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DaveG, wants to know why we’ve fallen for Sarah Palin. Here’s my journey. I am, at bottom, profoundly culturally conservative. Not profoundly socially conservative (I’m not especially worried about gay marriage, for instance); culturally conservative. From my perspective, the greatest threat to Western Civilization, beyond even terrorism or socialism, is a collapse of values. I’m not talking just about sex here or sex-based issues. I’m talking civic values; industry and thrift. Ingenuity. Patriotism. A respect for and knowledge of the past. A general willingness to articulate moral absolutes. It is usually impossible for me to imagine a Churchill in the modern world. It is usually impossible for me to imagine a modern politician saying something like “No compromise with the main purpose, no peace till victory, no pact with unrepentant wrong.” The media would laugh at them. All of Europe would laugh at them. And now something very near to a majority of Americans would laugh at them.
We are the last, crumbling redoubt for that sort of cultural conservatism and I see it burning in Sarah Palin like a firebrand. I see it in her habits and lifestyle, which seem impossibly hectic, impossibly busy, impossibly active, impossibly courageous. I see it the language she uses; the unalloyed, unabashed, patriotism; the hunger for victory in a world that views victory as insufficiently “nuanced”. I see it in her husband, who still muddies his hands in a job he probably doesn’t need, and which most politicians’ spouses would deem “beneath” them. I see it in her reaction to Ayers, and the little tinge of sadness and genuine disbelief that lies behind her eyes. And I see a way out of our morass in that smile and the optimism and the comfort she displays in a mixed-up world which is, at every turn, opposed to her.
I recall reading Whittaker Chambers’ Witness and the striking lines on the first page: “I know that I am leaving the winning side for the losing side, but it is better to die on the losing side than to live under Communism.” The power… And the resignation… And Whittaker Chambers fought. More than he had to. More any one man can be expected to. But, he ultimately retreated to his farm, convinced to his dying day that Communism was an inevitable evil, and that the last redoubt would ultimately fall. Ronald Reagan who, in many ways couldn’t hold a candle to Chambers’ intellect, felt differently and won. I remember Evelyn Waugh; his wonderful satire; his morbid, gorgeous language which articulated the central crises of modernity. And I recall his steadfast belief that this world was un-salvageable, and that one ought to get on with preparing for the next. He too ultimately retreated to a farm, of sorts, and let the world get on without him.
I have enormous respect for Chambers and Waugh, but they missed “it” in profound ways. Too often I’m like them. Prone to despair and retreat. But, it’s the Reagan’s and Palin’s that can actually carry on the fight; the folks that can actually fully engage with modern culture- comfortably, easily- without adopting it’s “nuances”. Make no mistake, to me this a culture war, albeit on different fault-lines. And I wouldn’t be at all surprised if DaveG and I end up on different sides. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if David Brooks and I end up on different sides. And I wouldn’t be at all surprised if, oddly enough, the socially liberal Metro and I find common ground. This is about Western Civilization to me, and I suspect, at least subconsciously, this is why many of these “puzzling” conservatives find Sarah Palin so universally attractive. Sarah Palin will make no pacts with “unrepentant wrong”, and I doubt she’d shy away from using the term. When I listen to her, I can’t help but feel a tiny glimmer of hope that The Last Redoubt may yet hold. This is enormously appealing, despite her relative lack of experience; despite her lack of mastery on national issues. And the folks who find the very term “Western Civilization” an uncomfortable, untidy, relic of the past, “conservative” or no, will continue to find themselves decidedly miffed by Sarah Palin. As they should be.
October 9th, 2008 at 12:04 am
Between 8:45 PM and 9:15 PM tonight (Oct
on Intrade, someone just bet a LOT of money against Obama winning the presidency. And I mean a LOT. Over $140,000…
His stock, which has been over 70 for a couple of days now and at 76 most of the time today dipped down to 64 or so in those 20 minutes under heavy betting before recovering immediately after 9:15 to 73… Very strange.. is there something someone knows??
This stuff does not happen unless someone knows something….and the news is about to leak out soon.
Anyone care to make predictions on what this could be?
