I really got a little "frothy" to write an answer to Doug MacKinnon's HuffPo query regarding why people on "the left" have such an "unhinged hatred" of Sarah Palin. But in my usual blog-check upon getting access, I found that Tristero at Hullaballoo already gave a good answer.
But I wanted to give my answer why I just don't like her:
Drama.
Mr. MacKinnon points out different stylistic tropes that might engender jealousy--
Fine. I get that. But why Dowd and the feminists? With regard to The New York Times columnist, I asked a female friend of mine who happens to be a psychologist, what might prompt the anger? She mentioned a host of possibilities, but settled on one theory. That being that Dowd "may be threatened or envious of Palin... or both. As an aging but still attractive woman, Dowd may resent Palin's good looks. Further, as a single woman of a certain age, she may be envious that Palin has a husband, a family, and has carved out an accomplished political career."
While not a fan of psycho-babble, it does seem to be a plausible explanation.
With regard to why Purdum, David Letterman, and other liberal males continually go after Palin, the answer might be as easy as they secretly lust after her while also seeing her as the "girlfriend of the quarterback" they could never get in high school. Seriously, look at the "men" who belittle Palin on a regular basis. For the most part, they fit the description of "the pencil-neck geek" from high school. Are they now trying to make Palin pay for their long-ago inadequacies? Is that why Letterman imagines her now as a "Slutty Flight Attendant?" Because she is his fantasy and rather than admit it, he strikes out at her?
As a getting-on middle aged girl who was never very popular or cute, that Sarah is a "Heather" that makes me feel more Winona Ryderish is nothing. That she is the cheerleader married to the jock is nothing--politics isn't high school. I don't like her not because I'm still in high school mode--it's because she is.
Drama!
The reason people even gave up answers to Purdum, just like they leaked all over the place during the McCampaign, is because you have to pass notes about her. The emails about how to handle AIP or really anything are just reminders that she expects other people to answer for her, or they will answer to her. Look at her ehthics complaints up in Alaska. Look at how her per diem issues and travel expenses involve her family. In her eyes, it's Sarah's world and we just live in it. If she seems to be using Trig to say something about her pro-life credentials, or Bristol and her grandbaby to point out her cred on abstinence--it's all about her and her drama. Not about her kids.
But if you mention her kids as Letterman did, she'll attack (Momma Grizzly!). Because what even mentions her kids reflects back on her. Naturally. But they take the abuse while she makes the attack because she put them out there for it in the first place.
But leaving aside the issues of her famiy, the clothes, the per diems, the ethical complaints, the handsome husband and K-Mart photo-beautiful family--the sense of being "just as good as" when she palpably isn't, the absurdity of her touting foreign policy cred by proximity when she can't articulate anything like coherent strategy, her demogoguery for the recently learned neo-con principles Randy Schueneman gave her, the "Hathos" rallies, the winking, the wardrobe, the idea she took our feminism back a little by "cuting it up for the cameras" and traipsing her family about as no man would ever, the careless rockstar shallow "God opened a door" prattle as if we all just had to "recognize"?
Like Peggy Noonan said, it's about narratives, and it's bullshit. The very question "Why not Palin?" is drama! The reason "why not Palin" isn't about being a woman. It's not about conservatism. It's about her not being very good as a governor, and being too much about drama! (Like her sister's ex-husband drama. The using her mayoral office to run for Lt. Governor drama. Her way of dealing with people she thinks crossed her drama. She's always about drama!) Why not Palin?
Tell me why, instead. Tell me why she's credible, mature, experienced and not the drama-queen she makes herself out to be. I don't think it's "unhinged" to oppose her if she is actually against everything I think a good politician should be. So, maybe, just like her drama is all about her, maybe aalysis of why some people don't like her is all about her, as well.
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