The Palin Rally Mentality – Thoughts from Fairbanks
Today I continue today to bring you reports from Mudflatters across the state – those who were at the Abdication Ceremony, and those that celebrated Palin’s stepping down in other ways.
I look forward to writing about other things, but today we continue to purge our systems. Here are some thoughts on the Palin “rally mentality” from Mudflatter K in Fairbanks.
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I’ve been at Fairbanks political events before, and patriotic galas at this same park on the 4th of July, etc., and I’ve even encountered Ms. Palin at the Tanana Valley Fair back when she was running for Lt. Governor, but I have never had the experience of being in a Palin rally before. It was creepy, and it didn’t start out that way.
The creepiness factor all happened while she was speaking. And only when she was speaking. Before the ceremony started, I thought it was a fairly normal Fairbanks all-stripes, all-mixed-together crowd, friends, neighbors, visitors, a bit heavy on Palin supporters, which was to be expected, but with a full range of opinions and no sense of heavy-handedness toward anyone else. Not so at all when she was talking. This strange group pressure started happening. First it was everyone jointly giving polite applause regardless of what side they were on. Then it got to be, you felt singled out if you weren’t applauding at the cued moments. I even observed people standing in the vicinity of the anti-Palin signs feel compelled to applaud, though I can hardly imagine it was out of agreement with what she was saying or how she was saying it. I can not account for this. But now I “get” what happened at those rallies during the election. Eww, eww, eww.
It got so that I kept fiddling with my camera constantly to keep my hands busy so that I wouldn’t feel naked for not applauding every twenty seconds. And the more the speech went on, the more awkward it got. The non-applauder stands out as some sort of interloper, and you feel surrounded by this miasmic presence, a ghost of Joe McCarthy or something, ready to shake his UnAmerican Activities Committee gavel at you, just for not participating in the rah-rah. I saw one person in my immediate vicinity -just one- listen steadfastly throughout without applauding. I respected that person before but now I respect him even more.
Somehow, she triggers those responses in different ways for different people, more so when you’re there in the crowd, hearing these quasi-aggressive cheers coming from all directions around you. This speech hit a lot of Alaskan buttons, and conflated Alaska with “real America” standing up for itself for once (against our terrible democracy that we’ve inflicted upon ourselves, and which we fought as a Territory for years to join, but hey, minor point.) She’s got her supporters already, and she’s catching just enough of those little identity tags to pull other people in subconsciously. It’s creepy. And then when she’s done, the whole thing goes back to normal, and the crowd more or less settles back into itself.
I’d be curious to know if any Mudflatters back during the election had similar experiences at these rallies.
Submitted by Mudflatter K
July 27, 2009
#128 – Lee323 Says:
July 29th, 2009 at 12:07 AM
The Palin Rally Mentality. To find some answers to this, it’s necessary to look closely at her base.
Who is Palin’s base? ….
Wow! Great analysis Lee!
Within the Catholic church we have the same type of extremes. I’m a craddle Catholic and I consider myself a libral Catholic. The Legionaries of Christ and Regnim Christi members are extreme (over cooked) Catholics and they are just as frightening as fundamental Christians like Palin. The Legionaries of Christ is considered a Catholic cult. They practice brain washing to recruite members and cutting off ties to family and friends…very scary stuff. Oh yeah, they also have LOTS of money and they use their money for political pull. I happen to know a few of these folks and guess what? Palin speaks their language. Thank God the Diocease of Columbus, OH has banned the Legionaries of Christ and their Regnim Christi followers!!! Funny how Franklin County, OH (where Columbus is) is a blue county but southern Ohio is red and thats an area where the Legionaries of Christ have lots of control!
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#133 – debinOH Says:
July 29th, 2009 at 6:46 AM
Since I live in the same state as Joe the Freakin’ Plumber don’t ask me about creepiness:)
HA-HA-HA! I’m from Ohio too…I grew up near Toledo where Joe the not-so-real-Plumber is…it embarasses me quite frankly!
