Steyn: Hostess with the Moosest

The Corner ^ | 8-30-08 | Mark Steyn

[cgk]

The hostess with the moosest

   Mark Steyn

Over in the Frumistan province of the NR caliphate, our pal David is not happy about the Palin pick. I am - for several reasons.

First, Governor Palin is not merely, as Jay describes her, "all-American", but hyper-American. What other country in the developed world produces beauty queens who hunt caribou and serve up a terrific moose stew? As an immigrant, I'm not saying I came to the United States purely to meet chicks like that, but it was certainly high on my list of priorities. And for the gun-totin' Miss Wasilla then to go on to become Governor while having five kids makes it an even more uniquely American story. Next to her resume, a guy who's done nothing but serve in the phony-baloney job of "community organizer" and write multiple autobiographies looks like just another creepily self-absorbed lifelong member of the full-time political class that infests every advanced democracy.

Second, it can't be in Senator Obama's interest for the punditocracy to spends its time arguing about whether the Republicans' vice-presidential pick is "even more" inexperienced than the Democrats' presidential one.

Third, real people don't define "experience" as appearing on unwatched Sunday-morning talk shows every week for 35 years and having been around long enough to have got both the War on Terror and the Cold War wrong. (On the first point, at the Gun Owners of New Hampshire dinner in the 2000 campaign, I remember Orrin Hatch telling me sadly that he was stunned to discover how few Granite State voters knew who he was.) Sarah Palin and Barack Obama are more or less the same age, but Governor Palin has run a state and a town and a commercial fishing operation, whereas (to reprise a famous line on the Rev Jackson) Senator Obama ain't run nothin' but his mouth. She's done the stuff he's merely a poseur about. Post-partisan? She took on her own party's corrupt political culture directly while Obama was sucking up to Wright and Ayers and being just another get-along Chicago machine pol (see his campaign's thuggish attempt to throttle Stanley Kurtz and Milt Rosenberg on WGN the other night).

Fourth, Governor Palin has what the British Labour Party politician Denis Healy likes to call a "hinterland" - a life beyond politics. Whenever Senator Obama attempts anything non-political (such as bowling), he comes over like a visiting dignitary to a foreign country getting shanghaied into some impenetrable local folk ritual. Sarah Palin isn't just on the right side of the issues intellectually. She won't need the usual stage-managed "hunting" trip to reassure gun owners: she's lived the Second Amendment all her life. Likewise, on abortion, we're often told it's easy to be against it in principle but what if you were a woman facing a difficult birth or a handicapped child? Been there, done that.

Fifth, she complicates all the laziest Democrat pieties. Energy? Unlike Biden and Obama, she's been to ANWR and, like most Alaskans, supports drilling there.

Sixth (see Kathleen's link to Craig Ferguson), I kinda like the whole naughty librarian vibe.  

08/30 03:53 AM

[Lady Jag]

You can double ping me any time, Meeks.

Steyn & McCain are hitting them out of the park.

[Heart of Georgia]

“Likewise, on abortion, we’re often told it’s easy to be against it in principle but what if you were a woman facing a difficult birth or a handicapped child? Been there, done that.”

That’ll rile ‘em up!

McCain/Palin ‘08!!!

[mewzilla]

My hubby stopped by a local shop this morning. The owner is a lib's lib who was talking to another flaming leftist. Gov. Palin happened to be the topic of conversation. Both libs were favorably impressed with Palin, and were actually keeping an open mind about the ticket. Mr. Mew was stunned.

Note to the 'Rats: Houston, you've got a problem.

[mcar]

And.... he “ain’t” bad either!
not bad at all :)

She is a great pick!!!
Sure makes me feel optimistic

[MEG33]

Love it!

[FBD]

thanks for the ping, Meek!
Bump^ and bookmark

[Titan Magroyne]

bfl

[MeekOneGOP]

I keep thinking this must've been almost what it felt like when Reagan was running for office -- I was in First Grade at the time, and he won our local elementary school mock election on Voting Day by a landslide, just like he did the country later that night! :-)

- - - - - - -

Yeah, that felt pretty great too. I vote for Reagan BOTH times.

And at least we have HALF a ticket that is truly Conservative now! :)

[MeekOneGOP]

Yes! Regular people.

Yet very special I bet!

[MeekOneGOP]

hahahahaaaa!

[MeekOneGOP]

Governor’s have the best experience for the job, imho.

An executive level position at the STATE level.

[MeekOneGOP]

Amen!

Thanks, yall ! :)

[Texas Songwriter]

Obama gravitates to corruption. Sarah annialates it. The contrast could not be more stark. I like women with that kind of instinct.

[MeekOneGOP]

Howdy! LTNS...

Bullseye post, exactly right! Thanks.

[MeekOneGOP]

haha!

Yep.

The phrase “A moose bit my sister”
will carry a whole new meaning now. :^D

[MeekOneGOP]

** I absolutely LOVE Mark Steyn. Picture please. **

- - - - - - - - - -

Sure, happy to. Here ya go!:

[MeekOneGOP]

MORE pics of him here:

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=Mark+Steyn&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2

[pharmamom]

Don’t you mean Obama has become a “moose” point?

[pharmamom]

I guess my tagline will have to be, “Oh, darn, I DO have a moose in my pocket. A very small moose.”

[hiredhand]

Don’t you mean Obama has become a “moose” point?

Oh yes! I think a "moose" point is better! From what I read, it's bad to be a moose around Sarah Palin. She shoots, kills, and EATS them! :-)