Observations and inanities by a second-shift assistant supervisor in the Puppy-Grinding division of the Evil Atheist Conspiracy® (our motto: "Sure it's cruel, but think of the jobs!"), your host, Brent Rasmussen.
What Sarah Palin Is Saying - UPDATED
An interesting examination of the linguistics behind Sarah Palin's assertions that Barack Obama "pals around with terrorists", from Anil Dash:
Sarah Palin has been unsurprising in her criticisms of Barack Obama's credentials and policies, fulfilling the traditional role of the vice presidential candidate being the most aggressive and pointed rhetorical attacker in a campaign. But a closer look at her deliberate use of vernacular and language reveals that she has gone far beyond any other candidate in vice presidential history in the dangerous and irresponsible implications of her attacks. She has phrased her attacks on Obama in a way that avoids accountability to the press while specifically addressing the subset of her audience who are most likely to advocate extreme actions against Obama.
* * *
Put simply, if Palin says "Barack Obama consorts with terrorists", she is making the assertion that he supports acts of violence against American citizens and the media will refute this obviously false assertion. If, instead, Palin says he "pals around with terrorists", she's used code-switching to mask the seriousness of the charge, obfuscating her meaning enough to get away with making an assertion that inevitably calls for the imprisonment or even assassination of a political opponent.
It's an interesting analysis (and much lengthier than what I have excerpted here), and fits fairly well from what I remember of Hermeneutics from grad school. It also explains some of what I have seen with Palin - someone who is sharp, ambitious, and with a strong appeal to a demographic she has defined well. She's also a demagogue of the worst sort, as can be seen from her language and behaviour on the stump. I think that she is indeed doing this intentionally, consciously, and in a cynical calculation that it will help promote her own political career. She is the face of American theocracy - or at least, she wants to be.
UPDATE: ABC News has Gov. Palin already saying that she wants the 2012 nomination:
In an interview with ABC News' Elizabeth Vargas, the Republican vice-presidential nominee was asked about 2012, whether she was discouraged by the daily attacks on the campaign trail, and would instead pack it in and return to her home state of Alaska.
"I think that, if I were to give up and wave a white flag of surrender against some of the political shots that we've taken, that would bring this whole … I'm not doing this for naught," Palin said.
BWAHAHAHAHA - evidently, her comments have left the McCain senior advisors "speechless". Yeah, she's on a mission from God, alright.
Jim Downey
Bookmark/Search this post with:
It's hard to tell whether
It's hard to tell whether Palin's statements from the campaign were insights to the real Sarah Palin or awkward attempts by the McCain campaign to create a Sarah Palin they thought would most help the campaign. It's clear that she was under some heavy control, but what's still not clear is which part is the real thing and which part was the creation. Regardless, it seems her national political ambitions are over, so it's probably only Alaska that will deal with her in the future.
-nickfromavvo
Whats worst, terrorist or atheist?
Trailing in her NC Senate Campaign, Elizabeth Dole has unleashed an attack ad which basically accuses her opponent of being an atheist. In NC, that might be considered worst than being a terrorist-at least they believe in something!
Though she has competition . . .
. . . for that "face of American theocracy":
Jim Downey
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Like Science Fiction? Read *or listen to* my novel, Communion of Dreams, for free.