Its the mob mentality. We are a social animal and we run with the herd.
At a guess there is probably a subtle pheromone or chemical thing that goes on in a close crowd of people.
Again like a herd smelling the fear of other herd members.
Not to mention locker rooms
Fawnskins post re: the meeting she attended at Pepperdine where Roberts and Starr were so vocal about religion and the law, highlights the utter hypocrisy of their party. Play back the grilling Sontomayor received and how they were so afraid she would introduce her beliefs to the SC. Was Roberts grilled about his religious beliefs and how they would affect his decisions? This may be OT but fawns post kind of jumped out to me.
G Katz, Wow. I guess that goes a long way in explaining why we hear so many Glen Becks of the world going on & on about “Freedom.” Always wondered why their ideas of freedom seemed so illogical. That would help explain it.
Since I live in the same state as Joe the Freakin’ Plumber don’t ask me about creepiness:)
#28 Lee323 Thanks for your insightful comments.
I grew up in a fundamentalist/evangelical/pentecostal Christian household back in the day when it was weird and unpopular. I rejected the judgmental teachings that condemned millions of people to burn for eternity–including Catholics and those who had never head of Jesus.
Seeing SP on the national stage brings back frightful memories. I cannot turn away when she is on no matter how much I am repulsed by her. I am appalled by her duplicity.
The videos about the 7 mountains (see Bruce Wilson on the Daily Kos) and SPs apparent ties to it should be enough to keep all of us interested–not only in SP, but on all the politicians who are involved. They are deceiving us by using words that we understand to mean one thing, but they mean another. For instance, when you hear the word “freedom,” like me, you probably take its meaning for granted. In the video, “Lance Wallnau Explains The Seven Mountains Mandate,” that word takes on a different twist:
“You actually have to realize that where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And if you want to see freedom economically or freedom culturally or freedom politcally, you have to honor God, because Satan with his powers in second heaven, is just waiting for democracies to fail so that he can raise up totalitarian popular movements that are going to be speaking to the frustration of the masses. ”
They believe that freedom comes from forcing their interpretation of the Bible on all aspects of culture (the seven mountains), which is opposite of my feelings about separation of church and state.
Thank you mudflats community for sharing your stories, your insights, your experiences.
I really, truly love y’all. (((((((Mudflatters)))))))
You renew my belief in humanity.
((((all mudpuppies)))
Wow. Now I remember why I come here. Even when I should be sleeping.
I can’t say it any better than many have already said it here.
I am with you all.
The Palin Rally Mentality. To find some answers to this, it’s necessary to look closely at her base.
Who is Palin’s base?
1) According to pollsters, Palin’s highest “favorables” come from Evangelical Christians, many of who are hardcore fundamentalists (by definition, believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible). Any research into Palin’s religious beliefs reveals that she’s a fundamentalist. Her extreme right wing views on most social issues endear her to this group regardless of other policies.
2) Palin’s base tends to be high school educated or less….. which facilitates acceptance of the literal interpretation of the Bible and rejection of secular and scientific claims of various issues, not to mention that ignorance in general facilitates acceptance of demagoguery with fewer questions and skepticism.
3) Palin’s base tends to be small town, rural, lower Midwest and South in demographics . Across the Bible Belt, basically. Less exposure and interaction with people who are different culturally.
Fundamental Christianity is a proselytizing religion. Every true believer has the commission to spread the gospel and convert the “lost.”….. Meanwhile, the larger society of the US is increasingly becoming more secularized and less overtly religious than ever before, not more converted. While Christians nod sagely that these trends are “signs of the end times,” the actuality of boundaries falling away is extremely unsettling and frightening to these fundamental Christians. Abortion. Gay marriage. Sex before marriage. Mass media licentiousness. Rising divorce….Their world of rules and strictures is falling apart. It’s no longer enough to be just a “good” Christian going to church on Sunday anymore. Now, it’s a holy war with recruitment of Christian “warriors.” (As many fine articles have been posted on this, I don’t want to add more here. Recommend Leah Burton’s theopalinism.com and Phil Munger at progressive alaska.com for more analysis of the real details behind The Righteous Warriors and their war on modern America)
What does all this have to do with Palin’s speeches and her ability to incite crowds negatively?
