Sarah Palin and the Practical Man's War on Morality
Joseph McHugh
July 13, 2009
The resignation of Sarah Palin, and the consequent trashing of her decision by the mainstream media highlight a major problem with the Republican Party and with our politics in general.
Palin is adored by the Republican faithful for her passion, honesty and plainspokenness. She comes across as a person utterly devoid of the power lust that is the defining characteristic of most of our candidates today. Therefore, sheīs regarded as special, and her specialness is greeted with defensive outrage by her faithful legions at the hint of any attack.
And letīs not kid ourselves. The mainstream media hates and fears Palin because they know her sincerity is a potent weapon against the transcendent liberalism of out rime.
But her supporters shouldnīt kid themselves either. Mrs. Palin is not the most knowledgeable of the batch of Republican hopefuls. Intelligence is hard to measure (and certainly isnīt measured rationally by liberals) but Mrs. Palin is not by any measure a policy wonk.
Who is a policy wonk on the Republican side? Whoīs a leader now? That would be Mitt Romney. But on the sincerity test Mitt Romney would score well below zero. Heīs changed positions more than heīs changed underpants, but he is articulate.
So, we have the contrast between the honest ignoramus, and the intelligent political slut.
How did this happen?
The answer is philosophical. We are taught from young age that if someone is sophisticated, they know that reality is optional. Maturity means giving up the fiction that values are achievable through honesty. Pragmatism is the mark of a true sophisticate. You do what you have to do to survive-principles and logic be damned. What's true is what "works."
Thus, we have the spectacle of Forrest Gump as hero, and Bill Clinton as the man of action.
What a choice!
But the American people still respond to moral values, and thus we see the amazing staying power of Sarah Palin.
But it is Mitt Romney and Bill Clinton who are given the respect, while people like Palin are sneered at. It is true that the mainstream mediaīs treatment of Palin is disgraceful, but on the other hand she doesnīt come across as being fully engaged with the issues.
And someone like Romney comes across as knowledgeable, but morally empty.
So Republicans have a choice. They can pick a moral hero with no practical knowledge, or they pick a practical man with no moral fire.
But do Republicans have to face this choice? What would happen if they picked a brilliant mind with a compelling story? What would happen if they picked someone without power lust, but with a mind that could match Barack Obamaīs?
The distinctive quality that most Americans associate with President Obama is intelligence. They also see his story as compelling. Letīs set aside the fact that his story completely revolves around his racial background.
To find such a moral and practical candidate Republicans are going to have to move out of the realm of politics. There is currently no morally compelling AND knowledgeable candidate among the Republican ranks, They are going to need to broaden their search, outside of politics, but not so far out that they find an ignoramus.
The day the Republicans find such a candidate is the day they are on the path to a victory. Joe the plumber need not apply.
But what about John McCain you might ask? Didnīt he have a compelling story, and wasnīt he well informed? Well part of the reason he lost is a man named George Bush. But thereīs another more fundamental reason that he lost. And itīs the third key ingredient to the Republican potential comeback. The first is finding a man or woman of intelligence and the second is making sure that same man or woman has a compelling moral story. The third key ingredient is the subject of my next column.
Palin is adored by the Republican faithful for her passion, honesty and plainspokenness. She comes across as a person utterly devoid of the power lust that is the defining characteristic of most of our candidates today. Therefore, sheīs regarded as special, and her specialness is greeted with defensive outrage by her faithful legions at the hint of any attack.
And letīs not kid ourselves. The mainstream media hates and fears Palin because they know her sincerity is a potent weapon against the transcendent liberalism of out rime.
But her supporters shouldnīt kid themselves either. Mrs. Palin is not the most knowledgeable of the batch of Republican hopefuls. Intelligence is hard to measure (and certainly isnīt measured rationally by liberals) but Mrs. Palin is not by any measure a policy wonk.
Who is a policy wonk on the Republican side? Whoīs a leader now? That would be Mitt Romney. But on the sincerity test Mitt Romney would score well below zero. Heīs changed positions more than heīs changed underpants, but he is articulate.
So, we have the contrast between the honest ignoramus, and the intelligent political slut.
How did this happen?
The answer is philosophical. We are taught from young age that if someone is sophisticated, they know that reality is optional. Maturity means giving up the fiction that values are achievable through honesty. Pragmatism is the mark of a true sophisticate. You do what you have to do to survive-principles and logic be damned. What's true is what "works."
Thus, we have the spectacle of Forrest Gump as hero, and Bill Clinton as the man of action.
What a choice!
But the American people still respond to moral values, and thus we see the amazing staying power of Sarah Palin.
But it is Mitt Romney and Bill Clinton who are given the respect, while people like Palin are sneered at. It is true that the mainstream mediaīs treatment of Palin is disgraceful, but on the other hand she doesnīt come across as being fully engaged with the issues.
And someone like Romney comes across as knowledgeable, but morally empty.
So Republicans have a choice. They can pick a moral hero with no practical knowledge, or they pick a practical man with no moral fire.
But do Republicans have to face this choice? What would happen if they picked a brilliant mind with a compelling story? What would happen if they picked someone without power lust, but with a mind that could match Barack Obamaīs?
The distinctive quality that most Americans associate with President Obama is intelligence. They also see his story as compelling. Letīs set aside the fact that his story completely revolves around his racial background.
To find such a moral and practical candidate Republicans are going to have to move out of the realm of politics. There is currently no morally compelling AND knowledgeable candidate among the Republican ranks, They are going to need to broaden their search, outside of politics, but not so far out that they find an ignoramus.
The day the Republicans find such a candidate is the day they are on the path to a victory. Joe the plumber need not apply.
But what about John McCain you might ask? Didnīt he have a compelling story, and wasnīt he well informed? Well part of the reason he lost is a man named George Bush. But thereīs another more fundamental reason that he lost. And itīs the third key ingredient to the Republican potential comeback. The first is finding a man or woman of intelligence and the second is making sure that same man or woman has a compelling moral story. The third key ingredient is the subject of my next column.
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