October 9th, 2008 at 12:12 am
I think it’s going to be Jerome Corsi’s report of what he found in Kenya, i.e. Obama’s Kenyan Birth Certificate, Obama’s cousin Raila Odinga’s plans to take over the country if Cousin Barry wins (probably a la Hotel Rawanda, machetes and all), and some sort of promised aid to Odinga from cousin Barry.
October 9th, 2008 at 12:16 am
Politico is reporting that the McCain campaign is “going to make news in the morning”
http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/1008/McCain_camp_making_news_in_the_morning.html
What could it be? One term pledge, Bill Ayers, ACORN, Troopergate?
October 9th, 2008 at 12:20 am
It is interesting that whenever the intellectuals line up on one side and the ordinary folks line up on the other, the ordinary folks turn out to be right at least as often as not, and maybe more often than not. So it doesn’t necessarily give me confidence that Frum, Douthat, Sullivan, Brooks and I are all basically on the same page on Palin, after years of dueling books, or in my case, blog posts, on the future of conservatism. In fact, the fact that all of the eastern “thinkers” have decided that Reagan conservatism is dead and that “we’re all Bloombergians now” is probably the best reason to be skeptical of that claim.
October 9th, 2008 at 12:22 am
David Brooks: Sarah Palin “Represents A Fatal Cancer To The Republican Party”
October 9th, 2008 at 12:26 am
High court to rule quickly on Palin investigation
October 9th, 2008 at 12:29 am
Matthew
Thank you for a wonderful post. You articulated what I have been feeling for a long time but just couldn’t quite put together. I do my best to instill these values in my kids but am constantly bucking up against the modern culture. Sarah Palin is unapologetically on our side of this! I was especially moved the other day when she had the gumption to say that Obama’s association with Ayers made him “unqualified as commander in chief”. Exactly! Everyone should think that instinctively, yet we’ve been nuanced to death by this modern value neutral society. She can help bring us back to the basics that made us — and the rest of Western Civilization great.
October 9th, 2008 at 12:30 am
Todd Palin’s subpoena responses
October 9th, 2008 at 12:34 am
Jah. Study after study has shown that educated people are far more susceptible to propaganda and to being fooled in general. The Russians have a name for it: peasant cleverness.
http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:LEk4AJL85gkJ:socrates.berkeley.edu:7001/Publications/newsletters/Spring2008/pdf/BRLAS-Spring2008-PetkoffComment.pdf+intellectuals+totalitarianism&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=ca&client=firefox-a
October 9th, 2008 at 12:39 am
WOW. DOUBLE WOW.
First, wow, that a post that starts out on a theme of being “profoundly culturally conservative” ends up being one I’m cheering at. Based on your definition of “cultural” conservative, count me in.
Double wow that you knew I’d be on your side!
October 9th, 2008 at 12:42 am
WPVI-TV Philadelphia Video: Exclusive interview with McCain, Palin
October 9th, 2008 at 12:43 am
Ditto what alix and Metro said. Great post, Matthew.
October 9th, 2008 at 12:44 am
My difference is that Western Civilization was a product of education and the intellect, and Palinmania is tremendously disrepectful of them per se.
October 9th, 2008 at 12:52 am
Ive been away for a bit and it looks like things have gone a tad south since I was last around before 9/11 when McCain was up by a few and things looked rosy.
That said, all this talk about blaming McCain or blaming Palin is absurd. Given everything thats happened, there’s no one who would be doing any better at this point. No one. I suggest most would be doing a bit worse.
Look at all that has happened with the economy. With unemployment. The dow and the markets. AIG, Lehman Bros, Fannie and Freddie, Wall St, the bailout, etc… In this climate, with an incumbent GOP President who was already below 30%, with a party ID that gives the dems anywhere from a 5-10 pt advantagem with the GOP having lost big in 2006, with us going for a 3rd term, with the media 200% against us and doing everything they can to influence the outcomem with all that and more, I can’t think of anyone who’d be doing any better.
