeased about here leaving office to pursue a chance to make
money.
Any politician who leaves office is a good politician. The problem
is the position is refilled.
That's what's so great about the private sector. When a company is
in financial straits and a person quits, often the position isn't
refilled. Government should do the same.
|7.10.09 @ 5:08PM|#
I think if Palin had been left alone and allowed to "cook" for a
couple more years in the state-politics oven before, say, a Senate
run, she could've been a force in the national spectrum.
But not knowing any Supreme Court case barring Roe v. Wade? C'mon,
at least say "Dred Scott got shafted" or something. The blank stare
in response to that question on the Couric interview looked just
like one of the deer she aims that thing at before pulling the
trigger. Just meat on the table for the sharks in D.C. if you're
that out of the loop.
I'm no establishment intellectual, and I think the Ivy League crew
is an incompetent cabal for the most part...but holy shit being
proud of not reading anything is not in itself a qualification for
President, or anything else really.
|7.10.09 @ 5:19PM|#
After 8 years of Bush The Younger and 4 or 8 years of Obama, I
have three words to describe a potential President Sarah Palin
administration:
Par for course.
dave|7.10.09 @ 5:31PM|#
Episiarch | July 10, 2009, 3:18pm | #
She had better be about to fire with her finger on the trigger like
that.
Pretty sure that's a FTS as the barrel is plugged and
there's no magazine in it.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2009/03/mil-090316-afns02.htm
24AheadDotCom|7.10.09 @ 5:33PM|#
If jacob had seen my list of smears against Sarah Palin, he wouldn't have written the false bit about Iraq above. That was one of the first the MSM offered, and it's false.
jacob|7.10.09 @ 5:59PM|#
Sir,
I got that link from FOX News. And you're wrong, it's not false.
It's on YouTube if you don't believe me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnGSk6N0Ugg
Tim|7.10.09 @ 6:16PM|#
I completely agree with the article that Sarah Palin right now
is bad for conservatism and libertarianism; however she is young
and now has a ton of free time and if she just locked herself up
and read the federalist papers, John Locke, F.A. Hayek, J.S. Mill,
Aristotle and other classical liberal/republican thinkers that
contributed the intellectual foundation of our country and the
libertarian philosophy she could possibly become a formidable
opponent. Shes not to old to learn a new trick.
However this idea that President Obama is much better doesn't hold
up very well. At least I can fix Palin down on a position,
President Obama just speaks in vague, albeit beautiful generalities
that mean whatever the listener wants them to mean. He won by
simultaneously convincing the far left he was one of them and the
moderates that he was one of them as well, and one can't be both
unless one gets darling media treatment that doesn't hold one to
account. Being articulate is not a substitute for good ideas, I
know tons of articulate and intelligent college humanities
professors I wouldn't let near the strings of power.
|7.10.09 @ 6:35PM|#
At least I can fix Palin down on a position
Name one. Just because her positions are simple (Drill Here Drill
Now!) doesn't mean she's got a sound political philosophy.
President Obama just speaks in vague, albeit beautiful generalities that mean whatever the listener wants them to mean.
By now if you don't think Obama takes positions or has a political
philosophy, you just aren't paying attention.
What worries me is that Obama will fail, not necessarily because he
lacks the ability, but because failure could be inevitable given
the scale of the problems. That will automatically be an indictment
of him and Democrats, and then Americans will decide maybe going
with the airheaded theocrat again is the right idea.
SIV|7.10.09 @ 7:35PM|#
She is a member of the religious right which is very
anti-libertarian.
The "religous right" that sends Ron Paul back to Congress every two
years? Yeah, they HATE libertarians.
johnny john john|7.10.09 @ 7:35PM|#
Yeah Obama's not that bad.
