Because she just won't go away...
I'm watching Countdown, like a good little leftie, and here comes Sarah Palin, again. While I generally avoid political commentary, I can't help myself. I will however kindly put political ramblings under a cut. So after much thought and delay, like anyone cares...
Here's the issue. I simply cannot take her seriously. It's not the Republican thing. I take plenty of Republicans seriously. Not the previous administration... but really who did? I digress. I cannot ever take her seriously quite simply because she never took herself seriously. From her first speech through her latest comments, she has never presented a serious politician. The folksy charm was laid on too thick. It never seemed genuine. In fact, it always looked rather like a beauty pageant routine of "Look at how small town I am." Every 'g' was dropped, catchphrases developed lives of their own. Within days entire political debates revolved around Joe some-such and who was "pallin'" around with whom, complete with enough winks and pointing at the camera to shame any decent game show host. It wasn't genuine. It was caricature. She presented herself as an exaggerated version of everyone's favorite stereotypes of the small, rural town. But that was not still the thing that bothered me most. The woman who clung to her folksy, hockey mom identity got small town wrong. Because she confused "from a small town" with "least educated person in the room." Then she reveled in it. Whoever decided to put her on TV doesn't matter anymore. She went on TV, she went and she could not name a court case, a newspaper, or explain exactly what a maverick is. And when she blundered miserably she blamed someone else and went back her dropped g's and wink accompanied catchphrases. She did not however demand that somebody give her a list of controversial court cases from the last two decades, a copy of the five leading papers in the country, and a dictionary. She simply returned to the routine. I don't expect every presidential branch nominee to be the smartest person in the room. Though it is a nice perk. But disinterest is not a virtue, nor should it ever be. Governor Palin made a show of her lack of interest, her lack of education, and disguised it as "small town." And any ambitious person in any small or large town understands that if you do not know something you pick up a book and learn it.
Here's the issue. I simply cannot take her seriously. It's not the Republican thing. I take plenty of Republicans seriously. Not the previous administration... but really who did? I digress. I cannot ever take her seriously quite simply because she never took herself seriously. From her first speech through her latest comments, she has never presented a serious politician. The folksy charm was laid on too thick. It never seemed genuine. In fact, it always looked rather like a beauty pageant routine of "Look at how small town I am." Every 'g' was dropped, catchphrases developed lives of their own. Within days entire political debates revolved around Joe some-such and who was "pallin'" around with whom, complete with enough winks and pointing at the camera to shame any decent game show host. It wasn't genuine. It was caricature. She presented herself as an exaggerated version of everyone's favorite stereotypes of the small, rural town. But that was not still the thing that bothered me most. The woman who clung to her folksy, hockey mom identity got small town wrong. Because she confused "from a small town" with "least educated person in the room." Then she reveled in it. Whoever decided to put her on TV doesn't matter anymore. She went on TV, she went and she could not name a court case, a newspaper, or explain exactly what a maverick is. And when she blundered miserably she blamed someone else and went back her dropped g's and wink accompanied catchphrases. She did not however demand that somebody give her a list of controversial court cases from the last two decades, a copy of the five leading papers in the country, and a dictionary. She simply returned to the routine. I don't expect every presidential branch nominee to be the smartest person in the room. Though it is a nice perk. But disinterest is not a virtue, nor should it ever be. Governor Palin made a show of her lack of interest, her lack of education, and disguised it as "small town." And any ambitious person in any small or large town understands that if you do not know something you pick up a book and learn it.