Posted on 09/04/2008 5:56:58 PM PDT by goldstategop
There are reasonable criticisms that can be made of Sarah Palin, both as governor and a vice presidential selection. Yet little of what we have seen in the last six days has been either reasonable or critical (in the traditional sense of the word). Instead, much of the left and many in the media simply lashed out at Palin, particularly at her family.
And not only the fringiest parts of the political fringe: A writer at the Washington Post attacked Palin for the fact that her seventeen-year-old daughter was going to have a baby. A writer for The Atlantic openly questioned whether or not Palin’s four-month-old baby, who has Down’s Syndrome, was actually hers. The utterly unfounded suggestion was that the baby was Palin’s daughter’s and that the governor had faked her pregnancy. Proof of the baby’s birth was demanded.
Again, we are not talking about an anonymous blogger at Daily Kos—this is the commentary from the Washington Post and The Atlantic Monthly. And there was more—much more—where that came from.
So why? What is it about Sarah Palin that convinced so much of the left to objectify and assault her so quickly, and with such manifest maliciousness? There are many reasons, but four of them stick out in particular, each having to do not with Palin’s politics, but with her family.
1) Trig Palin’s Down’s Syndrome is a challenge to their ideas about what represents worthwhile life. The fact that this Down’s baby was carried to term and not aborted is statement that his life has the same value as all life. This is an idea with which the left vehemently disagrees. Here is the Washington Post’s Ruth Marcus discussing her own opinion of Down’s babies in an online chat earlier this week:
I had my children at ages 37 and 39, old enough that the risk of Down syndrome was elevated, as it was for Palin, and my doctor recommended amniocentesis. Had the results indicated any abnormality, I have little doubt that I would have made a different decision than did Palin.
As such, the left sees Baby Trig as a provocation. Note today the commentators complaining that Trig has become a “prop” for Palin’s candidacy simply because the family took turns holding the four-month-old in public last night. (Perhaps these observers simply have no understanding of how infants are handled and cared for.) Instead of being viewed as just another baby, Trig is seen by the left as a little Terri Schiavo—an assertion of the value of all life and an affront to their belief that there are differences in what constitutes meaningful life.
2) Which leads, of course, to abortion. Palin’s family is a double-rebuke to the culture of abortion. First, there’s Palin’s decision not to kill Trig because he has Trisomy 21. Then there is seventeen-year-old Bristol Palin’s decision to not to kill her baby.
Contrast this with Barack Obama’s statement that he would keep abortion legal so that if one of his daughters were to “make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby.” This statement is freighted with meaning: Obama views out-of-wedlock pregnancy as a mistake (which is sensible); he views such a resulting baby as punishment (which is less so); and he has strong feelings that should such a situation occur, he would not want his daughter to carry the baby to term. It is, objectively speaking, a pro-abortion statement.
3) Then there are Palin’s religious views. She is a lifelong Christian who belongs to an evangelical church. No further explanations should be needed about the provocations which emanate there from.
4) Finally, there’s the fertility. The Palin family’s five children would have been unexceptional forty years ago, but today constitute something of a fertility freak show. They’re the type of people for whom the epithet “breeder” was invented. The U.S. fertility rate sits just below the replacement level and is only that high because of the greater fertility of Hispanic immigrants. According to the most recent census data, only 1.1 percent of non-Hispanic white women bear five or six children over the course of their lifetime. By contrast, 22.5 percent of these women never reproduce. The percentage of childlessness among women rises in a straight line with educational attainment.
Why the worry about this? First, there’s the fact that few of Palin’s tormenters can understand the fact of her large, traditional family. That is certainly not the way in which they have structured their lives.
Second, there is the left’s long-standing concern about overpopulation, which has become a staple of modern environmentalism, beginning with Paul Ehrlich’s 1968 best-seller The Population Bomb. Ehrlich preached a Malthusian near-future in which hundreds of millions would perish by famine as the world’s unchecked population growth spiraled to infinity. As it happens, Ehrlich’s predictions were entirely incorrect: Not only has increased food production reduced famine to a weapon of political conflict, but the world’s population growth has slowed to a crawl. Fertility rates around the globe are falling and world population will peak around nine billion by 2050. From there, we will experience population contraction.
