Naomi Wolf
The Palin Charade
Naomi Wolf
New York – The selection of Sarah Palin as John McCain’s running mate hit the United States like an electric storm. To her legions of lipstick-waving fans on the right, Palin is a down-to-earth, God-fearing “hockey mom” whose moose hunting, evangelical faith, and even chaotic family life are all evidence that she is a real, typical American.
To her equally frantic detractors on the left – and increasingly in the center – she is a frightening harbinger of a theocratic America, a mafia-style executrix of state business who lies about the connection of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to Iraq, mocks Barack Obama for his opposition to torturing prisoners, and defies subpoenas. Think of her as George W. Bush II, but in designer pumps.
Both groups are reacting to genuine evidence. Her supporters are responding to a potent set of symbols, and her detractors to an even more potent set of facts.
Palin’s symbolic appeal to a certain group of female voters is important to understand, and we must respect the rage and hunger that it reflects. The subtext of that appeal is class.
Working-class white women in America have had their talents exploited and undervalued for as long as the nation has functioned. While affluent white women, or women of any background who managed to get a high-quality education – America’s Hillary Clintons, Madeline Albrights, and Condoleezza Rices – broke through the glass ceiling, and even have the women’s movement to lionize them, working-class white women have watched their rise with understandable resentment.
Their more affluent peers hire women like them to do the dirty work, or else they have had to deal with stagnant minimum-wage pay in the US labor market’s “pink-collar” or service-industry ghetto. Their ceiling is made of concrete, and it is pitched far lower over their talents and their mobility. Above all, they have been excluded, practically and symbolically, from the country’s political discourse, and are treated regularly with condescension by politicians.
Race, too, is a factor. While reports are surfacing that Palin told a group of African-Americans that she did not have to hire black people, working-class white women often understand their own experience in terms of racial hostility. They perceive an underclass that they believe receives benefits denied to them and a thriving economy in the developing world that siphons off well-paying blue-collar jobs.
So, when Sarah Palin is escorted into the media limelight, she becomes the symbolic revenge fantasy of many of those silenced, exhausted factory workers and secretaries. To see a working-class white woman be picked to serve a heartbeat away from the US president resonates powerfully with them. Think of the appeal of films like Thelma and Louise or Working Girl, in which the leading character is a gutsy, exploited secretary who, trampled by a snooty female Ivy League boss, nonetheless manages to end up with the dream job, the dream guy, and the corner office.
Just about any woman who was not born into privilege, has small children at home, and is not a cannibal or a Satanist would elicit initial roars of approval from women in general, and surely from a group that has been silenced and trivialized for so long. When you’ve been making the coffee forever, it’s nice to imagine leading the free world.
That said, Palin’s sinking approval ratings show that, while such women thrill to symbolic validation, they are not fools. They have begun to notice how Palin is trotted out like a model at an auto show to be introduced to heads of state as if they are local car dealers, and how the media are allowed to take pictures but not ask questions (“That’s me with Henry Kissinger!”). They also notice that the economy is imploding, while Iraq is calming down only because the US is paying insurgents and al-Qaeda sympathizers the equivalent of a monthly car payment per person not to kill its soldiers.
Moreover, as Palin’s political persona takes shape, it looks increasingly alarming. The problem is not just that the McCain campaign has surrounded her with veterans of the Bush-Cheney cabal (Karl Rove’s acolytes and operatives now write her speeches and manage her every move). It’s also that she believes that God set her legislative agenda in Alaska, and that she has failed to venture much beyond the Discovery Channel when it comes to foreign travel.
Meanwhile, the elephant in the room is the fact that dermatologists are confirming that the form of cancer for which McCain has been treated has an actuarial survival rate of two to four years for a person his age. So, as the disturbing prospect of a long Palin presidency starts to set in, she doesn’t look so great to working-class white women anymore.
So, what should this brief Palin bubble teach us?
In becoming the poster girl for a re-branded continuation of the Bush administration, Palin is showing herself to have much in common with glossy faux-populists like Eva Peron or Denmark’s anti-immigrant leader Pia Kjærsgaard. What we should learn – for next time and for every time to come – is that great leaders and great dreams are being overlooked in the women who prepare our food, process our Internet orders, and wipe up the spills in our hospitals.
It is these women’s voices that deserve support – not that of a scary stalking-horse for eight more years (or more) of rule by the thugs who looted America’s treasury, wrecked its economy, and sent 4,000 brave young men and women to die in a war based on lies.
Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2008.
www.project-syndicate.org
good1 08:58 20 Oct 08
Ms Wolf has again proven that " Women are their own worst enemies ". Any one with Ms Palin status will be a credit to her gender.
As for
"not that of a scary stalking-horse for eight more years (or more) of rule by the thugs who looted America’s treasury, wrecked its economy, and sent 4,000 brave young men and women to die in a war based on lies."
Ms wolf should look for the real culprits. Here is the hints to those who are the paragons of Ms Wolf belief.
Why do we not see or hear from Senators like Chuck Shummer or Chris Dodd since the financial meltdown? The two regulars that are the media favorites for endorsing democratic tickets publicly year after year.
Ms Wolf is best know for her literary achievement in describing women sexuality especially her own unabashedly. Has Ms Wolf ran out of explicit material and now branching into another territory that is more lucrative?
