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Sarah Palin is "Al Sharpton, Alaska Edition"
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Mar 14, 2011
Modified Mar 14, 2011
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Mar 14, 2011
Modified Mar 14, 2011
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In today's "Sarah Palin will never win the 2012 nomination" Politico story, blue jeans-hating WaPo columnist George Will refers to Palin's brand of Facebook realpolitik as "a disease," and colleague Charles Krauthammer agrees that "when populism becomes purely anti-intellectual, it can become unhealthy and destructive." But Weekly Standard writer Matt Labash deals the unkindest cut of all in reference to her knee jerk counter attacks to all slights, real and imagined: "She's becoming Al Sharpton, Alaska edition." Labash elaborates:
The appeal of conservatism is supposed to be people taking responsibility for their own actions. But if you close your eyes and listen to Palin and her most irate supporters constantly squawk or bellyache or tweet about how unfair a ride she gets from evil mustache-twirling elites and RINO saboteurs, she sounds like a professional victimologist, the flip side of any lefty grievance group leader….the only difference being, she wears naughty-librarian glasses instead of a James Brown ‘do.
(That, and Palin was never James Brown's tour manager.)
This would be true, except that she certainly isn't the only notable Republican to practice "victimization." Andrew Brietbart came to the rescue of those poor Tea Partiers that were exposed to racism at the hands of Shirley Sharrod and the NAACP. Plus who could forget ACORN? (How'd those turn out again?)
Perhaps more troubling for Ms. Palin's candidacy than her "victimhood" are viewpoints like these, from Heather Mac Donald, who works for conservative think tank The Manhattan Institute:
Asked specifically about Palin's attempt to woo women through her "Mama Grizzlies" appeals, Mac Donald sighed and complained about “the feminist strain” among even conservative females. "A lot of women have it, unfortunately" she said.
Exactly. Better stick to those older white guys who have a penchant for adultery and hilarious tsunami jokes, because get real ladies: nominating a woman is just a "feminist" pipe dream. Unless you all simultaneously withhold sex from us...
Tagged
2012
al sharpton
Blue Jeans
republicans
sarah palin
women
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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