Listening to Obama's speeches, however invokes a certain sense of
inclusion. Obama mentions every single important group he can think
of in every speech. I think that is actually quite impressive. He
is the first president to ever mention atheists in a good light in
his speech. Obama's speeches also invoke a sense of a man willing
to compromise between different groups. I believe "compromise" is
one of the most important things to do in a democracy, where you
can never get everyone to agree. Yah maybe Obama doesn't really
talk about specific policy in his speeches. But I don't think
speeches are a good forum to express policy (especially in things
like the economy and gov't restructuring (say in healthcare). Such
things are better expressed in papers anyways. Describing complex
policy would be like describing how to make a space shuttle: It can
be done, but will take unnecessarily long and be boring as
hell.
Tricky Prickears|7.10.09 @ 7:38PM|#
if she just locked herself up and read the federalist
papers, John Locke, F.A. Hayek, J.S. Mill, Aristotle and other
classical liberal/republican thinkers that contributed the
intellectual foundation of our country
Maybe, if she joined the Free Masons.
SIV|7.10.09 @ 7:39PM|#
She is even hotter holding a previously banned assault
weapon.
If the AR is select fire (likely-she's shooting with military in
that pic IIRC) and post-'86 manufacture it is still banned.
hmm|7.10.09 @ 8:51PM|#
As mentioned before it looks like an Army weapons training
system. Aimpoint + a light color in flash hider + the giant cord
coming out of the bottom in front of the magazine well + the
photographer standing in front of a gun with a woman with her
finger on the trigger. No kidding it's military, the blond in the
back is in BDUs. (I'm a super sleuth!!)
Yes there is a pseudo ban on MG not NFA registered pre 86. That is
they will not register anymore per a really shady vote in Congress
and Ronny Reagan signing the bill. You can register new MG post 86
with a class III license. The class III license must remain current
or your post 86 weapons are to be destroyed or sold to another
class III dealer. So you can make and own post 86 fully automatic
weapons as long as you have a class III license.
|7.10.09 @ 11:45PM|#
I still say that there are at least 6 fingers on the forestock. I'm not quite sure how. Photoshop comes to mind.
Art-P.O.G.|7.11.09 @ 2:28AM|#
As mentioned before it looks like an Army weapons training system.
Good points, and with the photographer standing downrange, I hope it's a training system, yuk yuk yuk.
Ebeneezer Scrooge|7.11.09 @ 3:02AM|#
I still say that there are at least 6 fingers on the
forestock. I'm not quite sure how.
......
Two sets of knuckles. Her hand is twisted around the
handguard.
Sounds a little kinky. I wonder, was she just born that way or did
she have it done surgically?
loupeznik|7.11.09 @ 5:50PM|#
"A picture is worth a thousand words. If a politician won't pose
with heavy weaponry, do you really trust the words coming out of
his or her mouth?"
And right you are Dave. It is a fake rifle. You can see the air
hose sticking out of the magazine well.
In the Marine Corps we called it ISMIT.
The Indoor Simulated Marksmanship Trainer. Politicians and fakery
go hand in hand.
Epicurus|7.11.09 @ 6:49PM|#
Palin is the true exemplification of the Republican base. The
best thing that could happen for America is that Palin becomes the
Republican standard bearer in 2012.
"The world needs more Trigs, not fewer."
Dream ticket: Palin/Bachmann.
Kreel Sarloo|7.11.09 @ 9:31PM|#
"Dream ticket: Palin/Bachmann."
Dream ticket for comedians, maybe.
It would be off the scale for comedic value.
I can't decide if Palin/Bachmann would be stupidx2 or stupid
squared?
You really want the GOP marginalized for a decade?
Kreel Sarloo|7.11.09 @ 9:40PM|#
however she is young and now has a ton of free time and if she just locked herself up and read the federalist papers, John Locke, F.A. Hayek, J.S. Mill, Aristotle and other classical liberal/republican thinkers that contributed the intellectual foundation of our country and the libertarian philosophy she could possibly become a formidable opponent.
Sorry, but if she hasn't had the inclination to do any of those
things by now its not likely she will any time soon.
It's not that she is unintelligent (it's qite obvious that she is
quite smart) it's that she so remarkably uncurious.
Some Guy|7.11.09 @ 10:01PM|#
Palin is the true exemplification of the Republican base.
The best thing that could happen for America is that Palin becomes
the Republican standard bearer in 2012.