But Ehrlich’s prognostications never fell far out of favor, particularly with environmentalists who take it as an article of faith that the planet is already overcrowded. To them, the prodigious Palin family is surely seen as taking more than its fair share.
And finally, there is the concern that the amped up fertility of people such as the Palins will lead to a less progressive future. In an influential 2006 essay in Foreign Policy, demographer Philip Longman warned of the “Return of Patriarchy” as religiously orthodox and fundamentalist populations were reproducing at much higher rates than post-modern and secular populations. The result, Longman worried, will eventually be a return to a less politically and culturally progressive era.
As you can see, each of these facts about Sarah Palin touches upon deep sources of antagonism. Her opponents quickly intuited that the particulars of Palin’s story, on their own, stand as challenges to some of the most integral parts of their worldview, whether or not she ever makes them explicitly.
It isn’t any of Palin’s specific policies or ideological beliefs which have so antagonized the liberals (although they surely dislike her for policy reasons, too). They simply hate her for who she is.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
I like Governor Palin. She has all the right enemies.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Excellent!
A writer at the Washington Post attacked Palin for the fact that her seventeen-year-old daughter was going to have a baby. A writer for The Atlantic openly questioned whether or not Palin’s four-month-old baby, who has Down’s Syndrome, was actually hers.
As it happens, Ehrlich’s predictions were entirely incorrect...
But Ehrlich’s prognostications never fell far out of favor, particularly with environmentalists who take it as an article of faith...
Prima facie evidence of their misplaced beliefs. They read the book in the 70s, it’s conclusions were disproved, yet they still rely on those conclusions.
Their “faith” is misplaced. But you already knew that.
Apologies for the simplistic post - but:
I like her because she makes (in my opinion) middle class folks forget about this “white guilt” bs that the left has been trying to sell.
The “if you don’t vote for Obama - you must be a racist” mentality seems to have gone out the window in the last 24 hours.
God Bless this woman.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
> I like Governor Palin. She has all the right enemies.
Indeed. I was not enthusiastic about McCain, but as someone else noted, she cured my electile dysfunction.
Here is one.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Obama: Disarming Americans and Our Military
Yet another story that sounds too crazy to be true, and it deeply concerns me with so many people eager to do whatever Obama says. This entry requires very little writing on my part because the videos speak for themselves.
The first video shows Obama, in his own words, expressing his desire to cut funding for our missile defense systems and to negotiate with Russia to take our ICBM’s (intercontinental ballistic missiles) off alert (our ICBM’s give us the ability of an immediate proactive/reactive missile strike to any threat where we do not have a nearby military presence - they have been a concern due to the fact that they can be armed with nuclear warheads). China, India, and in the near future, North Korea, have ICBM’s that are capable of reaching the United States. Obama also comes right out to state that he will slow our development of the Army’s future combat systems. He also plans to make deep cuts in our nuclear weapons and halt any future development. Another item which is not discussed on this video, is that Obama wants to redirect 15% of the Pentagon’s discretionary budget to welfare programs. These cuts would eliminate the F-22 Raptor, the V-22 Osprey, the Virginia class sub, the DDG-1000 destroyer, and the Army’s future combat systems.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dl32Y7wDVDs&NR=1
The second video which may hit closer to home, shows Obama’s anti-gun legislative history. Obama voted against the private ownership of shotguns, rifles, and black powder rifles used primarily for home protection and hunting. He even goes so far as to vote for a total ban of the manufacturing, distribution, and possession of all handguns.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifEg1aq6Emo
At a time when Democrats claim that America is in more danger than ever, it appears that Obama is going to do everything in his power to weaken our military and take the guns out of our homes, effectively putting our country at risk and eliminating the ability for any us to legally protect our loved ones. Is this the change you can believe in?
PS-
On a somewhat unrelated side note, check out this link to bill 90_SR0110 on the State of Illinois General Assembly’s webpage. It calls for the declaration of an Islamic Community Center Day. Seems interesting given the sponsor of the bill. Bet you can’t guess who it is.
