T'Aint "Elitist" to Be Anti-Palin

I HATE TO pull rank here. But it seems I am almost the only Republican still standing who can criticize Sarah Palin without being accused by my fellow conservatives of suffering from an "elite education. "

Peggy Noonan, David Brooks, Christopher Buckley, Kathleen Parker and [my husband] David Frum have all had their heads put on pikes by the self-appointed rulers of Conservatism. As Rush Limbaugh said:

These are the people who are embarrassed by Sarah Palin 'cause she's not an intellectual and she didn't go to Harvard or have a college degree from approved universities and she drops her g's from words like morning and says mornin'. She's embarrassing, and I think something else really bothering these people is that they believe that she may become one of the key leaders of the conservative movement beyond 2008 if she and McCain lose this.

Those with degrees from approved universities are capable of mounting their own defense. But what about those of us who did not go to Harvard -- and yet whose eyes still bug out at the prospect of a Palin vice presidency, let alone the prospect of her as a "key leader"in the future?

In fact, not only did I NOT go to Harvard, I have no education to speak of. Not beyond high school anyway (and it was one of those large, urban high schools from which many of the most successful graduates went on to become garage mechanics). To paraphrase Melville, a tabloid newspaper was my Yale and my Harvard (and yes, it is possible to have read Melville without attending Yale and Harvard. It's Sarah Palin's kind of story, too: lots of huntin' and guttin' ).

My lack of post-secondary education isn't something I'm proud of. Certainly I've never been moved to boast about it in public. Honestly, if I'd had more sense at eighteen, I would have gone to college -- preferably, an elite one. But I grew up in a newspaper family and was eager to join the business. So instead of spending my early twenties engaged in discussions of Keynes and Friedman, I found myself knocking on the metal doors of public housing developments, asking residents for recent photos of their murdered children. I never said "Get me rewrite" because, more often than not, I WAS rewrite. And like Palin, I was raised to disdain anyone who thought himself too clever or above everyone else (usually a reporter from the competing broadsheet). In my world, an elite degree marked you as someone with permanently retarded judgment, a reader of The New Yorker -- the sort of person of whom Orwell would write, "Only an intellectual could say something so stupid."

Maybe it's because of my background that I've been wary of Palin from the get-go -- and more than taken aback by those who insist the only reason a conservative could oppose her would be because of intellectual snobbery.

Don't get me wrong: I love the idea of Sarah Palin. She conforms to an early American (and pre-feminist) ideal of womanhood: rifle on one hip, baby on the other. I love her modern incarnation of this ideal, complete with Sex-in-the-Tundra wardrobe and kick-ass Jimmy Choos (even if they are paid for by the RNC). I love the idea she represents "common sense" over fancy-pants theorizing. I love -- and certainly identify with -- her real world, "out there" experience over her opponents' closed-off years in Washington. Truly, there are few women I'd rather share a beer with.

The problem is that the reality of Sarah Palin does not match the idea of Sarah Palin. It's as plain as day -- glaringly obvious! -- that she's unfit for the job she's running for. We wouldn't expect the best darn regional car saleswoman to be appointed the next vice president of General Motors. We wouldn't fly in a commercial plane piloted by someone with a Cessna license because we trusted her gut. We wouldn't follow a woman into battle because she's a crack shot at moose hunting. Why is it unreasonable -- or snobbish! -- to have expected a better choice from our party for the next potential leader of the free world?

And please don't reply with, "The other side doesn't have experience either!" That's an argument you can make without having graduated from elementary school.

Those of us who came of age as Reagan Republicans expected more from ourselves. Leave the left to its demagoguery and name-calling. We'll make the case using facts, reason - -and yes, common sense.

Now it seems my side are the ones circling the wagons, shouting abuse at dissenters -- determined to lose rather than ask ourselves why we aren't winning.

As Orwell once might have said...

Comments

[Michale32086]

@absolument

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Why is it important that her experience in elected office is within the Executive Branch?
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Personally, I don't see it as important.. Many of our greatest leaders didn't have much in the way of "experience" but that didn't stop them from being great leaders..

