What Is Sarah Palin? (A Paulestinian's View)

The American Conservative ^ | November 27, 2009 | Jack Hunter

[2ndDivisionVet]

Why do so many people love Sarah Palin? Why do so many hate her? I cannot recall a politician in recent memory that has been both so loved and so reviled for no discernible reason.

When Palin was announced as John McCain’s running mate on the 2008 Republican presidential ticket many conservatives were intrigued, including me. It was reported that the Alaskan governor had been a member of Pat Buchanan’s “Buchanan Brigades” during the commentator’s presidential bids in 1996 and 2000 and that Palin had ties to the secessionist Alaskan Independence Party. An “America First” states rights’ radical on a major political ticket? Palin did not sound like the average Republican.

And yet today, even removed from the constraints of the McCain campaign, Palin sounds fairly conventional. Asks Antiwar.com’s Justin Raimondo: “Where and when has Palin ever articulated a coherent alternative to the orthodox Republican doctrines of supply-side economics and endless war?” Raimondo is right. What, exactly, differentiates Palin from the average Republican bear?

Or should that be “moose?” It seems that Palin– the attractive, outdoors-loving “hockey mom”-is popular solely because of her personality, not any specific policy positions. Notes columnist Steve Chapman “Who needs policy? In her world - and the world of legions of conservatives who revere her - the persona is the policy. Palin is beloved because she’s (supposedly) just like ordinary people, which (supposedly) gives her a profound understanding of their needs.” When dissecting political cults of personality, it would seem that Palin has become the Republicans’ Obama–handsome, charming and a human comfort blanket for partisans.

It is also true that Palin is hated because of her personality. The venom spewed at Palin by the mainstream and liberal media sounds like a bunch of catty women slandering another on a drunken Saturday night. Once again, policy-wise, why should Palin be any more despised than, say, Republican House Minority Leader John Boehner? Where do they differ ideologically? Catty women have never needed a specific reason to trash talk the prettiest girl in the room. Similarly, Palin’s mere existence is all that is needed to earn the continued scorn of the Left.

This is not to say that Palin’s presence has been completely insignificant. A hero to the Tea Party set, Palin has quickly come to represent anti-government, grassroots outrage. But using sporadic, nominally-conservative rhetoric with no ideological platform or voting record to back it up is not exactly a firm foundation for any would-be “conservative champion.”

Raimondo notes the major difference between the personality-driven Palin and more serious, policy-driven leaders like Texas Congressman Ron Paul: “What is especially irksome, however, is that there is indeed a populist champion of the Tea Party grassroots, someone with the knowledge, the organization, the proven fundraising ability, and the principles to lead the GOP out of its ideological and political morass: Ron Paul… ‘Palinism’ is a hairstyle. Paulism is a bona fide movement. The first has no future — no, she won’t be a major contender, come the presidential sweepstakes, as George Will predicted on the Stephanopoulos program. The second IS the future, if the GOP is to have a future.”

When conservatives have been dubbed “Paulite” or “Buchananite” it has always been meant to describe someone with libertarian or traditional conservative leanings. Being a “Goldwaterite” had similar, specific conservative policy implications in the 1960’s, as did “Reaganite” in the 80’s. But what is a “Palinite?” I’m not sure anyone knows. I’m not even sure she knows.

And it’s a problem. As Raimondo notes, when it comes to addressing the grievances of Tea Party conservatives, that Paul’s platform is far more ideologically sound does not change the fact that the Congressman is not exactly Mr. Personality. Even Paul admits this. And yet his brand of libertarian conservatism has found a sizeable audience based purely on the power of his ideas.

Palin has found a sizeable audience based purely on the power of her personality. In fact, Palin’s most rabid fans don’t seem too concerned about her policy positions, if at all. Perhaps the best definition of a “Palinite” is one who emotionally invests himself in Republican identity politics. For Paul’s fans, the man is a philosopher. For Palin fans-she’s Oprah. Whereas Paul represents a political platform in need of more personality, Palin is a personality desperately in need of a political platform. The title of her new book is “Going Rogue,” but where, exactly, has Palin gone off the Republican plantation ideologically? Simply wrapping up the same old Bush Republicanism in a prettier package is not “going rogue”–it’s going wrong.

