Posted on 09/08/2011 8:15:58 PM PDT by One Name
The Sarah Palin “Cult”
I’ve been trying for awhile to get my mind wrapped around all this, and would like to offer these thoughts going into this election cycle….
I first stumbled across Free Republic when checking out Obama's eligibility issues prior to the 2008 election. I first experienced the Drudge Report after listening to Rush during the Lewinsky scandal.
When I really got into FR I felt like I had found the mother lode of conservatism; an eclectic group that regularly mixed it up over issues I hadn’t thought of as issues before.
For instance, I had never considered myself a “statist” for enjoying the benefits of the REA…
My granddad left the farm in Missouri during the dustbowl and joined the CCC; going on later to the US Army and the State Department and a gun shop- I hadn’t thought of him as a communist before!
Fast forward to Sarah Palin; even among Republicans, her advocates are known as the “Palin Cult”, “Palinistas”, and “Palin-Bots”.
These are terms of marginalization that are designed to evoke unfounded responses in the uninformed which we must counter.
A “cult” is a heretical religious group, straying from the sound doctrine of the orthodox mainstream. While there is certainly a religious component of conservatism (we wrestle with secular conservatives and libertarians) who believes the descent of the USA has a distinctly spiritual aspect; there is no deviation from orthodox interpretation of scripture on which to hang a tag of heresy here. The picture is painted as such, however. God chooses leaders and anoints whom He sees fit (See Romans 12). When we acknowledge this we are now cultists? The “bitter clingers” are non-orthodox heretics?
“Palinistas” are the socialist rebels equated to the “Sandinistas” of Nicaragua. Supporters of SP are neither socialist nor rebels- quite the opposite. They are patriots, working class, veterans, taxpayers and voters who are in fact the backbone of this country. Once again, this is a reversal of the truth.
“Palin-Bots” implies a robotic, non-thinking blind support programmed from some external headquarters. Since Sarah didn’t come through the Ivy League system, she must be intellectually inferior as are her “bot” supporters. Guess what- most of the country didn’t come through that system, either. We manage to make it through life anyway, and are much more resourceful and determined than the elitists. We know how to actually work.
In a nutshell: We’re not a cult; we are mainstream, orthodox, and Scripturally- based.
We are not rebels; we are restorative and Constitutionally-based
We are Free People; who think for ourselves, reject the elitists and have the will to defend this Republic against the many challenges, internal and external.
God Bless Sarah Palin!
I didn’t even know such a poll existed.
Cindie
The answer is obvious and has been stated in many forums, including this one. Sarah calls it the “Permanent Political Class”, I call it the “Cocktail Party Set”, there have been other names...
It all boils down to the idea that there is a segment of the population on both sides of the isle that consider themselves to be the political elite of the country and strongly resent outsiders muscling in on their turf.
These folk, by the way, most definitely include the union, lobbyist and NGO leaders as well as the media types who have long held the levers of power and are bound and determined to KEEP holding them, especially against a person as outsider and charismatic as Sarah.
This is the real reason why Sarah represents such a clear and present danger to the established political order, and why no effort is being spared on her destruction.
The political infrastructures of both major parties, the unions, and the media elite depend; absolutely depend, on allegiance to an unwritten yet ironclad system of pragmatic give and take whereby power is passed back and forth at regular intervals, with all sides quietly working to ensure that nothing threatens their lock on their respective bases.
It’s why they can be so nasty to each other in the media, and then meet for cocktails at parties and be all buddy buddy together. I personally think they are laughing at us.
Sarah, with her working class credentials, her small business experience, and her hard fought for and hard won university degree, threatens that. She did not attend the right universities, she did not join the right clubs, she did not do yeoman labor in the campaign office trenches, serve as a congressional aide, intern at the right companies or do ANY of the things that political scions are expected to do in suo anno as they travel up the cursus honorum in preparation for elective office.
Sarah epitomizes the Tea Party as it appears to the average American voter in ways so basic they actually find it hard to articulate. She works hard, she plays hard. She has a big family with at least one kid that really needs a good kick up the pants, and another kid that has special needs. She has a husband she loves and who loves her and is not afraid of anything on God’s green Earth.