Imagine all this had happened in Sept 2004 and into October. Does anything think Bush would have won? And Kerry was a far, far inferior candidate to Obama, and Bush was far superior to McCain and had a much better atmosphere and electorate.
The bottom line is the economy tanking totally f-ed McCain’s chances. I remember writing back in early Sept that as long as the eocnomy doesnt get any worse, he’d have a very goo dchance to win. It got a whole bunch worse.
Has his campaign been great? No. But I dont think any campaign would do better given the circumstances. Recent polls such as Zogby, Hotline, CBS/NYT have it 1, 2 and 3, all within the MOE. For McCain to be there and not down by 20 or more is quite frankly amazing. All he needs is 1 in 50 voters currently supporting Obama to shift to undecided or to him and this thing is pretty much tied again. That’s eminently doable.
ANd blaming Palin? Please. If the economy and Wall St hadnt collapsed, McCain would be doing just fine, and people would be saying how Palin may very well help him score the greatest upset in political history. Is it her fault that the economy had its worst news since the Great Depression? Does anyone seriously believe that with Romney, Pawlenty or Lieberman McCain’s #s would look any better?
She’s had her ups and downs but she’s one of the reasons McCain is still in this thing and still has a chance, albeit less of one than he had a month ago. BUt things changed fast when the economy tanked. they can change again, but mcCain has to get a whole bunch more agggressive. Hopefully he does. This thing is still in reach. He wouldnt give up in Baghdad and I hope he doesnt now.
October 9th, 2008 at 12:58 am
jim, the GOP is the only hope the economy has.
If the public thinks a bad economy demands a Democrat then the GOP has failed miserably at its job.
Also, surely the GOP candidate with the least knowledge of the economy (who even admitted that on camera) is in a weaker position than one of our other candidates would be. Get real.
October 9th, 2008 at 1:06 am
Metro,
I tend to disagree with that. Palinmania is disrespectful of the notion that “education” and “intellect” (in the sense of growing to maturity in a “cultured” environment) is the sole method of attaining meaningful truths or gaining useful experience. I have no problem whatsoever with education. I have no problem with Ivy League schools, per se. I very nearly went to one. I do have a problem with sneering from the reeds intellectuals who think that simply existing in a certain millieu defines someone’s capabilities. Joe Biden can say and do any number of outrageously stupid things, but he went to school in New York, and he has a law degree, and he’s met foreign leaders, so the man is ipso facto reasonable. Sarah Palin grew up in Alaska and went to school in Hawaii (snicker) and Idaho (double snicker) and when she deigns to answer a question about what papers she reads, she’s gasp, a blithering idiot who probably doesn’t know what a “paper” is.
October 9th, 2008 at 1:08 am
when she declines*
October 9th, 2008 at 1:10 am
So you really think a Wall St buyout artist like Romney would be doing well with what’s happened the past few weeks?
Metro, when the economy tanks under a GOP President, the public will think the dems should get a shot. It happened in 1932. It happened in reverse in 1980. The economy blew under Carter so they gave reagan a shot. Do you think Reagan would have won in 1980 if he was trying to follow a failed GOP President with sub 30% approval who saw the economy tank on his watch a few weeks before the election? Bush just beat McCain again.
Again, I’m not saying McCain is the best candidate, but I do think he’s doing about as well as any one could reasonably expect and better than our other choices would be doing.
Look for example where Dole was at this point in 1996, trailing by close to 15 pts. And we just had 3 polls showing McCain at 1, 2, and 3.
The main point was that it’s folly to blame Palin for what has happened. She has nothing to do with the economy collapsing. If the economy was what it was in August and early September, the race would still be a dead heat and no one would be complaining. Unfortunately it’s not, but that’s not her fault.
October 9th, 2008 at 1:12 am
Yes. A lot of folks just know that the economy stinks right now and the current president is a Republican. Thus, it’s the Republicans’ fault.
October 9th, 2008 at 1:19 am
jim, I’ve made the case here a million times that Romney would never be attractive to the electorate.
Rudy. Fred. Newt.
