Why are we still talking about Sarah?
I have to admit, I really thought this would all be over by now.
But there was Sarah Palin, influencing primary races. And this weekend, there she was again, the very special guest at Glenn Beck's revival, exhorting 90,000 angry white folks to honor the troops and take back the country.
Are we seeing the early waves of support for an authentic presidential possibility, with the right stuff to lead us out of the swamp? Even those most faithful to the warrior queen of the angry would be hard pressed to articulate policy positions that go much beyond: big government and snotty elitists -- bad; freedom and momma grizzlies -- good.
Is the attraction the fact that she is the closest thing the Republicans have to a rock star -- a lip-glossed alternative to the starchy white guys that have been the face of the party's candidacies? No doubt, Sarah Palin is fun. She is a reality show on a tour bus. She is a looker who can field-dress a moose, with enough family issues to fill a season; including -- and was there ever really any doubt about this -- a daughter who has just signed on to Dancing With the Stars.
There is some serious celebrity momentum going on here. Like Paris Hilton and the Kardashians before her, the Sarah Palin of bumper-sticker positions unintelligibly delivered has become famous for being famous. You might not know the policies. You might be a tad fuzzy on the legislative track record. But the brand identity of the high heels, glasses and swept up hairdo is as indelible as a bright red can of Coca-Cola.
And yet ...
Those like me who saw her as a future footnote, slated to fade like last year's American Idol, have to admit that even in a time and culture of drive-by celebrity, her brand has legs. She continues to be the spokes model for a swath of the population that isn't very happy about much of anything. As such, her approval isn't an endorsement in the political sense of policy and record. It's a personal warranty that this is one we can safely let into our club.
The dissection of the primaries has only begun. But a quick review shows that three candidates who earned her blessing won. While her true impact is already being debated (she also backed a number of losers) there is no doubt that she rides into a candidate's camp pulling a wagon load of media and money -- not to mention the opportunity to assure the conservative base: "Sarah likes me!"
What happens when the intramurals are behind us and her clout is tested in November? Will being the hottest thing at the Tea Party mean as much to the general electorate? Given searing voter anger; maybe yes. Given the news cycle's half-life of celebrity value; maybe no. But one thing is certain: she'll be there. And we'll be watching.
She will not get votes for any candidate running for president. Her biggest problem is she does not take orders or follow what her leaders ask of her, so she will always be a hinderance.
The Presidential candidates will pick a strong person, maybe a woman. They don't need her. She would be a drag on them and is already a drag on the party.
And she'll probably get it.
Fascist ways of the George W. Bush
administration and the media at large
are saps, reporting all the right-wing
republican talking point like they are
fact....
Why else would a large majority of
republican voters still think the President
Obama is a muslim?" because if the
republicans say it enough times their
constituents will believe it hook line
and sinker....
and the News Media will report it as fact....
is a
are you white and angry that there is a two party system?
why are so full of hate? why are liberals making the dem party the party of hate?
consider this line:
And this weekend, there she was again, the very special guest at Glenn Beck's revival, exhorting 90,000 angry white folks to honor the troops and take back the country.
1. so, honoring the troops is only for angry white folks? you're angry. do you honor the troops
2. 90,000? you obviously know more than that showed up. your low number shows us how angry you are.
3. why didn't you talk about the 4,000 angry black folk who were angry that white folk dare talk about civil rights?
who are your heroes?
1. tina fey
2. the cast of saturday night live
3. abc, nbc, cbs, keith olberman, jon stewart
wow. you must go to bed every night thinking you are so lucky to have such heroes. good for you.
This wasn't a gathering honoring the troops...neither was this a gathering celebrating the furtherment of the work Martin Luther King started regarding the civil rights of many American citizens..
This was a disguised rant and afront to the Obama administration, against the fact that a BLACK MAN is the leader of the free world and a shy away from the obvious racists overtones of Glen Beck et al.
Sarah Palin and Beck have continually questioned Obama's birth place, his patriotism, his faith and above all his alleged socialist connections. Do you honestly belief that they have forgotten all of this to dress themselves up as GOD loving christians? Come on!
I take it that you object to the building of a muslim community centre in NYC on the grounds of sensitivity and choose to ignore basic constitutional rights, but then why are you so for a gathering of 'WHITE FOLK' on the very same day celebrating MLK and what he attempted to achieve on civil rights? Where was your sensitivity to the "BLACK FOLK''? who attempted to make this day a sacred one...which was hijacked by race baiter BECK et al.
As JK...highlights the "big disconnect" "between Beck the Kumbaya rally host and Beck the combative talk show host"
happily dispensing them to whoever would have to put up with them? Let me put it this way, You had your day in the Sun, and you made full use of it, now your fifteen minutes are up. Get used to it.
The left is terrified of Sarah because she strikes a chord with the silent majority.
I will be drinking champagne November 2nd!
And who were the other 200,000 folks she was talking to?