Political Cortex: Brain Food for the Body Politic

The Alaskan Pentecostal preacher understood why he felt the accidents were happening because the villagers were being victimized due to allegedly harboring a witch in their village.  This preacher not only was capable, in his mind anyway, of locating the female witch.  With the help of villagers they drove the alleged witch out of the village.

I thought of Sarah Palin, running for vice president, putting her faith in a preacher who has gone on African witch hunts.

It was one thing to see a witch hunt in the Technicolor 1942 Universal movie based on a Rudyard Kipling story of primitive times in the jungle, but quite another to see a vice presidential candidate accepting God's blessing or whatever holding his hands over her head represented.

Tyras Bookman of San Francisco wrote this letter that appeared in the Seattle Times October 4:

"People are not criticizing Governor Sarah Palin because she sounds like a middle American.  They are criticizing her because she comes off as an empty suit who knows not what she speaks.

"She sounds as if she has been cramming for a test for five weeks.  She may have memorized some facts and phrases, but she did so, without acquiring the subtle understanding that is required for true comprehension.

"Ms. Palin presents a veil of hackneyed phrases and platitudes to conceal the fact that she started thinking about these issues only five weeks ago."

Jocelyn Kasper of Nashville wrote this letter to the Seattle Times that appeared October 7:

"Is Gov. Sarah Palin stage-managing her language to endear herself to Americans?

"Steven Pinker says it would be `unfair to question the authenticity of her accent.'  But I think it would be fair to question the authenticity of the way she uses her accent.  

"Ms. Palin overuses colloquialisms (`you know,' `you betcha') and cutesy clichés (`Joe Sixpack,' `hockey moms') as a shield for what she doesn't know and a pretense to manipulate listeners.

"Ms. Palin calculates to exaggerate certain linguistic `Americanisms', but she is inconsistent.  Her speech cannot be trusted as authentic."

I have interviewed movie stars, astronauts, psychics and UFO buffs.  If I interviewed Sarah my curiosity would compel me to ask Sarah one question:  

Sarah, does it ever cross your mind to consider the awful pain and suffering that moose you kill must feel in intensely bloody deaths, all so you can apparently pride yourself in achieving this kill, and then enjoy a moose stew?

Does it bother your conscience when you declare over and over, "You need to know that Barack Obama has worked with domestic terrorists," which you must know is a lie?  Only Barack Obama can feel the full painful impact of being victimized by Joe McCarthy style smear tactics.

You know full well that Obama was only 8 years old when William Ayers was protesting with an anti-Vietnam War group, in which some members did resort to violence.  Years later Ayers totally rejected this protest style, becoming a highly respected Illinois University professor.

Barack Obama's only association with Ayers was on an Annenberg (prominent Republican) educational project.  Your labeling of Ayers as a terrorist now that Obama is running for president must be equally painful for Ayers as you repeatedly slash his reputation.

Sarah, are you even fleetingly aware of how you will be thought of, after all your slanderous statements that you take such delight in making now?

What will be your election legacy?

Your conduct parallels precisely what author Jeff Walker, Ayn Rand's biographer, discovered in her personal journal when she was 30 years of age:

"One puts oneself above all and crushes everything in one's way to get the best for oneself.  Fine!"

(And Sarah, in your case apparently that applies to both man and beast!)