I Owe My Interest in American Politics to Sarah Palin

History is likely to reveal my disdain for Sarah Palin was misguided. The truth is I owe my interest in American politics to Gov. Palin's bid for the vice presidency.

Before the late-August morning when I awakened to learn that Alaska's moose-hunting governor would be John McCain's running mate, I had less than tepid interest in politics.

I was a stubbornly proud non-voter, a 41-year-old patriotic American unwilling to tie any of my identity to a political party or ideology. Politics, from my view, were nothing more than an excuse for unabashed public dishonesty.

When presidential politics provoked Barack Obama to disavow the minister who filled in the holes created by Obama's irresponsible biological father, it confirmed in my mind that Obama's message of political change wouldn't stretch nearly far enough to meet my standard of courage and honesty.

It sickens me that we are forced to pretend Obama doesn't have the ability to associate with and even love people with extreme, illogical views, denounce those beliefs in words and deed and remain a rational, fair-minded person. For decades, black people have supported and respected elected white officials who were raised by unrepentant racists, and we are expected to take those white politicians at their word that their parents' views don't interfere with their motivation to be fair.

Hmm. But now I'm supposed to believe that a half black man who owes his entire existence to his white mama and grandparents is a threat to America because his old black minister can't get over the racism he tasted first-hand.

I wanted Barack to make that point, more subtly than I just made it. But I wanted it out there for everyone to deal with. America is full of white and black Jeremiah Wrights, and a good president has to lead them all.

To the dismay of my parents, friends and everyone at my barbershop, I told anyone who would listen there were no substantive differences between John McCain and Barack Obama, only a difference in skin color.

Then along came Paris Palin, and her attempt to purchase the highest level of political power completely on credit.

She is the perfect manifestation of tinkle-down economics and tinkle-down intellectualism. Strapped with good looks, backed by a four-year degree earned at four different, below-middle-of-the-pack universities, and emboldened by a belief that America owes her far more than she's prepared to pay for, Palin desperately wants to piss down on the rest of us from the White House.

She connects because she's like most of America. She's determined to live beyond her means. She represents exactly what landed us in financial crisis. She's a maxed-out, main-street politician being exploited by the political friends of Wall Street willing to extend her credit over the objections of her bankrupt qualifications.

I was in a hotel room in Muncie, Ind., when I heard her name that late-August morning on CNN. My head was buried in pillows. I never looked up. But I was -- for reasons I still don't fully understand -- totally fascinated.

I hopped out of bed, flipped open my laptop, googled Palin and spent most of the morning and afternoon reading as much as I could about Alaska's governor.

I read all the unfounded rumors concerning her last child. I listened to an audio tape of a radio interview where she laughed wildly as her interviewers -- two shock jocks -- ridiculed one of her political opponents by calling the woman a "bitch" and overweight. I discovered that her popularity numbers could be directly attributed to her taking office precisely at the time when oil prices skyrocketed and she could play Santa Claus by redistributing wealth to her constituents. And I learned of her and husband's long ties to the Alaskan Independence Party.

By Saturday morning -- and keep in mind my political inexperience -- I had convinced myself that John McCain was attempting to throw the election with his selection of Palin.

It was the only thing that made sense to me at the time. I'm not that good at finding things on the Internet. In less than 24 hours of searching, I had found numerous red flags in regards to Palin's competence and maturity.

Since Palin's introduction, I have been immersed in election coverage and news. I spend hours every day reading realclearpolitics.com, fivethirtyeight.com, redstate.com, dailykos.com, huffingtonpost.com and watching CNN, MSNBC and Fox News.

By the time I learned that Palin had only recently acquired a passport and had demonstrated zero curiosity about the rest of the world, I began to rethink my position. There was something more at work here. When Palin exposed her embarrassing lack of knowledge during interviews with Charlie Gibson and Katie Couric, I started hunting for a new explanation for her arrival on the national political scene.

Lipstick on a pit bull.

Her exploiters never hid their intentions. They stated them and executed them in her mean-spirited acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention.

Sarah Palin's application for the vice presidency was approved so she could put a pretty face on a divisive, bigoted and desperate political strategy. McCain's strategists realized that President Bush's administration, Obama's pop-star status and record fundraising would make it nearly impossible for McCain to out-duel Obama in a debate about the issues.

In order for McCain to compete, there had to be an appeal along racial lines for two reasons: 1. McCain has to offset the swelling number of black voters who will turn out to vote for Obama simply because he's black; 2. Racial fears normally cause people to make irrational decisions such as a $40,000-a-year plumber getting upset about tax hikes on people making six times more money than him.

