Sarah Palin highlights the Democrats cultural complacency
Clive Crook writes an interesting post on some of the cultural contradictions in American society, a number of which have come to the fore with the nomination of Sarah Palin.
Mr Crook notes:-
Democrats speak up for the less prosperous; they have well-intentioned policies to help them; they are disturbed by inequality, and want to do something about it. Their concern is real and admirable. The trouble is, they lack respect for the objects of their solicitude. Their sympathy comes mixed with disdain, and even contempt.
He then discusses the implications of this and concludes:-
The attitude that expressed itself in response to the Palin nomination is the best weapon in the Republican armoury. Rely on the Democrats to keep it primed. You just have to laugh.
The Palin nomination could still misfire for Mr McCain, but the liberal reaction has made it a huge success so far. To avoid endlessly repeating this mistake, Democrats need to learn some respect.
It will be hard. They will have to develop some regard for the values that the middle of the country expresses when it votes Republican. Religion. Unembarrassed flag-waving patriotism. Freedom to succeed or fail through one’s own efforts. Refusal to be pitied, bossed around or talked down to. And all those other laughable redneck notions that made the United States what it is.
The problem in essence is that the Democrat Party establishment belive they know what is good for everybody and cannot understand it when people take a different view.
The following extract probably epitomises the problem:-
If only the Democrats could contain their sense of entitlement to govern in a rational world, and their consequent distaste for wide swathes of the US electorate, they might gain the unshakeable grip on power they feel they deserve. Winning elections would certainly be easier – and Republicans would have to address themselves more seriously to economic insecurity. But the fathomless cultural complacency of the metropolitan liberal rules this out
Fixed that for you.
Unless you’re Muslim, or your “religion” (your belief about the way the world works) is science.
Because Republicans love their country, except when it comes time to pay for its upkeep. Or do anything at all for the greater good that might result in a short-term reduction in an individual’s wealth or power.
In other words, not being allowed to take advantage of wealth passed down in one’s family? After all, you didn’t earn your inheritance, therefore you don’t deserve it.
From the party that brought you promotion of charity (aka “organized pity”) over government services, internet and media censorship, and the ten commandments in schools.
Thanks, but I’ll pass.
Something I haven’t seen mentioned.. she isn’t Cheney, with all the baggage of decades of big business, or Biden, with all the baggage of decades of big govt. Both sides can appreciate that for different reasons and all the petty corruptions she might have attained in a decade are small beer compared to those other two.
By all means examine her record and find the things wrong, but they are unlikely to amount to much, indeed, McCain might have pulled her at her best before she became ordinary and part of the establishment.
JC
Gee, another example of cultural complacency. I suggest you go see that rancher and tell him he didn’t do it himself. The Democrats have no one but themselves to blame when they lose this election because of their imagined intellectual superiority.
I have one major problem with this premise. This is a wide and sweeping view, based on recent research into the world’s history and economy since World War II. In a nutshell, the U.S. has been economically isolated from the ills of the two world wars and after effects. Our economy has been artificially stoked by the rest of the world being knocked down two rungs. The U.S. has been basically able to do what it wants internally with little regard for the rest of the world — we act, it reacts.
But the world is drastically changing. The rest of its people are catching up and some have caught up. The Chinese are designing chips for American technology companies who make hardware, not for our market but for the Asian market. And that’s a fact reflected in many other industries. We can wave all the flags we want, forbid all the gay marriages, stop all the abortions, drill all the oil. How will we address the fact — it is a fact — that the economic advantage of importing products made with cheaper labor is pretty much over? For that is the advantage two world wars gave us. What do we have for our next act?
Let’s be honest, the rancher out west who “did it himself” hardly did it himself. When steel was dirt cheap, rubber was dirt cheap, implements, tools, land, etc. Where are the entrepreneurs today? The U.S. still has them. At one time, there were more venture capital dollars in the U.S. than in the rest of the world. Now, the U.S. is merely number one. Asia (China, Taiwan, Malaysia, etc) dwarfs us. Republicans, for as disrespected as they may be, have their heads in the sand.
So, great. Crook is right. It sucks.
Republicans remind me of sports fans who follow a team that really isn’t as good as the fans think it is. They hem and haw and rationalize how their team ought to be undefeated and how every player on the team is the best in the league at their position. They go on sports blogs and trash talk and spew insults and denigrate the players on other teams. None of it makes any difference. Their team still loses in the first round of the playoffs.