October 9th, 2008 at 1:25 am
Matthew,
I love the post. I think you nailed the fundamental battleground of the future. I also think you nail the analysis that the best way to fight this battle is through a charismatic leader who can instill those values in the American people. There aren’t really laws we can pass and there aren’t really programs to enact. It has to be done by a compelling, charismatic and extremely popular figure. I’m still not sold on Palin as being the person to lead that fight, but I am certainly open to the possibility.
October 9th, 2008 at 1:27 am
Matt, the culture you long for expects its youth to learn how to speak properly, and would be appalled at a national level candidate who purposefully and proudly does not use proper grammar or pronunciation.
October 9th, 2008 at 1:27 am
Lets say either of them were the VP nom right now. How much better do you think McCain would be doing?
The bottom line is that events take over campaigns. With what happened the past few weeks, any Republican’s numbers would have nose dived. Any. It’s amazing McCain isnt down by 20.
The fact that McCain is even still in the ballpark is a testament to him and Palin and to Obama’s downsides. There’s no doubt Palin has some missteps, but so would anyone. That said, even with those interviews and the SNL skits and all, if the economy hadnt fallen apart, the race would still be pretty much tied.
There’s still time to change things, and McCain must go on the attack next week at the debate. He refuses to engage Obama. I dont know why. Maybe his advisors should tell him to act like he did when he was debating Romney in NH and he’ll finally go after him.
October 9th, 2008 at 1:33 am
I’m contrasting McCain with one of them being at the TOP of the ticket.
October 9th, 2008 at 1:39 am
Seeing How The Other Half Lives
From CBS News’ Dean Reynolds:
After most of the previous 12 months covering Barack Obama’s campaign for the presidency, it was interesting, instructive and, well, relaxing to follow John McCain for the last few days. The differences between the two are striking.
October 9th, 2008 at 1:39 am
jim,
The problem with your past historical comparisons is the Obama is the most inexperienced, most liberal, most unvetted candidate in modern political history. He also has the most relevant questionable associations by a candidate ever. Also, it is quite easy to show through straightforward youtube clips that Dems, including Obama blocked the reforms that would have prevented this crisis.
Any of the other candidates could have run far enough away from Bush and been articulate enough on the economy along with running a more proactive intelligent campaign to win.
Obama is a socialist. He has never done anything to merit leadership other than give a speech and be black. He has multiple close ties with and was mentored by anti-Americans and terrorists. It is fairly easy to show that Obama and the Dems are the main culprits for the financial crisis. Perhaps most importantly, the moderates who decide this election know almost nothing about any of this.
I hope McCain pulls this out, because it is still possible. However, McCain has shown no indication he is willing to run the type of campaign necessary to beat Obama.
October 9th, 2008 at 1:42 am
How does Palin engage with the culture? Seems she’s pretty well absorbed the nuance that it’s ok to get pregnant at 17. Palin has no discernable moral values. The only trait she has is ambition.
October 9th, 2008 at 1:47 am
27,
Get out of here troll. You would have a mother throw her daughter under the bus. You obviously are a Koskid who got lost over here in the real world. Go back to the echo chamber of your Mom’s basement and Kos.
October 9th, 2008 at 5:23 am
Matthew,
This is the English major in me rather than the poli-sci minor when I say that that was a truly exquisite piece of writing. I can think of few more flattering things to say about that piece than that, ideological deviations aside, I could have mistaken it for a George Will column. A world-class piece of writing.
October 9th, 2008 at 5:34 am
God Sarah is dumb. Read that email (last attachment to Toddy’s depo). She thinks they are talkng about a report into her driving
. Classic!
October 9th, 2008 at 6:10 am
In this climate, with an incumbent GOP President who was already below 30%, with a party ID that gives the dems anywhere from a 5-10 pt advantagem with the GOP having lost big in 2006, with us going for a 3rd term, with the media 200% against us and doing everything they can to influence the outcomem…
The media reports what it sees and hears and it would be the republican message of negativity and bile that has turned things south. The magician’s beautiful assistant will not distract from the real issues of a tanking economy here and the domino effect around the world. Ayers and Wright are not issues. The are peripheral claptrap. Economy, housing, credit, WAR and jobs are what matter now. Get on the stick or you would have trashed the conservative agenda for the next 8-12 yrs. For me, that would be a blessing. But we need some conservative balance, so don’t sink it entirely. After all, a completely democratic executive, house and senate would be as disastrous as a Republican roll call of equal weight. We need some balance, don’t throw it all away.
