Is Sarah Palin Our Richard Nixon?

Sarah Palin quit on Sunday, exiting "stage far right" as Talking Points Memo put it. Point Guard Sarah couldn't finish the third quarter -- she quit with 17 months, or nearly a third of her term, remaining. In Saturday's New York Times, Alaskan political legend William Iggiagruk Hensley noted that Alaska's first Governor, Bill Egan, stuck out his term through a fiscal crisis and crippling gall stones. Palin, Hensley argued, has the national stature to help Alaska through an emerging fiscal crisis, but she quit instead.

I'm finally reading Rick Perlstein's excellent book, Nixonland, and the similarities are disturbing. Nixonland charts the rise of an unscrupulous, polarizing political figure who suffers a national defeat, "quits" politics and tells the press that he's leaving the world stage, then fashions a stunning political comeback by stirring the pot of race and class warfare for his own political gain. We know how that ended. From page 46:

Nixonland ... is the America where two separate and irreconcilable sets of apocalyptic fears coexist in the minds of two separate and irreconcilable groups of Americans. The first -- enemies of Richard Nixon ... take it as an axiom that if Richard Nixon and the values associated with him triumph, America itself might end. The second group believe ... as did Nixon ... that if the enemies of Richard Nixon triumph, the Alger Hisses and Helen Gahagan Douglases ... the hippies ... and all the rest -- America might end.

Oh! Well, I'm certain Sarah Palin would destroy the country. And I know she thinks I'm out to destroy it too, especially since we haven't been so kind to the Governor, going so far as to invite a guest blog from a dead General to condemn her.

Three weeks ago, after Palin's strange, rambling press conference-slash-salmon-bake in her backyard, I wrote that her re-emergence on the national stage could be effective if she seized the mantle of economic populism, especially if the economy is slow to recover. I was struck, then, by this passage from Nixonland about how Nixon positioned himself:

Nixon was now the poster child for a ... deranged new politics of mass consumption. It felt divorced from any mature and reasoned and logical analysis of who really ran things in society ... how power really worked. This was a new style of political demagoguery, a kind of right-wing populism.

Weird. Then check this Sarah Palin's tweet from July 19th:

No time to waste: teach US youth to avoid idleness; they can lead new American Industrial Revolution w/WORK & embrace "Buy American" mission 12:08 PM Jul 19th from TwitterBerry

Palin opposes virtually every single solitary policy position that would actually make that happen. The stimulus and federal funding for manufacturing? She fought it. "Green collar jobs?" She's ridiculed them. She's vigorously anti-union and against the right to organize. She sees little to no role for the government in industry except to "get out of the way," which is what George Bush did for eight years. She laughed at community organizing and opposes federal funding for community service programs, which exist to turn idleness into engagement.

But just like Nixon, she knows that populism is a good message even if her policies don't back it up. It's not what she's promising -- it's what she represents to parts of a frightened nation in a time of crisis. From Nixonland, Page 43:

To a new suburban mass middle class, admiring Richard Nixon was becoming part and parcel of a political identity based in seeing through the pretensions of the cosmopolitan liberals who claimed to know so much better than you what was best for your country. This side saw everything that was most genuine in Nixon, everything that was most brave."

Ahhhhh! It's like how when I see Sarah Palin talk I want to spear my eyes out, but some Americans see a "maverick." At least Nixon studied his policy. If he were alive today, I doubt that Nixon would tweet that "sealife near lush wet rainforests to energy housed under frozen tundra atop permafrost, God most creatively displays His diversity in AK," tacitly implying the support of God for arctic drilling. In a way that makes Palin scarier -- while Nixon was personally shy, and comparatively reticent about religion, Palin can be an outright zealot.

