Linking this great post by James V. DeLong, a better example of a Harvard Law grad. "We need more Palins, not fewer."
Go forth and read it, whether or not you are a fan of Sarah Palin. Because you are a thinker of politics, or you wouldn't be reading this.
This essay is an exposé of our American Politburo, those who are now deciding for us who should and should not represent us, and how 'insider trading' between the punditocracy and the 'chosen few' in the Beltway forms with force our public opinions.
Do you know of anyone who bashes Sarah Palin who can give lucid reasons for their hatreds, formed from their own thoughts and not those fed to them by the pundits who serve the 'inside the beltway' crowd that makes up our 'betters'?
Sarah Palin and the Dysfunctional Political Class
The frenetic hostility to Sarah Palin, even by many on the Republican side, is unnerving, because her qualifications to be president are objectively better than those of almost anyone who has been on the national ticket over the past decade.
A reasonable conclusion is that these qualifications are precisely the cause of the hostility. To admit to the reality that the dominant political class, including the MSM and the punditocracy of both parties, has been giving us abysmal presidential candidates, to accept that a hockey mom plucked from small-town Alaska is better than the best that the political class can come up with, would require recognition of the terrible truth that the system has become deeply dysfunctional. Doing this would force our political elites to look into an abyss of serious questions about the functioning of our democracy. Palin creates a cognitive dissonance so intense that it simply cannot be accepted.There's many examples, comparative contrasts, used in this essay: George Bush, Al Gore, Dick Cheney. And Barack Obama.
Go forth and read it, whether or not you are a fan of Sarah Palin. Because you are a thinker of politics, or you wouldn't be reading this.
This essay is an exposé of our American Politburo, those who are now deciding for us who should and should not represent us, and how 'insider trading' between the punditocracy and the 'chosen few' in the Beltway forms with force our public opinions.
Do you know of anyone who bashes Sarah Palin who can give lucid reasons for their hatreds, formed from their own thoughts and not those fed to them by the pundits who serve the 'inside the beltway' crowd that makes up our 'betters'?
16 comments:
That article is a joke, right?
Oh, wait, i get it... this is a sort of Dadaist counterculture thing.... you know, where one believes that the simple earthen sculptures of an illiterate Hindu farmer are superior to Michelangelo's David, because they are "authentic"... or that the off-key yelpings of a teenage punk band are superior to the greatest symphony, because they are "unschooled and emotional."
In that fashion, yes, Sarah Palin would indeed be the greatest politician of all time.
My, my, i had no idea you were so avant-garde, Serr8d! You're just full of surprises.
^__^
Tell me, in your own words, without a hint of regurgitation of the political pablum you've consumed in your travels in lefty MSM and blogworld, just what's wrong with the message DeLong is presenting in his essay? Try to avoid the 'Sarah Palin' references. I wouldn't have you upchucking on my carpet (your routine shitting on it is bad enough).
Just, for once, address the theory that elitists shouldn't be leveraging their choices on the political zeitgeist, and 'average' citizens can actually be allowed to perform, and probably do excellent work.
Unless, of course, you've enjoy having been spoonfed your pasty beliefs without having to digest.
You may use links.
Heh. Too good not to link.
It is obvious that all Palin wants is POWER. If she were to be elected I am quite certain she would exercise it to take over 1/6 of the economy by force, threaten to have civilian brown shirts greater in number and better funded than our Army, propose involuntary servitude programs for our children, support would-be dictators for life in South America, threaten to bankrupt entire industries, give cover to messianic middle eastern governments so they can develop nuclear weapons while at the same time making us as dependent as possible on foreign energy supplies, fill her cabinet with radicals and engage in every petty corruption and misuse of power that so characterizes the politics in her native land of Chicago... um, I mean Alaska.
I mean, it is not like her political philosophy is one of allowing the greatest possible autonomy to the citizens of the country, and it is not like she ever took on corrupt politicians in her own party. She has the whole press corp ideologically aligned with her views and none of them would ever dare utter a word against her. Her lust for power is evident to all but the most blind. I bet she would even put a surcharge on every fossil fuel we use in support of her wacky and scientifically unsupportable religious beliefs!