How would Obama winning 40+ states be good for the country?
MJ|7.12.09 @ 9:56AM|#
"It's not just the "liberal elites" that found Palin clueless;
so did many in her own camp."
What's annoying is that most these people who found Palin clueless
and inexperienced had little or nothing to say about Biden's
inanities and Obama's lack of accomplishment. For some reason these
things that disqualified Palin mattered not to the anointed one's
ticket.
MJ|7.12.09 @ 10:02AM|#
"I think most around here would call me a liberal. (among other
things) It was Palin coming across as dumber than a sack of hammers
that bothered me."-brotherben
But does Biden being dumber than sack of hammers bother you at
all?
MJ|7.12.09 @ 10:08AM|#
"Obama mentions every single important group he can think of in
every speech. I think that is actually quite impressive. He is the
first president to ever mention atheists in a good light in his
speech."
Proving that atheists are low self-esteem sluts.
|7.12.09 @ 10:40AM|#
Come on man. You gotta love a guy who was one of the biggest
advocates for the *war on drugs*. Made the mistake of voting for
the war in Iraq, then voted against the surge?
Has been sucking off the national tit more than half his adult
life?
Has two hooked up lobbyist sons..........
Ok, that is enough for today.
Obama, McCain, Biden, Palin. What a motley crew that was.
|7.12.09 @ 1:40PM|#
Ms Young is clueless on Palin.
It sounds to me like Ms Young has a big problem with Gov Palin's
religous perspective and relating areas.
I wouldn't expect that many Libertarians especially the Libertarian
supper club crowd would view Gov Palin favorably. A lot of the same
crowd that nips at the ankles of Ayn Rand's legacy.
Ron Rand for Senate 2010
Epicurus|7.12.09 @ 2:27PM|#
'Dream ticket: Palin/Bachmann.'
"Dream ticket for comedians, maybe."
This ticket would truly reflect the vast majority of
Republicans.
The Libertarian Guy|7.12.09 @ 4:56PM|#
"Said she was wishing back in Jan and Feb that she could get her
hands on all that media money.'
Well, at least she's a capitalist...
jacob|7.12.09 @ 7:31PM|#
"Proving that atheists are low self-esteem sluts."
Obama mentions atheists in a positive light, therefore they are low
self-esteem sluts? I think you need to get a refund for that logic
class you took in community college.
Who's Ron Rand? Are you talking about Rand Paul? Ron Paul? If you
are, I'm fully behind you.
|7.12.09 @ 7:31PM|#
It sounds to me like Ms Young has a big problem with Gov
Palin's religous perspective and relating areas.
That's because a growing number of people are sick of the fucking
religion of politicians.
I can only speak for the many former Republicans I know, but here
are their top three reasons for bailing on the GOP:
1. Jesus
2. Jesus
3. Jesus
And some of them are regular churchgoers, but can't stand to see it
mixed with politics. The rest want to kick every devout Christian
in the crotch for their complicity in handing the country over to
the Left. They are also behind the dumbing down of this culture and
turning it against science, math, etc.
Evangelical religion and small government will never be bedfellows.
It's the religion, stupid!
So along come Sarah Palin and her creationism and witchcraft and
bullshit piled on bullshit. She was politically DOA with most folks
I know *before* the Couric interview.
MJ|7.13.09 @ 7:01AM|#
"Obama mentions atheists in a positive light, therefore they are
low self-esteem sluts?"
No. Read for comprehension please. If an atheist gives his support
to Obama for the reason that he mentioned atheists in a positive
light then the atheist is selling his support on the cheap. It's an
unimportant gesture compared to the other crap Obama is
pushing.
MJ|7.13.09 @ 7:08AM|#
"So along come Sarah Palin and her creationism and witchcraft
and bullshit piled on bullshit."
Given her known history as an officeholder, what did Sarah Palin
actually do to mix religion and politics in an unacceptable
fashion?
I do not think the GOP's problem is religion, the problem has been
the GOP's recent tendency to try and beat Democrat's and the Dems
terms, i.e. increasing government spending.
|7.13.09 @ 9:41AM|#
"Given her known history as an officeholder, what did Sarah
Palin actually do to mix religion and politics in an unacceptable
fashion?"
