Incoherence is not Attractive

York masterfully sums up my problems with Sarah Palin. This speech is just the latest evidence of a train wreck which has been brewing up for years. I genuinely feel bad for her. Excerpt:

First, Palin embarked on an extended stream-of-consciousness complaint about media coverage of her decision to run in a half-marathon race in Storm Lake, Iowa in 2011. She then moved on to grumbling about coverage of a recent photo of her with a supporter who had made a sign saying "Fuc_ you Michael Moore" in reaction to the left-wing moviemaker's criticism of the film "American Sniper." Then it was on to Palin's objections about the social media ruckus over a picture of her six-year-old son Trig standing on the family's Labrador Retriever.

It was all quite petty, and yet the complaining took half of Palin's allotted time. She then proceeded to blow through her time limit with a free-association ramble on Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, the energy industry, her daughter Bristol, Margaret Thatcher, middle-class economics — "the man can only ride ya when your back is bent" — women in politics, and much more. It would be hard to say that Palin's 35-minute talk had a theme, but she did hint that she is interested in running, although there are no indications she has taken any actual steps in that direction.

There are so many people on the Republican side who simply will not vote for any ticket with her on it. This is a fact; talk to McCain campaign staffers. It is a damn shame; so much political wealth has been squandered in her downfall. Maybe if she had just had better advisers... I don't know.

One of the problems I've seen is that she has been unfairly trashed by the media so relentlessly that her hardcore supporters don't want to hear anything negative about her. Many people on our side are afraid to point out serious missteps she has made in her political career and deficiencies in her exercise of discretion when she speaks.

Palin needs to either get out of politics and writes books about media bias like Bernard Goldberg, or stay in the game and rise above the fray. Right now she looks like she's living up to the unfair caricatures. I just hope she doesn't take the Ron Paul kook road where the caricatures become the truth.

Rod Dreher's Blood Eagle

SPOILER ALERT: FANS OF THE HISTORY CHANNEL SERIES "VIKINGS" WHO ARE NOT CURRENT SHOULD STOP READING NOW.

In this Dante post immediately following this Southern Gothic offering showing a paterfamilias reading Dante to his thralls over "filet of drum sautéed in butter, garlic, and fresh marjoram; preserved lemon risotto, green salad and Pommery Champagne", our Working Boy ceaselessly teases his hoped for book on Dante by referring again to his suffering, from which Dante has now saved him.

In a similar way, I am convinced that if I had not suffered as I’ve done, and in the particular way that I have done, these past two years, I never would have been able to understand the Commedia as it should be understood: not as merely an aesthetic object, but as a work of art that knew me better than I knew myself, and could reveal to me truths I needed to put my life back together.

Oddly, Rod has never specifically told us what his suffering consisted of or what he had to endure to finally fight his way through to the triumphal redemption of Pommery Champagne and insalate misto.

Fortunately, readers of EQE have bulldog reporter Keith to inform them, and I have finally run this mystery to the ground.

Horribly, it turns out that Rod Dreher has not only suffered through but survived the blood eagle having been performed on him by persons I have yet to identify, possibly disgruntled family members or local townies, or maybe even Biff from Back to the Future who heard he was back in town.

If you're squeamish about these things, you might want to skip ahead at this point, too.

Basically the blood eagle is like spatchcocking a chicken or turkey, except that it is performed on the opposite side of the torso.

The recipient (the sufferer, Rod Dreher) is alive and conscious at the outset. Cuts are made with a knife parallel to the spine on either side deep enough to expose the ribs, at which point the knife is exchanged for a war axe in order to chop the ribs free from the spine. The ribs are then popped free and spread out and up over each side of the back until they resemble the wings of an eagle in flight. Finally, the lungs are flipped up and forward to lay on the shoulders. Salt may be added, to taste. In the show Vikings, it is said that the recipient who doesn't cry out during the procedure is said to be welcomed into Valhalla, while those who do can never enter. My reporting on whether or not Rod Dreher cried out during his suffering is incomplete (he's a tough guy; I'll bet he didn't), but since Valhalla is probably not on his itinerary anyway I'm assuming it doesn't matter.