And STUPID! Lord, do you want to talk about stupid? I bet she would not even know what a price to earnings ratio is or how many states there are in the union! The woman can't even speak without the aid of a teleprompter and has to have people write her own books for her. It is madness I tell you. Madness! And she would probably think that it is her job to tell us all how to inflate our tires or the proper way to cover our mouths when we cough like she is our mother or something.
And please, spare us the embarrassment of having such an ignorant hick in the Oval Office. I bet she would be historically illiterate enough to turn her back on the Poles on the very anniversary of their invasion by the Soviets. I bet she would be narcissistic enough to give copies of her speeches as gifts to foreign dignitaries so they can educate themselves. She is such a rube I bet she would choose tacky and fraudulent artworks to adorn the White House walls. Her idea of "smart diplomacy" would probably be to give big plastic "reset" buttons that look like they were bought at the discount aisle at Wal-Mart to the regime that was the greatest enemy of democracy in the 20th century, or to bow to a tyrannical Saudi King in some ignorant attempt at etiquette.
Yeah, we really dodged a bullet there didn't we! HA! Take that you right wing nut jobs!
Good lord, is there a way to make copy/paste work in your notes here?
Doesn't seem to be. There's no way i'm retyping everything i wrote last year on this subject, so i'm going to summarize my views is short, concise bullet points.
-- Her experience consists of one-and-a-half years as governor, with six years as a part-time mayor of a tiny town where whe only voted to break ties and postiton was largely ceremionial. No education or apparent knowledge of history or global politics.
-- Her speeches are limited and repetitive, shows no ability to think on feet. Gives rambling, incoherent responses to common questions. Unable to name a single Supreme Court case besides Roe v. Wade.
-- Fundamentalist Christian, believes that Creationism should be taught in schools. Opposes abortion even in cases of incest and rape. Believes in divity of Jesus Christ and other mythic figures. These views qualify her as not just arrogant and cold-hearted, but literally insane.
-- Shaky ethics, apparently used position as governor to seek vengeance on sister's ex-husband. Spent $50,000 taxpayer money redecorating office while feeding supporters boilerplate speeches about cutting wasteful spending.
-- Wasteful. When building the multimillion-dollar hockey stadium in Wasilla, she approved a bond issue for the project before the land had been secured, resulting in legal battle that forced taxpayers to pay six times the original market price for facility. Paid for debacle with 25% increase in city sales tax.
-- Dishonest. Supported Bridge to Nowhere until project became nationally infamous, then opposed the bridge, but kept the the taxpayer money allocated for it. Claimed fiscal shrewdness by selling private jet on eBay, when in fact the sale of the jet resulted in $600,000 loss to taxpayers.
-- Dangerously provincial. Shows no interest in people or issues apart from those of white, wealthy Christians. No understanding of challenges faced by large cities, urban poor, legal immigrants, others. Inability to moderate, build consensus, forge alliances. Would continue Bush's disastrous "I am right and everyone else is wrong, now you're either with us or against us" style of leadership.
-- Actually did say that being close to Russia bestows foreign policy credentials, despite no records of her engaging in meetings with Russian officials. "We have trade missions back and forth. We do. It's very important when you even consider national security issues with Russia. As Putin rears his head and comes into the airspace of the United States of America, where do they go? It's Alaska. It's right over the border. It is from Alaska that we send out those to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there, they are right next to our state."
-- Quitter. No spine or toughness. Left office when challenged and given more lucrative opportunity as author/celebrity. Blames media for shortcomings. Displays traits of narcissism and paranoia. Demands special accomodations, lobbied to have format of VP debate with Joe Biden changed to allow shorter answers and no follow-up questions to allow her to give prepared answers without being questioned. Was still badly beaten by Biden regardless.
-- Married to a sucessionist. Shows sympathies to organizations with treasonous motives.
-- Impractical. Supports abstinence-only education despite evidence of ineffectivenss. Continues support even after own teenaged daughter accidentally impregnated by unfit father. Wilfully ignorant and proud of it.
