David Brooks, columnist for the New York Times and a Republican, called Sarah Palin a joke on a recent television news program. Her book is out and the press is consumed with her. They say she cost McCain the chance to be President, she was not up to the task of a VP, she is unintelligent, and she is a disgrace to the Republican party. She is laughed at, but certainly not ignored. I am curious what makes her a joke. I doubt it’s because she is a woman. Maybe it is because she is the mother of 5 kids with weird names. Does the media have a problem with her college degree from Idaho? Should she have aborted her last child because of his handicap? How do they know that she is so dumb?
I am not aware of how high Sarah Palin’s IQ is, nor do I care. I am sick of all this talk about who is smart and who is not. To the elites you are brainy if you graduate from a Harvard or Yale. Every time Obama has appointed a cabinet member or czar the press always refers to them as “brilliant”. The press needs to be reminded that W graduated from Yale.
Here is what I know about Sarah Palin. She won her first election to a small city council in Alaska. She then won the Mayor’s race. It is interesting that the people who knew her personally did not consider her a joke or an idiot. She was the first woman to be governor of Alaska, also the youngest. Do these achievements not count because it is Alaska?
Before the republican convention in 08 it was clear that McCain was going to lose. They needed some excitement brought to the campaign. They did their research, put the smartest people in a room, and made the decision to invite Sarah Palin to be McCain’s running mate. I don’t believe they viewed her as a joke. Her speech at the convention was the most watched political speech of all time. She was under intense pressure. I watched because I had never heard of her before. She knocked it out of the park. She was no joke.
The TV talkers will point to the Katie Curic interview as proof of her ignorance. It was not her finest moment, for sure, but there could be other explanations for her failure other than dumbness.
I see 3 reasons why so many people despise her. The first is pedigree. She does not come from money nor was she trained in Ivy League schools. She somehow became a VP candidate without the grooming of a party machine. She skipped too many steps and is not intimidated or the least bit apologetic. The elite Manhattan set cannot stand a wild card like this.
A second reason is her family. The Palin’s represent the all-American, traditional family. For decades Republicans have been known as the “traditional values” party. They always bellowed about it but seldom lived it. These guys were looking for gay sex in airport bathrooms and partying with 20 something office interns while quoting Bible verses in their speeches. The elites loved the hypocrisy while advocating alternative family measures. Sarah’s family is an “in your face” truth to the liberals. Sarah and Todd obviously did not follow the the #1 Progressive tenet – population control.
A final reason is her belief in God, a horrific thought to those who believe everything came from nothing and nature is all that exists. Years ago, early in the W years, a good liberal friend told me he feared Evangelical Christians as much as the terrorists. Also, to the elite, belief in God is the best evidence of someones ignorance. Secularists view Theism as ant-science and illogical.
Sarah will not be welcome in the Dem or Rep Manhattan crowd, but then neither would I or most of America. Will she run for national public office? I don’t know or care. I hope she makes a ton of money to reward her family and continues to be an inspiring example to those of us who feel left out. The elite need to watch out or the “joke” could be on them.
Tags: Politics, Sarah Palin
Right on Bill. I agree 100%! What a great article.