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Daphne, at Jaded Haven takes some shots at Sarah Palin. As this blog has critiqued Rick Moran on the topic of the lady, it would seem unsporting not to offer similar treatment for Daphne, who is far more entertaining.
I won't be reading her book, she didn't write it and I could not care less about last year's campaign trail. She's a private citizen now, smartly cashing in on circumstance. I wish her well in her commercial endeavors, may she reap the beast of public consumption and grow fabulously rich.Fair enough.
God help us if her populist drivel ever takes hold, the republic has already been raped to shreds by enough simplistic, pluralist pro-democracy political hacks baying "people power" to the ignorant masses.Is this a specific swipe at Barack Obama? Are you saying Reagan was populist drivel? Who would you prefer, and how would this person address the real issues of $12 trillion in debt and a vampiric Federal Reserve?
This country's smart modern day conservatives imagine that the perpetual promised land of America's founders is based on a few simple premises; a place where were we are free to achieve, innovate, excel, cash in, choose and create a life without interference from the state. The people who believe in these tenets have no need of populist politicians, yet they continuously embrace their alarmist calls as a last measure, furthering the state into more regulation of man's freedom.Have you watched the National Debt Road Trip? Have you looked at the vampiric growth of entitlements? It's neither clear that your libertarian state exists, nor that a potential Sarah Palin platform would do, other than (possibly) drive things in that libertarian direction. She could also turn out to be John Sydney McCain in a skirt. It's all unknown. Between the lines of her FaceBook musings, she seems willing to concede the Constitutional ground to the Federal government on health care reform.
Populism is the antithesis of conservatism, it's more socialist happy juice for the underclass, a jizz of simplistic dogma that appeals to ignorant voters, a simple knock down, two step of soft moves for the people, by the people. You'll never have independence when you indicate a willingness to bow to the will of a self-serving, tax-less people. The masses will annihilate your every avenue of success out of sheer, ruthless perversity. They'll vote for your demise out of blind spite. The founders knew this core truth of human nature.Are you a John Batchelor fan, Daphne? Interestingly, I come from pure white trash roots, yet have managed to score some academic credentials (woo hoo). My observation is that the difference between the populist bumpkins so cheerfully derided by the elitists, and the city slicker elites themselves is the average word lengths used in conversation. People are people are people. If we're going to go down this class stratification road, then let's just punt on the popular vote and let the apparently smarter people just sell us down the river.
The Progressive propellerheads are the authors of the current situation. The nominally conservative, elitist jackasses (everyone since Teddy Roosevelt with the exception of Reagan) have been enablers. The bulk of the GOP hopefuls in play for 2012 have been enablers. John Sydney McCain is an enabler. The difference between BHO and a hypothetical JSM administration, AFAICT, would be the rate of the decline. BHO's Chicago propensity to 'cash in for the homies', if anything, is a feature, hastening the eruption of the crap volcano.
So what I need to see from Sarah, or any other leader worth paying heed, is a commitment to a foundation for diminishing the Imperial Fed. Otherwise, she's just fannying about.
The conservative brands do it as well as the liberal ones, it's all about feeding the state. Our girl Palin is busy shoveling heaping dumb bucketfuls of bromides to that ancient beast of polity. I happened upon a ridiculous post today equating her in fond terms with Thomas Paine. I was appalled at how many ignorant people were lapping this shit up. Are you fucking kidding me? Paine and Palin? That's a partnership that would cause most true conservatives to grab some rope if they didn't immediately succumb to congestive heart failure.In addition to making a buck, it's quite apparent that Sarah is building up the war chest, and connecting with people in the lower 48. As Dan Riehl notes, she may be making a move in a solid policy direction as early as next year. At that point, like BHO in office, she's likely to start dividing people. Unfortunately, you don't seem aware that "that ancient beast of polity" is really the Federal Government. Also known sometimes as 'Cthulu'.
I would be a happy woman if I saw more people going rouge, questioning the people and parties in power, taking a large step back from the personal and giving the direction of our country a clear hard, dispassionate look. Yeah, that would be good.You seem to have a tacit assertion here that people have not followed your prescription and arrived at Sarah. Is this some mathematical impossibility?
I, for one, take a similar independent thinking tack. But the ballot requires names. Someone has to be on there. It's quite possible that Sarah will outline a platform that is more GOP RINO swill, should she ever get as far as running in a primary.
Short of seeing the platform, though, your criticisms seem as nebulous as those of Rick Moran. Are you for another candidate, or simply not enchanted with the lady? I'm still in the optimistic corner, myself.
Cheers my friend, let's take this fine post in small bites.
ReplyDeleteLet me be clear, I've been following and writing favorably about Mrs. Palin since she was sworn in as Governor of Alaska. I like her, she's been an admirable politician and someone I hold in high esteem on a personal level. I don't dislike or disdain Sarah Palin, on the contrary, I find her quite wonderful. I do believe she's pandering to you, but that's not unexpected. You seem a tad touchy when she gets shoved, maybe you're too irrationally close to the iconic symbol she's become to offer an objective perspective on the actual politics of Mrs. Palin? I suspect you're more engaged in a war that won't be won by our side.