Others have suffered before, too, but I don't think anyone in history has suffered the way Rod Dreher has nebulously suffered and lived to tell us about it and tell us about it and tell us about it, a feat that is making me rethink my own suffering from my own vague and unspecified Existential Boo-Boo.

Without a doubt it's the renewed manliness and strength of character Rod gained from enduring and triumphing over his blood eagle which allowed him to create this second order, once removed, passive-aggressive post of concern for another human being, The Sarah Palin Who Might Have Been.

It's really important to closely examine the post's structure in order to fully appreciate the redemptive strength of character Dante has bequeathed Dreher in the shadow of his blood eagle.

This first thing to notice is that Dreher is not authoring the sentiment of the post, his role is only that of Pilateally purelled messenger. The sentiment itself originates with anonymous "reader Richard", a person few rightthinking people online have reason to doubt exists.

But, secondly, the sentiment itself is possibly the purest, most exquisite example of effeminate passive-aggressiveness ever produced by the hand of fey: Oh, what might you have been had you not been so terribly, terribly unfortunate as to have lived it as you?

This sort of formulation is mastery, people. This triumph of the self-diddling, ouroborean will is the sort of fingerprint-free, oblique, warrior manliness that can only come from the keys of a person who has personally endured the suffering I've reported on above and lived to tell about it.

Frankly, in my quest to become a better blogger in the manner of suffering-R-him Rod Dreher, it's pretty obvious I still have a long, long way to go.

Tough Guy, indeed

Way back when, the last time this blog blew up was around the time that Rod Dreher was lecturing all of us how he was afraid of being bullied by the Cool Kids because he wasn't down with SSM.  And it was noted that Sarah Palin agreed with Andrew Sullivan and vice versa that Dreher was a weakling.

Well, as they say, if you want to find out who the bully is, look for the kid who is whining the loudest about being bullied.  Over the last couple of days, Dreher has been running serial drive-by pieces (interleaved with pieces about Pope Francis's tweets) on how Sarah Palin is a blasphemer for her comment that "waterboarding is how we baptize terrorists".  Take that, Sarah Palin -- that'll show you for criticizing Dreher without mentioning his name.

Which is not the reason I posted this -- it is just another topic du jour being drowned by the fire hose that is Dreher's it's-just-a-notebook blog.  But I thought y'all might like the ordnance that Mark Levin sent Dreher's direction (summarized here, with audio link):

"Everybody knows what she meant," Levin said, "everybody knows it was a laugh line." Levin continues, "But Sarah Palin is easy pickins so they pile on.  Tough guy, huh?"

And I know you'll enjoy Dreher's response.  All he's got is name calling, and manipulating comment moderation to get the right response from his trained seals.   

Public Intoxication

I was ruminating on Paul Zummo's post from yesterday detailing the irony of Eugene Robinson's hand-wringing remark about Sarah Palin: "What the GOP should worry about is the intoxication that adoring crowds often induce in politicians." Obviously we wonder where he was during the fevered campaigns of 2008, of which this instant classic blog site might serve as a reminder.

I'm afraid that if we had the opportunity to bring this up to Mr. Robinson, the irony would be lost on him. He would probably respond that Barack Obama was not going to be intoxicated by an adoring crowd because, in the language of the street, he really is "all that", whereas Sarah Palin is merely some lady up in the wilderness. Maybe he would challenge us to produce a picture of Obama donning a lampshade or staggering down the stairs of a DC lounge shortly after one of his rallies. But who needs to do that? One visit to the aforementioned Obamamessiah site provides quotes from the man himself such as "We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." Also: "This was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal." Also: "...a light will shine through that window, a beam of light will come down upon you, you will experience an epiphany, and you will suddenly realize that you must go to the polls and vote for Barack Obama." These are delusional remarks to make even for a man who aspires to be the chief of the executive branch.