October 9th, 2008 at 6:46 am
These are a few words from a man who at the age of fifteen was chosen as the new messiah and was placed as the head of a new order which had attracted thousands of followers.
It wasn’t long before he renounced his title and his followers saying…
“You can form other organizations and expect someone else, with that I am not concerned, nor with creating new cages… my only concern is to set man absolutely, unconditionally free.
True wisdom comes from self awareness and that all ideologies prevent the individual from achieving this.
Although they may be founded on fine principals, all religions inevitably become obstacles preventing spiritual self-fulfillment, the truth can only be found within oneself not in dogma
The world, he said, will change only when we have changed ourselves and most significantly – abandoned our resistance to change”
Krishnamerti
In the light of everything that is wrong in this world we still continue to go in the same direction and trust the same people, perhaps it is now time to see that the infrastructure we have in place is letting us down and we need want for something different
October 9th, 2008 at 6:49 am
Sarah Palin is still being underestimated and misunderstood by many, ie. see David Brooks and Tom Friedman on Palin. To help throw some light on this ongoing conversation I wanted to bring up two of her political positions which I find interesting and illuminating.
1) No Second Shoah: I think this might be a foundational moral and political position. The First Shoah is ever with us. But how could it have been prevented or mitigated by those people alive at that time? A hard question. Now we are living and the Second Shoah looms on the horizon. How can we prevent the Second Shoah? Palin has, for someone quite new on the national political scene, staked out her position without question with the great speech she was never allowed to give in New York City at the protest rally at the UN but which can be found in the Haaretz and NY Sun archives. She has also mentioned it several times since. How many other national politicians have come close to her on this important question?
2) The non-existent AGW: She may be the only national political figure who believes AGW is a deeply flawed and politicized theory. I know her AGW position has been folded into the McCain campaign’s pro AGW position at the moment. But when she was “only” the governor of Alaska she opposed the AGW theory. Now you can say she took this position out of profound ignorance and in opposition to so many people smarter than her like Tom Friedman. But you can also say this is a very nuanced position that required intelligence, diligence and courage to spend the time to learn about AGW and it’s flaws and weaknesses in the trenches of the AGW wars. I believe that sooner than most people think the AGW hypothesis will come crashing down. If it does who will counted smarter and better informed then?
October 9th, 2008 at 6:54 am
Who is Matthew Miller? What a fabulous insight…..exactly how I think, but can’t write. Please give the McCain campaign a “holler”. They need you and Sara Palin needs to know there are lots of “yous” out there. I’m voting for McCain because of Sara Palin. She makes me feel hopeful and I like that feeling!
October 9th, 2008 at 7:20 am
The post is a nice ode to Palin, but its overdone. These people are all politicians. Palin has demonstrated the ability to deliver the talking points in a manner that connects with the base strongly, but not with independents or moderates. She only connects well with people in the base. Leaving aside all the overheated hyperbole that seeks to cast Obama as evil terrorist and socialist, its instructive that many of the same critiques on style, on celebrity, on experience could be applied to Palin.
I think its perfectly fine for conservatives to root for our team. But for a political viewpoint that prides itself on being pragmatic and clear eyed about tough issues, the sainthood being conferred on Palin is distressing. She is not the second coming, though I expect if her appetite has now been whetted to wield power on the national stage, if they lose, another four years of conservative training will render her a more lethal candidate, and we can only hope, one more thoughtful and serious.
By all means, cheer for the conservative team, but this post is EXACTLY the same brand of Kool-Aid less sober thinking Obama supporters drink. I much prefer it when conservatives are in clear eyed, winning is what matters mode. Lets conduct our business sans the ideological gregorian chant BS. Leave that for the democrats.