Like Nixon, Palin blames the media. "Stop making things up," she told the gotcha press on Sunday. The biggest similarity though, is the willingness of Palin -- like Nixon -- to just say some shit. Let's look at her speech. Objectively, Palin has achieved almost none of her core campaign objectives. How did she handle that? "Alaska: What I promised, we accomplished." Oh! Great. Why are you quitting Sarah? "Isn't it obvious?! A lame duck Governor can not serve their state." That's insane, of course -- by that standard, 15 governors should resign, or never should run for re-election, but then they would be lame ducks in their first terms, so there shouldn't even be Governors. Or something. It doesn't make any sense. She loves to just say some shit.

In my post from July 4th, I wrote that Palin's plan could work because the 2010 election presented an opportunity for her to roll out a killer stump speech, and go town to town to town (through "real America," the towns that hate cosmopolitan liberals) campaigning for Republicans and attacking "elitist" Democrats while exploiting lingering race and class tensions. In Nixonland, I've just gotten to the point where Nixon, campaigning for Republicans door to door in the midterm elections of 1966, is shadowboxing with Lyndon Johnson on Vietnam:

Nixon ... took just about every possible position on Vietnam. Liberals who paid attention were enraged. Every Nixonian twist and turn on Vietnam fit a specific pattern. Whatever he said, whenever he said it, was exactly 180 degrees from the current line the President was taking.

He just said some shit. Substitute the economy for Vietnam, and the script could look familiar in 2010. The moose hunter will be taking aim at the stimulus package, health care reform, climate change legislation and our slide to socialism, and you can bet that none of it will be true.

For Alaska it's a bright day -- an unethical, ineffective, quitter of a governor is gone, headed to the Ronald Reagan Library for an August speech and then back up there to Wasilla to write her hateful book. For the rest of us, I'm afraid she's just beginning: A "Palin-land," where Sarah Milhous Palin barnstorms the country arguing that drilling can stop climate change, tax cuts can stop the recession and "family values" can win the day. (Uhm...) We can look forward to more Levi Johnston, likely in fewer and fewer clothes, but Sarah Barracuda isn't going away - like Richard Nixon in 1966, she may just be getting started.

This post first appeared at Pinko Magazine, http://www.pinkomag.com, which the blogger co-edits.

Follow Ben Wyskida on Twitter: www.twitter.com/wyskida

Comments

[johnashman]

Here's interesting food for thought.

It is almost impossible for someone to get elected without professing a belief in God. Even a Democrat. Going to church followed by cameras, etc. BUT, a lady like Sarah Palin that actually takes it *seriously* and *lives* her life according to her beliefs is reviled almost unanimously for, rather than just faking it like most do, actually walking the walk.

Doesn't anybody think that's a bit arbitrary? Ironic maybe? How about ridiculous?

Here's a woman who could have put her child to death legally because of a birth defect, but chose to have him, love him, raise him. Personally, I think she just makes a lot of people feel guilty because they know they'd do the *wrong* thing. And people can't stand people that make them feel guilty.

[TomDegan]

A tip of the hat is in order for poor old Dan Quayle. Prior to Governor Palin's nomination as vice-presidential candidate ten months ago, he was generally regarded as the very worst choice of a running mate in living memory. All that has changed. Compared to Sarah, Danny boy is starting to look like Albert Einstein.

E=M.C. Hammer.

When asked by NBC's Andrea Mitchell why she was leaving, Sarah Palin responded in words that should be etched in granite at the base of Mount Rushmore:

"The nitty-gritty, like, you mean the fish slime and the dirt under the fingernails and stuff that's me?"

Brilliant. Someone hand me my chisel.