-- Has unbelievably annoying voice and manner that makes most sane people recoil.
...whew, that's all i have time for tonight.
You know, i misunderstood. I was giving reasons why Sarah Palin is unqualified, and not the issue raised in that inane article.
Mr. Delong argues that the political class in America is too insular to allow access to talented outsiders. This is true in many cases.... but not all. How else could an unknown black junior senator from Illinois ascend to the presidency so quickly? Clearly, outsiders can go far in politics if they have the goods.
Palin's "real world" qualifications are already pretty thin. I've already talked about her incompetence in handling Alaska's affairs. But Delong's statement that she would be a successful executive because she "has skills in handling people" is laughable, since she has shown herself to be petty, vindictive, and uncompromising.
All in all, this article is a pitiful attempt to raise the hackles of the commoners by saying that Palin isn't taken seriously because those darn rich, smarty-snobs won't let them into her special club. They think they're too good for common morons like Sarahcuda, so they think they're too good for you! Those dastards!
You really fall for this tripe?
Getting things done in Washington and engaging in world diplomacy are not "kabuki theater." That's the job. That's what we hire them for.
If i was hiring someone to build a bridge, i would choose someone with an engineering degree and a track record of successes, not some spirited outsider who kinda-sorta knows how things work. I wouldn't care if they reflected my own personal demographic, or if they were attractive, or because they liked the same outdoor activities that i did.
Of course, this is all moot. Palin is out of politics and will not be a contender in 2012.
Good riddance to bad rubbish.
..............hmm, still no response.
I win another one!
-swish-
No you don't.
You've managed to regurgitate the sour bromides and talking points given you by your elite lefty 'betters'. You didn't come up with any of those on your own; every single point you mention is floating around in the lefty blogosphere, and the punditocracy. Just because you've re-spewed these minor points doesn't mean I have to respond to each one.
I really don't care what you think of Sarah Palin. Won't change my opinion of her one iota; I still think she would make a better choice than the TOTUS now in Office (not saying much; a yellow dog would prolly do a better job than Obama).
Here. Take this test; report back your score. I scored "Populist Conservative". So did Sarah Palin, but I was closer to the 'populist' line than she.
(I've noticed you never leave any links. Are you HTML-challenged? NTTAWWT... )
Wait, you're kidding, right?
It amazes me how you people think.
Sarah Palin quitting office is a fact. It is not an opinion.
Sarah Palin's idiotic quote about her state's proximity to Russia is a fact. It is not an opinion.
Sarah Palin's mishandling of the hockey stadium's financing is a fact. It is not an opinion.
Bristol's accidental pregnancy and her mother's stance on sex education are both facts. They are not opinions.
You are pulling that sad old trick whereby any information that i gather from television, radio, or print is immediately disqualified because it's not first-hand observational knowledge, and is therefore just "opinion." Whether it's true or not, it's all just "opinion."
Nonsense, of course. As if your criticisms of Obama come not from media, but from you actually following the man around, observing his actions with your own two eyes, and personally reading the documents he signs?
No, sir, everything you know of Obama, everything you will ever know of the man comes from the media, the same way that everything i know about Palin comes from the media. In all likelihood, we will never meet either.
But if you say that you oppose Obama's healthcare plan because if will cost 926 billion dollars over ten years -- i would not say "that's just your opinion! you're just repeating a sour bromide you heard from Ralph Bristol!" because it is an accepted fact.
Facts exist, sir.
And the facts about Sarah Palin's unfitness for office are pretty damning.
(Now, the part about her voice being annoying? That is an opinion, and also the only observation gleaned from first-hand sensory knowledge. I'd rather whittle the tip of my dick off with a carrot peeler than listen to that woman bray for ten minutes straight. Dear god, how can someone so hot sound so goddamned unsexy?)
you need to recheck that amount for health care., it's going to be closer to two trillion in the long road ahead.
That's a little far from the point of the argument, rncman. Since no one knows how much it will cost exactly, let's just say "a great deal of money" and leave it at that. The exact number is not an issue here.
"The exact number is not an issue here."