I think Obama supporters would dismiss this all, however, and say that these were "just words" spoken the heat of a campaign, it was all figurative speech, etc, etc. Then that brings us back to the question, "What's wrong with Sarah Palin having enthusiastic followers now?" Hmmm. Why don't they just admit that they disagree with a woman who has a large following of a certain type of American citizen? That's what we do routinely with Obama, a President with higher approval numbers than it seems like his success-failure ratio should warrant. I think it's just that ridiculing the right has become the staple of the left, and it's so much easier than bringing up substance and forming arguments.

"Consequently the sons are exempt"

If Obamacare is so great, why would anyone even want to be granted a waiver from participation? The answer is related to the one for another question: Why do Obama supporters hate it when we call the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act "Obamacare"?

So this waiver-granting business has basically turned into sort of a protection scheme for the good fellas in the neighborhood. Here's an article on the blatant cronyism going on. Excerpt:

In a double standard befitting of Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s reign as the crowned queen of healthcare reform, high-end businesses in her Northern District of California are now receiving ObamaCare waivers.

According to news sources, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius awarded the exemptions to posh restaurants, upscale nightclubs and hotels in the heart of Pelosi’s district.

Did Pelosi finally read the bill that she helped ram down the throats of American businesses and individuals? The business owners in her district certainly did and they are opting out as fast as possible! Nearly 20% of the waivers awarded last month went to businesses in Pelosi’s district.

Just issued by HHS were 204 new waivers in addition to the nearly 1,200 “get-out-of-ObamaCare” waivers already granted to health care providers, drug companies and more favored unions representing over 3 million citizens in total. On Monday, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) called for every American to be granted a waiver.

Is Nancy Pelosi a member of the Sicilian Mafia, the Cosa Nostra? I don't know. She's probably eligible. Here's a better question someone should look into: Do they allow waivers in the U.K. and Canada for their socialized medicine system? Those are systems that the nanny statists in our country always coo over.

I would love to have an Obamacare waiver for my small business. My health insurance premiums went up $1,500.00 per year since Obamacare was signed. Go here if you want to apply for a personal waiver from Obamacare. Don't hold your breath waiting for it to come, especially if you have to pay for ambulances out-of-pocket.

We're back!

Red State reports how conservatives are pushing out the "establishment" Repubs. Excerpt:

Consider another fact: Conservatives, led by Jim DeMint and Sarah Palin, are potentially creating the most conservative Senate Republican Conference in the last thirty or so years: Sharron Angle, Ken Buck, Mike Lee, Joe Miller, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, and Pat Toomey will be joining Jim DeMint, Tom Coburn, and David Vitter.

Ross Douthat on the New Liberal Misogyny

In the past, I've noted the similarity between the emergence of pro-life Republican female candidates for office and what Pope John Paul II seemed to be talking about when he called for a "New Feminism". I also pointed out one person, Camille Paglia, a standard bearer of the feminist left who welcomed Sarah Palin into what she felt should be a "big tent" and reprimanded those who didn't by slamming them forcefully as "whining, sniping...establishment feminists" before going on to praise Palin for her "bravura" and "moose-hunting feminism".

Here's Ross Douthat's op-ed analyzing last Tuesday's primary results along the same lines. Excerpt:

What Tuesday’s results demonstrated, convincingly, is that America is now a country where social conservatives are as comfortable as liberals with the idea of women in high office. More strikingly, they’re comfortable voting for working mothers — for women publicly juggling careers and family obligations in ways that would have been unthinkable for the generations of female leaders, from Elizabeth I’s Virgin Queen down to Margaret Thatcher’s Iron Lady, who were expected to unsex themselves before being entrusted with the responsibilities of state.

It's sad yet sort of humorous that we conservatives have to prove we're not misogynists and chauvinists by choosing women to represent us. But we don't mind. These people speak for us, not wimpy-assed white men like Harry Reid.

