Palin speaks
As broadcast on CSPAN between 10:00 and 10:15 tonight Eastern time (and the same event is being broadcast now, at about 1 a.m.), Sarah Palin, standing next to McCain, spoke at a rally on Sunday in Missouri. Notwithstanding my own warnings against excessive enthusiasm for her, I have to say that she is extremely impressive, a gifted politician, an American original. When she talks about wanting government that is “free of corruption and self-dealing,” her old-fashioned American idealism makes her sound like a female—and also a more forceful, canny, and confident—version of James Stewart in
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. I don’t think Palin is going to fold or be embarrassed in debates and interviews. She clearly knows how to handle herself.
Also, it must be said that her background and interest in cleaning up government corruption and waste does make her a natural fit with McCain, or at least with McCain as he presents himself. It’s obviously mistaken to say that McCain chose her mainly or solely because she is a woman. He chose her because of her unique talents and qualities.
On two other points: I don’t know why the candidates are acting as though they’re in the business of overseeing the federal hurricane response. George W. Bush is still president, isn’t he?
Second, if McCain really believes in “country first” (which of course he doesn’t, he wants to dissolve America as a historic country), how about getting rid of this absurd business of the last 25 years in which non-American names are used for storms and hurricanes? Why is a hurrican in the United States called “Hurricane Gustav”? How many people in the U.S. are called Gustav? Zero. It just sounds ridiculous. The practice of giving storms foreign names exists for one reason only: it’s a bow to “diversity,” to the idea that we are not supposed to have our own culture.
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Kidist Paulos Asrat writes from Canada:
Notwithstanding the seriousness of politics, Palin’s choice has put a definite spark of enjoyment into the morose world of terrorists, Islam apologists and bizarre messiah-like figures. McCain made a calculated, tactical move. What’s wrong with that? Who said politics doesn’t contain shrewd calculation? It was brilliant.
As for those cynics who ask if she can take on the President’s role (when? When McCain dies in a month from now?!), if everyone were to plan their lives based on their deaths, how much can we get done? Anyone can leave us tomorrow—God forbid—there are many methods for our exits.
When I read the “glass ceiling” comment by Palin, I had a sinking feeling, just like when Africans underline colonization, and blacks (everywhere) jump on “white racism.” I hope it was just a slip on Palin’s part due to the excitement and the vibe still reverberating after Hillary’s rather dismal efforts (at NOT cracking that ceiling).
Also, regarding foreign policy. Isn’t foreign policy based on national interests? Palin obviously has a strong record of sticking up for her home base. She seems to be one of the few who was born, lived in and ran in her own home state. If she can stick up for her own place with such principle, why couldn’t she sit next to Putin et al. and put up a fight? Isn’t that what Putin is doing right now? He may be impressed.
But there are pitfalls for women leaders and their families. Queen Elizabeth I basically (and literally) put a mask over her femininity, Queen Victoria was actually following Prince Albert’s guidance, Catherine the Great abandoned family life, Golda Meir was divorced and Indira Gandhi was separated for many years from her husband. It is a perilous journey, and I hope Sarah Palin knows this. Probably not a realistic choice for the ordinary, or even extraordinary, girl thinking up her future career (and family).
Finally, I do admire her red shoes! Hillary wore an ambiguous orange (a mixture of bold red and cheery yellow) at her big speech at the Democratic National Convention. She should have been blazing in red all along, and probably could have won the nomination.
Terry Morris writes:
You wrote:
“How many people in the U.S. are called Gustav? Zero.”
Give it a little more time. Someday, not in the too distant future, I fear, we’ll have a hurricane named “Jesus.”
Carol Iannone writes:
If McCain stole Obama’s thunder with Palin, Gustav is stealing McCain and Palin’s thunder now.
Alan Roebuck writes:
You said
“How many people in the U.S. are called Gustav?”
How about Confederate general Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard?
LA replies:
But that’s just his middle name …
Alan Roebuck replies:
I thought I had you with Gustav Holst, but he was an Englishman, not an American. The quest continues …
Ken Hechtman writes from Canada:
You wrote:
On two other points: I don’t know why the candidates are acting as though they’re in the business of overseeing the federal hurricane response. George W. Bush is still president, isn’t he?
You want me to spell it out for you? Because if the candidates went and did their partisan rah-rah at the convention without paying lip service to the relief effort we’d crucify them in the press. We wouldn’t just spin that it proves Republicans don’t care about poor black folks in New Orleans. We’d spin it that Republicans don’t care about poor black folks in New Orleans again. It would be all “heckuva job, Brownie!” all the time. [LA replies: Of course, by “we” Mr. Hechtman means the left.]
Second, if McCain really believes in “country first” (which of course he doesn’t, he wants to dissolve America as a historic country), about getting rid of this absurd business of the last 25 years in which non-American names are used for storms and hurricanes? Why is a hurrican in the United States called “Hurricane Gustav”? How many people in the U.S. are called Gustav? Zero. It just sounds ridiculous. The practice of giving storms foreign names exists for one reason only: it’s a bow to “diversity,” to the idea that we are not supposed to have our own culture.
Zero? Zero Americans named Gustav? With three hundred million people and half of “em hyphenated something-Americans, do you really want to bet money on that figure? How “bout Gust Avrakotos? Charlie Wilson’s opposite number in the CIA? Defeated the Evil Empire and won the Cold War? A conservative shouldn’t forget his name …
LA replies:
I’m sure that in the whole U.S. there are people named Gustav. But the point is that it is not an American sounding name. It is distinctly foreign sounding. A hurricane is bearing down on Lousiana called “Gustav.” It just sounds ridiculous. It’s out of place. And that is the very reason that the liberal culture chooses such names. I favor returning to the old system in which hurricanes were given female names (which is in line with the fact that storms have always been referred to as “she,” not “he”) and American names.
Posted by Lawrence Auster at September 01, 2008 01:01 AM | Send