October 9th, 2008 at 7:42 am
Matthew: You contradict yourself. If you are truly a cultural conservative, then you would be very worried about gay marriage. You could not talk about moral absolutes and discard sex-based issues – they are at the core of our culture. If you had a respect for and a knowledge of the past, you would understand that sexual immorality is deviant behavior and was culturally unacceptable and that the destruction of every great civilization in the past began with the general acceptance of this deviant behavior.
October 9th, 2008 at 7:52 am
JamesB,
I am strongly pro-life and I’m opposed to gay marriage; I simply don’t think its one of the overriding issues of our time. But, that wasn’t the point of this post.
October 9th, 2008 at 7:55 am
The difference. Palin and Reagan both love(d) average Middle Americans.
Good old fashioned brotherly love and respect. The GOP under George Bush
and K. Rove and the GOP Hierarchy (of which McCain was part of) have utter contempt toward them. They demonstrated that over and over which
was not lost on the “base”. This contempt really began to surface after
1/20/05.
The appointment of Sarah was an attempt to appease the base. Toss
us a few crumbs of bread. But, ironically, it allowed one of “us” on the inside
which, in the long run may end of saving the GOP from total collapse.
DD
October 9th, 2008 at 8:25 am
#37 – Matthew – it’s the premise that you base your advocacy for Sarah Palin as the poster-girl for cultural conservatism – your premise is flawed as is your assessment of Sarah Palin. I agree with Aaron in post #36 – put the Kool-Aid down – Sarah Palin is doing a decent job of what a vice-presidential candidate should be doing – but she is not the epitomy of the future of the republican party. Considering the choices we have in this election, she makes McCain a lot easier to vote for – as long as she doesn’t do anymore interviews with Katie Couric.
October 9th, 2008 at 8:26 am
If the mccain/palin ticket loses, i think palin should head back to Alaska and write a book, ie make some $’s but in the end pass on a 2012 run…she is after all only 44 and has a lot of cycles to run all the way up to 2032 really…bottom line she should enjoy life in Alaska and be a productive gov in her second term, i assume she wins easy in 2010, rather than spend 2 years traveling across the country running in the primary…i think it could be possible she could be picked for veep again in 2012 or if the gop wins and she isn’t veep, she could land a cabinet spot or she could run for senate in 2014…and than plan a prez run sometime from those spots
October 9th, 2008 at 9:00 am
Matthew,
The question you must answer is who do you fear the most, Barack Obama, who has always been a liberal or the Wall Strre cronies of the GOP who have screwed over the very system we all trust to be ethical and honest? We are not in this mess just because of Barney Franks and Chris Dodd and Chris Cox. They are culprits, sure, but we are in this mess because the Masters of the Universe have prattled on about the capitalist system for decades while they have destroyed much of the American system, decimated the American middle class and subverted the social contract between those that have and those that would like to have. And they have done this under the watchful eye of a Congress controlled by the GOP from 1992 to 2006 and a Republican president for thye last 8 years.
This country’s economic system depends on TRUST. We extend that trust to the leaders of our system, economic and political, loan them money, extend them credit assumming they are hones and abide by the principles expounded by the founding fathers. They have betrayed that trust and now expect amnesty from us, the voters and taxpayers.
So, who is at fault, Barrack Obama or Richard Fuld ? Who is at fault, a Government pushing every day for de- regulation? A Government exporting jobs to China and India ? A government devoid of solutions to problems they helped create? Or Barrack Obama? Why do we spend so much time pointing fingers instead of confronting problems ? Who has solutions? These guys, Mccain and Obama, don’t even know the problems, but Obama hasn’t caused the problems, Wall Street, aided by a two decade policy of Government De Regulation IS the problem. When you leave Wall Street alone with your money, greed will, and has, triumphed over ethics and honesty.
October 9th, 2008 at 9:05 am
Hotline went from +1 to +6 for Obama in one day. Yesterday both candidates were tied on the economy; today Obama is back up to +13. What a disreputable poll — to be totally disregarded whatever it says.
October 9th, 2008 at 9:22 am
This analysis makes sense only if you project all of your own cultural beliefs onto Sarah Palin.
