Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Strange Gods: Toxicity in the Cult of Personality
First Things ^ | Mar 22, 2011 | Elizabeth Scalia

Posted on 03/22/2011 10:51:27 AM PDT by Jeff Chandler

[snip]

But this descent into absurd idolatry was not limited to formerly faithless media cynics and Democrats (I am redundant). On the other side of the aisle, conservatives and some Republicans—many of whom profess a Christian faith—were suddenly unable to endure the slightest criticism of Gov. Sarah Palin.

[snip]

Her supporters do not, thankfully, regard Palin as some sort of transcendent humanoid, but to her base, Palin and her family have become sacrosanct to a troubling extreme that echoes the Obama cult: Jokes made at Palin’s expense are not jokes but “hate.” Constructive criticism (even when rendered mildly, and with acknowledgments of both her strengths, and the savaging she endured throughout the ’08 campaign) is categorized as “hate.” One either loves Palin unconditionally, or one is a heretic; doubt, or even a reasonable reservation, is an occasion of sin.

To Obama or Palin cultists, any critique must be invalidated because if you find a fault with them, you are de facto finding fault with the values and ideals of those who have invested so much of their identities into supporting and yes, “believing in” their heroes.

(Excerpt) Read more at firstthings.com ...


TOPICS: Religion; Society
KEYWORDS: obama; palin; pissant

1 posted on 03/22/2011 10:51:28 AM PDT by Jeff Chandler
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: pissant

ping


2 posted on 03/22/2011 10:52:08 AM PDT by Jeff Chandler (Judas Iscariot - the first social justice advocate. John 12:3-6)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jeff Chandler
Palin and her family have become sacrosanct

Children of politicians SHOULD be, if not sacrosanct, at least beyond criticism. They are for all politicians except Palin.

3 posted on 03/22/2011 11:10:29 AM PDT by DManA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jeff Chandler

I love Sarah Palin. She and my wife and I talked together for a little over a half hour together a few months ago. She really impressed me. But she is still a human being. I strongly disagreed with her stance on the SCOTUS decision on the church protest at the serviceman’s funeral.

The only perfect man that ever lived was hung on a cross and raised from the dead three days later. The rest are sinners.


4 posted on 03/22/2011 11:12:10 AM PDT by RobRoy (The US today: Revelation 18:4)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jeff Chandler

I am thinking there is truth in the idea of mass insanity.


5 posted on 03/22/2011 11:49:28 AM PDT by screaminsunshine (34 States)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jeff Chandler
The first five paragraphs of this screed exist to 'excuse' what is essentially another Palin Bashing. Even liberals will acknowledge that Palin has been the target of vitrol from both sides. I don't think anyone at all has been saying she is off limits, just that enough is enough.

Flame awaym but this is another Palin hater.

6 posted on 03/22/2011 1:02:50 PM PDT by sportutegrl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DManA

No, sir, children of politicans are not beyond criticism, and more than they are beyond being reported about at all. Even the young — although discretion is good and bad-mouthing bad — when we are subjected day-after-day of cute pictures of the Presidential Family that immodestly begs of itself a countervalence of a rebuking force. Personally I became sick of it when I myself was a kid during the Kennedy era. Sick of all the lavish fondling of the John-john and Caroline idols.

What politicians demand that the press withhold cute and endearing pictures and accounts of their children?

At least some of the criticism of Bristol Palin has merit! Why? No one should encourage “single motherhood”, which in law is known as “bastardy”. It is not enough, and dangerous to say “we (either the parents of the fans) love her anyway!”. “Loving anyway” breeds the offspring of loving anyway. We do not need more of that!


7 posted on 03/22/2011 1:14:33 PM PDT by bvw
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Jeff Chandler

Yet Elizabeth Scalia is wrong to make such crowds of strawmen on either side and then burn them all. It leaves the Palin family more scorched, since some of her children are adults and one — Bristol — has made a serious and adult mistake in her life. Obama’s kids are too young for such mistakes.

And then too, the protections of the mass culture and elite media provide the Obama family a great fortress and leave the Palins on the beach in northeastern Japan as a tsunami comes in. Does Scalia weigh for that significant bias in treatment. The protectors of the Palins arise in stridency in counterforce to that excessive bias of the common public media sphere.


8 posted on 03/22/2011 1:21:30 PM PDT by bvw
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jeff Chandler

I love Sarah, and do believe she has been treated horribly by elements in the media, by liberal politicans, and by “conservative” cowards like Newt who have smeared her in vain, pathetic attempts to make themselves seem more appealing. The lowest point of this was when conservatives bashed her for endorsing John McCain, apparently not remembering that she had previously endorsed him for president and even run with him on the ticket. People will find sickening excuses to attack her, with no logic or thought behind them, and that’s just to be expected at this point.

But there are other people who seem as moon-eyed about her as the Obamists are about The One. That kind of seems to be the trend on FR, sadly, where people become obsessed with a candidate and convince themselves anyone who questions them is the enemy, and that the candidate cannot possibly lose. I’m sure we all remember the 100% certain predictions that the 08 campaign would be over the second Fred Thompson entered the race.

I would like Sarah to run. I think she could win if some of the narrative built up against her could be dispelled in an actual campaign. But it’s only realistic to point out that right now she is not viewed very favorably by most people. It’s better to go about trying to change that perception than it is to just pretend it doesn’t exist, or that every poll ever has been somehow rigged against her.


9 posted on 03/22/2011 2:08:13 PM PDT by COgamer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jeff Chandler
If Reagan would not have had the full fury of Hollywood elites, television, comics, music videos and the public education mafia blasting him with their lies on a daily basis, he would have had a much higher approval rating. Reagan was the dumbest man and warmonger who ever lived...according to the traitors of his day who now rule America.

The same crew attacks Palin with the same hellishness.

10 posted on 03/22/2011 2:21:38 PM PDT by Old Landmarks (No fear of man, none!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jeff Chandler

Within the last few days, we had a Freeper suggest Governor Palin bought good press from one commentator, an out lesbian, with sexual favors. Yeah, it got him banned, but still. Anybody care to tell us where the punch line was on that one?


11 posted on 03/22/2011 2:23:55 PM PDT by RichInOC (Palin 2012: The Perfect Storm.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson