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“Palin: Average Isn’t Good Enough,” by Sam Harris
There are a laundry list of reasons why Sarah Palin is one of the most unqualified and troubling VP picks in the history of politics; her feather-light resume, her total lack of foreign policy experience, Troopergate, Babygate, flip-flopping on earmarks and “the bridge to nowhere,” formerly head of a 527 for Ted Stevens, etc. (and this is just the first week).
Sam Harris weighs in in the LA Times with another take on this selection, the “average Joe” litmus test that gave us George W. Bush…
Americans have an unhealthy desire to see average people promoted to positions of great authority. No one wants an average neurosurgeon or even an average carpenter, but when it comes time to vest a man or woman with more power and responsibility than any person has held in human history, Americans say they want a regular guy, someone just like themselves. President Bush kept his edge on the “Who would you like to have a beer with?” poll question in 2004, and won reelection.
This is one of the many points at which narcissism becomes indistinguishable from masochism. Let me put it plainly: If you want someone just like you to be president of the United States, or even vice president, you deserve whatever dysfunctional society you get. You deserve to be poor, to see the environment despoiled, to watch your children receive a fourth-rate education and to suffer as this country wages—and loses—both necessary and unnecessary wars.
McCain has so little respect for the presidency of the United States that he is willing to put the girl next door (soon, too, to be a grandma) into office beside him. He has so little respect for the average American voter that he thinks this reckless and cynical ploy will work. And it might.
Palin’s nomination has clearly excited Christian conservatives, and it may entice a few million gender-obsessed fans of Hillary Clinton to vote entirely on the basis of chromosomes. Throw in a few million more average Americans who will just love how the nice lady smiles, and 2009 could be a very interesting year.
Frankly, I hope Palin stays on the ticket, all of her flaws and deficiencies just put an Obama presidency that much more within reach.
UPDATE: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Sarah Palin* (*But Were Afraid To Ask)
September 4th, 2008 at 9:49 am
it’s getting hard to differentiate between the tinfoil-hat clad HIllary trolls & the usual pray hard/power-squinting wingnuts. admittedly, it could pose a threat if the lowest common denominator is allowed to align themselves.
so…….,
now’s the time for HIllary Clinton to find out once and for all: did they want YOU in office for your POLICIES? –or– will they just settle for ANY set of tits running on ANY ticket?? C’mon HIll’, talk to your “base” any get the truth out there for all of us to see. ‘cuz, you see… if you dick over your own party now, how will that bode for you in 4 years time when you take another shot at the big chair? if at that time you run as an independent then fine. …BUT, if you run as a Dem, it’s called…
Comeuppance.
September 4th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
I saw most of Palin’s speech last night. It was chock-full of dry “folksy” witticism followed by long pauses for half-hearted laughter. I nearly fell asleep. There’s so much to go off about the whole thing and so little time. Suffice it to say it sounded like she ripped off half of Biden’s speech and gave it a republican spin.
Did anyone else see the token minority in the see of prune-faced white folk?