The IRONY, it BURNS!
A socialist doesn't care how much it costs, s/he only cares that s/he needs it, wants it, and in his/her own tiny mind deserves whatever 'it' is that it doesn't have and someone else does; be it health care or daycare.
And by g-d, some one else is gonna pay for it!
Holy crap, you are desperate. Since you are obviously losing the actual debate on Palin and her unfitness for office, you seize on some tangential point about the cost of a health care bill that HASN'T BEEN WRITTEN OR PASSED YET, and when i try to guide you back to the topic, you start screeching that i don't care about the cost of any government legislation because i'm a SOCIALIST, SOCIALIST, SOCIALIST!
Well, it certainly is easier than facing the truth of my statement concerning the facts about Sarah Palin. Typical conservative response.... when facts become unpleasant and you don't have a decent response, just change the topic and start screaming SOCIALIST!
Sad. I guess i can declare victory again.
( If we were having a discussion in 2003 about whether or not Saddam Hussein was a legitimate leader or an international outlaw, and i veered off-topic and started bellowing that the war would cost more than Bush said that it would, you'd rightly accuse me of being a distracted, scatterbrained fool who was unable to finish an argument.
I guess i can do the same here. )
There was a line of 5,000 souls who paid $30.00 each to meet with Sarah Palin in Wisconsin. New Yawkers were flabbergasted. They'd much rather see M'Chelle buy a new dress with that kind of money.
Can't you leftys provide her anything besides tent awnings?
No? Yes? What? Awnings?
Alright, i give up. We're never going to get this thread back on topic. Victory, mine.
I'm not at all surprised that a throng of morons paid good money to get close to Saint Sarah. You said earlier that nothing i say would change your opinion of her one iota; i believe this. Her appeal to you is emotional.
Very emotional. The second you learned that she was good-looking, hunted, had a lot of kids, and paid lip service to radical right-wing ideology, you were hooked in. Boring facts about her qualifications and actions do not interest you, because she's a figurehead, a symbol.
As i've said before, keep worshiping her. She's a dead end. Romney has a chance of becoming President, Palin does not.
Wait, who? Romney? But... he's so boring... he's a Mormon... Massachusetts... doesn't hunt... oh, how can i get behind this fag? We want Sarah!
Sarah Palin is the anti-Obama. Mitt? Maybe; but I'm unimpressed so far. He couldn't even beat McCain, who was a disaster.
Sarah has accomplishments. She cleaned up Alaska's corrupt state government; she's made millions in publishing (having a best-selling book before it's even released); Sarah has earned the support of millions of people despite having zero powerful family connections (Bush, Clinton, Kennedy, those sorts of names); Sarah wasn't born wealthy; Sarah has zero ivy league credentials (the elites hate her for that: who is this snowbilly whore what thinks she can lead us?). Sarah has undergone and withstood tremendous pressure from the hateful leftists who fear her, and many of the more moderate on the 'right' (I call 'em Beltway Elitists when I'm being nice), but what has that hatred done to her? Why, nothing! Other than increas her influence! She doesn't care what you think. I don't care what you think.
It's as simple as that.
Oh, and Sarah supports every element of the third rail of Conservative politics:
God (He's around)
Guns (We have the right to have 'em)
American Oil (dig it up!)
A Strong Defense (not the wimply O'tard responses)
No Illegal Immigration (guard the border!)
Less Government (that's key)
Less Taxes (see above)
Fewer Abortions (not eliminate 'em, just don't rely on 'em.
Whereas your guy supports none of the above, and actively fights for the opposites. He's far, far left.
I'm all about shifting as far right as possible to counter his far left shift what we're enduring right now. So, I'll support Sarah Palin's ideas. If Mitt Romney wants to go along for the ride, that's fine with me.
IDGAF.
Excellent... shift to the right. On election day 2012, you're probably going to stay home than vote for the RINO. Gotta get 'em out of the party!
Wait, Palin is the Anti-Obama? But Obama is the Anti-Christ! This means Palin is.... oh, wow, she's Jebus, ain't she?
Post a Comment