Monday 13 September 2010

Anti-Palinism

I'm consistently amazed by the visceral hatred of people all over the political spectrum for Sarah Palin. The latest diatribe to catch my eye is this hysterical offering from The Keepers of the One True Libertarianism.

I'm not going to get into a bitch fight about that post in particular, but it is symptomatic of the kind of mindless rage that seems to grip people whenever they talk about Palin. The Appalling Strangeness also has regular goes at her.

And I have to say: I really wonder why?

I frequently read that she's stupid. Compared to what? The towering intellect of Gordon Brown? The legendary insight of Nick Clegg?

And she's warlike. Compared to ... the peace loving Tony Blair? Bill Clinton, who actually started more wars than George Bush?

She has crazy ideas about economics. Hah. Please, compared to which fucker exactly?

No, as far as I can see, Palin is no dumber, no more warlike, no more anything than any other fucking politician. She's just more overt, more honest about what she is.

So ... why the hatred?

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gynophobia coming from that quarter.

She is better known than them - 'tis sufficient.

Anonymous said...

She is brighter than you.

Bayard said...

"So ... why the hatred? She's just more overt, more honest about what she is."

Seems a good enough answer to me. And what Anna said about sexism.

danieloprey said...

Really? The man who hates the bumbling incompetence of politicians hates the most bumbling, incompetent former/prospective politician of them all?

Bit surprised by this. She says nothing at all of substance, purely relies entirely on cheap monikers and 'common sense' of the ignorant.

She's completely co-opted Ron Paul's movement, changing it from a libertarian rally to a rebranded GOP. She's nothing more than a big government Republican, and one without any coherent plan at that.

Opportunist, serve serving, celebrity cunt.

danieloprey said...

*wonders who people hate the most...

Jill said...

I find her dreadful. But I am also with Anna. The vitriol is because she's a woman who talks violence. It's a penis-shrinker, and penises don't like it.

danieloprey said...

Glenn Beck is taken the piss out of pretty much as much as Palin, he's not got a vagina (to my knowledge, although he's never denied it).

He's not running for public office (as she likely will), the amount of ridicule she receives is proportionate to her dangerous ignorance, not inversely proportional to the size of her genitals.

Jeez, and people only hate Obama more than other politicians because he's black.

Jill said...

"people only hate Obama more than other politicians because he's black"

Nobody does that? Nobody at all?

Obo's asking why the particularly visceral reaction. And that she's a woman is most certainly a factor.

danieloprey said...

Yes, some people do, but the vast majority hate him because they see him as a massively expanding the government, just as they hate FDR and Carter (but are usually hypocritical when it's their guy doing it, I digress).

Bush was given exactly the same treatment, pre-911. She comes across as even more of an idiot than Bush, failing even to name a single newspaper she reads in a televised interview. She's been caught lying about tonnes of things, no matter how small.

danieloprey said...

Playing the vagina card is pathetic. Hillary Clinton doesn't get anywhere near the same level of abuse. Why? Is it because she's wear a pant-suit, or is it because she's not a complete and utter fucking moron who says dumb shit like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrzXLYA_e6E

Jill said...

"Hillary Clinton doesn't get anywhere near the same level of abuse."

Well, the eyes/teeth mock-up was pretty vicious - and didn't it get hacked all over Google?! It did better than Palin and the rifle/penis spoof, anyway. On a serious note, Hillary plays the political game and uses the political language. Mutilation becomes collateral damage, etc. Whereas Palin just sounds like an abortionist-shooter - gung ho and blood and guts. Women aren't supposed to talk like that.

The Nameless Libertarian said...
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The Nameless Libertarian said...
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The Nameless Libertarian said...
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The Nameless Libertarian said...

I don't know whether I hate Sarah Palin, although she does my head in to a massive extent and I think the concept of President Palin pretty terrifying.

The reasons have nothing to do with her gender; that's an irrelevance to me (and many others who don't like her, I rather suspect). What worries me about her is her almost gleeful embracing of ignorance. She never, ever comes across as someone who is curious about the world around her, instead preferring to deal with iron-clad certainties she's got from the Bible and her limited, insular upbringing. Everything about her presentation screams "I'm like the ordinary folk!" Of course, she isn't (how many ordinary Americans can quit their job on a whim as Palin did as Governor of Alaska?) but even if she was, why is being ordinary such a virtue when you're vying for high office? Surely being more than ordinary would be better.

She reminds me of George W Bush and if she got into the White House then I think she would govern in a very similar way. We're still recovering from the Bush years - why the hell would anyone want someone like him back in power?