Judgmentalism…..potently bred out of fundamental religion.
Judgmentalism is a form of POWER.
1-A religiously judgmental person feels that s/he has moral superiority over anyone who doesn’t believe as s/he does. God-given moral superiority.
2- Therefore, the judgmental person feels s/he has the power to judge what is right or wrong with other people and their actions.
3-AND, the judgmental person feels that s/he has the power to judge which corrective actions or punishment are necessary for other people to bring them into compliance.
Palin is a profoundly judgmental. One example is her treatment of the rural villagers last Jan-Feb. who were having to choose between food and fuel due to circumstances beyond their control. Not only did she ignore them initially but when she did show up, she came armed with Preacher Graham, cookies, and religious tracts tucked into their boxes of food….followed by a scolding of the village Native Elders for their poor leadership and admonishments to the young adults that they must move out of their village to accommodate a modern “cash-based” society.
The shadow side of judgmentalism is victimization. If the person is not given their perceived due as the superior moral being, they feel an injustice has been perpetrated against them. Look at her speeches….most of them have underlying themes of a combination of judgmentalism and victimization.
Palin’s speeches allow access to that power by proxy for her fans. Her rhetoric is a siren call of power, especially attractive to the powerless, the “victimized,” the fearful, the bullies, and the equally judgmental people who share her views. People don’t have to be particularly religious to respond to the allure of a judgmental voice…..just have a chip on their shoulders for one reason or another that demands redress or retribution.
In a nut shell: A) Palin’s cries of victimization rally the crowd at a subconscious level into a cohesive phalanx of shared outrage. B) She points her finger of judgmentalism at the “enemy” (“the other,” the media, the bloggers, the ethics complaint filers, “The Feds” etc.) and focuses that outrage onto a specific target(s). C)….Mob mentality neatly delivered. Stoked. Hateful. Vengeful. Pitch-fork ready.
Anyone with a background in fundamental religion knows the power of judgmentalism. In fact, it’s a required element in racism, bigotry, ethnocentrism, xenophobia, extreme nationalism etc…..The “other” is judged inferior and, from that point, a whole spectrum of uncivil behavior can be manifest….from a curling of the lip to a beating to a shooting to suicide bombers to the invasion of another country. Judgmentalism does not only arise from religious origins but, without a doubt, it did in Palin. Combine it with narcissism and charisma….and you got SP in all her pitiful, misguided glory….on a mission from God.
Note: Not all fundamental Christians are grossly judgmental. Some are appalled by Palin’s lack of humility and grace.
This is the civil discussion that strengthen us as informed Americans and citizens of the world. This is the dialogue that AG Eric Holder must have hoped for when he made the ‘nation of cowards’ comment earlier this year. Many were appalled at Holder’s outrageous implication of being afraid to talk about conscious and unconscious fear of those unlike ourselves.
Well, we can see the how some unspoken and thinly veiled code-speaking appeals to baser human emotions is turning out. Could Ms. Palin head of a third-party? A reconstituted Constitution Party?
Thank you ‘flatters for this discussion. We must stay vigilant re the unleashed-no-more-politically-correct-servant’s-heart Sarah Palin and her grand master puppeteers. The rabid freepers are simply dues paying choir members who blindly support the Pinocchio doll. It’s show time.
@ 124 bigslick:
Yep…We need to watch her and many others. “Revengelical Right” sums it up and is perfect for these crazies.
new post with good pictures.