"Something between France and Greece"

Please bear with the advertising at the beginning, this is worth watching.

Source.

Wilder Lower Wolves

Newsmax reports that Sarah Palin has recovered from her earlier popularity dip.

Riding a wave of positive publicity from her book tour, Sarah Palin's favorable rating has crept within just 1 percent of President Barack Obama's job approval rating, according to the latest polls by CNN and USA Today/Gallup.

The results suggest Palin has fixed the dent in her popularity ratings created this summer when she announced she was stepping down as governor of Alaska.

According to a CNN poll released Monday, 46 percent of voters now say they like Palin. That's the same level of popularity she enjoyed before she resigned the Alaska governorship.

I was in a client office yesterday and I heard a bunch co-workers discussing late night hosts. Who did they like best, Conan, Leno, etc. Letterman's name came up and this dude said "He's dead to me because of the way he treated Palin and McCain and threw softballs to Obama." Everybody nodded in approval and I suppressed a huge grin.

The reason for my grin's hugeness? I've known these people for years. One of them for 12 years, another for about 7, etc. They are neither wild-eyed conservatives nor knee-jerk liberals. They are mid-westerners and members of the silent majority in the independent political middle. Sarah Palin has the kind of popular appeal among these people that some of the uber-intellects of the right don't grasp, but the more pragmatic wolves on the left can smell from miles away, hence the fear and loathing.

Oh, sure, they hate her views. But go up to the wolves and shout "Mike Huckabee!" and you'll get no baring of the teeth even though he comes down in the same place as Palin on social issues. These animals fear power, and she has got it. To be truthful, I don't see why she doesn't retire from politics and make millions of dollars writing books, maybe doing a Paul Harvey style news and comment, show up on the news shows every once and a while to point out what an ass-clown Obama is. Making all the female news sluts look ugly just by showing up would be an added bonus.

But if she runs for office, I'm behind her all the way.

Best Article on Palin-hatred so far

H/T to Susan B in a combox for linking to this incredibly insightful and brutally honest article by a former liberal. Excerpt from the setup material:

One clue: the miscreants who were brutalizing me didn't exactly look Reagan-esque. In middle and high schools, they were minority kids enraged about forced busing. On the streets of New York City and Berkeley, they were derelicts and hoodlums.

Another red flag: while liberal men did indeed hold up those picket signs, they didn't do anything else to protect me. In fact, their social programs enabled bad behavior and bred chaos in urban America. And when I was accosted by thugs, those leftist men were missing in action.

What else should have tipped me off? Perhaps the fact that so many men in ultra-left Berkeley are sleazebags. Rarely a week goes by that I don't hear stories from my young female clients about middle-aged men preying on them. With the rationale of moral relativism, these creeps feel they can do anything they please.

This part wonderfully sums up my own thoughts about the real abortion criminals:

My other epiphanies: those ponytailed guys were marching for abortion rights not because they cherished women's reproductive freedom, but to keep women available for free and easy sex.

Except the Kennedy's didn't wear ponytails, but that's okay. Then she connects it all to the insane hatred for Sarah Palin.

Then along came Sarah, and the attacks became particularly heinous. And I realized something even more chilling about the Left. Leftists not only sacrifice and disrespect women, but it's far worse: many are perpetuators.

The Left's behavior towards Palin is not politics as usual. By their laser-focus on her body and her sexuality, leftists are defiling her.

They are wilding her. And they do this with the full knowledge and complicity of the White House.

The Left has declared war on Palin because she threatens their existence. Liberals need women dependent and scared so that women, like blacks, will vote Democrat.

A strong, self-sufficient woman, Palin eschews liberal protection. Drop her off in the Alaskan bush and she'll survive just fine, thank you very much. Palin doesn't need or want anything from liberals -- not hate crimes legislation that coddles her, and not abortion, which she abhors.

You have got to read the entire thing. Robin owns the left in this piece, in which I believe every single word. She was sick and tired of getting fucked by these freaks.