Only time will tell if Palin will turn out to be just another Bush Republican. But when judging political figures, it is only logical that we first look at their politics. What are Sarah Palin’s? What is Sarah Palin? We may never know.

[EternalVigilance]

I contend that it is the states right to determine that.

I contend that it is the states right to determine law concerning abortion as well.

The Fourteenth Amendment

"No State shall...deprive any person of life...without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

[GrouchoTex]

I agree that the right to life is the ultimate right.

However,

The right to life is in the “Declaration of Indepedence”.

It is not in the “Constitution”, yet I would agree it is obviously implied.

The constitution is law, not the Declaration.

Therefore the 10 amendent still applies to the abortion question, along with several others.

[Hugin]

I contend that it is the states right to determine that.

I contend that it is the states right to determine law concerning abortion as well.

Yes, we agree. So incidentally does Antonin Scalia, so we are in good company, legally speaking.

It's pretty clear that the death penalty is allowed, but not required for other crimes. It cannot be unconstutional based on "cruel and unusual punishment".

[EternalVigilance]

It is not in the “Constitution”

Baloney. The right to life is most certainly in the Constitution. The "securing of the Blessings of Liberty to Posterity," ie "those who are not yet born," is the ultimate self-stated purpose of the document.

And the Fifth and the Fourteenth Amendments both state explicitly that "no person shall be deprived of life" without a fair trial. The Fourteenth also explicitly puts the responsibility for the protection of innocent human life on the states.

[GrouchoTex]

You are correct, I agree that there are due process protections listed in the COnstitution, which really isn’t my main arguement anyway.

I’ll try it this way:

1)If life begins at conception (my own belief), the 5th and 14th amendment, indeed do apply, as you say, and I would agree.

2)Since our wonderful SCOTUS has determine that life does not begin at conception (which is the only way the Court could come to the conclusion it did) the 10 amendment applies.

We would both agree, that abortion is unconstitional, especially as it stands today, federally mandated/ordained,regardless of anyone’s opininion of when life begins.

[EternalVigilance]

Well, looks to me like we’re making some progress.

But, let me say, the courts are not the only ones who are sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution. Every officer of government, in every branch, and at every level of government, takes pretty much the same oath.

[EternalVigilance]

The Tenth Amendment in no way applies to the subject, though.

[EternalVigilance]

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

Governmental "powers" are not the same as individual, God-given, unalienable, "rights." You're mixing apples and oranges.

[catfish1957]

I fully understand what a hit piece is, but some of the responses were "deer in the headlight" wtf moments, in any edited mode. I like the lady, and her positions, but still, I got to sit in the undecided/uncommitted corner for now.

TBD/TBD 2012

[catfish1957]

Let me clarify...

Non RINO TBD/ Non RINO TBD

...i'e No Mitt, Huck, Rudy, etc.

[Polybius]

Yeah? Now why don’t you chew on these numbers from Rasmussen?

O.K.

Chew...Chew...Chew

Sarah Palin is LOSING to the WORST President we have had since Jimmy Carter. She is LOSING to the President with the WORST slide in poll numbers EVER in recent Presidential history.

Let's see .... How could we possibly get Barack Obama re-elected?

Let's run Sarah Palin!!!

Has it yet dawned on you that Sarah Palin has LOST BOTH of the political races that she has heavily campaigned for in the Lower 48: The 2008 Presidential/Vice Presidential race and the recent New York Congressional race and that has resulted in two candidates FAR to the Left of what the electorate usually votes for?

And these: She is currently running neck and neck with 0bama amongst independents:

Imagine what a candidate with actual experience could accomplish.

It is pretty pathetic when the political debate in America boil down to, "My inexperienced Affirmative Action candidate ranks in the polls just below your inexperienced Affirmative Action candidate."

NEITHER Barack Obama nor Sarah Palin have the experience or depth of knowledge required to make a reasonable imitation of a credible President of the United States.

And hey? You can send the picture of your rather gay looking poofter and his stupid antics back to Daily Kos where he belongs.

