Indulge me for a moment. Some of you may recall that I commented here the night of the Republican National Convention last September that Sarah Palin, even without John McCain, is a "formidable" political opponent. I offered this only a few moments after hearing Gov. Palin speak for my very first time. Among other things, I described her as
But my praise did not stop there. I also said:
And at the end of my post-convention essay, I played the augur:
Please take note of the theme that connects these passages: Gov. Palin is funny. Not over-the-top funny, but funny in an effective, even disarming way. And a charming way.
And it is precisely this quality that has drawn the ire of those Democrats and liberals in press and politics who quite clearly despise her. Let me return to what I wrote just four days after the GOP convention. In "The Cardinal Sin: Laughter In The GOP," I wrote:
Indeed, in American politics, there can be no greater sin.
Democrats, especially those who would consider themselves members of the intelligentsia, or the truly cultured set, perceive themselves to be the party that excels at parody, satire; at scoffing and mocking and, among the truly bright, clever badinage. Democrats have some reason to believe this of themselves, as their own conceit in all matters funny is daily reinforced in print, in political cartoons, and in such places as "The Daily Show." But it is, at least to me, an empty conceit.
The other day, John Kerry, the junior senator from Massachusetts who aspired to the White House, joked about Sarah Palin in the wake of the sudden absence of Gov. John Sanford (South Carolina). Mr. Kerry said, in what strikes me as a mean-spirited way, that it was "[t]oo bad if a governor had to go missing, it couldn't have been the governor of Alaska. You know, Sarah Palin." (Guffaw!)
If one just pauses a moment to note not only the utter comedic vacuity of Mr. Kerry's quip but also its political implication -- that Mr. Kerry and his peers must be awfully afraid of Ms. Palin to wish for her disappearance -- one can't help but be somewhat stunned. Why all this vitriol and sarcasm directed at Gov. Palin? Is it because she is laughing at Democrats? One can only wonder how they will react to her response (given in Kosovo while visiting US troops) to Mr. Kerry's pathetic joke-telling:
___________________
Governor Sarah Palin is laughing, and she gets others to laugh, too. This is what makes her such a threat. She is, in this one sense, Reagan-esque, as Ronald Reagan, too, got people to laugh -- playfully and lightly -- at the absurdities of the other party. I am not suggesting here that Ms. Palin has the chops to be president, but she has thus far out-performed many of her peers who claim superiority in both ability and experience. And humor. She is a formidable foe. There can be no doubt about it. And the Democrats, through fear and loathing, and by attacking her every day, are drawing attention, and sympathy, toward someone they actually wish went missing.
There's something ironic here, but I doubt my leftist peers can see it.
Peace.
©Contratimes/2009. All Rights Reserved.
"...country-girl feisty with a smile; she carries the faintest hint of redneck incredulity about her that is squarely aimed at the temerity and presumptuousness of Ivy League and Beltway elitism. She looked quite stunning as she easily and deftly delivered lines that will be iconic by morning. And she created a metaphor that sticks: She's a pitbull with lipstick."
But my praise did not stop there. I also said:
"...Gov. Palin's speech was filled with criticisms of Sen. Obama (many of which were quite clever, I must say). And while she delivered her blows with a sort of wink-wink playfulness, I know that she infuriated countless pro-Obama supporters; she flirted with being incendiary. I saw it, heard it, felt it; and I swear I could hear countless folks around the country screaming at their TVs. But what she did tonight is at least part of the political game, and it is quite clear that senators Obama and Biden have their work cut out for them. Gov. Palin, even without John McCain, is a formidable opponent."
And at the end of my post-convention essay, I played the augur:
"Prediction: After tonight, Democrats everywhere will be arguing that the next Democratic Convention in 2012 should follow rather than precede the Republican Convention. Surely they see how easy it was for Gov. Palin to playfully but effectively mock the "styrofoam Greek pillars" of the Democratic National Convention, no?"
Please take note of the theme that connects these passages: Gov. Palin is funny. Not over-the-top funny, but funny in an effective, even disarming way. And a charming way.
And it is precisely this quality that has drawn the ire of those Democrats and liberals in press and politics who quite clearly despise her. Let me return to what I wrote just four days after the GOP convention. In "The Cardinal Sin: Laughter In The GOP," I wrote:
"One would have to be disengaged not to notice that the Democratic Party, and the party's scribes in the press, are really quite angry about the ascension of Sarah Palin. But it is not Sarah Palin that has them upset; it is not John McCain or George W. Bush or Mitt Romney or Rudy Guiliani that has the left in high dudgeon. It is not any one person or defined group that has given them fits. What has them so agitated is that the very visible Republican National Convention showed Republicans doing the worst of all possible things: It showed Republicans laughing at the Democratic Party and its candidate. And there really can be no greater sin." [emphasis added]
Indeed, in American politics, there can be no greater sin.
Democrats, especially those who would consider themselves members of the intelligentsia, or the truly cultured set, perceive themselves to be the party that excels at parody, satire; at scoffing and mocking and, among the truly bright, clever badinage. Democrats have some reason to believe this of themselves, as their own conceit in all matters funny is daily reinforced in print, in political cartoons, and in such places as "The Daily Show." But it is, at least to me, an empty conceit.
The other day, John Kerry, the junior senator from Massachusetts who aspired to the White House, joked about Sarah Palin in the wake of the sudden absence of Gov. John Sanford (South Carolina). Mr. Kerry said, in what strikes me as a mean-spirited way, that it was "[t]oo bad if a governor had to go missing, it couldn't have been the governor of Alaska. You know, Sarah Palin." (Guffaw!)
If one just pauses a moment to note not only the utter comedic vacuity of Mr. Kerry's quip but also its political implication -- that Mr. Kerry and his peers must be awfully afraid of Ms. Palin to wish for her disappearance -- one can't help but be somewhat stunned. Why all this vitriol and sarcasm directed at Gov. Palin? Is it because she is laughing at Democrats? One can only wonder how they will react to her response (given in Kosovo while visiting US troops) to Mr. Kerry's pathetic joke-telling:
“[John Kerry] looked quite frustrated and he looked so sad [when he told his joke]. I just wanted to reach out to the TV and say: ‘John Kerry, why the long face?’” [see YouTube clip below]
___________________
Governor Sarah Palin is laughing, and she gets others to laugh, too. This is what makes her such a threat. She is, in this one sense, Reagan-esque, as Ronald Reagan, too, got people to laugh -- playfully and lightly -- at the absurdities of the other party. I am not suggesting here that Ms. Palin has the chops to be president, but she has thus far out-performed many of her peers who claim superiority in both ability and experience. And humor. She is a formidable foe. There can be no doubt about it. And the Democrats, through fear and loathing, and by attacking her every day, are drawing attention, and sympathy, toward someone they actually wish went missing.
There's something ironic here, but I doubt my leftist peers can see it.
Peace.
©Contratimes/2009. All Rights Reserved.