Beware the Rise of the Revengelical Right
SHE will be back and WE must remain vigilant
There was a McCain/Palin rally down here in Albuquerque during the campaign. You had to have tickets to get in. A couple visiting from out of state managed to get a pair of tickets and were in line waiting to get in. There was a very vocal group of anti-McCain/Palin protesters across the street shouting at the sheeple. In a friendly way, the out of state woman yelled back “Go Obama!” The security folks heard her and refused her and her husband entrance. Since it was deemed a “private” event, they said they could refuse entry for any reason. The thing is, the couple were Independents and undecided up until that moment. The video was posted on KOAT.com and might still be available.
As the moderates are driven from the Republican Party – see Sen. Voinovich’s rant this week as evidence of their disgust – the party is being distilled down to its unpalatable base: rather ugly, moribund cave dwelling misanthropes that seemed to be attracted fanatical, racist, bigoted, and generally ignorant conspiracy delusions. These folks are not rocket scientists. They are hopelessly ignorant bigots who are easily manipulated by fear. However, I don’t really see that it was Palin who was behind her words which helped to incite this mob. She simply isn’t smart enough to devise cunning long term plans like that.
I am not fearful of Palin in the least. Why? Because she is an idiot. She is a hopelessly narcissistic ignoramus who is very ambitious of titles, but not of responsibility. If she had a brain in her head she would have tried to burnish her record as governor, instead she quit. She lacks the intelligence, discipline and the toughness to weather a protracted national campaign. Hers lasted about 8 weeks. She faced very little real pressure. Then she couldn’t stand the barbs slung at her by local bloggers. Bloggers! Slights that wouldn’t register with anyone else seemed to transfix and infuriate her. If she can’t stand the heat in the tiny Alaskan kitchen, the hellish blast furnace she would face in primary battles and intra-party debates would be more than she could bear. She is unable to let any perceived slight pass unchallenged and she would face exponentially more challenges than ever before. Even during the campaign, McCain’s staff kept her isolated and protected as much as possible. She will never again be able to run for any office with that type of insulation from the press.
Those whom I fear are the jackals in the conservative media: Limbaugh, Coulter, FauxNews, et. al. They are the ones that mobilized the drooling crowds of simpletons that make up the “Tea Parties” and the “birthers.” They not so subtly exploit the racism of these disaffected troglodytes and mobilize them as foot soldiers in their cause of returning Republicans to power. They have been more than willing to employ ethnic and religious bigotry, racism, lying, and even appearing to side with our enemies in a time a war. They have proven themselves to be liars and even traitors. They are dangerous.
Given FauxNews’ recent indulgences of Lt. Col. Ralph Peters and his call for the Taliban to execute captured Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl, I think that they have finally crossed the line into outright treason. I say that it is time for a boycott of FauxNews’ sponsors.
Palin is self destructing, in fact, she may have already inflicted her own coup de grace. The FauxNews crowd, however, has the money and the platform to incite violence, shades of which we have already seen at the Teabagger rallies.
What they (her followers) don’t seem to realize is that they’re tipping off the FBI by talking about “civil war”. “Not very bright” indeed…
@Sharon Arnold
Now you’ve done it–I’ll never sleep tonight for worrying! (just kidding)
Sometimes I truly fear these people, but then I realize that for the most part, they are not very bright (much like their leader) and if we keep an eye on them and remain alert, we can head them off at the pass before they do too much damage.
Oops….sorry…Off Topic. Yikes.
Woo Hoo…Frank Bailey and Kris Perry have resigned! Wonder if they were given a gentle shove out the door? Frank Bailey should haver been ousted long ago for his lies. How many nmore will fall? If Governor Parnell gave them a gentle shove out the door…..good for him…He needs to set his own course with his own staff.
Palin is the scariest politician that I have ever seen capture the national attention. I’ll follow her antics from now on to monitor what her psycho followers spout and to do what little I can to fight it. I don’t hesitate to state my opinion of her but that’s basically privately or to small groups of friends/acquaintances. A rally would indeed be scary. I’m sure I wouldn’t clap no matter what. I’m 66 and have no intention of attending a rally. Watching on TV makes me sick.
