Bloodthirsty Liberal

Just one question for the Liberal Media—and since that includes just about everyone still working in print, pick a spokesman to answer for you—if Governor Palin is such a joke, why the hell are you guys spilling so much ink to bring her down?

As Palin makes her way slowly across the crowded ballroom—dressed all in black; no red Naughty Monkey Double Dare pumps tonight—she is stopped every few inches by adoring fans. She passes the press pen, where at least eight television cameras and a passel of reporters and photographers are corralled, and spots a reporter for a local community newspaper getting ready to take a happy snap with his pocket camera. For a split second she stops, pauses, turns her head and shoulders just so, and smiles. She holds the pose until she’s sure the man has his shot and then moves on. A few minutes later, the evening’s nominal keynote speaker, the Republican Party’s national chairman, Michael Steele, who has been reduced to a footnote in the proceedings, introduces the special guest speaker as “the storm that is the honorable governor of the great state of Alaska, Sarah Palin!”

Just where that storm may be heading is one of the most intriguing issues in American politics today. Palin is at once the sexiest and the riskiest brand in the Republican Party. Her appeal to people in the party (and in the country) who share her convictions and resentments is profound. The fascination is viral, and global. Bill McAllister, until recently Palin’s statehouse spokesman, says that he has fielded (and declined) interview requests from France, England, Italy, Switzerland, Israel, Germany, Bulgaria, “and probably other countries I’ve forgotten about.” (Palin, keeping her distance from most domestic media as well, also declined to talk to V.F.).

Can’t imagine why.

But at least the author acknowledges her appeal, and gets a glimmer of the reasons for it (”… people in the party (and in the country) who share her convictions and resentments is profound”). But her convictions (in the greatness of America) are not their convictions: they respond, rather, to President Obama’s catalog of complaints about the country. And her resentments (big government) are most assuredly not theirs either. Stimulus? How exciting! Cap-and-trade? How bold! Socialized medicine? What took us so long?

Palin’s shortcomings need no more elaboration here: they were covered amply enough in the campaign. And if she repeats the mistakes of last time, there won’t be much of a next time.

But I don’t see that happening. And if Chris Matthews can get a thrill up his leg (and beyond) from Barack Obama, I don’t see what the problem is with millions of conservative who suffer the same sensation at the sight or thought of Miss Wasilla.