A couple of months ago I posted an article which listed many leading Jewish intellectuals that support Sarah Palin for President. In this article David Solway adds his name to the list. T. Belman
There is probably no one more qualified for the White House than Sarah Palin. But is she electable?
by David Solway,PAJAMAS MEDIA
Sarah Palin continues to galvanize the imagination of both her ardent supporters and her hectoring adversaries. It is easy to understand her appeal to those who have rallied behind her and her possible candidacy for the office of president of the United States. She has a lot going for her: charm, personableness, natural smarts, moral probity, executive competence, independence of character, and a passionate love of country. These are undeniable advantages, or should be in any sane political environment.
At the same time, she steps up to the plate with two strikes against her — or, in an alternative baseball universe, with three, four, or five strikes already logged in the umpire’s clicker. PDS (Palin Derangement Syndrome) flourishes on the liberal-left, to the extent that a correspondent to Salon.com suggests “we get rid of Palin” by having her electrocuted like one of Michael Vick’s dogs. According to the media scuttlebutt and her innumerable liberal detractors, she is poorly educated, brings no foreign policy experience to the job, shoots her own dinner, comes across as politically unnuanced, and, perhaps the most cutting strike against her, lacks gravitas. These negatives are obviously serious disadvantages for anyone contemplating a run for the presidency, but are they valid criticisms? Is she really “out” before she even takes a swing? Let’s consider each of these knocks against her in turn.
To begin with, Palin is by no means poorly educated; she merely did not graduate with a degree from an Ivy League institution, which by any reasonable account in today’s academic milieu should stand decidedly in her favor. Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Columbia, Berkeley and other so-called elite universities charge prohibitive tuition fees while, for the most part, delivering second-rate curricular fare. They represent the kiss of intellectual death — unless, of course, one wishes to enter the service of the State Department or practice trial or immigration law. Palin did well to avoid these bastions of mainly liberal-left political correctness.
As for the absence of foreign policy experience, David Jenkins reminds us in an article for PJM that, with the exception of the elder Bush (who, incidentally, was no presidential cynosure), “it is not common for presidents to enter office with foreign policy experience.” In this respect, Palin is no different from the vast majority of her predecessors and certainly not from the present incumbent. What is needed in this domain is precisely what Palin would bring to the highest office in the land: insight and principle. As Jenkins writes, “she knows that America must be strong in order to be safe, and…that we must develop our own resources and end our dependence on foreign oil.” Palin also knows that an American president does not bow and apologize to foreign despots and does not alienate loyal and tested allies, but comports himself or herself with dignity and courage.
Nor is there anything wrong with shooting one’s own dinner, especially when one considers that liberal urbanites are perfectly OK with having other people shoot their dinner for them. Unless they are dedicated vegans, their hypocrisy is indigestible, and even vegans would surely vote for a meat-eating Democrat. Being handy with a shotgun and knowing how to skin a caribou is plainly not the real issue here. The implication is that Palin is some sort of primitive rustic rather than a credentialed cosmopolite. But the truth is that frowning on Palin’s wilderness skills is nothing but class snobbery on the part of those who would be utterly lost were they stripped of the “civilized” amenities they thoughtlessly take for granted. It is their mincing pretentiousness and fashionable outrage, not Palin’s honest hardiness, that is deplorable.
Further, Palin is by no means politically unnuanced. Quite the contrary, she is as politically savvy as they come, whether on the domestic or international front. Her speeches during the recent congressional elections were not only unteleprompted barnburners in the best populist tradition, but revealed a meticulous command of the domestic issues currently bedeviling the nation as well as a finely nuanced understanding of America’s pancreatic failures in international diplomacy. She displays a far more realistic perspective on the Middle East and has far more accurately taken the measure of America’s geopolitical competitors, particularly Russia and China, than anyone in the Democratic administration.
Palin does not believe in tax and spend, in fiat printing, in redistributive economics, in ObamaCare, in the AGW nonsense that is only an opaque wealth transfer scheme, in making purses out of sows’ ears (aka pork and earmarks), in pressing reset buttons, in blaming Israel for the Palestinians, or in a degrading and unproductive “outreach” to the Islamic umma. These are policies she would reverse, as indeed would anyone with a nuanced understanding of the economic and political worlds. There is little doubt that Palin would be a strong, resolute, and effective president should she ever accede to the White House. Unlike Obama, she would not try to square the Oval.
Finally, if Palin lacks gravitas, then so do many others on the current political scene. Barack Obama, for example, not only lacks gravitas, he exhibits the moral and intellectual substance of a will o’ the wisp. This is not to take anything away from his golf game, but in political life he is always badly in need of a mulligan. Joe Biden is a figure straight out of vaudeville who can be dependably counted on to drop the cane he is trying to twirl — though, it must be admitted, he would look great in a straw boater. Hillary Clinton is, frankly, a wizened party hack and, like her husband, an adroit shape-shifter: one cannot trust a word she utters. No gravitas to be found amidst this crew.
