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.
|
Yes, THIS is why I didn't care for her. It had nothing to do with "hating" her (I don't hate her, I wouldn't wish her anything but well on a personal level). It's the lack of intellectual curiosity, the lack of gravitas, the deference to fundamentalist Christianity, and the look-I'm-just-a-regular-gal-and-a-hockey-mom schtick, which represents pretty much everything I *don't* want in my elected leaders.
Quote:
|
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.
|
That is precisely the point. She is a very attractive woman and it's so evident that the pick was motivated by "hmmm ... if I put a woman on the ticket, it'll attract women who were disappointed that Hillary didn't get the nod, because you know women ... they just want to vote for women, not policies. Let's tout her hockey-mom-ness and they'll just think she's the PTA mom writ large and vote for us."
It wasn't based on gravitas or experience -- and there were plenty of Republicans, including Repub women -- who had such experience.
It's not so much resenting the "pretty girl got the promotion" -- it's being disgusted by the types of people who make their VPOTUS pick based on contempt for the American people as being so stupid that they'll follow a pretty girl anywhere. As opposed to making a VPOTUS pick of someone who would be a viable POTUS if needed.