Sarah Palin: The Face of Ugly Americanism

[kristopher]

Sarah Palin: The Face of Ugly Americanism
by John Seery

I know, I know: Sarah Palin is receiving rosy plaudits for her speech last night. She is being heralded as the savior of the GOP, someone with enough moxie to sustain the party's unholy alliance between the oil plutocrats and the oily preachocrats.

Many pundits in reviewing her polished performance claim to see an unflappable and gung-ho winner on stage. My honest-to-goodness visceral reaction was quite otherwise. What I saw on that stage was the personification of small-minded smugness, an utter lack of humility, a kind of self-righteous entitlement based on little more than puffed-up narrowness. She struck me not as plucky but, rather, as stunningly immodest--to the point of arrogance. Some people are arrogant and maybe deserve to be. They know it, and flaunt it, while everyone else thinks they are jerks. But there's another kind of arrogance, perhaps harder to spot at first, an arrogance that apparently doesn't even recognize itself as such, a sanctified, self-satisfied presumptuousness that flows from sheer naïveté about oneself and the world and manifests itself in giddy ambition. ...

,,,She mocks community organizing in Southside Chicago--but has she ever set foot in Chicago? She has no idea what it means to organize on the south side of Chicago--nor, I imagine, does her slickly sarcastic speechwriter. How many African-Americans lived in Wasilla during her tenure as major? She hasn't traveled through this great country of ours. She doesn't know its people, doesn't know its amazing and oftentimes vexing diversity. She hasn't traveled anywhere in the world, except one place. She presents herself as an all-American gal, but does she genuinely understand--beyond her own PTA-to-Juneau story--our country's rich and varied and complex history? She recently confessed that she doesn't even understand what the Vice President of the United States does, and her admirers heartily approve of her perversely willful ignorance.

Yes, she can bring...

Read all of this outstanding opinion at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-seery/sarah-palin-the-face-of-u_b_123989.html

[progdonkey]

1. regarding the number of blacks in Wasilla...

According to the 2000 census, about 30 black people lived in her town of 6000. So she's totally down with the black experience. :sarcasm:

[kristopher]

2. That should prepare her...

30 out of 6000, huh?

[progdonkey]

17. 0.59% of the population...

double-checked Wiki to be sure.... population 5469 (a little less than I approximated) with 0.59% Black = 32 Black people. Ooh, a whole two more! It's practically Harlem. :P

[4lbs]

21. Sort of like the makeup of the RNC delegates

n/t

[KT2000]

3. Some of the best

comments are in this article.
He nailed it - she represents what America has become and we should all be ashamed of. The R's revel in their arrogance and contempt for others, especially people who care about other people.
Selfish, narcissistic asses.

[Triana]

4. Her diatribe-writer is Matthew Scully...

...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=6938892&mesg_id=6938892

[StClone]

5. Palin knowslittle outside Alaska

Her witless and merciless attack on social work proves it. How can she lead when she has not a clue what the lower 48 are about? Oh and the attack on Obama was an attack on some of his strengths -- humility, caring and empathy

[blossomstar]

6. Bravo! Well said.

[MaineYooper]

7. Obama's quote from last month still holds true:

"It's like these guys take pride in being ignorant"

The women too, I guess.

[PatSeg]

8. And from a woman's perspective

There is something I can't quite put my finger on, but I've met many "Sarahs" in my life. I saw them when I took my children to school. They were overbearing and often loud. I remember one who yelled at the principal of the elementary school in front of all the children and their parents. Everything revolved around her and her children, the rest of the world be damned.

The Sarahs I knew were involved in everything and pushed their children to be involved too, children who often looked pale and puffy eyed from a non-stop regiment of activities, when they would like to just slow down and play like a kid. Or maybe get some sleep. All this activity wasn't so much for the kids, it was for the parents who possibly were trying to compensate for some deficiency in their own childhoods. And then there were the Sarahs who just wanted to be in the limelight all the time and often had a partner who was an enabler.

I don't like this woman and I didn't like the Sarahs that preceded her. They are often petty and shallow and thrive on attention. I'm quite sure the real Sarah will be apparent before too much time passes, but then I thought that about GWB.

[AdHocSolver]

9. deleted dupe. n/t

[AdHocSolver]

10. It is not just the actors, but also the audience, that determines the success of the play. n/t

[kurth_]

12. I suspect most people know a Sarah Palin or two at work

the backstabbing hardcharging fast-track types you have to say hello to and don't dare to cross.

[PatSeg]

19. Yeah, I forgot the "Sarahs" I've worked with

Manipulative users and takers. The code is to succeed and that would be by any means possible, and generally with a big smile!