But it’s not just her that’s frightening. As all of you know, it’s the large number of followers. The Believers. (I’ve noticed how often they capitalize “she” when referring to her. At first I thought it was just typos but there’s quite a few who do it regularly on her FB site). Scary people who’ve come out of the shadows via the Internet and found their voice through her. I live in FL now and I hear how wonderful she is from people from all walks of life. I look them straight in the eye and say “I can’t stand her because…” and then quickly finish it up with a comment about her lack of education or her lies always with quick short facts. I’ve learned though that logic and reason don’t seem to matter. It may silence them because they don’t have real reasons for their devotion but it doesn’t change their mind.
Tonight on Palin’s FB, there was a comment from a man (paraphrased here) “…If they (meaning the media) attack her now that she’s a private citizen, there’ll be a civil war. We won’t let them get away with it now”. Palin would love that – it would feed that horrible ego. I think she’s on drugs or she’s mentally ill or both. I’ve learned a lot about the real Palin here on Mudflats. I’m glad you folks are here. Keep up the good work.
Oh yeah! SUPER CREEP factor is right. This is how Hitler came into power…EWW!!! Selling hate: She does belong on Fox news!
I really don’t see Palin and her followers as much of a threat. Her base will never get larger than it is, and in fact it appears to be shrinking.
Yes, I do see the anger and vitriol that she and her ilk are espousing, but the majority of Americans see right through her.
When economic times are tough, people like Palin will always have an audience.
That’s why people need to be vigilant. I would feel better if the audience in Fairbanks had booed her somewhat, but that’s okay.
Frankly, if the media would stop following her around and giving her so much free publicity, she would fade away.
Right on. You captured the whole you are the only real people attitudes in her speeches. “Fairbanks have lots of people that support the military”.
Constantly pushing the wedge between you are either with me or against me, this Palin.
Easy choice here. but feels creepy.
@Ebbtide – I saw Alexandra Pelosi’s documentary and found it very disturbing.
The people who attended those rallies think they are the “Real America.” That’s what is so scary. You can’t reason with people with that kind of mentality.
Ebbtide Says:
July 28th, 2009 at 6:23 PM
If you get a chance, watch Alexandra Pelosi’s documentary that she did for HBO “Right America: Feeling Wronged.” She went to a bunch of McCain/Palin rallies around the country (the worst of them were in Ohio.) Scary stuff.
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Thank you. I couldn’t remember the name of what I had seen. I googled this and that is the one! Very scary indeed.
Great Post..I know she scares the hell out of me..Hubby agress she is mentaly unbalanced..I’m in my 60’s and i don’t like being in crowds, I as at one rally..The tension in the air was really frightening..I was trying to remain sme what calm..Couldn’t get out of there fast enough..Same mentality as $arah’s groupies…Toooo old for this ^hit…
Mudpu K thanks for the input.I could see the difference if the faces of the crowd .I have only listened to bits and pieces other than the debates of her and McCain The minuet she started on her hate speeches I tuned her out and off. I agree she can poison peoples minds with her word salad that seems to make sense to her followers..At the rate Rush L,Beck and her are going they could very well star urban warfare in our own country Is that what they want? Is that why all the hate from Faux Noise especially?I know that we have to keep an eye on what this person is up to or we will all eventually lose.Obama held Wisconsin so she is not wanted here either and as for Texas I know people down there that would have nothing to do with her,
This type of thing happened at Stalin rallies in Russia. It is documented. People would not stop clapping because the first person that stopped usually ended up missing.
Ann Applebaum, whom wrote a Pulitzer Prize winning novel about the gulags in Russia and ironically an articleabout Sarah recently, is where I read about the phenomena. Scary.
Hey Polly! Glad you’re going to check out MomsRising.org! They’re the froup that had a great mother’s day video that you could put friends names in to send as a greeting. It was a blast. Just today, I received my MomsRising label/bumper sticker. I can’t wait to get my van back from getting new brakes so I can put it on. They’re currently organizing neighborhood meetings throughout the country to tackle issues like health care.
