Stop the Sneering
O.k., Democrats have already shot themselves in the ass in the ten days since we learned about Palin. The McCain camp has won game and set, if not match.
It's Democratic sneering--or so it seems--that was one of our biggest contributions to this victory.
Whether or not it's true, many non-urban, non-coastal types think that more urban and academic types deride and disrespect them. I've argued here in the past that there's a grain of truth in this, but that's to some extent beside the point for the purposes of solving the strategic problem we've helped work ourselves into.
The sneering has to stop NOW.
It would have been better if it had stopped ten days ago, but what's done is done. The McCain camp judoed the hell out of us, using our own derision against us. We came at 'em with the full force of our withering bon mots--oh, we were so clever, were we not?--and they put us on our collective ass.
Is it fair? No it isn't. First, of course, Palin is about as unqualified as anyone could be. It's an insult to America that she was nominated, and in a perfect world we wouldn't have to take her seriously. But it isn't, and we do.
It's unfair and angrifying as hell that her vapid, disrespectful speech at the Republican convention is treated as a tour de force. But that's a fact we have to deal with.
And it's not fair that Democrats are viewed as condescending toward non-urban, non-coastal America...especially what with most Democrats being non-urban and non-coastal and all. But, again, them's the facts.
And given the facts as they are, sneering condescension may very well be the worst reaction to Palin. It may be that every public sneer costs us votes, because every sneer at Palin will be misconstrued as a sneer at non-urban, non-coastal America.
I saw Olberman and Rachel Maddow--especially the former--sneering away at Palin last night, and it was a little much even for me. It might have been cathartic for them and many of their viewers, but what I thought while watching it was: there go several thousand votes. Sneering at, e.g., her Pentecostalism simply isn't going to garner any additional votes for Obama; in fact, it'll do just the opposite.
Whatever the facts of the matter, much of non-coastal, non-urban American thinks that the coastal and urban parts of the country look down upon it. It's a sore spot, and it's easily irritated.
Palin might very well be sneer-worthy, but those sneers are going to be misconstrued, and they're going to lose votes for the good guys.
O.k., Democrats have already shot themselves in the ass in the ten days since we learned about Palin. The McCain camp has won game and set, if not match.
It's Democratic sneering--or so it seems--that was one of our biggest contributions to this victory.
Whether or not it's true, many non-urban, non-coastal types think that more urban and academic types deride and disrespect them. I've argued here in the past that there's a grain of truth in this, but that's to some extent beside the point for the purposes of solving the strategic problem we've helped work ourselves into.
The sneering has to stop NOW.
It would have been better if it had stopped ten days ago, but what's done is done. The McCain camp judoed the hell out of us, using our own derision against us. We came at 'em with the full force of our withering bon mots--oh, we were so clever, were we not?--and they put us on our collective ass.
Is it fair? No it isn't. First, of course, Palin is about as unqualified as anyone could be. It's an insult to America that she was nominated, and in a perfect world we wouldn't have to take her seriously. But it isn't, and we do.
It's unfair and angrifying as hell that her vapid, disrespectful speech at the Republican convention is treated as a tour de force. But that's a fact we have to deal with.
And it's not fair that Democrats are viewed as condescending toward non-urban, non-coastal America...especially what with most Democrats being non-urban and non-coastal and all. But, again, them's the facts.
And given the facts as they are, sneering condescension may very well be the worst reaction to Palin. It may be that every public sneer costs us votes, because every sneer at Palin will be misconstrued as a sneer at non-urban, non-coastal America.
I saw Olberman and Rachel Maddow--especially the former--sneering away at Palin last night, and it was a little much even for me. It might have been cathartic for them and many of their viewers, but what I thought while watching it was: there go several thousand votes. Sneering at, e.g., her Pentecostalism simply isn't going to garner any additional votes for Obama; in fact, it'll do just the opposite.
Whatever the facts of the matter, much of non-coastal, non-urban American thinks that the coastal and urban parts of the country look down upon it. It's a sore spot, and it's easily irritated.
Palin might very well be sneer-worthy, but those sneers are going to be misconstrued, and they're going to lose votes for the good guys.
posted by Winston Smith at
9:56 AM
1 Comments:
It seems to me that all Dems really need to do wrt Palin is to clearly define where she wants to lead the country and then say "We don't want to go there, and we don't think you do either." Her positions are extreme enough that McCain-Palin can't win on them. That's they're trying to avoid even talking about them.
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