MY "rather gay looking poofter and his stupid antics"? Sorry, Joe, but no scumbag like Levi Johnston was ever allowed to get ANYWHERE near my daughter, let alone allowed knock her up when she was 17.

I will bet my last dollar the it was the same with YOUR daughter.

That is not MY "rather gay looking poofter and his stupid antics". That is SARAH PALIN'S "rather gay looking poofter and his stupid antics".

Do you see the problem, Joe?

Sarah Palin does not even have the common sense to protect her own 17 year old daughter from the obviosly scumbag son of a mother arrested on drug charges. If Sarah Palin cannot run her own family, how can she run America?

So Sarah Palin talks the conservative talk.

So what?

So do I.

So do you.

So do thousands of FReepers on FR.

The difference, Joe, is that our families don't have a "rather gay looking poofter" with a druggie mother knocking up our daughters when they are 17.

American voters pay attention to those sorts of things, Joe.

Sarah Palin has more baggage than Mayflower Van Lines.

If you want Barack Obama to have a fighting chance to get re-elected, nominate Sarah Palin.

[GrouchoTex]

Not really, merely pointing out that this cat can (eventually, hopefully) be skinned either way.

1) pro-life:Life begins at conception

Unalienable right-to-life,
5th and 14th amendments apply.

2) pro-choice:life begins at birth

10th amendment applies.

Either way you slice it, both arguements could be used to over-turn Roe vs. Wade.

Ideally, choice #1. But choice # 2 is better than where we currently stand today.

[EternalVigilance]

That still doesn’t add up.

[eclecticEel]

The problem with Paul isn’t his personality - it’s his kooky politics. And yes, he’s our kook; but he’s still not the type of person to lead the direction of a national party. Most normal voters aren’t going to get excited about returning to the gold standard; and while Paul’s perennial drive to audit the FED may be entertaining, it does beg the question “and then what?”

[NoLibZone]

Lew Rockwell came out against Sheriff Joe.

Lew says he is too authoritarian on illegals.

[SmokingJoe]

“Sarah Palin is LOSING to the WORST President we have had since Jimmy Carter”

She is only 3% behind the first Democratic President to win more than 50%(53%) of the vote for over 30 years.
She is only 3% behind the guy that beat John McCain by 6%(that is 3% better than McCain did).
She is only 3% behind the guy that had an approval rating of close to 70% just 10 months ago, and the guy that has the liberal media in his pocket.
And she is actually doing better in that poll against 0bama than Huckabee is.
More than that, her numbers are going UP, while 0bama’s are going DOWN..and we have another 3 years to go to the next elections. Guess who is on the the right trajectory for 2012 here? Hint: It's not 0bama.

“Let's see .... How could we possibly get Barack Obama re-elected
Let's run Sarah Palin!!!”

Naaah.
One way to guarantee that 0bama is re-elected is to take counsel from gay picture posting posters of your sort.
The Republican Party went with John McCain and his gay marriage backing campaign manager, Steve Schmidt in 2008, and got totally annihilated.
That is not going to be allowed to happen in 2012. You can bet on that.

“Has it yet dawned on you that Sarah Palin has LOST BOTH of the political races that she has heavily campaigned for in the Lower 48:”

Has it registered in your little mind that Sarah Palin took on the entire Republican establishment in Alaska and won to be governor?
And has it even occurred to you that Ronald Reagan lost to Ford in the primaries in 1976, before bouncing back to win the presidency in 1980?

“It is pretty pathetic when the political debate in America boil down to, “My inexperienced Affirmative Action candidate ranks in the polls just below your inexperienced Affirmative Action candidate”

It is even more pathetic, when FreeRepublic is reduced to stomaching posters with little minds to come and post their garbage of that kind on on here.
Sarah Palin had a heck of a lot more executive experience than 0bama, Biden and John McCain COMBINED when the 2008 elections were held.
She is smarter, achieved more in as governor than Biden or 0bama achieved in their entire time in the US Senate, and will make a far better president than any of those 3 clowns.
Only a troll will come here whining about “affirmative action” when talking about Sarah Palin.
Everything she has, she had to fight very hard for it(unlike 0bozo). You need to read her book, dude.

“Sorry, Joe, but no scumbag like Levi Johnston was ever allowed to get ANYWHERE near my daughter, let alone allowed knock her up when she was 17.’