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/legisnet90/summary/900SR0110.html
kudos to: tutamerica.blogspot.com
Boy you said it all right there. :)
just seeing her makes me happy.
she has it all—family and success—
and she didn’t ask permission from the liberal-socialist-feminists for it.
she’s a normal person who did it herself.
Thanks for the pictures.
What a gorgeous human being..She is exactly what we need in Washington.. A non-lawyer, straight from the heart..
just seeing her makes me happy.
she has it all—family and success—
and she didn’t ask permission from the liberal-socialist-feminists for it.
she’s a normal person who did it herself.
America better come to their senses.
I can’t believe we citizens want anything to do with this POS.
“Then there are Palin’s religious views”
It is not her religious views, it’s her conservative views. Obama is allowed to be as conservative as he wants. So long as he is a socialist, it doesn’t matter.
Damnit, that should be “Obama is allowed to be as religious as he wants.”
I live in Hollywood, CA and all my neighbors hate the Governor. The neighbors are childless 40 year olds who are to freakishly liberal to have a relationship that is more than a ‘booty call” and / or lesbians. It’s just jealousy.
This article is dead on. But I must admit, their screams of rage and pain over there on the leftie fringe (oh wait- that isn’t the fringe...) are sending tingles down MY leg.
The left hates the fact that not only do conservatives choose not to abort their young, they reproduce on purpose! Now that Roe v Wade is 34 years old, that makes sixteen years worth, or about 24 million voting age liberals, snuffed out by their own base.
Ann Coulter had a great liberal talking point: Sarah Palin: only five abortions away from the presidency.
“Prima facie evidence of their misplaced beliefs. They read the book in the 70s, it’s conclusions were disproved, yet they still rely on those conclusions.”
Even more pathetic than that, these are the same people that bought the 120 year old (at the time) theories of Karl Marx as the Way of the Future.
They can’t win.
Some reasons I noticed why the leftists hate Sarah.
The Pallins love and adore Trig.
They welcome Bristol’s boyfriend with open arms and feel blessed with her baby (Double whammy). Not supposed to happen except with Barack himself.
Hunting and fishing, marksmanship, dress out game, (enough said).
Can clean up corruption with a completely clear conscience (hey media, Vet me until your head explodes).
Laid off the governor’s chef and put the Lear jet on E-bay (elite liberal’s heads explode)
Can wear a skirt without ticking off any special interest.
Got to where she is without any liberal crutches.
Has a politically incorrect looking husband that enjoys sports (same as Sarah) and hard work.
Many other reasons, views on oil lobbyists, specific government handouts, community organizers etc.
For later read.
While this post details very valid points so typical of the left, I believe their hatred of Sarah is more basic.
The democrat party, the saviors and guardians if all women’s needs, cannot allow the Repubs to be the first to have a woman elected to the VP slot. This is just as the democrat controlled congress cannot allow any legislation to pass for which the republican president would receive credit from the masses.
No kidding! Especially in larger families babies are handled and held often by siblings as well as the parents.
But their hatred comes down to one thing, Sarah Palin isn't a liberal.
No wonder they all have their knickers in a knot.
Great photos. Sarah looks much better with her hair down. Thanks for posting.
“Trig is seen by the left as .....an assertion of the value of all life”
“Trig Palin’s Down’s Syndrome is a challenge to their ideas about what represents worthwhile life”.
Brilliant article. It really gets to what the left is all about them and shows why the very existence of Sara Palin has them chewing up their furniture. I hope the health Department has plenty of rabies vaccine on hand.
Must-read ping!
“I was not enthusiastic about McCain, but as someone else noted, she cured my electile dysfunction.”
Now *that* is a memorable line!
The very fact that they hate her and the very ways in which they express their deep hatred is a great testament to her reputation. The funny thing about this is the left know that the more they clamor and shout and carry on with their incredibly childish protests the more they will look like the silly lost adult children they are. She has something most of the wimpy, meandering, cowtowing Republicans don't have; and that only makes her stronger in the face of liberal pressure. Because of who they are and who she is, they have nothing to fight her with. They know that if she gets enough momentum that they will have to go back into the closet and eventually have to pretend they like her.
It's just like a liberal to get beaten up by a girl, isn't it?
Damn good post.