The Other McCain on "Other Conservatisms"

Your homework for Monday is to read this piece by Robert Stacy McCain. Here's a teaser:

Beyond this, however, is the basic confusion caused by the fact that no one holds a copyright on the word “conservative,” and there is nothing to prevent anyone from saying, “I am a conservative and therefore . . .” Which brings us to the problem of Rod Dreher, who has provided what he calls “A Conservative Read On Palin’s ‘Going Rogue’” at National Public Radio.

Why was this invitation extended to Rod Dreher? Because he was willing to do what NPR wanted: Slam Sarah Palin.

We will stipulate that it is possible to dislike Sarah Palin — or at least to believe her not to be an ideal Republican presidential candidate — and still be a conservative. But the person who accepts an invitation from a liberal outfit like NPR to be the token “conservative” who attacks Sarah Palin has a few other hurdles to clear. And over these hurdles, Dreher stumbles badly.

When you are finished reading it, please comment for an automatic passing grade. If you finish before Monday, you are a geek. That's fine, just don't go complaining about the popularity of the prom queen and the quarterback. They got their gig and we got ours.

And, oh, yes—extra credit for a full paragraph on the last line explaining how and why it applies in spades to the subject.

(Hat Tip to Dianonymous.)

Pre-order Sarah Palin's Book

Here.

You know, it must be nice when you're getting your picture taken to be able to said to yourself confidently "This is going to look great."

Also... here's a must-read on Sarah Palin's bankability. Also wins title of the week: Palin: ‘Keep on honking; I’m reloading’. Have to quote this part:

Palin is a bigger ratings magnet now than before she resigned. Look at the various political websites. Whether it is to ridicule, revile, or admire her, no major outlet is without its attempted coverage of her.

She has successfully banned the main stream media from her events and pushes past them with tweets, Twitter and Facebook entries. Who can forget the “death panel” phrase that knee-capped the current health care bills? Talk about a reduced carbon footprint.

Gotta love it.

Stay Classy, Sarah Palin Hataz

From My Fox Illinois:

The Fairbanks Daily Cage-Liner published a story about Palin's speech at a Hong Kong investors conference on Wednesday. The caption that appeared with the photo for the story read, "A broad in Asia."

The Cage-Liner's managing editor Rod Boyce published an apology later in the afternoon for the paper's "terrible mistake."

The News-Miner is the actual name of the publication, but I think it would be more accurate to refer to its best use, i.e., lining the birdcage.

Sarah Palin on Health Care

I'm betting that Sarah's WSJ Article makes more sense and includes more specifics than Obama's upcoming helath care rah-rah speech to Congress can hope to. Mrs. Palin agrees with President Obama on one thing:

Writing in the New York Times last month, President Barack Obama asked that Americans "talk with one another, and not over one another" as our health-care debate moves forward.

I couldn't agree more. Let's engage the other side's arguments, and let's allow Americans to decide for themselves whether the Democrats' health-care proposals should become governing law.

She disagrees with him on another:

How can we ensure that those who need medical care receive it while also reducing health-care costs? The answers offered by Democrats in Washington all rest on one principle: that increased government involvement can solve the problem. I fundamentally disagree.

Common sense tells us that the government's attempts to solve large problems more often create new ones. Common sense also tells us that a top-down, one-size-fits-all plan will not improve the workings of a nationwide health-care system that accounts for one-sixth of our economy. And common sense tells us to be skeptical when President Obama promises that the Democrats' proposals "will provide more stability and security to every American."

Face it, people. Sarah Palin is smart, she's cute and she's here to stay. Her looks are merely a bonus; I like her because she doesn't talk down to me like Mr. Community Organizer does.

Barack Obama is not stupid. Sarah Palin rightly scares the shit out of him.

Nice War Chest

Politico reports that Sarah Palin has over 1,000 requests for speaking engagements. Some of these have a price tag of over $100,000.00. I see the beginning of a nice war chest for Sarah, plus she can go out and buy some really nice guns with that kind of cash flow.

That reminds me. If anyone wants to talk about what kind of firearms they favor or would like to get, or anything related to shooting and gun culture in general, please leave whatever comments you wish on any post on this blog. It's really not going to be "off-topic" most of the time and if it is, so what really. Don't be shy.

Ann Coulter's Takedown of Kathleen Parker

Love it. Kathleen Parker, the Barry Lynn of the South. Ouch! Here are the funniest parts, IMAO:

Then there's Barry Lynn, alleged "Christian minister," whose stock in trade is to denounce any mention of religion anyplace, anytime. Look, I'm a Christian minister, but even I have to admit that the sight of a kindergartner praying is terrifying to most folks.

Truly.

No, she was certainly not bashing Southerners. This she made clear in her Washington Post column calling for the Republican Party to "drive a stake through the heart of old Dixie."

What's with women and their obsession with vampires anyway?

I'm no Civil War buff, but I'm fairly certain there were no brave Confederate stands at Winter Haven against a superior Northern force -- unless those Northern forces were successful dentists from Larchmont. I would lay money that there aren't a lot of antebellum mansions on magnolia-lined boulevards dotted with statutes of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson in Winter Haven, Fla.

Well, poor Kathleen Parker. I think everything started to go downhill for Ms. Parker during the '08 campaign when Sarah Palin said "Less filling" instead of "Tastes great". Ever since then she's been begging for a catfight.

Sarah Palin: Death by a thousand cuts?

There have been many pieces on Sarah Palin lately. They come from many different angles; most of the ones I've read are good. Jonah's is insightful and thoughtful, as usual. So is Ross Douthat's.

Insightful, thoughtful... but are they useful? These are basically opinion pieces highlighting her strengths and weaknesses, and they have merit. But this one by John Fund actually explains why she stepped down.

This situation developed because Alaska's transparency laws allow anyone to file Freedom of Information Act requests. While normally useful, in the hands of political opponents FOIA requests can become a means to bog down a target in a bureaucratic quagmire, thanks to the need to comb through records and respond by a strict timetable. Similarly, ethics investigations are easily triggered and can drag on for months even if the initial complaint is flimsy. Since Ms. Palin returned to Alaska after the 2008 campaign, some 150 FOIA requests have been filed and her office has been targeted for investigation by everyone from the FBI to the Alaska legislature. Most have centered on Ms. Palin's use of government resources, and to date have turned up little save for a few state trips that she agreed to reimburse the state for because her children had accompanied her. In the process, though, she accumulated $500,000 in legal fees in just the last nine months, and knew the bill would grow ever larger in the future.

This is the kind of thing that news media glosses over, not just because of ideology but because of the yawn factor. Just like the ACORN agitators and their role in Obama's rise -- where's the story? You get better ratings when you say magic words like "pregnant teenager" or "Republican scandal". Here's Fund's depressing conclusion:

....Ms. Palin mostly likely will not run for president -- in 2012, at least. She made many mistakes after suddenly being thrust into the national spotlight last year, but hasn't merited the sneering contempt visited upon her by national reporters. She simply was not their kind of feminist -- and they disdained the politically incorrect life choices she had made.

In helping to convince Sarah Palin that her road forward in national politics would demand even more sacrifices and pain than exacted from most politicians, the media did nothing to encourage women or people of modest means to participate in politics. By sidestepping her critics, Sarah Palin is now moving to another playing field where she has more control over the rules of the game. Her friends say her critics may call her a "quitter" now, but they should wait and see what new role she decides to fill. She may wind up having the last laugh.

Take the PBS Sarah Palin Poll

Right here.

What happened to "Multiculturalism"?

From the Catholic League.

