Sarah Palin is a woman who is definitely a legend in her own mind. In view view, she is particularly dangerous because she is oblivious to her own limitations. She continues to have a tempestuous love affair with herself. The mere thought of her in high federal office ought to make sentient Americans shiver in terror. The woman is a menace plain and simple. And it seems only the simple minded and bigots embrace her. In a tongue and cheek op-ed piece in the Washington Post, Eugene Robinson describes Sarah Palin as the USA's "very own "lite" version of Eva Perón -- a glamorous and tragic legend, minus the tragedy." While Robinson's column does a great job at looking at Palin's deficiencies, his comparison of Palin to Eva Peron is, in fact, an insult to the long dead "Evita" who, despite her many flaws, was a political and intellectual genius compared to trailer park trash once removed Palin. Here are some highlights from Robinson's column:*
It's futile to try to ignore Palin, however noble the effort may be. She's a phenomenon, and it hardly matters that so many people believe she augurs the final dissolution of American politics into a big, frothy bowl of mush. The republic will survive even her.
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Anyway, she's unlikely ever to become -- shudder -- commander in chief. A new Post-ABC News poll shows that 60 percent of Americans believe Palin is not qualified to be president, and 53 percent "definitely" would not vote for her
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Palin's followers can afford shirts. But evidently they feel so disenfranchised, so ignored, so put upon by forces beyond their control, that they are willing to look past her every shortcoming and forgive her every betrayal. What matters is "Going Rogue" -- not the cleverly titled book itself, but Palin's willingness to thumb her nose at political and social convention. So what if she displayed no real grasp of the issues in interviews during last year's campaign?
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[Tina] Fey's "Palin" predicted that she'd become either president or "a white Oprah." So on whose show does Palin launch her book? Oprah's, of course -- adding to the long list of Palin lore that you simply couldn't make up. Palin indeed would be a terrific talk-show host, but she has much bigger ambitions. Her ultimate impact, like Evita's, may be more sociological than political.
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She taps into several broad currents of discontent. She speaks for social conservatives, long taken for granted by Republicans who brandish their opposition to issues such as abortion and gay rights at election time but never actually do anything about it. She speaks for small-town and rural Americans who feel their concerns are ignored. She speaks for hunters who fear that "Washington" wants to take their guns away.
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Palin's unconventional trajectory and unkempt mind are seen as authentic, in the sense that we all know people who've had ups and downs in their lives and who couldn't point to Kazakhstan on a map. Her success to date represents a triumph of authenticity over accomplishment. In the final analysis, I believe, that's not enough to make her president. But others seeking the 2012 Republican nomination underestimate her at their peril.
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Toward the end of her life, Eva Perón gave a famous speech in which she vowed, "I will return, and I will be millions!" Sarah Palin, our Evita, has returned -- and she will make millions.
*
It's futile to try to ignore Palin, however noble the effort may be. She's a phenomenon, and it hardly matters that so many people believe she augurs the final dissolution of American politics into a big, frothy bowl of mush. The republic will survive even her.
*
Anyway, she's unlikely ever to become -- shudder -- commander in chief. A new Post-ABC News poll shows that 60 percent of Americans believe Palin is not qualified to be president, and 53 percent "definitely" would not vote for her
*
Palin's followers can afford shirts. But evidently they feel so disenfranchised, so ignored, so put upon by forces beyond their control, that they are willing to look past her every shortcoming and forgive her every betrayal. What matters is "Going Rogue" -- not the cleverly titled book itself, but Palin's willingness to thumb her nose at political and social convention. So what if she displayed no real grasp of the issues in interviews during last year's campaign?
*
[Tina] Fey's "Palin" predicted that she'd become either president or "a white Oprah." So on whose show does Palin launch her book? Oprah's, of course -- adding to the long list of Palin lore that you simply couldn't make up. Palin indeed would be a terrific talk-show host, but she has much bigger ambitions. Her ultimate impact, like Evita's, may be more sociological than political.
*
She taps into several broad currents of discontent. She speaks for social conservatives, long taken for granted by Republicans who brandish their opposition to issues such as abortion and gay rights at election time but never actually do anything about it. She speaks for small-town and rural Americans who feel their concerns are ignored. She speaks for hunters who fear that "Washington" wants to take their guns away.
*
Palin's unconventional trajectory and unkempt mind are seen as authentic, in the sense that we all know people who've had ups and downs in their lives and who couldn't point to Kazakhstan on a map. Her success to date represents a triumph of authenticity over accomplishment. In the final analysis, I believe, that's not enough to make her president. But others seeking the 2012 Republican nomination underestimate her at their peril.
*
Toward the end of her life, Eva Perón gave a famous speech in which she vowed, "I will return, and I will be millions!" Sarah Palin, our Evita, has returned -- and she will make millions.
*
Personally, I believe McCain's selection [or was it really James Dobson's selection?] of Palin as his vice presidential running mate lost him the 2008 election. I continue to hope that rational, thinking people will continue to see Palin for what she is. She's certainly no Evita. Instead, she's a mental case
2 comments:
...his comparison of Palin to Eva Peron is, in fact, an insult to the long dead "Evita" who, despite her many flaws, was a political and intellectual genius compared to trailer park trash once removed Palin.
AMEN!
Palin is the new James Frey, the guy who wrote that lie filled autobiography, A Million Little Pieces. She's even got the Oprah interview to qualify her for that title.
Even for a Christianist Republican, Sarah Paliin (on Oprah) criticizing Levi for being away from the baby, out harvesting publicity is breath-taking. Sarah Palin insisted on giving birth to a special-needs child a few months before her teenage, dropout daughter gave birth. One would think that both Trig and Bristol need a mother. Where is she? On a media tour. And the younger mother — teenage single-mother Bristol — has a job preaching the premarital chastity she failed to practice. Who's taking care of Sarah's and Bristol's babies? And this provides models of "traditional family values"?!
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