In the comments below I asserted that Sarah Palin’s political future is in her own hands because she has a following that will stand with her come hell or high water. For example, Erick Erickson of RedState states his analysis that Sarah Palin is probably done with electoral politics. So RedState gets emails like this:
From: Ann Carmichael
Subject: I love Sarah Palin
Date: July 3, 2009 7:47:19 PM EDT
To: RedStateI will not click on your sh**ty website ever again. Go to Hell!
The interesting fact is that of course Erick Erickson is not, and has not, been an anti-Sarah Palin conservative. He was simply offering his assessment of the future based on the facts that he had on hand. The scuttering of Harriet Miers’ nomination though suggests there are limits to the power of evangelical identity politics at the heights of the conservative movement, but it may be a different issue altogether in the primary process. The modern conservative elite itself descends from insurgents who overthrew the East Coast Establishment.
One interesting point is that successful presidential candidates of the past who mobilized mass support through the “common touch,” such as Andrew Jackson and William Henry Harrison, were actually relatively accomplished or privileged. Harrison burnished a log-cabin image despite his Virginia planter origins, while Jackson was a successful and wealthy man who had climbed into the back-country Ascendancy.
Addendum: Of the four candidates last fall Sarah Palin quickly became by far the least popular. Her negatives were high. But she has a intense following. I think perhaps an analogy can be made to the Ron Paul movement, which simply lacked the numbers to make an electoral impact, but in some ways shifted the debate because of its focus and organization.
Ann Carmichael’s comment is pretty much representative of the kind of thing Sarah’s most avid admirers are saying. Either they don’t actually read the stuff to which they’re responding, or their reading comprehension isn’t that highly developed.
The godly certainly do have a firm grasp of obscenity and scatology, though. I think I learned four synonyms for “d**khead” today—and that was just from reading the replies to Jonah Goldberg’s column.
The godly certainly do have a firm grasp of obscenity and scatology
i think the “godly” here needs to be qualified, as it refers to a particular sort of populist low church protestant demographic. this has been part of the “new right” coalition since the 1970s, but has always played second fiddle to what elite conservatives dictate. i doubt this sort of populism can every really succeed, the snake always needs a head, but it will be interesting to watch faction breaking out.
no matter how much mitt romney tries to mollify this segment, *if* it is he vs. palin in 2012 there is no way that he’ll be able to prevent the populist protestant element from portraying it as the righteous vs. the damned. he’s already on thin ground because of his mormonism.
I haven’t looked at the demographics of Palin’s support, but my recollection from last August is that the Maverick brought on another Maverick, who also had good bona-fides with the social conservatives.
If her fanbase consists strictly of social conservatives, I would think that Huckabee is more in tune with their sensibilities. Palin strikes me more as a Western brand of conservatism, someone whose personal beliefs have intersection with social conservatism but who political policies don’t much adhere to social conservative prescriptions.
If her fanbase consists strictly of social conservatives, I would think that Huckabee is more in tune with their sensibilities. Palin strikes me more as a Western brand of conservatism, someone whose personal beliefs have intersection with social conservatism but who political policies don’t much adhere to social conservative prescriptions.
to a great extent for governors social conservatism or liberalism is talk and no action. they’re implementers of budgets and services more definers of grand visions (thanks to the fact that states need to balance their budgets).
re: huck vs. sarah. seems like she has more charisma. also she’s been savaged by the secular left, and he hasn’t. he’s a good talker though.
i’ll look up the demos, i’m sure they were polled….
@Susan
When I read Carmichael’s email I thought of this…
Isn’t just easier to say “Goodbye, you self-absorbed, tiresome drama queen” and be done with her?
Neuroskeptic, thanks for the link to “Objects of Fandom.” It’s an interesting summation of why some things are revered not in spite of their crappiness but because of it.
In the case of Sarah’s fans, they not only admire her, they IDENTIFY with her. Maybe more than identify: they’ve merged. She’s them, and they are her. An attack on her is an attack on them.
Half Sigma thinks she was bored with the job. Certainly is way in over her head.
If the Republicans want to nominate her in 2012 then 4 more years of Obama it will be.
That’s going to be the case regardless of who the GOP nomination goes to. Do you think Letterman, Todd Purdum, Keith Olbermann and the rest can’t or won’t make “jokes” about any GOP, Libertarian, or CP nominee (or their family members)? Dream on.