Maureen means that an alley full of winos on Manhattan Island is more picturesque than anywhere in the natural wonderland of Alaska because, well, it’s on Manhattan.
She also means that anyone supporting, admiring or - heaven forfend - voting for Sarah Palin does so simply because Sarah Palin. The women’s ‘visceral’ reaction is to Palin’s beauty and their desire to emulate it. The men’s ‘visceral’ reaction is....you know the rest.
‘Visceral’ also means anyone supporting Palin or sharing her values is a bloodthirsty hate-monger intent on restoring the institution of slavery and ripping the so-called social safety net away....although neither Dowd nor any other lefty can explain how having promiscuous unprotected sex often accompanied by drug and alcohol abuse is in any way relevant to the concept of ‘safety.’
‘Visceral’ also means ‘non-thinking’ as - repeat after me - all liberals are smarter than Palin (this is an article of faith even with union types who went and voted Obama only to watch their plants and coal mines idled thanks to environmental restrictions).
Finally, ‘visceral’ means ‘Palin gets a better reaction than I do and I’m envirous. At least Dowd is on a level with us common folk on this one.
=> voting for Sarah Palin does so simply because Sarah Palin is attractive.