So, let's go.
Of course it was a swipe at Obama.
And yes, I believe Reagan used populist rhetoric in his campaign and throughout his presidency, fortunately he was able to separate the fowl from the feathers when it came to most of his policy and budgetary decisions. Reagan was actually deeply intelligent, well
read and a long time political operative before he ever sought executive office. A rarity if you look at decades previous and post presidents.
Smitty, did the deficits Bush run cause you such concern? Did Bush's spending, outside of the war, cause you fits? Did you write posts deriding No Child Left Behind and the increased federal scope and costs on our local schools? I bet not. Obama is carrying on an eight year tradition of runaway fiscal irresponsibility and rampant federal legislation circumscribing our lives, he's just high tuned it to obscene levels that also coincide with liberal policies we particularly loathe. Have you been paying attention to our budget and encroaching federal legislation that's happened under the past eight years? Sixteen years? Thirty Years? Sixty Years? This isn't a partisan fight anymore, Smitty, it's a fight for what's left of our lives and the politicians, all of them, including Mrs. Palin, aren't on our side.
As far as Mrs. Palin goes, I wasn't being snarky. I greatly admire the woman, she was an outstanding public servant and I sincerely wish her well and much wealth in her private career. Personally, I like Sarah, but she's a political animal, Smitty.
My derision of any politician's populist rhetoric has no class basis. I can't believe you accused me haughty elitism. Do you find the Beck/Palin/ name your right wing demagogue/ appealing because of your background? Or because it appeals to your feel good emotions? Do you mind if these politician's and talking heads rub your tummy with pretty words while fucking you blind? They all happen to be multi-millionaires who shield their income from taxes and possess the ability to move if things degenerate to civil war or third world status in your backyard. They also rely on keeping you stirred up to keep their paychecks rolling in. I'm sure they believe what they preach, like all people who live in the political eye, elected and private, but our Republic's interests and yours are the last thing on their minds.
Stop believing the populist rhetoric, Smitty. It's not the truth and it's not meant to help you be free.
Back to Sarah. Writing anything about Sarah is fool's errand these days, she's become an emotional entity. I have no use for that in my world.
You want names? I won't give you a one. You want a platform? You wouldn't like mine. The GOP deserves to be torn down alongside the Dems. This bastardization of a Republic we live under deserves to be buried, undone, ruined, overthrown, finished. We killed it with democracy, you people are just fighting over the scraps of how more or less socialist we'll be next year.
I suggest we scrap this shit pile and hire a decent manager.
Did you write posts deriding No Child Left Behind and the increased federal scope and costs on our local schools? I bet not.
ReplyDeleteYou're entitled to your own opinions, but not to your own facts. In the July 5, 2004, issue of the American Conservative, I wrote an article detailing the failures of Bush's "Texas miracle," the school-standards program that was the model for No Child Left Behind.
Having covered education for many years in Georgia, I knew from the outset that NCLB would not -- indeed, could not -- achieve its goals. The attempt to equalize educational outcomes could only result in a lot of statistical tomfoolery, just as it had in Texas, where teachers and administrators quickly learned to game the system. Efforts by Republicans to out-bid liberals in the compassion sweepstakes always lead to bad results, and NCLB was no exception.
Does Sarah Palin understand all this? I don't know. I haven't had the chance to talk to her about any of it. But to try to make her the scapegoat for everything you hate about the GOP strikes me as -- what did you call it? -- a fool's errand.
Smitty, did the deficits Bush run cause you such concern? Did Bush's spending, outside of the war, cause you fits? Did you write posts deriding No Child Left Behind and the increased federal scope and costs on our local schools? I bet not. Obama is carrying on an eight year tradition of runaway fiscal irresponsibility and rampant federal legislation circumscribing our lives, he's just high tuned it to obscene levels that also coincide with liberal policies we particularly loathe. Have you been paying attention to our budget and encroaching federal legislation that's happened under the past eight years? Sixteen years? Thirty Years? Sixty Years? This isn't a partisan fight anymore, Smitty, it's a fight for what's left of our lives and the politicians, all of them, including Mrs. Palin, aren't on our side.
ReplyDeleteNo, I wasn't blogging at the time, nor was I as educated on the evils of the last century of American politics, or I would surely have done all these things.
The argument that "it's too late to object" is specious. Now is the time to turn the ship of state away from shoal water.
Betwenn?
ReplyDeleteSam:
ReplyDeleteThe spending that W. did helped lead to the catalyst of the Tea Party movement..
Most people are too busy and/or worried trying to make it from day to day without keeping an eye on their representation.. And it was a nasty wake up call as to what they saw.
It takes time to get that many people organized.
You don't want to name names but you piss and moan about the current political system that we are stuck with.
And yet you said nothing about the populist rhetoric that the man in charge of our Nation employs -- tax cuts to %95 of the people -- but you shoot your wad on a private citizen..
Okay then.