PUNDITS SLAM PALIN ON WITCHCRAFT
Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments today on news reports that an African minister once asked God to protect Sarah Palin from witchcraft:

“In 2005, Sarah Palin went to church and found that a visiting minister from Kenya, Bishop Thomas Muthee, was doing the service. He offered a prayer asking Jesus to keep her free from ‘every form of witchcraft.’ Palin said nothing—she simply kept her head bowed throughout the blessing. Why this is newsworthy is one issue, but why it has quickly become the subject of scorn is another.

“For the past two decades, Americans have been lectured by educators and the chattering class that we must respect cultural, religious, racial and ethnic diversity. It seems that exceptions to the creed of multiculturalism are only made when it suits the ideological agenda of the left. Enter Keith Olbermann: He exploited this incident last night as a club to paint Palin as an extremist. Moreover, he used this single blessing to unfavorably contrast the African minister to Barack Obama’s spiritual mentor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. The MSNBC commentator incredibly said that Wright—who spewed hate speech before Obama for 20 years—‘seems pretty mainstream’ by comparison.

“Witchcraft is a sad reality in many parts of Africa, resulting in scores of deaths in Kenya over the past two decades. Bishop Muthee’s blessing, then, was simply a reflection of his cultural understanding of evil. While others are not obliged to accept his interpretation, all can be expected to respect it. More than that—Muthee should be hailed for asking God to shield Palin from harmful forces, however they may be manifested. And for this he is mocked and Palin ridiculed?

“We know that many cultural elites have a hard time embracing religion, but is it too much to ask that they at least show some manners when discussing subjects which most Americans hold dear?”

One Good Insight Deserves Another

Rod Dreher astutely points out that the Palin-excitement among conservatives, insofar as it may be lacking in substance, isn't any different in that regard than the wild Obama-enthusiasm expressed earlier in this marathon presidential campaign.

I am amused by the folks in the comboxes below who are tut-tutting the identity politics manifesting themselves on the Right, with people "identifying" with Sarah Palin, and therefore willing to give her their votes. Because, see, the only reason leftish people have gone ga-ga over Barack Obama is because they carefully and unemotionally examined his positions on key issues, and decided to support his candidacy.

Bosh. Obama's program was no different from Hillary Clinton's, and is pretty standard Democratic fare. Obama sailed to the top on a high tide of good feeling; tens of thousands of people found him inspiring, seeing in his style certain ideals, and the charisma necessary to bring those ideals to reality. So what? This is how politics always works. You think Yes, we can! is a program? No, it's an emotion. Obama's entire approach has been about inviting the masses to identify with him, and it's served him well. What on earth do you think Bill Clinton's "I feel your pain" business was all about?

That's right on, IMAO. Let the record show that in all my many criticisms of Rod Dreher I never said he was a bad writer, and I noted that quite the contrary was the case at least once.

Then in the comments for the same post, another astute observation is made by someone styling himself/herself as "erstwhile contra":

This is one of the most intelligent things you've ever written; I just wish you had the same insight with regard to Crunchy Conservatism. If only you understood that conservatives who got on your case for going to a farmer's market didn't really have a problem with fresh produce. Instead, they were jokingly acknowledging that liberal form (going to farmers markets, for example) so often merges into liberal substance, as is made obvious in the bedrock liberal principle of of identity politics. It is exactly the principle of identity politics that conservatives not only reject, but define themselves against. Therefore conservatives don't love Palin because she hunts moose, they love her because her hunting of moose telegraphs that she is not a liberal. The fact she bore a Down's syndrome child telegraphs the same, leaving zero room for ambiguity and doubt, despite liberals' best efforts. The Palin phenomenon is actually the triumphant return of "lack of identity politics", with the delicious irony of Palin's irrefutable womanhood making it all the more sensational.

Suffice it to say this is a fairly adequate summation of my own views on the matter.

And for what it's worth to yous locals in NE Ohio, there's is some choice-looking produce up on Detroit in Westlake on the south side of the road, a little west of Columbia. The watermelons looked especially tasty. The dude has a mega-garden.


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[cross-posted at the Alexandria blog]