Yikes! Last night, listening to Sarah Palin's national debut, then the pundits' unabashed adulation, I felt ... so alone. Was I the only person in America who was horrified by her mean-spirited, small-minded speech?
Prime example: Palin mocks Obama for advocating that suspected terrorists, when arrested, be read their rights. And the audience agreed! Big time! Loud boos and vehement nodding of their Uncle Sam top hats made it clear that Ben Franklin's statement, "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety" is passe. Ouch.
I'm a marketer and a PR professional, so I should be able to understand how the masses think. Why then, as I heard Palin promoting her "hockey Mom" credentials and direly warning the crowd that this is a "world of threats and dangers" best managed by a man who has been tortured, rather than one who hasn't - why was I so worried that I alone, really alone, think Palin is a horror show?
In the light of today, I've encountered more enlightened individuals, none of them toting rifles or wearing the American flag as a costume, who weren't enthralled by the new candidate. And for that, I am truly grateful.
I was similarly appalled, and left with an empty feeling: that I hadn't actually learned anything useful about what she'd actually do in Washington aside from the usual nonspecific conservative watchwords (oppose taxes, defend the country, etc).
ReplyDeleteI try, but too often fail, to find actual content in politicians' speeches - no matter the party. Maybe I'm the only person in the audience who is more interested in their policies and proposals than their characters. I don't really care who you say you are; I care what you do.
The least helpful comment I've heard over the last few days is that McCain is boring but Palin has renewed my interest in the election.
ReplyDeleteYes, I suppose gossip is way more interesting than politics. A few months ago I was in a conversation that female politicians are generally not involved in scandals (in contrast to Bill Clinton, John Edwards, Eliot Spitzer, etc.). So it is too bad that a female nominee has so totally transformed the election into, not a scandal, but gossip.
A good side effect of this election -- the strange juxtaposition of conservative religious thought and right-wing politics will be brought into much sharper focus. The book "What's the Matter with Kansas" and some similar books/articles have analyzed the connection, but Palin's candidacy makes it real!!