The Lyin', the Witch and the Wardrobe

Watching the fruit fly speech, I wasn't sure if I was seeing the real Sarah Palin, Tina Fey as Sarah Palin, or Sarah Palin as Tina Fey as Sarah Palin. It's all starting to blur. She was so absurd, so off-the-rails embarrassing, so staggeringly dumb, that it left me thinking that maybe Sarah Palin is a special needs child.

If you missed it, this candidate for vice president of the United States of America made a so-called "policy speech" on special needs children. In that speech she took on earmarks (naturally), and said that money "goes to projects having little or nothing to do with the public good -- things like fruit fly research in Paris, France. I kid you not."

Sorry, but everyone knows -- and I mean EVERYONE -- that fruit fly research is not about fruit flies! What I didn't know specifically, but I love knowing now, is that fruit fly research has led to the discovery of a protein that is apparently critical in treatment of autism in children, the very kind of "special needs child" the candidate was speaking about. Just when you think she couldn't get any more embarrassing.

Palin's supporters are outraged, wondering how we could expect her to know that. Um, when the candidate for vice president of the United States chooses to give a policy speech on a topic that she claims to be an expert on, shouldn't we expect her to actually be an expert? She claims in her speech that she is the one in the McCain/Palin administration who will "lead the reforms" necessary in the area of special needs children. She's not asking us to put her in charge of the church bake sale. She wants us to put her in charge of our most vulnerable children. And, no, it doesn't matter that she is the mother of such a child. Just like it doesn't make her a foreign policy expert because she can see Russia from her house, it doesn't make her an energy expert because she lives near an oil pipeline, and it doesn't make her knowledgeable on the job of vice president because she plays one on TV (she thinks the VP is in charge of the senate!).

For the few people left who continue to stubbornly love this woman, I know it feels great to see someone on the national stage who reminds you of yourself and your own $150,000 wardrobe. I know you felt the same kind of familiarity with George W. Bush, when his brush clearing reminded you of your own 1500 acre estate, er, ranch. I get it. We all suffer from a touch of the narcissist from time to time. But how about we all stop looking in the mirror and start looking out the window? The world is big, complicated, messy, and very dangerous. The problems are deep and the problem solvers need to be deeper. We don't need more superficially familiar, intellectually vacuous, and insecurely arrogant people running the country into oblivion.

What we desperately need are smart, educated, curious, intellectually honest, and genuinely confident leaders. We can't afford to keep voting for ordinary because yet another snake oil salesman (or saleswoman) sold us on the idea that we should somehow be terrified of the extraordinary.

Comments

[proreality]

The problem here is that most Americans, in-particular the base to which she is playing, don't understand that scientists and researchers use the fruit fly because of how familiar they are with it's genetic code, it's life cycle witch allows for many generations of mutations to be observed in a relatively short period of time and the ease with which it's dna can be manipulated. The fruit fly is the base model for almost every aspect of scientific experimentation. The more egregious and incendiary part is the fact that we are sending this money out of the country, the experiment to which she was referring is in North Carolina. What is even more disturbing is the incredible number of people who listened to this drivel, in many ways no different then the rest of the right wing lie machine and will never except the truth, every correction or attempt at accuracy will be dismissed as a vilifying "liberal" media. Once lied to and propogandized the people to which she speaks will never accept any contrary perspective.

[access2narnia]

ANY child in even an elementary or middle school Science Class (at least since I was in the late 1950s/early 60s) should know that fruit fly research was the essential scientific methodology to understanding genetics, DNA, the human genome, and even stem cell therapies. CHECK THE NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND STANDARDS !!!!

It is TRAGIC that Sarah Palin, the daughter of a Science Teacher, prefers to MOCK anything or anyone she does not understand instead of investigate and learn more.

Even more TRAGIC is what would happen in a McCain-Palin Administration which, even before the election, is already promising to FREEZE ALL SPENDING, GUT IDEA AND OUR PUBLIC SPECIAL EDUCATION SYSTEM, LINE-ITEM VETO EVERY CONGRESSIONAL ALLOCATION THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND, ELIMINATE LEGISLATIVE DECISION-MAKING THROUGH SIGNING STATEMENTS, AND PURSUE CHARACTER ASSASSINATION AGAINST ANYONE WHO DIFFERS WITH THEM ("You will know their names!"!!! And that's before "Evita" Palin TAKES CHARGE OF THE SENATE and EXPANDS THE POWERS OF THE CHENEY VICE-PRESIDENCY!

[Nyckname]

"Palin's supporters are outraged, wondering how we could expect her to know that. "

She's engaging in gotcha journalism on herself?!

