Thursday, February 5, 2009
A Superb Essay on the Meaning of Sarah Palin
Yuval Levin has put together perhaps the most lucid and insightful analysis of the Sarah Palin phenomenon. As I read it, I saw the roots of both my enthusiasm for and anxiety about her candidacy and place in the Republican party. I cannot honestly say I've resolved that duality.
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"and proved to be at least an even match for Joe Biden, a six-term senator, in the vice-presidential debate." Hardly... the author makes some good points, but I don't concur that Sarah Palin was attacked by the vast majority of her detractors because of her anti feminist beliefs; rather because she displayed absolute ignorance to high level issues. Comparing her foreign affairs experience/knowledge to that of the past 4 of 5 Presidents when they were running for office is silly. Like them or hate them and regardless of party they appeared to understand the issues. She strikes me as a quick study and someone who has relied on her charisma and charm and has not been forced to think deeply about important National level issues. Unlike Bob Jindahl… now he is a quality REP response to President BO. JPH
That's a great piece. I love Sarah Palin, though I'd never defend her lack of intellect. I still wonder what might have been had she held her own in her interviews, if she had just been up front about her lack of foreign policy creds and if someone had taken the time to look at some of her accomplishments before the media set out to completely gore her. To that end, I think one of they key lines in this is 'by Nov 4 she had had been transformed into one of the most divisive figures in recent American history.' Do we really think she changed that dramatically from Aug 28 to Nov 4, or was that just the line the liberals and the media-which is to say the same thing-pushed.
And I disagree with JPH here-the women came out in force to attack her precisely because she didn't fit their definition of feminist. 'Her greatest pretense is that she's actually a woman?' Good heavens. I didn't hear any women say 'we applaud the fact that a woman has taken a giant step forward but we disagree with her views.' Would that have been so hard? No, they had to tear her apart, and they're still doing so. Look at that bozo Ashley Judd. Are we to believe Ashley Judd gives a damn about Alaskan wolves?
But I think she should forget a future in national politics-I honestly believe she will NEVER get a break. I do agree with JPH that Jindal is probably the GOP's best hope going forward.
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