Fear, Greed & Hate

It's the "ABCs" for the GOP -- Fear, Greed & Hate. When you think about it, there is not any policy position that the GOP advocates that does not fall within one of the 3 categories.

I believe that's why Sarah Palin has become such a phenomenon with the Republican Party faithful. She's a hatemonger with a smile.

Although she has energized the party faithful, I'm not sure that she's won over many of the Hillary crowd. Unless you were someone who was for Hillary Clinton only because she’s a woman (or used that as an excuse to hide behind some racist thoughts), there is no way that you would prefer the positions of Palin to Obama. Obama was hardly my first choice, but there is no way a McCain/Palin ticket could appeal to anyone with any liberal or progressive leanings. An issue by issue comparison shows that Clinton and Palin are exactly opposite on all of the important issues – other than the absence of a penis.

Listing all of the things that Palin stands for, Eve Ensler described what is at stake, in Drill, Drill, Drill:

I don't like raging at women. I am a Feminist and have spent my life trying to build community, help empower women and stop violence against them. It is hard to write about Sarah Palin. This is why the Sarah Palin choice was all the more insidious and cynical. The people who made this choice count on the goodness and solidarity of Feminists.

But everything Sarah Palin believes in and practices is antithetical to Feminism which for me is part of one story -- connected to saving the earth, ending racism, empowering women, giving young girls options, opening our minds, deepening tolerance, and ending violence and war.

I believe that the McCain/Palin ticket is one of the most dangerous choices of my lifetime, and should this country chose those candidates the fall-out may be so great, the destruction so vast in so many areas that America may never recover. But what is equally disturbing is the impact that duo would have on the rest of the world. Unfortunately, this is not a joke. In my lifetime I have seen the clownish, the inept, the bizarre be elected to the presidency with regularity.

Likewise, Charlie James provides a profile of Palin for the LA Progressive, in Alaskans Speak (In A Frightened Whisper): Palin Is “Racist, Sexist, Vindictive, And Mean.”:

“So Sambo beat the bitch!” This is how Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin described Barack Obama’s win over Hillary Clinton to political colleagues in a restaurant a few days after Obama locked up the Democratic Party presidential nomination.

* * * *

“It was kind of disgusting,” Lucille, who is part Aboriginal, said in a phone interview after admitting that she is frightened of being discovered telling folks in the “lower 48” about life near the North Pole.

Then, almost with a sigh, she added, “But that’s just Alaska.”

Racial and ethnic slurs may be “just Alaska” and, clearly, they are common, everyday chatter for Palin.

* * * *

But being openly racist is only the tip of the Palin iceberg. According to Alaskans interviewed for this article, she is also vindictive and mean. We’re talking Rove mean and Nixon vindictive.

No wonder the vast sea of white, cheering faces at the Republican Convention went wild for Sarah: They adore the type, it’s in their genetic code. So much for McCain’s pledge of a “high road” campaign; Palin is incapable of being part of one.

Shaun Mullen of Kiko's House also has an excellent three part series on highlights of Palin's career that should not be missed: Part One, Part 2 and Part 3.

And for more of my rants on the female Sid Vicious, see Valley Girls, Sarah-dipity and Temper, Temper.

As I've watched the unfolding of Sarah, with her careful preparation for the prime time playacting in the role of playing VP, I've had to shake my head, because I can't help but be reminded of the story of Eliza Doolittle of My Fair Lady. Obviously Maureen Dowd shared the analogy, in My Fair Veep. That and the feeling that McCain is scurrying around, another Wizard of Oz, hoping not to be exposed as the fraud that he is, hiding behind the curtains manipulating the levers of the campaign.

What else can you expect but movie analogies when the VP is a Tina Fey look-alike? Especially when you'd rather Tina Fey than the real thing.

(Cover via Think Progress)