OK, so who would be foolish enough to be the front person for a line of attack that included telling America that the potential Jackie Robinson of presidential politics pals "around with terrorists" and sees America as imperfect and different from the pro-America part of America?

Who would be that thoughtless? Only someone running for the vice presidency on credit. Mitt Romney, Joe Lieberman and Tom Ridge wouldn't be that stupid.

Sarah Palin intends to acquire the skill, knowledge and savvy for high office later. In the meantime, she's not going to question the marching orders given to her by the McCain strategists who overlooked her spotty credit application, and she's going to duck calls from the creditors burning up her phone lines.

Who are her creditors? The investigators who wanted to talk with her about Troopergate, the mainstream "elite" media who wanted to ask her follow-up questions, the conservative pundits who wanted her to represent their side of the argument in a coherent, creditable fashion and anyone who watched her one debate with the hope of her answering a direct question.

And look what happened. With a credit score in the low 200s, Sarah Palin still had fraudulent lenders such as Sean Hannity ready to extend her more credit. With McCain sitting by her side to co-sign the loan, Hannity walked Palin through the process of pretending to be a qualified candidate for the vice presidency to the delight of Fox News viewers.

It was stunning. And it's depressing that it's actually working.

Envious that hard-right-wing sham lenders approved Palin for a bailout package and then milked her for ratings bumps, the traditional media lenders have offered to allow Palin to bat her eyes, wink and jive her way through softball interviews.

Fox, MSNBC and CNN are locked in such a heated battle for viewers and advertisers that they care virtually nothing about fulfilling their roles as TV journalists. They're most interested in preserving Paris Palin as a ratings winner to serve as a foil against Denzel Obama over the next four years. The cable news networks cannot match the integrity of Saturday Night Live executive producer Lorne Michaels, who rode Palin to record ratings while allowing Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin to treat the VP candidate like the lightweight she is.

Palin is unworthy of respect. At a critical juncture in our nation's history, she has selfishly asked for and received her 15 minutes and further damaged America's ability to discuss and debate critical issues.

You can contact Jason Whitlock at [e-mail].

Comments

[showmestategal]

Once again Jason you Wow me with your profound understanding & common sense toward the issue of Racism In My Country!
You make me Proud that you are also such a tremendouw writer for my Hometown Paper!
Thank you for always telling it like it is in the Political enviroment-Attacks on others such as Imus etc. & truth's about l the Chiefs

[slj316]

I enjoy reading Jason Whitlock's articles because I know that although I don't always agree with him, he'll make me see things in a different light. He was spot on in his critique/analysis of Sarah Palin. I loved the line about Hannity being a lender and McCain her co-signer. Hopefully come November 4, her credit line will get used up and it'll be time for her, McCain and all the neo-cons who backed this divisive campaign to pay the tab.

[cmaff05]

Mr Whitlock,

You are new to politics?

If that is the case, you have learned awfully quick!

Welcome aboard. :)

[NoVA forObama]

great article - like you I was totally non-politi­cal...Pali­n energised me in a way, no other VP candidate has...I voted early, for Obama/Biden - the thought of her anywhere near the WH would leave me unable to sleep at night..

[SueKatz]

Like you, my focus has never been electoral politics, but I went through the exact same arc as you did. From the night her selection was announced, I started researching and blogging about Sarah Palin. But then an indie publisher who read my pieces asked me to write a book on Sarah Palin in 28 (intense!) days and the result is my book, Thanks But No Thanks: The Voter's Guide to Sarah Palin.
I do disagree with you on one point: I don't think Sarah Palin is going away. No matter what happens on November 4th, she's the same woman the fundamentalists pushed in the first place and they couldn't be happier with her positions on abortion et al. She has a national political future with her as the figurehead of the religious right, I suspect.
Thanks for a great piece,
Sue, author
Thanks But No Thanks: The Voter's Guide to Sarah Palin

[keng52]

Nothing in this article was NOT well said! Great piece. On point all the way.

[safe meyersestate]

I believe that this is a great article...­. The Hannity Lending and McCain Co-Signer = Priceless.­...

[ringeroo]

I don't always agree with Whitlock's articles but always enjoy them. The heat he probably took for his piece on Titan's quarterback Young, if you read it with an open mind, was not popular but well reasoned.

To find that he hasn't voted and then read, in his entertaining way, the dissection of the Palin candidacy has been one of the better pieces written on her and why we should be scared. I feel he kept the gloves on (it would be nice to read some of his earlier drafts) but still hit hard.

The Jackie Robinson reference was perfect, and a must read is a biography on Robinson by Arnold Rampersad.