[murphysgirl]

I agree with everything in this piece..I remember when people were going out of their way to defend her because she didn't know the Bush doctrine. If you're vying for the role of vice president and our country is in the middle of two wars, I think it's imperative to have a knowledge base of facts everytime you open your mouth...

[LeftRight]

Honestly, is anyone REALLY surprised about this???? This is the same party that had a "dr." perform an exam on a women using a highly edited video, and decided that the specialists who had called her in a permanent vegetative state were wrong! Then the congress, led by this "dr." broke the Constitution by writing a federal law to allow them to keep her alive against the will of her husband. booooosh even came back from Crawford early, something he's NEVER done, before or since, to sign this into law!

I'm speaking, of course, about Terri Schaivo.

[robbie44]

Fruit fly research takes away from snake oil research.

[lisakaz2]

Awesome post. I don't find anything real in SP worth recommending her and cannot understand anyone defending her. What about her "palling around" with AIP, including being married to a member (until 2007)? This woman is as phony as a $3 bill.

[imfedup]

I vote for her to head up the bake sale.

[access2narnia]

Talk about Sleepin With the Enemy!

[GraceNeeded]

Since I just went to see the movie "W" I have to say that the McCain/ Palin ticket should, in fact, be more frightening to reasonable people. President Bush isn't too bright, but he knows it and brought in some of our best minds to advise him. Gov. Palin is lacking in intelligence and should have recognized this lack of qualification, but insists she "is ready for the challenge". President Bush has always been sincere in his passions. Gov. Palin is the most disingenuous politician I've ever seen. She is a big phony. I am NOT sure who is the bigger hypocrite - Senator McCain for his flip-flopping on most every issue we supported him for in 2000 OR Gov. Palin for calling herself a Christian and acting like the 'witch' you labeled her as in the title. Lastly, President Bush is still a likeable character and Gov. Palin have been as nasty and cut throat as only they can be and show no shame for it. The repeated lies, distorted facts, smears and provocative language like 'he palls around with terrorists' and 'he's not like one of us' are just crude and low class, debasing of our whole political structure. Then they, obviously, don't respect the laws of our land they took an oath to uphold when they encourage assistants to ignore subpoenas and abuse their power of office. Why should we elect someone to lead our government who doesn't utilize or trust the system to solve personal problems?

[access2narnia]

Wasn't that the Viet Nam startegy--- DESTROY the country/village to save it?

[islandchris]

Why is it that Biology seems to come in for particular opprobrium from McCain/Palin (remember the Bear DNA project McCain trashed). It is now abundantly clear that neither of these individuals does the slightest bit of research before sounding off on what they think is a cute "sound bite". However, even if they're too intellectually lazy to do so, surely they have researchers who are supposed to do this?

What is on full display is the inane emptiness of the "proud to be ignorant crowd", and we can only hope they can recognise their own a$$es when the electorate serve them up on Nov 4th.

[blaqntelligence]

"However, even if they're too intellectually lazy to do so, surely they have researchers who are supposed to do this?"

Not an easy thing when you have smearing robocalls, lying mailers, and $200,000 worth of wardrobe and makeup to pay for. PLUS, you're down in money and the numbers.
Research? Who needs it?

[TRex86]

The title is quite clever. No need to apologize for the mildly dismissive word, "witch." It works. Besides she's someone that can repeatedly imply that Obama is a terrorist. She is a conscience challenged attack dog who has no qualms about stirring up the mob. Does she have any concern for Obama's safety? No siree.
Palin is GW Bush with estrogen. Phony folksiness. No curiosity. Her biography and demeanor remind me of Nicole Kidman in Blind Ambition. That she is surpassingly ignorant is no surprise, but who vetted her speech? The Republicrooks have descended into self-parody. Good riddance.

[liberalnfree]

I agree 100% with everything you said in your article-- except the title. Applying the term "witch" to any woman-- even a politician as awful as Palin-- hurts all women. There is nothing in her ignorance and ideology that we haven't seen before from male Republicans, nothing that justifies calling her out as a "witch." Under this label hundreds of thousands of women were burned to death, and it is routinely used to stigmatize assertive women even today.

Condemn her as an ignoramus, a liar, a fanatical right wing ideologue. But not as a "witch."

[Michael Seitzman - Huffpost Blogger]

I understand what you're saying and I disagree. Just because she's a woman doesn't mean she's not subject to the same type of open criticism, including words you don't like, as any man. The minute this woman said "pals around with terrorists," she became the type of monster that needs to be called out in the harshest of terms. "Bitch" is a different word, more closely aligned with sexism, and I didn't use it. Make no mistake, she and McCain have brought this type of counterattack on themselves and we should be screaming our outrage at the top of our lungs, even if it risks offending thoughtful people like yourself.