[Solway goes on to eviscerate her competitors for the nomination and then continues.]
But is Palin electable? The next two years will determine whether she will be able to counter the slanderous media campaign against her candidacy and her competence, and so convince enough people that she has the right stuff to lead the country in perhaps its most perilous historical moment since the Civil War. Clearly, she suffers more than her share of antagonists among the megabuck left and their myriad satellites, Ivy League academics, mainstream journalists, public intellectuals, union impresarios and henchmen, and the entitlement-addicted segment of the public. They are terrified of her. She even has the panjandrums in the Republican old guard shaking in their Guccis.
As Victor Volsky writes in American Thinker, “in the eyes of the political/cultural aristocracy, [Palin] is the embodiment of its worst nightmare: the revolt of the masses against their masters.” And she knows that the master class will mobilize its considerable reserves against her. The question is whether, by sheer force of character, will, and charisma, like an American version of Delacroix’s Marianne leading the charge at the electoral barricades, and by pursuing a tireless itinerary, she can prevail against overwhelming odds and bring to the American people authentic change and genuine hope for the future.
David Solway is a Canadian poet and essayist. He is the author of The Big Lie: On Terror, Antisemitism, and Identity, and is currently working on a sequel, Living in the Valley of Shmoon. His new book on Jewish and Israeli themes, Hear, O Israel!, has just been released by Mantua Books.
You may be correct. It will take quite a long time to obliterate the taste of the last Republican regime (Bush/Cheney) before another Repub government is elected.
It is all a matter of survival. Nations like people are not naturally suicidal
Obama re-election:
Pajamas Media had a very sobering analysis of the chances of electing a Republican to replace Obama in 2012. Because of the way the American government is set up, a big Republican majority in the House does not really favor the winner of the Presidential election. That is determined in a totally different manner. It is decided in the Electoral College. There each state chooses one candidate only (no split vote), and that candidate gets all that state’s votes, the number of which is based on the state’s population.
So, a Democrat always will get the all the votes from the the largest state (California) and the third largest state (New York). A blue (Democratic) state is defined as one where the coaliton of white liberals, blacks, and latinos forms a majority. With changing demographics, the electoral votes of the blue states are rapidly approaching the point where no Republican will ever be elected President again.
Too bad they can’t vote in American elections
Democrats helped McCain win the primaries because they wanted him over Romney. It worked! They were right. Now they want Palin because she is the weakest of the known potential R candidates.
Anyway she shot and killed Bambi’s father. She has lost already all the serious animal lovers.
Ted (and Maurice): What more can I add? Except this: Why else would the MSM be so completely hysterical unless they are afraid, very afraid, that she might be what the country has needed for the last 20 years – another Reagan.
I completely agree with Ted that she would make a wonderful and excellent leader. I don’t think she is electable. Unfortunately, both the slander tactics of the Left AND the continued less-brazen-but-no-less-damaging ones of the Republican Establishment (as others above have noted) have worked on Palin’s reputation. I know friends and relatives both, who despise Obama and the Dems, but still repeat the same canards about Palin the Obama and Clinton machines brought up against her in the 2008 campaign. And are just as quick to repeat the slightest stupid rumor about her even now. These are people that I consider to have some active brain cells, but somehow have been made “stupid” when it comes to anything Palin, even when I have sent over FACTS and YouTube videos that support the facts.
It doesn’t matter if I understand how people could be so easily duped. It has happened, and unless she runs an extremely smart campaign, she cannot win the nomination. That saddens me, as the more I read about her and the more I read HER words, the more I’m thrilled by her.
She has been one of, if not THE strongest candidate or potential candidate vis-a-vis Israel. That’s not something new, but was apparent from the very start. But, dumb Jews, and yes, I’m Jewish, and yes, we’re DUMB politically anymore, chose to bestow our dislike on her and give our love and votes to a man who hates America, has fostered Islam (the latest outrage was his lie about how Muslims and Christians were BOTH the victims of the suicide bomber that killed so many Coptic Christians, and targeted ONLY Christians, coming out of Mass a few minutes after the beginning of 2011 in Alexandria. UNREAL) and promoted Islam, called to give kudos to the owner of the Philadelphia Eagles for giving poor Michael Vick a 2nd chance in life, but refusing to spend one second to call the families of American soldiers killed in the line-of-duty…and has no love for Israel, to say the very least.
Palin, in the meantime, has worn the lapel pin with the Israeli AND the American flag in it…but never called attention to it. It’s just who she IS. And yes, Ted, I agree that she is on the correct side of just about everything, but the sheep have been fooled by the wolves, and so we can’t elect her.