[Papagoose]

15. well said tsegat01

My daughter is deeply involved in competitive soccer - by HER choice. It takes up a tremendous amount of devotion, time and money. I sit at three practices a week and two or three games a weekend - pretty much alone - by MY choice, because I avoid the Sarah Palins in my life. I see Sarah Palins all over the soccer club, and I see Sarah Palin in both men and women. They're the ones that scream at their kids to win, no matter what. They're the ones that scream at the coach when the team loses a game. They're the ones that park their Hummers and Suburbans up on the grass or in the handicapped spots instead of walking from the parking lot. They're the ones that will loudly espouse their politics to anyone in earshot - which usually consist solely of wanting their taxes cut (along with more police and better schools).

I don't like the Sarah Palin running for VP, and I don't like the Sarah Palins that I see every day. "Ugly American" indeed.

[Mopar151]

16. You are SO right

Down to the parking space thing!

[PatSeg]

20. And the worst part is watching

them suck the life out of their children who just want to go play on the monkey bars. I've seen five and six year old kids completely stressed out by parents who are determined to regiment every second of their little lives, while setting an example for how adults behave in our world.

[yardwork]

24. Yes, and the Sarah Palins of the world are mean.

The come to school board meetings and complain about special needs kids being allowed to play on the school's sports teams. It means that their kids are being denied the right to be on a winning team, don't you see?!

They're the people who complain about their kids' teachers - year after year after year. They're always standing around the school parking lot causing trouble and starting whisper campaigns. They're the ones who call their kids' coaches all the time and complain that their children are being denied the right to enough playing time, or denied the right to play first base, or denied the right to be in the starting line-up.

They excel at community organizing, ironically enough, but it's never for the good of any community. They excel at organizing petition drives to gang up on the elderly man in the neighborhood who doesn't mow his lawn as often as the Sarah Palins of the world think they should. They excel at organizing letter writing campaigns to "call attention to" the latest atrocity that is affecting their narrow little lives.

The Sarah Palins of the world make life miserable for real volunteers because all they care about are themselves.

[PatSeg]

25. And the Sarah Palins of the world

care about their children, in as much as it is a reflection on the parents. The children are an extension of the parents, not people in their own right.

[glitch]

23. GWB was apparent, but the media covered for him. I imagine it will be the same with Sarah.

We've all know people like this, they define narcissism.

There is a horrible commercial where at a kid's soccer game a coach says if the team wins they go to Baskin Robbins, and a mother grabs the ball and screams loudly into a child's face "in your face". It's really a horrible commercial and I think they realized it and pulled it, but it reminds me of "hockey mom" Sarah.

[Demeter]

11. Sarah Palin is the Muggle Equivalent of Dolores Umbridge

[LeftishBrit]

14. That deserves a DUzy!

[BeyondGeography]

13. He really nails a certain American type with this sentence

Who doesn't know an army of people just like this:

"But there's another kind of arrogance, perhaps harder to spot at first, an arrogance that apparently doesn't even recognize itself as such, a sanctified, self-satisfied presumptuousness that flows from sheer naïveté about oneself and the world and manifests itself in giddy ambition."

[noel711]

18. "Has she ever been to Chicago...?"

Bingo.

Has she ever been to New York, or LA, or Detroit?

HOW can she represent the true constituency of this diverse nation,
when she's only ridden a snow machine?

Has she ever been to Chicago? Walk those streets, girl, and then get back to us.

(My favorite question to any creep who complains to me about
Obama, and Rev. Wright/Bill Ayers/Reskow has been:
"Ever lived in Chicago? Ever worked there?"

When they undoubtedly say 'No.' My response is: Case closed,
You have no room to criticise.

[Beausoleil]

22. For the most part

Americans don't know or understand Alaskans and life-long Alaskans don't really understand "outsiders" from the lower-48. This is the disconnect that is very dangerous.

This is a very dangerous choice for McLame because he doesn't understand the Alaskan mindset either. Life in Alaska is a very rugged, individualistic lifestyle that is not for everyone. Palin understands how Alaska works but Palin is going to prove to be very naive about Americans and our relationships in the world and her bullying tactics, extremism and looks will not make her any friends in DC. As governor, she really hasn't proven that she can work with people, just over, around and through people. She may be able to bulldoze Alaskans but I don't think the rest of America will like her tactics.

People who think this woman is qualified to be president, really don't understand how uniquely unqualified she is and how disconnected she really is from everyday "Outside" Americans.

I may be wrong and in a couple years there may be some Americans who think that President Palin is the greatest thing since sliced seal blubber. Never mind the smell.

[Turner Ashby]

26. I am trying to understand my own reaction.

It is a visceral dislike. It cannot be that I dislike women. I am quite used to very assertive women. I have supported women for very high positions in govt in Florida. I think I sincerely believe that she is incredibly unqualified, and I am very tired of having her kids thrown in my face every time I bring up her lack of qualifications. I am also very tired of having her looks stand in for experience/education.

[Beausoleil]

28. I think a lot of the sparkle will fade in the next few days

once people start to realize that they do not know or understand this dangerous woman, especially if she continues to refuse to talk to the media.

[Benevolent]

27. She would go along with an illogical invasion of Iran

Book it.