Given her short, unremarkable history of quitting, I'm not sure her
"history" means much. She spent a lot of her time fighting
corruption charges, and the other part of her time doing things
that got her investigated for corruption. As far as substance, all
we have is her "us vs. them, white Christians/real Americans under
attack" rhetoric. Deny it all you want.
|7.13.09 @ 9:43AM|#
"If an atheist gives his support to Obama for the reason
that he mentioned atheists in a positive light then the atheist is
selling his support on the cheap."
Well, many atheists lean in that direction already because of, you
know, the religious right, the GOP, and the gang of possible
candidates that can't say enough about how much they love Jesus and
don't believe science.
Epicurus|7.13.09 @ 1:47PM|#
"I don't know that atheists should be regarded as citizens, nor
should they be regarded as patriotic. This is one nation under
God."
George H. W. Bush
http://www.robsherman.com/advocacy/060401a.htm
Support Palin/Bachmann in 2012!!!
|7.13.09 @ 4:00PM|#
For those who don't pay attention (and apparently Cathy Young
doesn't) to what Andrew Sullivan actually writes:
The narcissism, the pathological and incessant lying, the
viciousness, the delusions of grandeur, the vindictiveness, the
fathomless and proud ignorance, the opportunism, the vanity, the
white trash concupiscence and fraudulence in almost every respect:
these are now indisputable.
"Palin Derangement Syndrome"? Seriously, how can you read that and
ignore everything else? How can you watch the Charlie
Gibson and Katie Couric interviews, laden with softball questions
that she clanked, and not come to the conclusion that she's an
ignoramus, a fool, an incompetent? Cathy Young comes down with the
disease she claims Sully has. Projecting, much?
Epicurus|7.13.09 @ 4:37PM|#
"she's an ignoramus, a fool, an incompetent"
She is the Republican everyman. She personifies the essence of the
modern Republican Party.
Palin/Bachmann 2012!!!
Epicurus|7.13.09 @ 4:42PM|#
We believe in the collective wisdom of individual
ignorance.
Palin/Bachmann 2012!!!
jacob|7.13.09 @ 5:03PM|#
MJ
Sir, can you post examples of atheists backing Obama 'cause he
mentioned them in a positive light? I can think of a few atheists
who can't stand the man.
MJ|7.14.09 @ 6:35AM|#
jacob,
Look at "johnny john john" post at 7:35 pm on 7-10, that's what I
was responsing to.
MJ|7.14.09 @ 7:07AM|#
Well, many atheists lean in that direction already because of,
you know, the religious right,..."
Lamar, Oh yes, the secularist's bogeyman. That being skeptical
about ceertain conclusions of science is "not believing" science
wholsale. Secularist ignoring that mandating teaching science as an
unquestionable dogma is neither good for teaching scientific method
or that it puts science in tension with 1st amendment rights.
|7.14.09 @ 3:17PM|#
I think Palin's popularity with Republicans shows the huge divide that exists between the traditionalists in the party and the libertarians. As one who counts himself in the latter group, her popularity convinces me more and more that we need to make the Libertarian party a viable alternative, as I could never even think about voting for someone so clearly ignorant of geo-politics and economics. Her joining the McCain ticket sealed the deal to not vote for him last go round.
Paul Ball|7.16.09 @ 1:01AM|#
"...the usual conservative derision of emotion-based liberal
politics."
What the hell is Cathy Young smoking? From the early 1960s, the
Republican Party has been the party of paranoia and vindictiveness,
which seem to be triggered by emotions. Do you think people listen
to Rush Limbaugh because he provides sober analyses? No, it's
because he stokes people's emotions, most notably anger and
self-pity!
|7.18.09 @ 11:21AM|#
Palin speaks with clarity and common sense. She stands on her
commitments, does not pander, is honest with her constituents and
has accomplished much for Alaska. Cathy Young is apparently
enamored with the path our current president took. It's a sad
commentary on our collective psyche that a straight talking, moral
woman is looked down on, while an amoral, liar is revered.