This is the wonder of the blank slate, whether it’s a Fred Thompson or a Sarah Palin.
Reagan, unlike Palin, had a long record of fighting for culturally conservative beliefs.
Palin may yet prove to be an amazing cultural warrior, as O’Reilly might put it, but she has yet to show that.
Please don’t deify her before she’s paid her dues.
October 9th, 2008 at 9:23 am
Agree with Aaron #35. People are seeing what they want to see in Palin, and most of it has very little to do with reality. (Just like Obama.) I’ve never seen so many excuses for dismal performance during interview, press questions and even the debate- which was an embarrassment for the GOP and a giant set-back for women in general. Since when do winks, and you betchas, refusal to answer question beyond rote talking points pass as acceptable? Palin can bately put 2 words together without stumbling.
If a male candidate had said and done what Palin has, and showed such a stunning lack of intellectual curiousity, knowledge or preparation, he’d be toast – we all know it. She is being coddled and protected because she’s a woman, she was chosen because she’s a good-looking woman, and I sure as heck don’t want her sitting in the oval office – ever. She’s very politically ambitious, no doubt. But she is not even remotely qualified to be in this position and I think she is a giant drag on an already sinking ticket. There’s no way moderates, undecideds or indies are going to let this person anywhere near the presidency. Any fool can see that would be disasterous. At least, anyone not wearing roes-colored glasses.
October 9th, 2008 at 9:56 am
She has the bite. She has the heart to fight for what’s right. Obama isn’t.
October 9th, 2008 at 10:07 am
Kudos, Matthew. Very impressive post. Time to quit your day job!
One small quibble.
You point to Palin and Reagan as people who get “it”, that mainstream cuture must be engaged to be reclaimed, and engaged with a sense of optimism.
And yet I’m not sure what the end is that they are striving toward: patriotism? a sense of moral absolutes? You mention them both, but they seem to be the accidents of core convictions, rather than the core convictions themselves.
We have moral absolutes because the underlying morals are worth fighting for. We are patriotic because we share principles with our compatriots. What are those morals, those principles?
October 9th, 2008 at 10:28 am
Matt Miller,
How do you feel about our Borders and our Language, now that you’ve espoused how you feel about our Culture?
As follows: is Liberalism a Mental Disorder?
This might be my favorite article you’ve written; and I’ve only read the first half. I am stealing your 1st paragraph and using it in my everyday political conversation when I tell people why I am a cultural conservative yet not that concerned about gay marriage and abortion.
This will also help me in my internal “struggle” of my conservative political philosophy of which leg of the stool is most important.
October 9th, 2008 at 10:47 am
I love your post, too, Matthew Miller. What an eloquent and accurate take of what Sarah Palin
is all about. She is indeed a BREATH OF FRESH AIR to what America has deteriorated culturally.
This country has gotten so bloatd with materialism,this brought out this immense economic mess,
who knows how long it will take to get out of.
October 9th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Matthew,
Great work. I’m not as excited about Palin as you, but I agree with you and libertarians such as Charles Murray (and Metro) on this: we need to go back to a culture of achievement/merit. The Great Society unintentionally created the disease of entitlement, which destroyed the African-American family and now has permeated our society.
While all people should have equal rights under the law, not all people are equal in talent and virtue. Some people work harder than others and some people are smarter than others. People must be encouraged/rewarded for reaching their potential in school and work. People who don’t work hard, who make poor decisions, or who behave badly need to face the consequences of their actions. These are biblical values.
We may ‘need’ another depression so we can recalibrate. Strip away failed government ’solutions’ which will result in economic forces that prompt men & women to choose to marriage…and to stay married. Shut down the IRS and impose the Fair Tax, which will incentivize saving, thrift, hard work, and enterprise.
However, I’m a bit puzzled by your nonchalance regarding the importance of marriage. Perhaps it’s your age or your family experiences? Lasting marital commitments are the single best deterrent to abortion, the single best prescription for raising healthy children and thus the single best building block for society. If you want to grant the rights of married couples to any two people who want live together, you’d better come up with some other incentives to make marriage attractive or America will never recover from this mess.
