On Sarah Palin's Likability

If you work at home and are distractable like me and you tend to listen to cable news at a low volume throughout the day, pausing only occasionally to scream WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT or OH FOR GOD'S SAKE GET HEATHER WILSON OFF MY TV or YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY GOT TO BE KIDDING ME (unless it's Rachel Maddow talking, in which case there's nothing to be done except swat away the little cartoon lovebirds circling your head) -- if that's your workday, as it is mine, you tend to absorb the memes of the day without even noticing. My wife will come home and say "How was your day, honey?" and I'll answer: "Looks like the people of the Gulf Coast dodged a bullet with Gustav," or "Golly, sweetie, the optics of that DNC sure were well managed." And she'll look at me like I'm nuts, because she's spent the day in a more or less normal work environment, where there's sensory input that doesn't recycle itself every 20 minutes and bore into your brain like a ravenous tapeworm. The only difference between today and most days is that today I feel like I actually am nuts.

Today my media diet consists of a lot of sensible-seeming people chirping about how likable and appealing Sarah Palin is. This conclusion is apparently based on her RNC speech, a speech that was exactly as appealing as a blast from a howitzer and as likable as a mamba snake. Let me be less allusive: It was vicious, cynical and ugly. It reduced complicated issues to Aw shucks bromides and the lifelong resumes of actual humans, people with hopes and dreams and interior lives, to punchlines. It was about Us versus Them, about the creeping danger of The Other, about how disagreement is disloyalty in a fancy uptown suit. It was written and delivered in the voice of a pleasant-looking person who, if you met her or him at a party, would drive you across the room in seconds, shaking your head and muttering: Jesus. Why so angry? If it weren't for stray dissenters like Dahlia Lithwick and Rosa Brooks, I swear to God I would think I was still asleep and dreaming, because nobody, nobody with a single ounce of human feeling could have seen that speech and think the person who delivered it is likable.

Palin may be a lot of things (Hockey Mom! Moose hunter! Small-town mayor!), and we're going to hear about them all in lieu of a resume, because her handlers seem disinclined to let the evil media -- I'm sorry, correction: That's the "evil East Coast Liberal Establishment media" -- close enough to shout questions over the roar of the chopper blades. She may be other things besides. She may be an able partisan, and she may be more of a gutpuncher than anybody gave her initial credit for. But if Sarah Palin is likable, if Sarah Palin is appealing, then I am Marie of Romania.

Cross-posted at billbarol.tumblr.com.

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Comments

[oscarbee]

You really ought to try living in a state where she is Governor. High approval rating, incredibly likeable and nothing bad sticks to the woman. Substance? Who needs it when you have the Sarah Factor? I've heard people talk after leaving a meeting with her -- "She's a good listener." When you finally ask what she committed to do for them -- absolutely nothing.

I'm really getting a kick out of her use of family members as campaign props -- pregnant daughter (I'm pro-life), cute little son (I'm really pro-life) and husband (he's my Eskimo!).

If people vote for McCain and something happens to him, we are in deep trouble.

[transilvana]

i actually AM marie, from Romania. I am closely watching the US elections, because its outcome will matter for the whole world. I look at Americans considering to elect a man with his brain stuck in WWII rhetoric and a hateful, narrow-minded woman and I shiver.

I don't want America to lose its leadership in the world. That would be a catastrophe as far as I'm concerned. But in order for it to maintain that leadership, it has to behave like a leader - make itself respected, liked and trusted.

nobody in the US seem to care about this, and I am horrified. The world is moving at an unbelievable pace, and half of the US is mesmerized by provincial quarrels.

electing Obama would carry immense symbolic value for the rest of the world, showing the intelligence, good-will and responsibility of American voters. Electing McCain and what's-her-name would only show America might not be interested or prepared to assume a leadership position in the world.

too bad this white, conservative, Christian woman (who thinks that life begins at conception but abortion should be legal regardless) can't throw her vote and donations Obama's way. I know there are a lot of other non-US citizens who feel the same, and I wish there was a way for international supporters to be "adopted" by American ones who can vote in their place :-)

[DemoMom]

All together now.......­..........­.
"O did you feel the hate that night - did you feel the pain?
Guess it's not a secret - those looney right wing nuts love Palin and McCain"
(With apologies to Elton John)
After hearing excerpts from the speeches by Romney, Huckabee (some Christian he proved to be) and, of course, Palin, I really felt the need to go have a hot shower. The end of the Democratic convention left me feeling good, uplifted and ready for a bright new day. This week has just washed all that away in a torrent of hate and vitriol. Why are these Republicans so vicious and hateful? Guess McCain just sold his soul to the devil so he could appeal to the good ol' boys.

[BlueKansas]

Wow, Bill, you and I live identical lives
When my husband returned home from work last night, he asked how my day had gone, and I said, "I think Wolf Blitzer's got wood for Sarah Palin. These people have all drunk the Kool-Aid."
Two weeks ago when I awoke at 6AM and rolled over to check my cell phone for the big text message, I saw no text had been sent and muttered, "Damn!"
From the kitchen, my husband called out, "It's Biden. Go back to sleep."
Deep inside me, there is another person who is itching to work in an office cubicle and be able to say, "I just don't have time to follow all that stuff".