Oh puleeze!
Worse scumbags than this buffoon have gotten close to better daughters than yours, including daughters of kings and emperors.
You need to read some European history some time.
A parent can give his children the best training, and that child can still turn round and do foolish things.
The children of politicians and presidents have regularly gotten into trouble in this country and every single country on the planet. Even the children of the Queen of England and her granddaughters have been caught engaging in all kinds of shenanigans. What is new about that?

“I will bet my last dollar the it was the same with YOUR daughter.”

Nobody, but nobody can guarantee or knows what his daughter or son is doing every hour of the day.
You bring her up the best way you know how, and the rest is up to her/him.

Heck we have a president, 0bama, who's daddy knocked up his mother when she was barely of legal age, and his daddy was far older than his mother at the time, and far older than Levi Jonson is. All that never stopped 0bama from winning the presidency. Why don't you go take him to court over that?

“So Sarah Palin talks the conservative talk.
So what?
So do I.
So do you.
So do thousands of FReepers on FR”

Are you for real?
Where the heck did anyone in this thread say they support her because she “talks conservative talk”? She happens to have a very solid record in public life.

“The difference, Joe, is that our families don't have a "rather gay looking poofter" with a druggie mother knocking up our daughters when they are 17."

Going by that, 0bama shouldn't be sitting in the White House then,. His brother just go arrested for drug dealing.
Before that, we had Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter, who's brothers were involved in every kind of disgraceful behavior one can think of.
That never stopped any of those guys from sitting in the White House.
In this country, everyone is accountable for their actions, not the actions of others. I don't care if Sarah Palin’s sister or aunt of daughter or whatever has gotten into trouble. That's their business.
What I care about is what Sarah Palin herself has done in her life, her excellent record as the governor of Alaska, where she had approval ratings of 90%(the highest in the country by far), and her excellent fiscal policies as governor. That's what counts. Her daughter can go hook up with whoever she wants, and it wouldn't make one iota of difference to me. Her daughter is not the one that could be standing for president.
It's like saying 0bama’s brother is on drugs so therefore 0bama is not fit to be president.

“American voters pay attention to those sorts of things, Joe"

Yeah?
Is that why American voters voted for the biggest, most skanky skirt chaser this country has ever seen by voting for Bill Clinton TWICE? A guy that used to screw hookers in the governor's car as he made the cops keep a look out for him?

“Sarah Palin has more baggage than Mayflower Van Lines”

0bama has baggage that is bigger than the Titanic.
He sits in the White House.

“you want Barack Obama to have a fighting chance to get re-elected, nominate Sarah Palin.&rdquo

If you want another 4 years for 0bama, just chose another “moderate” like McCain, Graham or any of the other RINO’s.
That path did Republicans a lot of good in 2008 didn't it, when the Republican Party got annihilated in the 2008 elections.

[jla]

No one can rightfully claim to be "a mainstream Reagan conservative"...

Sorry, but Reagan's son, Michael, disagrees. And when we want an opinion on who is or is not qualified to be referred to as a 'Reagan-conservative' the opinion of a shill for an irrelevant third party will not be sought.

[CalTexan]

Sarah Palin is the only politician that ever sold her jet to save money for the people of her state.

She is the real deal!

[unseen]

this guy has no idea about Palin. he knows nothing. he wonders what her “voting record” is. CEO’s do not vote. they drive agenda make decsions. get bills passed by getting votes. they lead. Palin has many many “policy postions” from her years has CEO of a small town and State. She is small government pro defense. she understands that far from “blowback” many many people in the world would like nothing better than to destroy this country. that we are as always in a ideaology war. Paul supporters should be thankful for Palin. She is the only major candidate that has more than 505 of their views they are ever going to see on the national scence. Paul got 10% of the vote in the GOP. He will never be a national figure again. time to change horses.

[Oztrich Boy]

But what is a “Palinite?” I’m not sure anyone knows. I’m not even sure she knows.

One item, unlike the Paul's isolationism or the Obama's Wilsonism, Sarah Palin does not strike me as someone who will depend on the kindness of strangers. And I would prefer to have an adult running US foreign policy,