Like one black comedian has said...for all those reluctant whites to vote for Obama, when you go in the booth just vote for Obama'a white-half.

[tjohnson]

Well done.

Insightful, funny and depressing - all at the same time.

I have to thank the Obama campaign for respecting the intelligence of its fellow citizens. But, I would like to believe that it is Mr. Obama's deep insight and intrinsic leadership is what perpetuated that attitude throughout his campaign.

"I wanted Barack to make that point, more subtly than I just made it"

- Although I can understand this desire, I think Mr. Obama was relying on the intelligent majority (I would like to believe they are the majority) would see right through this. His faith and respect for his fellow citizens will pay off in Nov.

I am so excited to have him as our president. I believe history will show him to be one of the best we have ever had.

[abnerpsmood]

Dear Mr. Whitlock
A brilliant article. Your central argument was right on the order of the, "Emperor has no Clothes". It summarizes this entire bizarre Palin spectacle and the absurd, flagrant and shameless strategy of the McCain campaign. Their key to making it work is to do it as brazenly and openly as possible and counting on no adults to denounce it for the sham it is, because they lack the confidence to proclaim what is obvious even to a child. You gave words to what many many many people felt and understood, but could not articulate. How John McCain has debased himself. It's tragic. The Ayers argument is pathetic. My reading a book doesn't mean that I agree with it. My seeing a movie doesn't mean it speaks for me. My knowing and working with someone, does not mean that I am accountable for everything they did before I met them. I've read, " Mein Kampf", saw "Brokeback Mountain", and have spoken with Jehovah's Witnesses in my home. The idea that that some how could be construed that it necessarily follows that I'm a Nazi homosexual with messianic tendencies is preposterous and could only have traction with someone gullible, intellectually challenged, infantile, or some combination of all three. But that's the line of reasoning employed. I hope this election is a resounding refutation of such blather. Your article was an excellent contribution.

[PATina]

Linking Gov. Palin's choice to the financial crisis is one of the most ingenius things I've read in a long time.

Brilliant !!!!

[Nommo]

Whitlock, did you ever consider all those who struggled, suffered and died so that you could be apolitical for so long? Somehow, all the congrats you've received for finally coming around seem hollow in that regard. One of the points they insisted upon was that no vote is worthless. Not for all the blood that was shed that you might even be able to consider not voting. Even a third party vote counts for something.

[Mnemanth]

US News published an article back in 2004 that broke down just what your vote means in the big scheme of things.
Yes, by all means VOTE, but don't think for a minute that the system isn't rigged. The way districts are broken out, and who decides where the lines are drawn, decides who "wins" far more than you exercising your constitutional rights.
You have the right to vote, yes, but no one said it's being counted.

Mr. Whitlock, thank you for an excellent article. I believe there a lot of disillusioned citizens who have opened their eyes to where our country has gone, and are awake and aware enough to demand a difference. Palin, the RNC, and their bizarre "campaign" have driven that lesson home.

See you at the polls!

[Nommo]

The point is, one would be less inclined to confront those things if one does not vote at all. Having cast a vote, one has made a distinct investment that needs be looked after.

[Wumpie]

Welcome to the fold, Jason. Nice article.

I think Obama has stood out as an agent of change. Especially after Bush/Cheney. Not the same old, same old. Thoughtful, measured, leadership is change.

[Alonso Quijano]

Voting for Obama/Biden even if you live in an assuredly very RED state is NOT worthless.

(1) If it ever happens again (as in Gore-2000) that a President is elected by the electoral college system who does not carry the popular vote, I hope that the losing side, whichever it is, will start a concerted, all-out campaign to change the rules. (It shoud be done anyway, but human nature being what it is, nothing will happen until a dramatic problem appears.)

(2) The closer the votes are in a traditional very RED state forces the RED side to campaign and spend time and resources on that state, diminishing the power of campaign contributions elsewhere.

[Bperiod]

Jason,

I have read your columns alot in the past, some I agreed with, others not so much. However, that's why I enjoy them. It's great to read somebody with different ideas, that doesn't always stick to the same basic theme. That being said...thi­s is by FAR the best thing I've read from you . Although I have always voted, your thought process regarding "Paris" was EXACTLY the same as mine. TONS of research done on her resulting in a complete utter DISGUST that a person with her limited qualifications, education and past associations is running for such high office in America. Listening to the Neocons co-sign this woman has clearly showed me that what is good for us as a country has NOTHING to do with it. It's all about them keeping power. (BUT, I have been impressed by the growing number of Repubs that have come out for BO, showing actual rational thought)
PLEASE vote anyway, and thank you for this this post.