I only bring it up in response to others who keep trying to play the "experience" card with Palin. Doing so only emphasizes the lack of "experience" on the other side of the aisle..

Michale.....

[Michale32086]

@absolument

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You meant "aspersions" not "aspirations."

[Should we cast aspirations on his intelligence (or maybe his self control) because of that???]
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Although, under other circumstances, I would write this off as a grammar/sp­elling/usa­ge lame, you seem sincere so I will simply thank you for the correction.. It is truly appreciated.

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You know what they say about people who use multiple punctuation marks? Sticky keyboards.
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EEeewwwww... :D Actually, my hands shake a lot.. I usually can control it when I am typing, but when it comes to periods and such, for some reason, my control slips..

I am sure it's worthy of a psychiatric session or 10.. :D

I really don't care too much about Biden's lack of availability.. But I DO care about hypocrisy and stamping it out. Seeing this article on Biden's "hiding" from the press made me want to question those who slam Palin for the same thing..

Michale.....

[Michale32086]

They are saying now that Biden is LESS accessible now than Palin is..

http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1854640,00.html

Should we cast aspirations on his intelligence (or maybe his self control) because of that???

Michale.....

[absolument]

You meant "aspersions" not "aspirations."

[Should we cast aspirations on his intelligence (or maybe his self control) because of that???]

You know what they say about people who use multiple punctuation marks? Sticky keyboards.

I'm less concerned about Joe Biden not giving as many interviews and press conferences as some hack at Time Ragazine wishes, than I am about abusing the government and military to cover-up:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/28/news-orgs-investigate-pos_n_138449.html

[Michale32086]

@kjstjohn

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By the way, I actually liked McCain a few months ago. And, I have given more in the past to Reublican candidates than to Democratic candidates.
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Fair enough...

Then my early analysis that prompted the "soul searching" question to you may have been faulty..

Disregard it...

It's just that I simply cannot understand the borderline hysterical animosity that people show against Palin..

I would imagine that if every second of your existence was scrutinized, lobotomized and analyzed on a 24/7 streaming basis, you probably wouldn't fare very well..

I know for a fact that I sure as hell wouldn't!!

In any case, I understand a little better where you are coming from now.

Michale.....

[Michale32086]

@kjstjohn

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Governor Palin needs to release her transcript and her SAT scores. Her inability to form a coherent sentence points to a below-average intelligence.
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Unless you are planning on voting for her, the ONLY logical reason for you to want her to release her transcripts and SAT scores is so you can hope that they are low, so you can have something NEW to ridicule her about.

How is this being a liberal???

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Lincoln was brilliant. He was one of the most articulate Presidents we have ever had. He was an attorney trained in critical thinking.
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Lincoln grew up in a rural area on a farm. According to the original poster that means he didn't have the "potential" to be a good POTUS.

Obviously being raised in a rural area on a farm has absolutely NOTHING to do with one's "potential" to be a good POTUS...

Wouldn't you agree???

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Palin is no Lincoln. I suspect that Palin does not even rise the the intellectual level of Dan Quayle.
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If your opinion was based on something more than bigotry, I might be willing to put stock in said opinion.

But it isn't, so I can't...

Michale.....

[kjstjohn]

I would be relieved to see any evidence that she has the raw intelligence to be at least an average president. So far she appears to be vastly intellectually inferior to every President who has served during my life-time (that would be since Eisenhower).

[Michale32086]

OK Fair enough.. That's your opinion and I respect it even if I don't put much stock in it.

But, let me ask you a question.. Honestly and sincerely..

Or, more accurately, let me prompt you to ask YOURSELF a question..

You don't have to answer me, but maybe you will answer yourself.

Is it POSSIBLE, on even the SLIGHTEST scale of reasoning, that your derogatory opinion of Palin is based not on her actual intelligence or expertise, but rather based on the simple fact that she is a Republican and the GOP VP candidate??

The reason I ask this (or ask YOU to ask this) is because, by all OBJECTIVE data, Palin is a smart and savvy lady.. By "OBJECTIVE DATA" I mean data that was released prior to her becoming the VP nominee..