And scandals, Cathy, what scandals? That her daughter was pregnant?
That's life not scandal.
Self pitying? You're wrong, she points out in strong language what
every conservative knows about the media. Or were you referring to
her defending her family against Letterman -that's not self
pity.
Anyone who speaks up for conservatism is an asset. A beautiful,
charismatic speaker even more so.
|7.18.09 @ 3:30PM|#
"Kreel Sarloo | July 11, 2009, 9:40pm | #
however she is young and now has a ton of free time and if she just
locked herself up and read the federalist papers, John Locke, F.A.
Hayek, J.S. Mill, Aristotle and other classical liberal/republican
thinkers that contributed the intellectual foundation of our
country and the libertarian philosophy she could possibly become a
formidable opponent.
Sorry, but if she hasn't had the inclination to do any of those
things by now its not likely she will any time soon.
It's not that she is unintelligent (it's qite obvious that she is
quite smart) it's that she so remarkably uncurious."
Kreel, there are times when it's important for political leaders to
have incorporated those thinker's body of knowledge - like when
forming a new government. Then there are times when political
leaders are needed who will defend a system already in place.
Different skills needed for different times. We don't need a
political philosophy professor right now. We need a doer, a
reformer, a sweep out the corrupt, business as usual, screw the
taxpayers so I can dole out favors, political class. You don't
know, nor does it matter whether or not Governor Palin has read
your favorites. She incorporates their ideas instinctively.
PatrickSMcNally|10.11.09 @ 9:28PM|#
I had the impression that Palin was picked up by McCain simply as a way of guaranteeing a respectable vote in a lost eelction. It's hard to picture her counting for more than that. As I recall my impressions of the election, there were 3 main groups which stood out as seeming important. These were:
1) The segment of traditional Republican voters who had grown sick of Bush and resolved to vote against Republicans in the 2008 election. This groups showed signs of a surge which worked against the Republican candidate.
2) Traditional non-voters who had become sufficiently fed up with 8 years of Bush that they resolved to get out and vote against Republicans. This group also surged to the advantage of the Democrats.
3) Traditional Christian voters who based their voting very heavily around abortion issues at the expense of much else. This group was appalled to hear of a possible McCain-Lieberman ticket and would likely have abstained from voting if given such a choice.
Somewhere along the way, McCain realized that he was at risk of experiencing an unprecedented defeat with a surge in sections of the Republican voting base going over to the Democrats, an increase in the registration of typical non-voters who would lean towards the Democrats, and an abstention from voting by other Republican voters for whom abortion was the all-deciding issue. McCain saved himself from what could have been a landslide Obama victory by taking on Palin and guaranteeing that Christian fundies would come out to vote for him. That meant that his loss was not as bad as it could have been. But future Republican calculations will rest upon how far Obama disappoints people.
M. Simon|10.19.09 @ 5:34PM|#
Cathy,
You will never get Palin because she is not a member of the elite club you cleverly name dropped in the beginning of your piece.
If Mrs. Palin can change the course of political discussion with an entry on Facebook you may need to build higher walls or a deeper moat to protect your elite status.
And I say all this as a traitor to my class. I'm a U Chicago alumnus. As is my #2 son.
M. Simon|10.19.09 @ 5:59PM|#
A cut down of the elitists who don't understand Palin by Obama supporter Camille Paglia:
http://powerandcontrol.blogspo.....bbery.html
M. Simon|10.19.09 @ 6:02PM|#
The NY fn Times says Palin is smart. They quote an Obama supporter.
http://powerandcontrol.blogspo.....tupid.html
Evidently most of you rubes (Cathy?) have been misinformed.
Leave a Comment
More Articles by Cathy Young
- When Cultures Clash, Cathy Young, November 24, 2009
- Men's Rights, Cathy Young, November 23, 2009
- The Rise of Communist Nostalgia, Cathy Young, November 16, 2009
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- My Body, Their Choice, Peter Suderman, November 18, 2009
- The Palin Experience, David Harsanyi, November 18, 2009
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