Does she really believe that she has a shot at the nomination three years from now? The answer (unbelievably) is yes. Tom DeFrank of the New York Daily News put it well: The woman has "delusions of adequacy". The pundits (most of them anyway) are starting to compare her rambling press conference on July 3 to Dick Nixon's infamous tirade when he lost the California governor's race in 1962 ("You won't have Nixon to kick around anymore"). Some are even daring to suggest that, like Tricky Dick, she will ultimately be victorious. The only problem with that scenario is the fact that there are slightly over one-hundred things that separate Sarah Palin from Richard Milhaus Nixon: I.Q. points.

http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com

Tom Degan
Goshen, NY

[johnashman]

Please provide proof of her lack of intelligence. For someone who got picked at the very last minute, had no reason to be up to speed on international affairs, she did rather well. Obama barely did better and he's been running for president since before he won his senate seat. And Biden should just keep his mouth closed, he's so buffoonish.

What was the comment Biden made to the guy in the wheel chair? "Hey Joe, stand up and .....oh dear......, what am I saying......." Something to that effect. Or the nice slap at Russia with ongoing disarmament talks going on? Better hit the "reset" prop again.

I'd rather have someone of average intelligence with a moral backbone and clarity of thought than Obama's "police acted stupidly" or Biden's, well, just about anything he says.

[lmt78]

I wanted to poke out my eyes, MY HEAD WAS SPINNING, I started to go into a seizure, the bit of dribble i listened to (palin's speech, no I mean garbled word salad) I know she doesn't support education and she's a living breathing example of why our children need to be schooled...

GOD HELP US ALL

[johnashman]

Of course she supports education. Everybody does. She doesn't support government waste when it's not effective.

[chocolatecity]

The media would be all over her. You could get away with stuff like that back then, but information just travels too fast these days.

[johnashman]

Didn't stop Obama from winning.

[linux]

thank god, or whatever supernatural being you happen to worship

[aurora59]

I knew the woman scared the crap out of me. Thanks for putting a new spin on why.

[johnashman]

Keyword = "spin"

[larmarch5]

I see her as a female, although more macho and less eloquent, version of Pat Buchanan. She appeals to his demographic -- peasants with pitchforks updated to hillbillies with ak47's.

[RRonin]

That's METH COOKIN' hillbillies with AK's to be exact!

[mychagal]

Good statement: "An unethical, ineffective quitter of a governor is gone", just about sums it up!

[BocaMom]

Unfortunately, I think she is our Ronald Reagan. Remember, we laughed at him, too. And he gave a good speech at the Republican Convention before he ran for President. Wouldn't it be terrible if we
had 8 years of President Reagan again!!!

[DIdaho]

True in one sense - but Reagan served two full terms as Governor of California - one could argue how successful he was, but he didn't quit a quarter-way through. He also had a couple decades of political speaking experience, reading off his catalog of index cards which might have been factually incorrect but were consistent and coherent. Even so, Reagan lost the Republican primary in his first attempt.

[MisterHands]

Without candidates like Raygun and Palin, the religious-right wouldn't have puppets.

[johnashman]

No, it would be utterly fantastic.

[linux]

Are you a 1%er?

If not... supporting tickle-down economics is squarely against your best interests.

Do you normally vote against your best interests?

[DIdaho]

If we're going to draw historical parallels, we should include all the history.

"he's talking about then VICE-President Nixon, after losing the 1960 Presidential campaign to JFK, resigned from politics "forever"."

To start, it was actually after he lost the California Governor election in 1962. We should also remember Nixon served as a Congressman, as a Senator, and two terms as Vice President before that - quite a bit different from a half-term as Alaska Governor. Nixon "quit" politics in '62, but he didn't quit an office.

And while there are comparisons with the Republican primary in '68, with arch-conservative Nixon running against moderate Rockefeller, there are few comparisons that might be made with a general election in 2012. Those who would most despise Palin, the left, were completely on the sidelines in the '68 election because the Democratic Party, and especially its nominee Humphrey, were closely associated with the Vietnam War - although Nixon capitalized on resentment against the "hippies," the hippies had no interest at all in voting for Humphrey.

And while there is race and class resentment still to exploit today, it's nothing compared to the passion against the Civil Rights Movement in 1968.