[sufi66]

She's as likable as her philosophy of McCarthyism.

[sufi66]

It doesn't matter that Sarah is a trashy offense. So what that she's for book banning and against stem cell research. So what that she would criminalize abortion or censor Darwin.

We know what she is.

We know what we will get if we grant her political power.

The ball is in the voter's court.

[maryyooch]

To Palin:
Have you NO sense of DECENCY?

[VictorVictorious]

nobody dislikes a "vicious, cynical and ugly" attitude from a woman more than another woman and especially from another woman who is better looking than they are

mccain's handlers were very wrong if they thought she would attract women voters --- they can spot a barracuda a mile away

[MmeFlutterbye]

No sensible woman...no woman that I know is being seduced into thinking that Sarah Palin is on her side. She's bucking for a Theocracy and everyone knows what will happen to women's rights then. How awful if the Repugs win and the older one kicks the bucket making Sarah Palin president. What a nightmare!!! How awful for intelligent women like Hillary who've worked and campaigned for the Dems!!! I don't think most women are fooled by repug promises of concern for their welfare.

[IndependentTogether]

Agreed. Also, how hypocritical is it to claim that HRC was hurting women by whining, and then whine about how the media is treating *you*? I guess she wants a free ride on the "Double-Talk Express", like McCain.

[JeffmChicago]

Bill - I was literraly transfixed watching and listening to Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Rudy Guiliani and Sarah Palin spew so much divisiveness and hate while smiling and sneering to their adoring audience. Speaking of audience was that a representation of America? I think not!

Hey Sarah Palin, don't hate.

Great post Bill!

[Just Joe]

I have to agree. The tone of the RNC was so totally different from the DNC. The Democratic convention was inspiring, really diverse crowd, very positive energy there. Made me proud to be American.
The Republican convention was one big non-inclusive smear fest, negative, fear mongering and most of all seemed to be shouting that they are the only real Americans in America. Actually I find it fairly frightening.
these are the so-called Christian folk who want to home school their children because, and I quote, they "don't want no f*ggots teaching" their children.
Scary people, and you just got to pray that they don't get into power for another 4 years.

[UltraClassic]

Dude, Palin aint just any howitzer, that was an M-198 firing a 155 mm HE round right at the broadside of the USS Obama. And let's face it, she scored some pretty serious hits based on the freaked out reaction of liberals and leftists democrats. Of course it helps that she's a damn hot mom of five. I see the "sex in the city" crowd in a state of panic.

Best you and other liberals and leftist democrats battin down the hatches and close the water tight doors, go to condition ZEBRA as we use to say aboard ship. She is a torpedo and she has Obama's name all over her. This stuff is great!

[gulopartisan]

When fascism arrives in America, it will be carrying a cross, draped in the flag, and a hot momma. I guess I don't see this as progress.

Sarah Palin offers us another round of Republican barefaced lying. Sucking $21000 a year personally from the Federal teat, she decries "big government­." And hires a Washington lobbyist to generate $27M in earmarks (which she abhors, just abhors) for her town of 7,000. And is as vocally against the "bridge to nowhere" and Ted Stevens as she was for them when it was more opportune.

The Republican's success with the barefaced lie is troubling. Do Americans really not get it that McC*n voted against -- and lobbied against -- the new GI Bill? Just because he and Bush say he supported it? Do they not get it that voting with the President 90% of the time is not a sign of independent thinking. Are we really dumbed down to this level of stupidity, that we think being a PTA mother is enough qualification to be President, but being a distinguished community leader isn't? That we want another President who doesn't believe in science?

[copernikus]

You and the other hatemongers in the crowd loved this stuff, but based on the enormous amount of money Obama raised in the aftermath, I'd say most Americams loathed the specious attacks. You guys can love it now, but you're going to have your ass handed to you in Novemeber.

P.S. She's not hot.

[1will]

Good post.

[mandalaina]

Whe you speak to me, please refer to me as "her Majesty." I am, after all, Queen Elizabeth the First.

That is all, you are dismissed!

[Aylah95]

They forget this woman left to her own accord answered, "Absolutely, yup, yup," when asked by People magazine if she could step up and be President. And she's had pagaent training let alone was on TV. That was the best she could muster for a response. I want to slap her for being so flippant about it. It's only the safety and continuation of the Free World we're talking about!

[Bascar]

I'm with you on this one (except for the little cartoon lovebirds for Rachel Maddow - I usually just sit there all googley-eyed when she's on the tube). I listened to the speech last night and all I could think is that Ann Coulter has been shoved aside as the fantasy girl of all the Neo-Cons. Then I listened to the commentary afterward, and all I could think was, "Did they just listen to the same speech that I did?"

[Blabbermouth]

FINALLY someone who echos the same thing I felt last night. I actually said that. "Did I see the same speech ??"

[Blabbermouth]

Oh and I don't get lovebirds or googley-eyed for Rachel Maddow I hear choirs singing and bells ringing. :)

[TexasDem0]

The choice for the media is simple.
Ignore the facts and report what the right wing noise generator tells you to report
or face the wrath of the right wing revenge machine.