Tuesday, September 16, 2008

The Palin Obsession Continues

I seem unable to stop writing about Sarah Palin. What is wrong with me?

My Smile Politely column for this week is available here, and compares George Bush with Sarah Palin in one specific way: Their knack for being able to create reality, rather than having to live within the strict confines of those pesky facts.

11 comments:

PGregory Springer said...

PERFORMANCE PIECE IN MEMORY OF DAVID FOSTER WALLACE

I am filming the demolition of the garage. I am dedicating this performance/incantation/exorcism to the collapse of the Sarah Palin phenomenon. For the next three days, please send your attention to this effort. On the third day, this coming Thursday, a time span coincidental with the death and rebirth of Jesus, I will set up a video cam so that the effort and final conclusion can be watched live.

pgregoryspringer.com

Dan S said...

That would be excellent - a three day collapse of the Palin phenomenon.

Keep me posted on that video...

Anonymous said...

I'm really beginning to wonder what good preaching to choir does. I mean, you write a "liberal" blog, and for a "liberal" web mag, for "liberals" and most likely by "liberals".

Other than your one occasional self-identified conservative (r.s.) reader (who I'm getting the feeling is remaining unconvinced by your persuasive, if not convincing, arguments), what effect are you having, or rather, what effect are you meaning to have, by doing this?

I am really curious all of a sudden, because while reading your latest piece, it struck me...while I am not a conservative, I understand conservatives (somewhat) or I can identify with their point of view (somewhat). I don't see that characteristic in your writing (it alienates the conservative rather than appeals to their reason). And I believe that if you really want to make a difference in this world, with all your writing, it may increase your effectiveness if you don't talk (write) exactly how conservatives expect you to. Persuasive writing should be aimed at those you wish to persuade, not those who already agree with you.

One way you might actually change the world: You should get sneakier. For example: Pretend you're a conservative, but "corrupt" their ideology with liberal views, all the time nodding your head, "yes, yes, those liberals suck...therefore we should {you name it)" Apply to a conservative web mag (under a psuedonym of course, you've already destroyed your credentials with your actual name) and see if you can do it.

Just an idea.

Dan S said...

I don't know. I think for far too long, liberals have changed how they talk to accomodate conservatives, and all it has done is weakened liberalism and strengthened conservatism, the end result of which is more concentration of power and wealth in the world, and hence, more suffering.

Besides, the point of my article is that conservatives don't seem to care about simple facts anymore. So, I guess I don't mind not reaching conservatives if they are going to be so impervious to facts and logical argument. I just hope there are still fair minded people out there who still care about basic honesty.

Robert Sievers said...

It's funny you say this. All of the conservatives I was discussing issues with the other day asked the same qustion. Why don't liberals care about facts anymore?

PGregory Springer said...

I am eager to read William Kristol or other conservatives to see how they explain their free-market, deregulation religion that, since Reagan's stupid trickle-down voodoo economics at least, has done nothing but consistently fail, fail, fail.

I'm sure they will find a way to blame liberals.

How much better it would have been to have socialized our health care system than to witness this current bail out of the rich. We have socialized Wall Street billionaires, but can't get water to hurricane victims because it's "too much government."

Dan S said...

Bob, are the "facts" they are complaining about similiar to the Biden complaint you had the other thread?

The problem may be an inability to distinguish fact from propaganda.

Anonymous said...

One side's fact is just another side's propaganda.

Robert Sievers said...

I am in now way for this bailout. If these banks made bad loans, then let them suffer the consequences. Why should you pay for for the recklessly and governmentally run Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac? Why should we be responsable to clean up the democratic congresses oversight of these two beheamoths, all the while funneling money to grafters like Chris Dodd and Barak Hussian Obama.

Republicans have lost their way on this one, as well.

PGregory Springer said...

Look out. Robert is trolling to flame again.

It's all the Republican's fault, Robert. We've already established that.

Republicans are all too happy to socialize the debt of bankers. Republicans are all about their own money. Always have been.

PGregory Springer said...

I have to post this incidental paragraph from Nicholas Kristof's column today:

"Just imagine for a moment if it were the black candidate in this election, rather than the white candidate, who was born in Central America, was an indifferent churchgoer, had graduated near the bottom of his university class, had dumped his first wife, had regularly displayed an explosive and profane temper, and had referred to the Pakistani-Iraqi border ..."