Things could change. But at the moment, it would be more accurate to compare Palin to George Wallace's independent candidacy in 1968 than to Nixon's.

[Lucky123]

Very good points.

[N504jb]

Re: "I will never allow Sarah Palin to rise out of her own self inflicted ashes."

Well, that takes care of her I guess.

Are you like the kid Billy Mummy played in "The Twilight Zone"--the kid who could wish people into the
"cornfield" who he didn't like?

That's what it's going to take for the left to keep the Titanic of it's presidency from descending into the abyss of presidential disasters.

[Lucky123]

Not meant to defend Nixon in any way, but to me, the one striking difference between the two is that Nixon was intelligent. Yes, he was malicious, paranoid, vengeful, and displayed at any given time a myriad of other negative personality traits, but he wasn't stupid. If he was asked which newspapers he read, he could tell you. If asked about Supreme Court cases, he could cite a few without pause.
The only think Palin can boast about is that she is able to rile the base ~ the most narrowly specific, incurious, prejudiced, and hateful portion of her base. Will that be enough to win her the Presidency? No. Not by a long shot. Even if she does clean it up a bit and play to a larger room, people will remember what she was in the past. Or rather, if they don't immediately remember, they will be reminded. Constantly. If Nixon ran in the information age, people may not have been as forgiving to him. No one will forget the Quitter, and her sociopath ways.

[willpen]

Well if she ain't never going away then I guess it is time for all of us people, with brains, to sharpen our pencils so we never end up with another Trick Dick in office. As long as I have a breath of life in me, I will never allow Sarah Palin to rise out of her own self inflicted ashes.

[MikeLicht]

Sarah Palin has only one member of the media to blame for her treatment: herself.

She has a degree in journalism and worked as a reporter and TV sportscaster.

See:

http://notionscapital.wordpress.com/2009/01/10/sarah-palin-mad-as-hell/

[Marnie1]

But Sarah's approach to journalists is an excellent example of how she works. She is a failed journalist, really just a sports prompter reader, but she lectures to real professional journalists telling them how to do their job.

Sarah is Queen, she is the expert on anything and everything.
Don't believe me? Just ask her and she'll explain and explain and explain - in words of three syllables or less and sentences of 1000 words or more.

[johnashman]

Obama can't speak without TOTUS. Palin can.

[larry278]

I don't want another spouse-beater for POTUS, male or female. I don't care for crooks much, either. When is W going on trial? If a POTUS will lie-he'll steal too. If Laura got treated like Tricky Dick treated Pat-it's all over for W. If Cheney is or was into child or spouse abuse...

[johnashman]

How about liars and adulterers like Kennedy and Clinton? I mean, if you can lie to your wife, you won't you lie to?

[linux]

If I listed all of the republicans guilty of violating their 'family values' stance, it would bring down this server.

[johnashman]

BTW, do we need to get in the Way Back Machine so I can show you how many lies came out of Barack Obama's mouth last year? Well, I suppose we could use the excuse that he didn't know what he was talking about or that he didn't know he was going to change his mind so fast, but you apparently just voted for some one quite a bit less honest than George Bush, not that your blindness will allow you to see it

[jhamm1]

For whatever similarites, there remain two profound differences between in the two, in that....

1) Nixon chose to quit merely to evade the embarrassment of impreachment, and....

2) While Nixon may have been a pri ck and a li ar, he at least possessed one bodily organ which Sarah Palin could never hope to obtain, that of a brain.

[BlackJAC]

3) Nobody ever made a satirical porno movie about Nixon.

[johnashman]

Nixon wasn't hot.

[LeftRight]

You're not thinking correctly. Ben is not talking about PRESIDENT Nixon resigning from politics, he's talking about then VICE-President Nixon, after losing the 1960 Presidential campaign to JFK, resigned from politics "forever". Then in 1968 he came back and was able to utilize the split that was occurring on the left to convince JUST enough Americans to vote for him.