If so I wish you success. Please remember describing others is not as straight forward as describing your own personal intimate experiences. Let us leave historians to be the political voyeur.
good1 11:57 21 Oct 08
I am often amazed by how people presume things and will go on those assumptions to conclude or assume even further. Assumptions/presumptions are double edge swords. It hurts both the assumer and the assumed party. If a presumption is inaccurate or loosely worded, then the assumer is at best guilty of hearsay at worst bearing false witness i.e. deceiving, lying. Often the assumed will then have to live under the assumer unproven assumption until those assumptions are proven wrong.
This go against the basic tenant of fairness. The well known adage of " not guilty until proven ".
In the court of criminal justice one is not guilty until proven otherwise. Presumption of guilt may be the initial cause of the persecution/ detention. Ultimately the accused has his or her day in court where beyond a reason of doubt has to be established before condemned.
Often writer will write or express their opinions based on assumptions that are consistent with their bias view. The assumption upon which these author further assumed on are themselves inaccurate or quote out of context.
Therefore it is very important that when an article is to be published there should be a source that commend critically on the accuracy of these writers. Especially the ones that claim to be an expert in the field that he/she is commenting on. These so called expert usually are academicians, politicians, preachers and media out lets.
Average citizen in USA follow sound bite. Often these are 3rd to 4th generation assumptions that are hard to verified let alone looked up. The catchier the sound bite the more appeal it will have. Give one something to remember without questioning. This is also the essence of propaganda. An element of the brain washing concept.
Lack of having a body that will comment critically on myriad of articles that are published, what can readers do to get to the real truth?
As always keeping some simple rules in mind as one read will quickly make one realize whether the an article that is truthful. There are only two rules.
1) Trust but verify: If the author is trustworthy he or she will produce verifiable source from which the assumptions are taken.
2) Bias: Does the Author admit to his/her bias and painstakingly try to prove the point being made are not self serving.
If the above two rules are applied to any articles one will quickly realize the true validity and value of each and every articles
In order to effectively apply the rules one must be able to see all the assumptions that are made. Usually the main one can be found within the main heading of that particular article.
As for the bias nature of the author, look for the past articles and endorsement. This can be usually done through "googling".
Take the example of this article written by an author whose credentials are presumed impeccable.
The article has the following headings:
The Palin Charade
These are the Assumptions made. Please correct me if I am too presumptuous on these assumptions
1) Ms Palin represent "the symbolic revenge fantasy of many of those silenced, exhausted factory workers and secretaries".
2)These assumed supporters currently are having second thought
3) US Economy is Imploding
4) US is buying off Iraqi insurgent and Al-Qaeda sympathizer
5) It is something bad for Ms Palin to believe that GOD set her legislative agenda in Alaska and learning about places from Discovery Channel is wanting.
6) Ms Palin represent continuation of " Bush " policy. She reminds Ms Wolf of Eva Peron and Denmark leader Pia kjaersgaard.
7) McCain can croak during his tenure. If he died right after inauguration then
8) Disturbing prospect of Ms Palin taking over for 4 years. Or even 8 years !
9) Thugs who looted American treasury are Ms Palin's patrons
10) The same people wreck US economy
11)The same people sent 4000 brave young men and women to die in a war
12)The war is based on lies.
Applying the second rule to evaluate an article for what it's worth.
1)No where in this articles has the author Ms Wolf reveal that she is strongly bias against anything republicans.
2)No painstaking effort to make it sound that her view is reasonable.
Let us take two most important assumptions Ms Wolf is basing her message on. The rest I believe are just icing or detractions.
This grand assumptions that Ms Palin is somewhat not qualified to be a potential President of USA.
No real proof given except innuendoes of racism, "did not travel to a foreign country", looking like a model in lime light, Bush's stooge etc.
The second assumption is McCain can croak due to his history of Melanoma.
Again no real proof.
One can easily google those two questions as well as MS Wolf and find out that
1) Ms Wolf is rabidly anti-Bush, anything Republicans, if not America. She has condemned USA everywhere she went. There are video, audio and published proves out there. Even in this forum " Dear world-- ".
2) Ms Palin is associated with notably this credential there are others.
"Question: What is America 's first line of missile interceptor defense that protects the entire United States?
Answer: 49th Missile Defense Battalion of Alaska National Guard.
Question: What is the ONLY National Guard unit on permanent active duty?
Answer: 49th Missile Defense Battalion of Alaska National Guard
Question: Who is the Commander in Chief of the 49th Missile Defense Battalion of Alaska National Guard?
Answer: Governor Sarah Palin, Alaska
Question: What U.S. governor is routinely briefed on highly classified military issues, homeland security, and counter terrorism?
Answer: Governor Sarah Palin, Alaska
Question: What U.S. governor has a higher classified security rating than either candidate of the Democrat Party?
Answer: Governor Sarah Palin, Alaska
According to the Washington Post, she first met with McCain in February, but nobody ever found out. This is a woman used to keeping secrets. She can be entrusted with our national security, because she already is."
3) As for McCain potential for croaking by any means I will let you find out yourself.
I hope you folks from now on learn to read any articles and value them for what they are worth applying these two simple rules
1) Trust but verify: If the author is trustworthy he or she will produce verifiable source from which the assumptions are taken.
2) Bias: Does the Author admit to his/her bias and painstakingly try to prove the point being made are not self serving.
nribeiro 02:56 10 Oct 08
Yet another winner from Ms. Wolf.