rik challenges me to name one non-stupid thing that sarah palin has ever said. i think the whole speech, embedded in this post, is lovely and thoughtful. i'll take one line: "the truest measure of any society is how it treats those who are most vulnerable." now, though the formulation in terms of vulnerablity is a bit unusual, this is a fairly common sentiment. john rawls built his theory of justice around this thought. it is central to obama's construction of his own mission. so: would you say that this statement is false? would you say it's stupid? when obama delivered the same idea at the democratic convention, did you say "what a fucking idiot"? aren't you a bit surprised, and shouldn't you be a bit pleased, that a republican is saying it? and she's backing it up with both her own experience with her son, and with a set of policy initiatives. maybe you think she's being hypocritical cause republicans don't actually care about that. but it's hard to doubt her sincerity when she's looking at her own down syndrome baby as she's talking.
it's not what she says; it's who she is. "stupid" means: wrong class, wrong college, wrong outfit, wrong state, wrong accent. it is not about her i.q. or something. at any rate this idea that we live in an i.q. aristocracy where the people with the best sat's should (obviously) be telling us all how to live, is profoundly anti-democratic and self-congratulatory. and even if it were true or decent, i doubt that it would get you joe biden over sarah palin.

Comments

[marriotr]

Prof Crispy, just because Rik heads toward one extreme doesn't mean you should head toward the other. Of course not everything Palin said is stupid; the challenge that she has is itself pretty dumb.

I agree that there is a classist element to a large portion of the mockery of Palin, but that mockery doesn't excuse her lack of knowledge or the simplicity of her views. As far as the IQ aristocracy...that is a weakness of mine. I'll have to get back to you on that...

[mr.fuin]

Rik Little now makes me want to vote for McCain/Palin.

[Rik Little]

This is the same Mom woman who is going to "win the wars". The same woman who actively defatherized her own sisters baby with unethical 'leadership'. Education and children have always (since Hitler) been political footballs used to manipulate the masses. She has a down syndrome baby and wants more opportunity for HER baby. There is alot more babies in Iraq and alot more going on involving the highest executive offices in America to waste time listening to Palins self centered drivil. The use of Children to manipulate to heart strings of voters is offensive. I wish she would speak to reform the totally corrupt Family Law system which already criminalizes Fathers and makes grandious payoffs to mothers. Not perpetuate the feminazi Mommy agenda we already have in American Law and culture.