Sarah Palin: The Face of Ugly Americanism

I know, I know: Sarah Palin is receiving rosy plaudits for her speech last night. She is being heralded as the savior of the GOP, someone with enough moxie to sustain the party's unholy alliance between the oil plutocrats and the oily preachocrats.

Many pundits in reviewing her polished performance claim to see an unflappable and gung-ho winner on stage. My honest-to-goodness visceral reaction was quite otherwise. What I saw on that stage was the personification of small-minded smugness, an utter lack of humility, a kind of self-righteous entitlement based on little more than puffed-up narrowness. She struck me not as plucky but, rather, as stunningly immodest--to the point of arrogance. Some people are arrogant and maybe deserve to be. They know it, and flaunt it, while everyone else thinks they are jerks. But there's another kind of arrogance, perhaps harder to spot at first, an arrogance that apparently doesn't even recognize itself as such, a sanctified, self-satisfied presumptuousness that flows from sheer naïveté about oneself and the world and manifests itself in giddy ambition.

Hey, I'm all for hockey teams, motherhood, snowmobiling, and small-town virtues. I grew up with such charms [indulgent personal digression here along those lines: Forty some years ago, whenever my family visited my grandparents' farm in Ossian, Iowa, that "event" would always make the front page of the Ossian Bee, right next to a story about someone's canned tomatoes going bad, which was positioned right next to the Ossian Bee's front-page obituaries column. Or, one time, among many, when we visited my father's parents' farm in Coggon, Iowa, we asked, fishing poles in hand, a local young boy for directions to a Bait and Tackle shop, and he gave us elaborate directions, about turning at this corner, and then at that stump, and then winding around some bend in the road, and looping back at the half-mile marker--directions that were almost comically complicated for such a small place. And then he ended his on-the-scene peroration: "But I don't think it's open today." As for snowmobiling, my daredevil cousins used to run snowmobiles on the (hopefully) frozen Cedar River, jumping over cracks and breaks in the ice if they encountered such. Heck, as for credentials, I still have my NRA shooting awards from Cub Scout summer camp.] Such small-town charms and virtues notwithstanding, I also recognize--especially when it's beaming right at me from my Chinese-manufactured television screen--small-town thinking when I see and hear it. What the world--what this country--doesn't need more of right now is Sarah Palin's defiant brand of self-assured provincialism.

Palin and McCain want the United States to consume more and more of the planet's energy resources--in the names of God, country, and industry. Palin believes that the Iraq War was God's will, even though she admits that she hasn't been paying close attention to that war (oh my Lord!). She believes that drilling in Alaska's natural splendor is blessed with Providential Approval. She promotes policies based on her unshakable belief that she herself has a direct pipeline (no pun intended) to the Almighty's intentions. What hubris! How dare she hijack and besmirch true belief for the sake of her particular economic predilections.

She mocks community organizing in Southside Chicago--but has she ever set foot in Chicago? She has no idea what it means to organize on the south side of Chicago--nor, I imagine, does her slickly sarcastic speechwriter. How many African-Americans lived in Wasilla during her tenure as mayor? She hasn't traveled through this great country of ours. She doesn't know its people, doesn't know its amazing and oftentimes vexing diversity. She hasn't traveled anywhere in the world, except one place. She presents herself as an all-American gal, but does she genuinely understand--beyond her own PTA-to-Juneau story--our country's rich and varied and complex history? She recently confessed that she doesn't even understand what the Vice President of the United States does, and her admirers heartily approve of her perversely willful ignorance.

Yes, she can bring a bunch of white people to their feet chanting USA, USA, USA. Good for her. But true leadership in these difficult times will require actual knowledge, not just personality. This world of ours, the past hundred years, has too frequently witnessed the dangers--nay, the evils--of compensatory nativism. Citizens in our own country should have learned one of the major lessons of these last eight years, namely that conviction should not serve as a trump card over competence. To me, Sarah Palin's grin looks like the grin of someone who doesn't feel she needs to think twice before pulling the trigger.

Read more analysis from HuffPost bloggers on Sarah Palin

Comments

[Rozier]

Of McCain's Vice Presidential choice, Arctic beauty queen huntress, hockey mom who soars the heavens, I wonder only this: How much greater for having her name on the ticket will the Republican victory be? A lot would be my guess.
Democrats had already made a McCain victory certain with the Obama nomination. Palin now gives the undecided and those Hillary supporters embittered by the primaries reason enough to go red. She'll also be the fall back candidate neocons critical of McCain will need in order to swallow their pride and do what Republicans seem to do best - take one for the gipper.
Doubt this? Then ask yourself: Are we an educated and otherwise thoughtful nation of politically engaged citizens with a history of electing leaders on the basis of their qualifications? Appearances aside, substance over style? Or in your view, does the voting public somehow fall short in their collective decision making process?
Americans will rise to the occasion as they did when they elected Bush and in the end answer the question no one wants to ask: Can a black man become the President of the United States?
"Search your feelings Luke", John McCain will be the 44th President of the United States.

[esquire07]

"What I saw on that stage was the personification of small-minded smugness, an utter lack of humility, a kind of self-righteous entitlement based on little more than puffed-up narrowness."

I love your writing - great article.

[Agentlady007]

It amazes me - some of these comments I am reading about a person none of you know at all. It's just resentment because she is working for the man you don't want to run the country. Well, when or if he is sworn in, my guess is all of you will be changing your tunes - and looking for good things to say about her, or you are all cowards to your country. Palin just happens to be a person who is about to work in a very difficult job, one that most of you are unqualified for. Go ahead though, freedom of speech is a wonderful thing.

