Palin-tology (Unearthing What She Means)

[Joanne98]

As much as the Obama phenomenon exposed a fault line in the American body politic, with Obama struggling to heal this divide, its opposite, the Palin phenomenon, confounded these efforts, working instead to deepen the rift. These days, the gap is wide, with the two sides looking across the chasm incredulously, appearing, at times, to speak different languages.

This election could have been different - but a change in McCain's strategic approach to the campaign, and the addition of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to the ticket, has altered the dynamic of the contest. In the week that followed the Republican convention, many sat in awe as swelling crowds screamed in delight as Palin, the self-proclaimed hockey-mom, repeated her well-rehearsed and tele-prompted lines.

Republicans once worried about the ability of their standard bearer, a maverick and aged war hero, to galvanize the party's base and expand its appeal into the broader white working class. McCain had appeal, to be sure, but generated no excitement. Now, with Palin at his side, the anemic Republican campaign seems revitalized. But why?

Only paid party operatives were bold enough to look straight-faced into TV cameras and, in an effort to explain Palin, mouth talking points like: "she is experienced as an executive" (boasting of her two years as mayor of a town of 7,000 and less than 20 months as Governor of one of the U.S.'s least populous states); "she is a proven reformer" (in the face of growing evidence of earmark abuse, petty corruption and a bit of nepotism to boot); "she has foreign policy experience" (noting that Alaska sits across the Bering Straits from the most desolate parts of Russia); or, finally, "she is a proponent of family values."

One can argue all of these matters, but none is sufficient. The explanation behind the emotional outpouring generated by Palin lies elsewhere. In part, like its mirror image in the Obama phenomenon, it is evidence of the profound alienation that has gripped the electorate, but with a difference.

Americans, today, feel adrift in a world seemingly out of control. Cultural, social and economic transformations are exacting a weighty toll. Obama understood the resultant angst, and inspired hope. He created silence in his crowds, urging them to think and act, and to empower themselves to become the agents of change. Confronting the same angst, McCain and Palin affirm the rightness of what people already believe and dismiss those who question these beliefs as "out of touch."

Obama challenges America to ask questions and assume personal responsibility. Palin, much like McCain, preaches certainty. And while Obama speaks to "the angels of our better selves," Palin uses sarcasm and anger at "them" - the "elites" and others who have abandoned "us" and threatened "our" way of life.

Continued>>
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-zogby/palin-tology-unearthing-w_b_126037.html