I hope I”m wrong. There are few candidates out there that excite. But the campaign against her is truly relentless. Biased polls against her, trumpeted by MSM and Internet websites (Yahoo.com, even Foxnews.com), any negative comments no matter how lie-filled, any innuendo…the only thing I can see that more bias is shown against is Israel!!
That ugly old hag named Mrs. Clinton just shook hands with Hugo Chavez and just about every single communist around the world. Sarah Palin can do better.
The biggest thing standing in the way of a Palin Presidency is the Republican establishment. We need to go RINO hunting until they are extinct. I agree with Ted’s analysis of the two state position, she may have just been towing the McCain line at that time. Sara is a real Christian and it is real Christians, not church goers, who are friends of Israel.
I am thrilled to see so many commenters supporting Sarah and many of them are Canadian.
I have no concern that Palin endorses the two state solution. Doesn’t everybody in government do so. Even Netanhyahu does. She is just being conventional here but she thinks Israel should build anywhere and Jerusalem should remain undivided. She will not force Israel into anything. If Israel cuts loose from Oslo and the two state solution, she will support her.
I too have mentioned this little inconsequential ref: to Gov Palin only to be shot down by the Palin cultists here. So I don’t bother anymore. Supporters of MJ were not as loyal and smitten as Palins
followerssupporters. Of course most will deny my disloyal characterization of them. 😉I have a huge problem with Sarah Palin regarding her views on Israel
Q: How would you solve Israel/Palestinian conflict?
PALIN: A two-state solution is the solution. That needs to be done, and that will be a top agenda item under a McCain-Palin administration. Source: 2008 Vice Presidential debate against Joe Biden Oct 2, 200. http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/Sarah_Palin_Foreign_Policy.htm
A sincere, true ally that seeks Israel’s survival will fight with all their might against surrendering land vital to Israel’s defense-the Biblical, militarily strategic high ground of Judea and Samaria – half of Israel, to Jew-hating, barbaric enemies. Facilitating the planned Second Holocaust.
Sarah Palin is so refreshing to those of us who are sick and tired of the same old political jargon. We have too many career politicians. Palin is “real” and she connects with us common folks who love God and love this God-blessed nation. She says what she means and means what she says.Sarah Palin does not have to be president to wield power in our nation. Look what she’s doing from her own living room. When she’s not hunting or fishing or cooking them there caribou, she’s writing books, doing booksignings, speaking to huge crowds, doing TV shows, doing humanitarian work (Haiti), etc. Why would she want to give up all that and subject her family to further attacks by left-wingers, just to run for some political office??? But if she runs, she’ll have my vote along with a whole lot of other folks I know.
I am a Canadian, but if I were an American I would recognize Sarah Palin as the gem she is! She would make a tremendous President. She is tough, loyal and a great orator. So, please America back her up and get your country back on track.
I second both Hijinx60 and Mickey Oberman. Sara Palin could be instrumental in setting new standards for politicans that would be the start
of much needed reform in the way the “business” of politics is carried out. As the Tea Party Movement has demonstrated, the will of the
American people can indeed be galvanized, and harnessed into a powerful force. Sara should not be sold short.
Better Cowboy-Up sissies. Admit it…all of you white guys are afraid of the Democratic progressive minority quota program black guy who was only elected president just because he was a black guy. During the last election McCain along with all of the other white guys like O Reilly was afraid to respond to Hussein’s Jive-Ass which is why he lost that election…. But in fairness there has been too much Hollywood indoctrination with their endless programming propaganda urging us all to accept the black buddy stereotype to be a valid characterization of the black man- but emphasizing white guilt toward the Hollywood invented black buddy is not valid- the black buddy is merely progressive propaganda designed to further a democrat social agenda. Now Sarah is a white woman who is not afraid to respond to the Marxist Muzzlim’s jive-ass, which is why she will defeat Hussein. Better Cowboy-up white boy sissies if you want to get rid of Hussein and by the way, quit giving the minority quota president credit for doing the right normal thing when finally admitting a crisis.
As a Canadian perhaps I have no right to comment therefore I will comment.
I believe Sara Palin has far more going for her in all categories than has Obama and his entire crew.
Her honesty and forthrightness and morality, her intelligence and her abilities in a responsible political office are beyond question.
The USA could do no better than have her as the president.
In my opinion,Sarah Palin would make a great President of the United States.
I believe her chances of winning in2012 would be greatly enhansed if the right and independants would stop listening to the left. They stand against the left on most everything else and fiercely defend their position, but when it comes to Palin, they fold like a house of cards.
I like Sarah Palin; however, she can not win the presidency. She would make a terrific SecInterior.