[Rescisco]

"...a sanctified, self-satisfied presumptuousness that flows from sheer naïveté about oneself and the world and manifests itself in giddy ambition."

Very well said indeed! She strikes me as never having had a truly thoughtful moment in her life and as one completely satisfied with the world as she defines it based on her small awareness of big things and her severely limited world view. There is no interest in anything outside of her own little self made perfect make believe conservative world, and no capacity to be humble or graceful in the face of complex challenges. Of course, that means she does indeed have a lot in common with many of the people who elect our leaders. I fear her presence on the national political scene will serve to effectively lower our political IQ even further. She will be popular, and we will pay a heavy price.

[JulianJons]

I pretty much agree with this article, but the most ripping feeling I had was that she is an IMPOSTOR. I felt she did not belong there. She did not earn her chops to be the Vice President of the USA. She did not pay her dues. She was pretty much yanked from PTA meetings, though they call it governorship and thrown on the national stage where she is actually making claims. I took great offense in that.

[mickey2010]

"Sarah Palin's arrogance is a sanctified, self-satisfied presumptuousness that flows from sheer naïveté about oneself and the world and manifests itself in giddy ambition."

Sound like an accurate discription of Obama.

[JSchlind]

In her introduction to the American people at the Republican National Convention, Governor Palin stated, “I’m going to Washington to serve the people of this country.” With her record in Alaska, I have to ask, just what people is she talking about? Given her stance on abortion, sex education and gay rights she obviously won’t be serving those Americans who are pro-choice, favor sex education and support gay rights. Palin requested books to be removed from her town library due to her finding them morally or socially offensive. That request was denied, but once Palin took office she fired the town librarian. Obviously she will not serve those Americans who believe in freedom of speech.

While I think it is wonderful that Governor Palin is firm in her moral and religious beliefs, what worries me is the mixing of her personal moral and religious philosophies with her political philosophies.

The big problem here seems to be with the term “One nation under God.” The “God” part must be irrelevant when it comes to talk of nation. God or no God, we are still one nation. Politicians need to recognize that while our nation is predominately Christian, we are also Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and many other faiths. Our nation was not built on religion, but on religious freedom. As such our leaders must respect that our citizens, no matter what their chosen faith may be, are all entitled to a fair representation in government, all religion aside.

[independent4ever]

About 90 seconds into the speech, I started thinking of Angela Lansbury's character in the Manchurian candidate. Truly frightening! I have to wonder about a poliitical party that so champions candidates who appeal to the lowest common denominator. I prefer candidates that I can look up to and not those that I can have a beer with or share some caribou with.

[SgtLucifer]

Oh come on now ! Dr. Seery,... I think you are being too harsh on poor Sarah. I read your article twice. The second time, I substituted Sarah for George W Bush... and you may as well have described one and the same person.

As a matter of fact, I'd be glad if McCain & Sarah wins in November. Americans will truly know what it means to pay premium for cheap stuff. As a wise person noted, people don’t change when they see the light. They change when they feel the heat. Americans have yet to feel the heat.

[tuttlemsm]

"What the world--what this country--doesn't need more of right now is Sarah Palin's defiant brand of self-assured provincialism."

This is probably the most succinct summary of how McCain-Palin represents four more years of Bush.

[Maloysius]

There is nothing more depressing and unnerving than a smug creationist. How do you even begin to discourse with someone who not only belongs to the Flat Earth Society, but accuses you of being unpatriotic because you do not? The fact that a Sarah Palin could even be considered as president of our country lends credence to the theory of de-evolution.

[SmackwaterJack]

What one has to be aware of is giving John McSame a mandate to continue the failed Republican agenda. In spite of John McCain's claims to change these failed policies if elected, He is without the ability but most of all with out the *WILL* . Make no mistake about it.

[Enlightened22]

Coming from an other country, I do have to say that there is part of american patriotism that makes me laugh. The whole thing about the best country in the world for example. On basically every mesure of wellbeing (education, health, security), you are way behind all the other western countries. So you would say freedom. I don't even go to the States anymore because crossing the borders, with those redneck officers trying to scare you but completly incompetent (a friend of mine, unintentionnaly, took four flights with a knife in his handbag) is enough to convince you to go somewhere else. It is kind of sad, considering the amount of good people I met travelling through your country. But it seems that since the 90ies, the right-wing agenda distroyed brick by brick the great democracy you once were and the values you represented.

[PaulineF]

You've put it into words! Thank you. I couldn't quite define why I was gritting my teeth so much last night (my jaw still aches). I sure hope Saturday Night Live will also pick up on this characterization. I think we saw from the Clinton situation that they have a lot of power to sway let clued in voters.

And I certainly hope all the wackadoodle stuff about Ms Palin (her seccessionist tendencies, her creationism, her close ties to the corrupt politicians in the state, her abuse of power, etc. etc) also can put a dent in the image she seems to have created last night. We'll see.

I do think she's got charisma, but it's the charisma of the snarky cheerleader.

[Anthony712]

Has Palin inspired millions of people to vote her in a hard fought primary? No she has been the governor of an out of touch state with no experience. So why did the Republicans pick her? They hope that women are so dumb that they'd vote for anything with boobs despite the fact that she is supporting a candidate that doesn't even support equal pay for women.

Karl Rove is trying to sell this unjustified Palin hype to the media and they're sadly biting. Just take a look at the Drudgereport. Disgusting. Why can't American's have a media that asks real questions to these candidates instead of just reporting the spin?

If the media doesn't hold John McCain's feet to the fire on this Palin pick then I guess Sarah Palin is a perfect example of why the American media is caves to conservative right for fear of being labeled "liberal". I've seen too much of it the last eight years, and here we go again, George W. Bush tactics before their potential term has even started.