Friday, August 20, 2010
Rhymes With Trigger
The best thing about Sarah Palin is that, as time unfolds, she manages to say and do things that slowly but surely invalidate her as a credible GOP presidential nominee in 2012. Which means that Democrats and the media can find someone else to obsess over in the next couple of years -- and Republicans can start looking at the serious '12 contenders.
Palin's latest absurdity? Ticking off the few black Republicans there are out there by rushing to Dr. Laura Schlessinger "defense" after radio host announced she was quitting her talk-show host following an outburst of the "N-word" in a conversation with a caller. "Don't retreat...reload" the former governor urged Dr. Laura. "Reload" what? Put more N-bullets in her barrel?
Tim Johnson of the Frederick Douglass Foundation was not amused:
Now, as Keli Goff points out in The Huffington Post, Schlessinger's actual show was beneficial in highlighting the absurdity behind N-word usage -- and why there should be more of a an intra-black community movement to eliminate it.
But, of course, Sarah Palin doesn't do nuance. She is essentially the mirror image of the liberal monsters that she seeks to slay. She plays the identity politics as well (which is to say, as horriblly) as her critics. Hence, her big creation/support of "Mama Grizzlies." She rushes to Dr. Laura's side, because she sees the media beating up another woman -- even though that woman was part of the media that was bashing her parenting skills back in '08.
But logic and consistency don't really matter to Sarah Palin -- a fact that a majority of Republicans will realize well before 2012.
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Palin's latest absurdity? Ticking off the few black Republicans there are out there by rushing to Dr. Laura Schlessinger "defense" after radio host announced she was quitting her talk-show host following an outburst of the "N-word" in a conversation with a caller. "Don't retreat...reload" the former governor urged Dr. Laura. "Reload" what? Put more N-bullets in her barrel?
Tim Johnson of the Frederick Douglass Foundation was not amused:
“If she chooses to run for president in 2012, she is going to have to answer to black Republicans,” Johnson says of Palin.
He says he is particularly concerned that Palin’s support of Schlessinger will only further the perception that the Tea Party is racist.
“It doesn’t help the cause,” he says.
“This is an unwise endorsement,” Johnson says. “It wasn’t appropriate. Just because you have the First Amendment right doesn’t give you the right to hurt somebody.”Wow. You mean, just because the First Amendment gives individuals certain rights, it doesn't relieve them of the responsibility to try to act right? You'd almost think that Palin understood that -- given her comments on a certain other volatile First-Amendment-related issue. Now, in terms of a reality check, Palin -- or any GOP contender -- having "to answer to black Republicans" is a bit amusing. Not exactly a major swing constituency among Republicans. However, Johnson's point about the problems that this episode brings up vis a vis perceptions that the Tea Party/GOP allows racist sentiments is a completely reasonable one. It's not exactly the first time that accusation has been made.
Now, as Keli Goff points out in The Huffington Post, Schlessinger's actual show was beneficial in highlighting the absurdity behind N-word usage -- and why there should be more of a an intra-black community movement to eliminate it.
But, of course, Sarah Palin doesn't do nuance. She is essentially the mirror image of the liberal monsters that she seeks to slay. She plays the identity politics as well (which is to say, as horriblly) as her critics. Hence, her big creation/support of "Mama Grizzlies." She rushes to Dr. Laura's side, because she sees the media beating up another woman -- even though that woman was part of the media that was bashing her parenting skills back in '08.
But logic and consistency don't really matter to Sarah Palin -- a fact that a majority of Republicans will realize well before 2012.
Labels: Dr. Laura Schlessinger, sarah palin