Instead of being viewed as just another baby, Trig is seen by the left as a little Terri Schiavo—an assertion of the value of all life and an affront to their belief that there are differences in what constitutes meaningful life.
***That is brilliant. Something along these lines was rattling around in my head this morning and I couldn’t put words to it, viola’ here it is. This article is excellent. One thing Sarah has inspired is some of the best political writing I’ve seen in more than a decade.
They simply hate her for who she is.
***Exactly. Which makes her applicable experience LIFELONG, just like Obambi’s.
.
.
Here’s how I’ve been bumping Palin/Obama threads.
Sung to the tune of “Oh! Susanna, don’t you cry for me.”
“Oh, no Bama, please don’t lie to me... for I’m off to Free Republic with a laptop on my knee.”
I come from Minnesota with my laptop on my knee;
I’m goin’ to Free Republic my true love for to see.
It rained all night the day I left,
the weather it was dry;
The sun so hot I froze to death,
Obama don’t you lie.
Oh! No Bama, don’t you lie to me;
I come from Minnesota,
with my laptop on my knee.
I had a dream the other night,
When everything was still;
I thought I saw Obama dear,
A-coming for The Hill.
The smearing lie was in Duluth,
The tear was in his eye,
Said I, I’m coming for the truth
Obama don’t you lie.
Oh! No Bama, don’t you lie to me;
I’m off to Free Republic,
with my laptop on my knee.
I fight in my pajamas,
It’s plain for all to see.
I aim to be the next Buckhead;
The media all hate me.
I fell in love with Sarah
When my sister bit a moose.
The Guvnor’s family ate it up
And then they set it loose.
Oh! No Bama, don’t you lie to me;
I’m off to Free Republic,
with my laptop on my knee.
She loves her sons, she likes her guns,
and Trigonometry.
The media will jump the shark
When Juan makes history.
Well, JimRob knows she’ll pave the trolls
So controversially,
And Berg will knock Obama down
With friends of Hillary.
Oh! No Bama, don’t you lie to me;
I’m off to Free Republic with a laptop on my knee.
I soon will be in Hawaii,
And then I’ll look all ‘round,
And when I find his birth record,
I’ll fall upon the ground.
But if I do not find it,
This Freeper’ll surely die,
And when I’m dead and buried,
Obama don’t you lie.
Oh! No Bama, don’t you cry for me;
I’m off to Free Republic with a laptop on my knee
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2073903/posts?page=6#6
I think that what they really hate is that Sarah and women like her are raising the next generation of Republican voters. It is hard to get aborted babies to vote.
Fortunately, it's all talk. Since few of these poor folks own guns, I don't think we have to worry about any kind of armed rebellion should Juan McAmnesty (R-México) assume the Top Spot this fall. The sad truth is that the sclerotic bureaucracies that actually run government and the pitiless supercorporations that control the economy will make sure the lives of the NASCAR audience remain untroubled. After all, as long as beer is cheap and sports are on TV, the vast majority of Americans are content to let the status remain quo as this sorry farce grinds on to its meaningless conclusion.
As for me, I'm a monarchist. No matter which team wins, I'm hosed. Therefore, since I can't do anything about the coming election, I intend to continue my policy of Not Worrying About It. Log on, pop a top, and enjoy the froth — that's the way to survive an election!
My last two of five were when my wife was 40 and 42 and we refused any of that crap aside from standard ultrasound because we told the OB from jump street that we weren't aborting unless my wife was dying....something he said was about unheard of today.
These leftist fembots worldwide have killed more humans....babies to be precise than all the maniac bogeymen from Adolf to Uncle Joe to Pol Pot and Saddam combined.
Obama otaku... LOL!
it ain't rocket science here....mommy is hot...babies happen...dad doesn't look metero
then like me you probably miss Goetz von Berlichingen
i wonder if he ever even just sneaks a peek?
bttt “Trigonometry & Triggernometry”
All these people are insanely despised by the Left, beyond the contempt they hold for other people they perceive as conservatives, and I think both religion and anti-elitism play a role in their derangement.
It is quite amazing to me how people on the left are so out of date as to still believe the myth of “population explosion” any more, despite even their supported organizations (think UN and the EU) publishing numerous projections and worries of an impending population collapse.
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