July 6, 2009
Reflections on Palin
As the token conservative of the flock, I found this analysis almost spot on:
Had she refused John McCain, Palin would still be a popular female governor in a Republican Party starved for future stars. Her scandals would be the stuff of local politics, her daughter’s pregnancy a minor story in the Lower 48, her son Trig’s parentage a nonissue even for conspiracy theorists. There would still be plenty of time to ease into the national spotlight, to bone up on the issues, and to craft a persona more appealing than the Mrs. Spiro Agnew role the McCain campaign assigned to her.
Most important, nobody would have realized yet how much she looks like Tina Fey.
But she said yes. It wasn’t the right thing to do, in hindsight, but it was certainly the human thing. She was coming off a charmed rise through statewide politics. John McCain was offering her a spot on a national ticket. It was the chance of a lifetime.
And now, seemingly, it’s over. Oh, maybe not forever: she’s only 45, young enough (and, yes, talented enough) to have a second act. But last Friday’s bizarre, rambling resignation speech should take her off the political map for the duration of the Obama era.
That said, I have never really been a fan of Palin for reasons that don’t really matter anymore since she pretty much boffed her career. Obliquely related: this photograph is hilarious.
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I found her a sort of female W–the adult versions of the kids in high school who thought they were cooler and better than everyone else.
I’ll go along with the points you cite here. But when Douthat goes on to cast Palin as ‘the democratic ideal’ in contrast to Obama as ‘the meritocratic ideal’, that piece just falls apart.
I’m with Winslow on this.
“great success story” doesn’t pass the smell test.
“Our president represents the meritocratic ideal — that anyone, from any background, can grow up to attend Columbia and Harvard Law School and become a great American success story. But Sarah Palin represents the democratic ideal — that anyone can grow up to be a great success story without graduating from Columbia and Harvard.”
read as…
President Obama represents those annoying egg-heads who think they know it all because they went to college but don’t have a lick of common sense;
Sarah Palin is one of us; uneducated, but full of common sense, and respectful of Our Lord Jesus. Besides she’s hot!
Holy christ save us…
Hence “…almost spot on:”
The problem, however, isn’t that Mr. Douthat is wrong, but that he is glossing (at least) three different narratives into one simple binary. The spin is what betrays Douthat’s political perspective.
Three narratives that often get confused, conflated, conjoined, and charactured, mostly to legitimize a perspective or mollify a particular personal frustration:
1. Common sense/ visceral wisdom versus sophistication
2. Religious versus atheistic
3. Haves and have-nots
I think what continually frustrated political commentators and the general public is how unusual some of the candidates, specifically Palin and Obama from the last election were.
The reality, of course, is that the both embody meritocracy and democracy, but each falls into the three categories above in very different ways.
I also neglected to mention the relationship between the Red versus Blue and the Midwest versus Coastal, but those are too difficult to parse in a comment thread, I think.
“I also neglected to mention the relationship between the Red versus Blue and the Midwest versus Coastal, but those are too difficult to parse in a comment thread, I think”
Nah…pretty common sense there, right?
; ‘ )
I finally took the time to read what my favorite political blogger had to say about Palin stepping down. Here’s a snippet:
I admit, it hadn’t even occurred to me that stepping down could actually enhance her ability to run in 2012.
Interesting. I like the concept. I’ll have to think about that.