Highest Approval Rating of any State Governor in the entire country has to count for SOMETHING...

Look, I am not trying to change your mind.. I am simply trying to get you to see BEYOND the partisan bigotry and acknowledge the fact that Palin, McCain, Bush et al are NOT your enemy...

For the record, neither am I...

Michale.....

[Ben is right]

Do you have access to her IQ test? No, you don't. You're basing your statements, and your judgment, on a couple of interviews on TV. I'd like for all the folks who disparage her performance in early interviews to be put in that situation and see how they fare. Perhaps some would do well. Different people have different gifts. The ability to perform well in front of a camera in an interview setting has nothing to do with intelligence. Grades in school don't necessarily have anything to do with intelligence. Test scores don't necessarily have anything to do with intelligence. What school you went to doesn't necessarily have anything to do with intelligence.

I wish all the folks here at HuffPost would just be honest and say that they disagree with Palin on the issues. Stop trying to pull the wool over our eyes. The whole point of putting Palin down for her supposed lack of intelligence is to somehow get people to believe that intelligence level is more important than issues, or to make people forget about the issues altogether.

[Ben is right]

By the way, you're not going to see that evidence while hanging around HuffPost. I'm just saying.

[kylennblack]

"And please don't reply with, 'The other side doesn't have experience either!' That's an argument you can make without having graduated from elementary school."

And to say that Sarah Palin has executive experience is like saying Britney Spears has parenting experience. She can't do the job, is unable and/or unwilling to learn how to do it right, and others were forced to be brought in to clean up the mess she left behind.

Palin needs to lose custody of the Governor's office like Spears lost custody of her kids.

[Michale32086]

You wanting to deny reality does not equate to reality not existing.

The simple fact is, Palin DOES have executive experience.

This is NOT an opinion.. This is NOT an assumption. This is NOT wishcasting.

It's simply a fact...

And it's also a fact that, at one point, Palin had the HIGHEST approval rating of any Governor in the United States..

Again, not an opinion.. A FACT....

Michale....

[absolument]

Why is it important that her experience in elected office is within the Executive Branch?

[kjstjohn]

It is time to stop mincing words. If Governor Plain had a first-rate mind, no one would be complaining about her lack of experience. Before she becomes a viable candidate for national office, Palin needs to demonstrate that she has a mature and agile intellect. So far, all the evidence points to the contrary.

[Michale32086]

Are you saying that, if Palin proves that to your satisfaction, then you are going to vote for her??

No??

Then what's the point??

Michale.....

[Ben is right]

Biden has a "mature and agile intellect." However, he uses it to make stuff up. How does that make him better than Palin?

[Michale32086]

@ebanks84

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Like I said before, most people who use common sense know that Palin is not qualified to be a VP and have no qualms about saying so.
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And again, I point out that what you state is an OPINION that you are trying to pass off as fact..

Michale.....

[Michale32086]

@pumpkin

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It has nothing to do with being a democrat or republican. The facts are the facts and Sarah Palin's limited knowledge base is evidence enough.
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Yes, facts are facts..

But the problem is, ya'all are stating your OPINIONS and CALLING them facts...

And ya'all are doing it in the most hypocritical and partisan manner possible.

For example. If Palin had been a DEM nominee for VP, ya'all would be singing all her praises to high heaven and attacking anyone who would the same things ya'all are saying now..

How is that not hypocrisy??

Michale.....

[Diomedes374]

I disagree. I am an independent, and if Palin were Obama's running mate, her interviews would still have been disastrous, her ethical issues still would have come out, and her limited knowledge would have been exposed. I don't have much tolerance for fools. Biden has put his foot in his mouth enough that I wish Obama had chosen someone else, but even so, I would trust him more than Palin.

[Michale32086]

I have no reason to doubt you so I will give credit where credit is due.

However, given the hysterical nature of the Left (and, to be fair, the Right) you must concede that, overall, you are the exception rather than the rule...

The vast majority of Democrats would support Lucifer herself if she ran as the Democratic Party candidate...

Just my opinion, mind you... But the facts bear this out..

Michale.....

