It is undeniably true that Palin generates a strong emotional response from Democrats, and I think intparent posted a very interesting link that tried to explain the response. I think to some extent it works for both those who are pro and con. The argument essentially is if you loved George Bush, you will love Sarah Palin; and if you hated what Bush did during his terms, you will see Palin as respresenting more of the same. (Not to say everyone fits into these categories, of course.) I'm excerpting it for people who didn't check out the link:
Quote:
Palin is the most Bushlike of all the Republicans who have emerged as contenders for the national ticket: the smirkiness, the smugness, the regional accent (although Palin's, I assume, is not feigned), the malapropisms, the contempt for media (both the people who cover it and their mediums), the express deference to religious faith, the occasionally undeniably likable moments of joviality and regular guy/gal-ness, the tendency toward self-dealing, the bulldog/barracuda mentality, the comfort in one's own skin (Palin was crippled when she lost hers late in the campaign), the (apparent) preference for isolation in [Wasilla, Crawford], and last but not least, the no-holds-barred, no-apologies conservatism.
And sure, some of this is complicated by the fact that Palin is a woman, and a very attractive woman. Would Palin be resented to the same degree by (some) liberals if she looked like Susan Boyle? Well ... maybe not. But would she have been picked for the national ticket? Well ... maybe not. But this has less to do with Palin herself and more to do with the manner in which she was elevated to the national stage. Liberals believe very deeply in the idea that life ought to be meritocratic. Palin didn't seem to have earned it, especially in comparison to John McCain and Barack Obama and even Joe Biden who had such compelling life stories. To a lot of people (not exclusively liberals; Kay Bailey Hutchison's contempt for Palin was obvious), it felt like another case of the pretty girl getting the promotion.
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This doesn't exactly hit on why I am not a Palin fan, but it's an interesting analysis. For those of you who may want to dismiss it because it's liberal, please keep in mind it is written by a liberal, explaining a liberal mindset, not a liberal trying to explain a conservative mindset.