This isn’t about being anti-gay, it’s about being pro-family. As a Christian, I’m a sinner saved by grace alone through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. My sin is no less objectional to Holy God than that of a homosexual. I don’t want to deny rights to gays, I want to protect and restore the family in America.
October 9th, 2008 at 11:26 am
Mathew – great post. John McCain was a breath of fresh air in 2000 and I would have voted for him. I had really hoped better of both John and Sarah in this campaign but I am quite disappointed.
I also appreciate that you re-frame cultural conservatism as well as you did. The issues are economy, security, patriotism, etc., not gay marriage and abortion. I could take or leave the gun issue.
I had hoped that the McCain of 2000 would show up, push back a little on the religious right. I think he tried but reality set in and so he picked an Assembly of God vice presidential candidate. I hate to see that kind of pandering from someone who’s history has been of a maverick.
Lastly, I am really disappointed at all the mud slinging from Sarah Palin. I didn’t expect it (maybe blissfully naive). I have to admit, I don’t see the McCain campaign’s tactics resulting in bi-partisanship and unity which I think is critical to our future. Given that, I think I’m going Obama this time around. I want to hope again. I want to think we can come together and stop the bickering and name calling. I want unity and peace. The Obama campaign hasn’t been perfect by any means but I must admit he inspires me to hope again.
Sarah frankly is pissing me off. I care about the economy, our international reputation, pulling together to get ourselves out of this mess. I don’t care that Obama was on the board with some guy who was a radical just like I don’t care that McCain was mixed in with the Keating 5. It’s irrelevant to the future.
October 9th, 2008 at 11:29 am
[...] recent days. For the most part, the critiques of Governor Palin have been addressed by blogger Matthew E. Miller, but many of the editorials written on the state of the Republican party, its political wings, [...]
October 9th, 2008 at 11:33 am
It’s too bad Matt Miller’s not running for President
I’ve been coming and going on this site for a long time and I usually find myself completely agreeing with Matt’s posts.
What I think is interesting is that Palin excites a lot of people that Huckabee turns off. Speaking for myself, I can’t stand Huckabee and his fiscal policies, jokes, lack of substance on issues other than social conservatism really irritate me. Which is ironic, given that Palin’s initial fan base arguably came from social conservatives looking for a fighter for their cause.
But Palin comes off to me as someone who doesn’t have to play the “religious card” or stand on social issues alone, because her beliefs are a part of her and how she thinks, but it’s only one of several strengths she has.
Listening to her responses in the VP debate and several other statements she’s made, it seems fairly obvious that she’s in touch with the people around her and most importantly those that don’t share her views. She’s a much more balanced and dare I say “cultured” canidate than Huckabee.
Her weakness is being brought out maybe too early and definitely w/o enough warning and prep time onto the national stage. I really don’t like McCain’s handling of Palin. But I digress….
Palin=awesome
October 9th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
I hope you’re right that you all are a dying breed. It’s fascinating that you love values, yet vote for Republicans who continually show disdain for them, torturing people, spying domestically, trying to stop Ms. Schiavo from dying peacefully, running rampant deregulation for years then wondering why the economy is in trouble, standing in the way of health-care for all our citizens, disenfranchising voters, de-funding much of government then running up huge deficits to fight an unnecessary war. Destroying other people’s lives and then wondering why they don’t support your values. I don’t get, I don’t want to get it, and finally, finally, finally most Americans agree with me.
October 9th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
natthew Miller is a vicious little racist, disguising his bias behind the soothing label “cultural conservative.” To fidn in Sarah palin the image fior what he wants in America is so loony there can be no other explanation. P.S, There is no such thing as “cultural conservatism.” Conservatism is a political philosophy. What you believe in is white privilege, which about to be voted out of this country — at last.
October 9th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
54- “What you believe in is white privilege, which about to be voted out of this country — at last”
One day you will outgrow your own stupididy–or at least we can all hope so.
October 10th, 2008 at 8:21 am
Mandy,
It’s stunning how often I’ve been accused of hating black people given that, you know, I’m black. I do so LOVE white privilege.