[Juneau]

As someone who worked for the State of Alaska during Palin's first year as Governor, I can tell you that the press is stating FACTS. And the Lower 48 MSM still hasn't reported all of Palin's ethical violations.

[Michale32086]

@brynn6

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Have to agree. I grew up semi-rural, huge garden with a few farm animals near a small town. However, I never imagined Ma Kettle (though slimmer) would make a good potential POTUS.
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What about Abraham Lincoln??

Raised on a farm, rural area. He, obviously, had the "good potential" to be POTUS, no??

Michale.....

[kjstjohn]

Governor Palin needs to release her transcript and her SAT scores. Her inability to form a coherent sentence points to a below-average intelligence.

Lincoln was brilliant. He was one of the most articulate Presidents we have ever had. He was an attorney trained in critical thinking.

Palin is no Lincoln. I suspect that Palin does not even rise the the intellectual level of Dan Quayle.

[Ben is right]

You base this on a couple of interviews, right? Have you ever talked to Governor Palin? Have you seen the clips of her time as a TV Sports announcer? Have you heard her speeches?

Would you prefer that she endlessly spout nonsense like Joe Biden, as long as it sounds coherent?

Perhaps you'd approve of her if she took 5 minutes to say one sentence because she was busy thinking about what the interviewer wanted to hear, saying "Um" 25 times in the meantime. Yes, I'm talking about Obama.

[Michale32086]

@ CCverve

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The AIP is an organization which by its mission seeks to do what ?
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The same "mission" that is sought by the Second Vermont Republic in Vermont. Vermont, by the bi is the most liberal state in the country...

The same "mission" that is sought by the Californians for Independence in California.

The same "mission" that is sought by the New England Confederation Alliance in New England...

The same "mission" that is sought by the Cascadian Independence Project in the PNW...

Shall I go on??

But, you haven't answered my question..

If the AIP is such a horrible organization and a threat to whirled peas, why wasn't the Left all over it before Palin came on the scene?? Surely such a threatening and horrendous organization as the dreaded and merciless AIP would have merited SOME notice prior to Palin's VP selection, no??

Or is it more likely that the AIP is just your run o' the mill weekend BBQ and Family Picnic organization and the Left is trying to MAKE it look like a horrible organization as a way to attack Palin..

Yea, employing Occam's Razor, the latter explanation is the more logical one..

Michale.....

[Michale32086]

@liriope

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Oh my gosh...just picincs and bbqs. Just a little harmless secessionist fun. Wow. You really are out of touch.
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Prove it..

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Of course, this jabberwocky comes from someone who would defend Palin by announcing that both he and his wife find her attractive. What an endorsement. Just brilliant.
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It wasn't an "endorsement", nor was it a defense.. It was simply a statement of fact..

Why does that bother you so much??

It's already been established that I am an Obama supporter...

And... wait a tic... Did you call me a "jabberwocky"???

Uh... Okkaaaaaaayyyyy

Michale.....

[Michale32086]

@imodotcom

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So people aren't envious or sometimes jealous of voting for a Miss America or a Miss Universe? And yet they vote, no?!
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I wasn't referring to the "voting"... I was referring to the constant personal attacks...

@liriope

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Brilliant...you have just helped your party. What introspection.
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If you had been paying attention, you would know that I have no "Party"..

I am a registered NPA which means NO POLITICAL AFFILIATION..

So, you'll have to explain your comment in greater detail...

Michale.....

[another agnostic]

So Sarah Palin is not qualified? OK. But - as opposed to whom? Abraham Lincoln, FDR, Harry S. Truman, Ronald Reagan? Sure, I'd pick any of those over her. But she is not running against any of those, is she. She's running against Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
And when the choice is between the skilled teleprompter reader and the foot-in-the-mouth babbler, I take Gov. Palin any day of the week.

[kjstjohn]

So when you vote for Palin, who are you voting for? The person who wrote the words on the teleprompter. Who is that, pray tell? And who will it be after the election or, if heaven forbid, McCain wins and vacates the presidency?