[respectingothers]

as with any label, some folks have deeper seated emotional reactions than others. make it a "w" or make it a "b" it's all the same to me, probably could be labeled sexist either way as they are not labels attributed to men. but then estrogen is a heckuva different molecule than testosterone. the shoe fits. i'm not very worried about her being under any real threat of being burned at tthe stake. unlike the very REAL threat she has placed on our most probably next POTUS.

[jennyjen]

I am fine with calling her a witch - to me she is the wicked witch of the west.

She cares more about personal ambition than personal integrity.

I have been in shock since she ridiculed local community organizers. What kind of American would have jumped on her bandwagon after that?

She has made one stupid uneducated comment after another - lie after lie - and she is still polling at 40% approval. WHO ARE THOSE PEOPLE?????

TO ALL COLORADOANS - BIG OBAMA RALLY WITH OUR CANDIDATE TOMORROW:

Sunday, October 26th
Doors Open: 10:00 a.m.
Program Begins: 11:30 a.m.

[noamjunior]

personally -I would be less offended by "Bitch"- the catholic church used the label "witch" as an excuse to kill midwives and uppity women- a practice Palin's church still apparently approves of

[GraceNeeded]

YES, I keep posting and screaming with outrage but there are still 30% that believe in this woman! How can this be?

[Boston1775]

Palin opened the door to "witch" when she took public funds to fly to an evangelical multi-church gathering and was prayed over by a self-professed witch hunter.

She spoke about him later in glowing terms; he prayed to "make a way, make a way" for her next political move.

[PDinCA]

I just assumed that the witch in the title referred to the witches or whatever that her church expelled from her, or protected her from, or whatever it was. Besides, the title was just too good to pass up. It's hilarious!

[LiarLiarIraqsOnFire]

My thoughts exactly.

[Vige]

Well the word "witch" brings up another problem for her, the witch hunting pastor. The pastor who chased a woman out of her village by convincing everyone she was a witch. The pastor, who in church, prayed that she be protected from the witches as 2 men held her in place.

We should all, men and women, burn a black candle and send a message into the universe that binds this woman from ever having any influence or control over us or our children.

[imfedup]

Did someone say WITCH???
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvXDrOQBsrA

[lisakaz2]

You never heard of the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe? He could have developed the witch part I'm sure, based on those witch hunters associated with her (more than 1).

[soxypirate]

So...use a pejorative, just not a gender specific pejorative? I think I agree with you that there are some gender specific insults that are inappropriate which degrade all women (b****, sl*t, wh*re, etc.), but I don't think that ALL gender specific insults are created equal.

Given the options "Witch", in my opinion, is definitely on the safe side of that fine line between what is appropriate and what is inappropriate.

[liberalnfree]

Yes, use a pejorative, just not a gender specific pejorative. Exactly correct, just as one would hope Republicans would never use a racially specific pejorative against Senator Obama.

[Boston1775]

And the way she delivered that line about the research on fruit flies in Paris, France...
She sounds like she just left the set of the
Beverly Hillbillies.

[Boston1775]

Your title alone is prize-worthy.

We all know that they wanted Mitt Romney.
So, when the Straight Talk Express was steaming ahead to become the Straight Talk Titanic, they said, "Let us help you out, Steve Schmidt will give you a hand."
And then Rick and Steve picked the Iceberg from Alaska as a great idea.

Thus they launched the Romney 2012 campaign.

And those pesky evangelicals?
They've been pretty much humiliated, doncha know.

[libertysentinel]

Brilliant article. Absolutely true and brilliant.

I admit to being cynical when it comes to the collective intelligence of the American people. This election is giving me hope thus far. It appears that maybe it is only 40% or so of the population that doesn't value reason or intelligence. But a majority does, and that is a step forward.

[uheardme]

I'm sure Alaskans like her as their Governor. Let's do the people of the great state of Alaska a favor and keep her there after November 4th.

[PDinCA]

I think you mean "liked."

[betheliza]

her approval ratings in alaska have taken a nosedive since her addition to the gop ticket.

[libertysentinel]

Actually, I am now worried about Alaska in a way I never have been before. I don't think she is qualified to serve in any public office.

[respectingothers]

i know many Alaskans and everyone I know is embarrassed by her.

[GregJL]

I know many fruit flies and they are also embarrassed by her