But I don't think there is any real danger of that happening - I don't think Palin is electable. Which is the final reason why I don't rate Palin. While I won't adopt the blind hatred of Obama that others seem comfortable with, I know there's much that he's done that should be opposed. And in order to do so the Republicans need a credible figurehead. Palin is not that. Her winking detate style, her incoherence in interviews and the various hints at scandal and corruption in her past means that any candidacy for President will fail. I mean, at the least Presidential election she made Joe Biden (Neil Kinnock plagiarist, for fuck's sake) look credible, and if the is the GOP nominee for President in 2012, she will make Obama look credible as well, and potentially give Obama a landslide.

In summary, therefore, I think she's an ignorant Christian fundamentalist who encapsulates perfectly the idiotic current trend for politicians to be celebrities. If Cameron is the heir to Blair, then Palin is the heir to Bush - and that is not a good thing to be.

TNL

The Nameless Libertarian said...

And a big thank-you to my computer for making that comment publish not once, not twice, but four fucking times.

TNL

BigGibb said...

I think Louis C.K. put it best http://bit.ly/9PaEPF

Steve Tierney said...

Sarah Palin says some stupid things - but so do most of us on occasion. Since one person's "stupid" is another person's wisdom this is all a matter of perspective.

The main reason for people's intense dislike is that she does actual SAY things.

Most politicians are very careful about what they say - you'll rarely get open, honest views without preamble, get out clauses and prepared neutrality.

The public claim they want openness and honesty from politicians - but when they get it the reverse appears to be true.

Whether Sarah Palin's crazy tendency to actually say what she believes stems from lack of intellect or an excess of plain-speaking is neither here nor there.

Idle Pen Pusher said...

I lost one of my miniscule band of followers hours after this post about Palin's sensible comment on the book burning. I don't get why people are so rabidly against her, either.

Anonymous said...

Idle Pen Pusher,
I have a rabid right wing religious fanatic surplus to requirements if you need a replacement.....happy to see him go to a good home.

Fascist Hippy said...

Sarah Palin has mischief in her eyes, I find that very sexy.

S. Weasel said...

Palin and Glenn Beck both -- ordinary punters continue to like them even after the elite declared them both off-limits. Can't have that.

Plus, Palin gives off a cheery mom-and-apple-pie vibe that's like kryptonite to the Cool People.

Totally the way I remember them going after Reagan.

Ir'Rational said...

FWIW

I think it's quite simple. The elites in the US uniformly call themselves 'liberal' - i.e. by UK standards they are left-wing (OK, maybe soft=Islington-left, but left nonetheless). They uniformly denigrate anyone populist or even mildly right-wing as 'stoopid'. See the treatment of Nixon (granted, not a nice fella but he did end the Vietnam War [started by that 'liberal' icon JFK and escalated by that architect of the 'liberal' Great Society LBJ], Reagan, both Bushes(41+43), anyone who appears on Fox (esp. Beck), TEA Party activists etc.
They feel superior, therefore must be superior.

Anonymous said...

All that and she's a damn sight more attractive than any of our politicians as well :) I could stare at her tits all day quite happily.

Anonymous said...

because few of us are ever going to bang her, or anything close. and the fact she is as nutty as a double nut not bar.

Anonymous said...

"Bang" Sarah Palin, what a delightful vision that rings to mind :)

Anonymous said...

Sorry just not having this, she is plain stupid. Nothing to do with her sex. Its not a sex issue, its a mental capacity issue. Using the mysoginism card is bollocks She is ill informed and lacks the intellectual depth to even bluff her way through the most basic of questions. Its a fair guage of a persons ability if they can at least sound credible no matter what is thrown at them.It may be nice and anti consensual to stick up for her but look at the facts. Watch her terrified eyes as she faces a basic question she cant answer. Normally this would be a shame but she is being touted for possibly the worlds most important position for fucks sake.

John Demetriou said...

you really are a total fucking cunt, aren't you cuntoon?

Fuck you.

Trooper Thompson said...

She's a fraud. She's Obama for the right-wing, and, as has been said above, she's being used to neutralise the Tea Party, which was originally libertarian and against the establishment, both Democrat and Republican, because they're the same once they get to Washington.

The fact that she's decent looking and can fire a gun is all for the good, but that's it. There's nothing more there.

Anonymous said...

Re: Glen Beck He's not running for public office

YET!

He's another crazy Mormon so he might do a Romney.