— MOMS ROCK!—
🙂
Gotta go night-night now. I love all you mudpups!
We all know that the more exposure SP gets, the more people will see her weaknesses. We have had 2 whole days without her twitters or press releases or other blatthers. The blogosphere has been filled with comments on her capitulation speech.
We seem to understand that the end has not come. She had the name, “GINO.” Not having the title anymore doesn’t change anything. Maybe she has become a symbol.
I’m thinking of our first awareness of feminism with “The Feminine Mystique.” The rebellion was diffuse and too often directed at our mothers and grandmothers. It took an attractive woman such as Gloria Steinem to get some acknowledgement from the men that there was some validity.
We saw Phyliss Shafly as an impotent shrilly person. But probably it was Sarah Palin who finally caused some coalescence. Attractive, powerful, but lacking in true feminity and most important, humanity. We have our step stone. Our point of finding common ground.
Hooray! Mudflats!
If you get a chance, watch Alexandra Pelosi’s documentary that she did for HBO “Right America: Feeling Wronged.” She went to a bunch of McCain/Palin rallies around the country (the worst of them were in Ohio.) Scary stuff.
Great post Mudflatter K, and thanks, AKM!!
Well, according to Huff Post: “Radio journal Inside Radio reports that, according to sources, Palin’s reps “have been quietly testing the waters to see how much interest radio syndicators have for her.”
Boggles the mind….
I never went to a McCain/Palin rally, but I saw plenty of them on tv and the creep factor you speak of came right through my screen. I once saw an amateur video of people filing into the venue capturing their comments and the hatred. It was scary. Some were even encouraging their children to spew the hate and carry the signs. There was another one I remember where these two guys (I think it was a Nascar thing linked to a rally or something like that) openly and blatantly made terrible racist remarks about Obama and they were not holding back. That compounded with mob mentality can be an unsettling and potentially dangerous situation.
Great post and thanks for sharing.
It boils down to: They are the dinosaurs, we are the meteor. It’s inevitable…
I ♥ Mudflats and all of us mudpuppies! Whenever I despair of the world and what sort of future my granddaughter will inherit, I come here and listen to the diversity of our voices and thoughts and experiences, and I am comforted. I am less worried to know that there are sane voices all over this beautiful country speaking to our children and families and that goodness will grow exponentially from this. There is such love here, even when we disagree. Thank you AKM for being the vehicle by which we have traveled to this place.
Palin may have rabid fanatics on her side, but we have the greater gift of respect and compassion and a wider vision for the world. She sees everything in the mirror of herself. Try as she might, she will never be able to hold a tiny candle to our incredible (even when I disagree with him) President Obama.
No resting on our laurels, though. We can heave a sigh of relief and return to vigilance. I think it is a wonderful thing that we have eyes and ears in nearly every place around the globe so we are no longer completely asleep, not only to keep Sarah Palin from ever achieving any position of power, but others who might encroach in a similar way.
I do not believe in coincidence. I believe we have met here for a reason. We saw some of that reason in helping Emmonak and other villages earlier this year. We saw the mighty power of concerned public opinion stop the nomination of a monumentally unqualified AG. We have awakened a force here that will not be stopped.
No matter how long it takes, goodness always trumps evil.
AKM, you have just moved the bar up a notch – or even two.
Just look at the quality of the above comments. I want to address just about each writer and each and every comment with “YES!” and a big hug. You are ALL SO KINDRED.
In some mysterious way, I/we find ourselves moved into a new cycle of responsibility together. That which ‘seemed’ contained in Alaska has now been unleashed onto a larger public stage – the U.S.A., the world.
Because of you, AKM, because of Mudpuppies EVERYWHERE, because of the other bright intelligent alert Alaska bloggers and their readers, and because of other conscious people elsewhere, this insidious creeping controlling OOZING THING is no longer hidden. It is in our collective headlights. When exposed to the light of day, headlights even, it can no longer masquerade as something ‘good’ or ‘American’ or ‘patriotic.’