[another agnostic]

Just as when you vote for Sen. Obama & Biden.
I don't know who either of those people, or rather teams of people, are, and I have no way of knowing who those people will be whichever ticket wins.
But speaking of teleprompters - Gov. Palin's teleprompter during her convention speech was malfunctioning. It wasn't just that she wasn't fed her lines, she was fed wrong lines at wrong times. And she swept a sizeable part of the electorate off their feet, at that time.
We will never know how well Sen. Obama would have handled such a situation, not to mention Sen. Biden. But if I were to take clues from Sen. Obama's first few interviews - after months of practicing on the stump, not just a couple of days after finding himself running - my money would be on Gov. Palin.

[NTO08]

We wouldn't fly in a commercial plane piloted by someone with a Cessna license because we trusted her gut.

Roseanne used this argument about Obama in the primaries and was raked through the coals on this very website for pointing out how utterly unqualified Obama is for the Presidency...no elegant speechifyingly, cleverly turned "rhetorical flourish", Madison Avenue sales pitch or smooth demeanor can overcome his spotty, inadequate resume.

[another agnostic]

Well, I'd rather pick a team with a Cessna licensed co-pilot over a team where neither of the guys pushing their way into the cockpit has ever flown a kite.

[Ben is right]

So you'll be voting for McCain/Palin? Excellent!

[donoevil]

The appeal of Pailin. This statement drives me nuts, but I'll explain it.

She hates Obama. She hates liberals. She hates democrats. She hates that part of government which she considers welfare. She mocked and disrespected Obama. But none of these are just coincidental. She picked up the torch that Barry Goldwater lit, passed to Nixon, Reagan, GHWB, GWB and now JSM. That is appealing to the emotion, or hatred of white people for blacks and minorities, and any government program that helps them. Now that their tent is bigger it's not so much about race, but class. This is how the elite ruling class appealed to the populace in order to divide and conquer using the conservative agenda. I'd say it worked marvelously. Now the great thing about Palin is she combines our mythical frontier fantasies (Alaska is the last frontier in some peoples dreams) about the rugged frontiersman, but now they get to indulge the celebration of the frontierswoman thanks to the progressives who championed the cause of women. It's pretty simple. Conservatives hate liberals and their public faces. She hates Obama. They love her.

I'm optimistic that this phenomenon may be losing it's grip now that we've seen the ugly consequences of governing according to these principles. But not holding my breath due to voter suppression, another time worn habit of the conservative movement.

[Ben is right]

I am a 34 year old white male who grew up in south Alabama (Mobile County) and south Mississippi (Jones County). My dad was a Southern Baptist preacher. I'm a Christian and a Conservative. I'm a lifelong Republican. I'll be voting for McCain/Palin this year, I don't mind telling you. If you want to know why, you may ask.

However, I am extremely offended that you would call me an emotional, hate-filled bigot. Don't try to say that you didn't call me that, because your generalizations about Sarah Palin and her appeal have done just that. You don't know me, and you obviously don't know anyone like me. I, however, know a lot of people like me.

I don't hate anybody, and I don't believe Governor Palin does, either. Your slanderous accusations, with no facts, do not serve you well. Your definition of hate needs some revision, I believe. You can strongly disagree with someone without hating that person, wouldn't you agree. Perhaps you believe so strongly in the agenda and ideology of the Democrat party that you can't imagine how anyone could oppose a Democrat unless they hate the person. This is childishness. I disagree with about 80% of the Democrat platform. Does that mean I hate Democrats? What is your definition of hate? Where is your evidence that Sarah Palin hates Obama or anyone else?

[Michale32086]

WOW #2

Another excellent post...

Michale....

[another agnostic]

In psychology, this is called projection - projecting one's own feelings and attitudes on others.
Just because you hate Republicans, conservatives, John McCain, or Sarah Palin, and have a simplistic view of what little your ideological blinders allow you to see of the world, that doesn't necessarily mean that everybody else is just as emotional and irrational.
Conservatives in general don't hate what the word liberals deteriorated to mean today. They just would like them to grow up one day, and not cause irreparable damage in the meantime.

[Michale32086]

WOW...

Very well said...

Michale.....