The Arts & Humanities Tribe is unhappy with the Sarah Palin nomination. Feminists from the Business Tribe or Science & Technology Tribe seem less bothered. That was predictable.
Among the criticisms of Gov. Palin, a few points seem general, such as her experience - I will not touch on those here. What amuses me are the criticisms which clearly come straight from the A&H belly. You can feel them tremble with rage when they point out that she was a beauty queen - our girls don't do that! Those are well, Southern, a little bit low-rent. I mean, I'm sure that there are some very nice girls there, but...; she and her family drive snow machines, and other motorized recreational equipment - those jet skis are so noisy up at the lake, and all those snowmobiles are too, and they put out smoke - I just don't understand what people see in them. Yes, dear, I know the Sartorelli's have them, but he made his money as a plumbing contractor in Framingham - they're wonderful salt-of-the-earth people and Theresa is one of my dearest friends up at the camp, but...; Sarah Palin fishes, and hunts - our sort of people don't do that. That's for rural people, unsophisticated sorts who like to bang away at defenseless animals, euhh....
I know my people. Abortion is their big issue because you know, a woman's career... and anyone can have a baby and be a hausfrau, but... These are cultural markers, and their real measuring sticks. It is not enough to be a successful woman; one has to be successful in the right way.
I know my people. Abortion is their big issue because you know, a woman's career... and anyone can have a baby and be a hausfrau, but..
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I get this reference. Are you saying abortion, as in pro-choice, is the A&H important issue?
My take is that she lives in Alaska. You need to know how to shoot when those grizzly and polar bears come hunting you for breakfast.
Note that there are many people who identify with the A&H trible who have neither any serious artistic ability or interests, nor any real depth in the humanities. They identify with this tribe either because (a)they lack the mental abilities to join one of the other tribes, or (b)they perceive that high status is associated with the A&H tribe.
ReplyDeleteI just realized my second comment seems like a non-sequitur.
ReplyDeleteI meant it to simply to refer to the "horror" that Palin can shoot, fish, hunt and do other "unladylike" things.
Sarah Barracuda is definitely NOT one of the A&H tribe, unlike most of her fellow Journalism graduates.
ReplyDeleteAs you point out, she will infuriate the A&H tribe because though she is a woman who has succeeded professionally, she has done so without following the precepts of the A&H tribe. I wonder how women who are infuriated at Hillary's treatment will respond. My guess is that most will remain with Obama. Abortion will win out, for example.
From what little I have seen of Sarah Barracuda, she appears to handle public speaking rather well. In one interview she pointed out that in the Seventies, Joe Biden had voted against the Alaska pipeline.
Someone who knocks off a current governor in the primary and a former governor in the general election has political savvy.
How will she fare in debating Biden? She will be on the attack and do much better than many anticipate.
Time will tell.
Heh heh. Well paraphrased.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how women who are infuriated at Hillary's treatment will respond.
ReplyDeleteMy read of the Hillary-supporter/PUMA blogs and forums is that they love Palin even more than the Republican base does, if possible. Call her "Sarah", sing her praises, etc. They indicate excitement at the choice, talk about volunteering for the McCain campaign and donating. My sense of it is that many of these women just want some respect - some sense that the candidate wants to earn their votes, as opposed to expecting them to drop into his lap - and they see the Palin choice as McCain listening to and reaching out to them. Hence the excitement.
This isn't all the Hillary supporters, of course. Not all were angry in the first place, and many were Dem stalwards who will vote for whoever the Democratic candidate is, come hell or high water. But my sense of it is a significant number of undecideds at least have been won over by Palin, abortion position or no abortion position. (I'm also seeing a lot of cynicism in response to the invocation of "But.. but... Roe v. Wade!" It seems many see "you can't vote for a pro-lifer" argument as trying to use these women's fears to control their votes.)