To them, she’s just plain “icky”. So, naturally they have to denigrate her (and her supporters) with “icky” names. Calling her and her supporters “cultists” is just one way they do it.
Get used to it. If she declares, it will get far worse.
Especially when she’s been out there fighting since right after the election while the other dogs were licking their wounds.
She’s a warrior!
yep, lots of people "concerned" about the speck in our eye...
It’ll be released tomorrow, apparently a 32 point turn around in one month as Obama was leading Palin by 17 points last month.
And we need to keep it civil in-house.
I won’t bash another conservative...
Thx
Well ranted!
Excellent post.
That's it in a nutshell..I don't know why that is so hard to understand for so many. They try to turn it into personality worship when it is all about policy and the truth....
Outstanding post.
There are things we have to do, and right away, to turn our country around.
1) this Fed Gov has shown that taxes aren’t necessary to fund gummint operations. Fine, make that work! End all taxes! Let the gummint print up to 7% of GDP each year. That is their “allowance”. Spend it wisely.
2) You want more “stimulus”? How’s this? End Social Security. Today. Send every one a check for what they paid in.
3) Same with Medicare. Send folks their money. Tell them “You’re on your own”. Stay healthy, be smart.
4) Put the Fed Gov back in the cage the Founders built for it. Re read those speeches by Madison that say “I am unable to lay my finger on that part of the Constitution...” and the one by Davey Crocket that ends with “You can all go to Hell, I am going to Texas!”. Do that to them and make it stick!
It seems to me Palin is the ONLY one with balls enough to pull some of these things off.
I agree. I am reading a series of books to my kids about the American Revolution. Not many wanted it, but they finally got pushed too far.
I am afraid we are coming to it. Constitutionalists, Liberty Lovers, Conservatives - we have to take a stand. We have to stand for future generations.
The left are a bunch of craven lunatics. They don’t know what is best for our country. The RINOS and country clubbers are too content in their palaces. The battle lines are being drawn.
Let’s not forget the GOP is a team.
Perry especially brings a lot to the field. It’s disappointing thus far, some Perry supporters seem to be indistinguishable in tactics from the previous generation of Romney “concerned”, but that might just be enthusiasm on their part. Good to remind them, to keep it constructive.
It’s been a long time since the GOP actually fielded candidates who genuinely fire up the base. Perry does in fact generate enthusiasm and loyalty. Just as Palin does.
IMHO a long term strategy should be to bring both of them into a new administration. Just imo.
She worked her butt off to get as many Republicans get elected in 2010..and what did she get for all of that effort, when she was accused of being a co-conspirator to murder not one of them came to her defense, not one..they only praised her when she helped get them elected, but after the election was over, poof, gone, like she never existed
If she declares, I will vote for her, but can’t tell my wife. She is strongly conservative, but will not vote for a women as president. I don’t get it.
We have argued about it, but to no end. sigh.
First, you can give honest thoughts about a candidate without attacking them.
Second, if conservatism is really a strong enough philosophy, we should be confident enough to have these discussions without worrying about the effect they should have.
Are u talking about the PPP poll? I heard about it today too, she is up 14 points on Obama amongst independents in North Carolina..but..but..according to Fox News no one will vote for her and that she can’t get the Independent vote..well this poll proves that she can..and PPP is a left leaning poll
The fact it was from PPP is what really caught my attention.
Before we do away with Social Security and Medicare we need to do away with the illegals here that are sucking us dry. I believe without the drain of illegals on health care, costs would adjust to the point where we could afford to pay medical bills, which also means insurance would be affordable.
Before we make any drastic changes to SS, medicare, our military or other things we need to cut illegals off the dole. That would save a staggering amount of money in health care, education, social programs, and the justice system.
Yes we need to make big cuts and changes- but before I would ask our elderly citizens or the military to suck it up we need to address the illegal situation. I will not think anyone is serious about this country’s financial mess unless that is step one on their agenda.
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