Maybe in the larger scheme of things Sarah Palin has played her role and done us a huge favour. Because I don’t for a minute see the threat as Sarah Palin. It is something far more powerful – using her and others for it’s own purposes.
So here’s to all of us who feel the hair stand up on the back of our necks. I thank you for loosing sleep, letting the dishes pile up, annoying your family members, and missing other favourite activities. It’s well worth it.
I am counting on you – and you can count on me.
We have dairy goats, and they are right now bleating to be milked. But even they are willing to wait a few more minutes. This is important.
BTW – I live in the Interior of British Columbia (near 100 Mile House), and we also, too, have a span of temps from minus 55 degrees below zero to 100 degrees above Fahrenheit. Palin’s lifestyle is not as unique as she thinks.
I didn’t even have to go to a rally to get the creep factor during election season. Living in South Carolina, all I had to do was wear my Obama/Biden button when I went to the grocery store. The only place I felt comfortable was at meetings of an arts support group, which has a pretty liberal crowd. The people down here are pretty scary (I moved from central Ohio–Hi SystemBucker and Ohiovoter). They all have sour faces when you say anything that even gently pierces their insulated armor.
Thankfully, the last few weeks before the election, I was traveling. I got to go to a Michelle rally in Columbus and it was just so HAPPY. Everyone was smiling and helping each other out and positive. And, unlike Sarah and pickle-face Cindy, Michelle was so totally positive. Not one nasty or even slightly negative word came from her lips. She was so engaging and sincere–I don’t think she got near enough credit for the positive vibe and message she brought to the campaign.
It was just so dramatic–how negative, nasty and creepy the Republican rallies were in comparison to how excited, hopeful and positive ours were. We just need to keep that sense of purpose and enthusiasm going, even if everything doesn’t go exactly as we’d hoped, and our energy will overcome their negativity. (That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!)
@SystemBucker at 91 &92 –I joined MoveOn last year, but will now check out MomRising. Thank you for the links.
On a funny note, when my sister was learning the Pledge of Allegiance when first starting school, she said “under dog” because of the cartoon in the 60s. I either skip that part or say it the way she did, because I can in this country.
@89 crystalwolf aka caligrl Says:
July 28th, 2009 at 5:27 PM
Karin in CT Says:
July 28th, 2009 at 4:01 PM
Muflatter K,
Thank you very much for this post. You words clarified exactly what it is that scares the living crap out of me when it comes to Sarah Palin. She brings out the worst in her adoring crowds and she knows how to incite those crowds solely for her own adulation.
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Mudflatter K,
CREEP factor YES!!!! I was going back and forth to my computer and TV trying to keep up with chat, and its been only after catching soundbites here and there I’m truly horrified at her “Speech” Creepy is putting it mildly. It was Nazi worthy if you ask me.
Her waving her arms like a spaz, sneering, baring her teeth, Insane statements,
“We eat therefore we hunt” she was twisting her word salad for all it was worth. And it was not good, it was UGLY, SHE is UGLY & HATEFUL and If I believed in the devil or satan I would say she is it!
She is all that is evil.
Lets keep this speech close at hand so we can remind ourselves the true evil she represents.
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Haha! Crystalwolf, you nailed it!
AKPetmom – I hope you feel better soon. Like you, I refuse to go with the mob and do not recite “under God” when doing the Pledge. I refuse to join in applause to anything I do not find deserving. Even at large family gatherings, when all at the table pray (in the name of Jesus our Savior), I do not bow head or join in – I respect their right to believe, but I do not believe the same things.
My dad taught me early in life to never become a sheep. Palin stirs up the very worst in people, preying on their fears. The lessons of Hitler and Joe McCarthy must be brought up often when we discuss her. I have no qualms about doing so, and I try to follow Shannyn Moore’s example of speaking calmly and logically.
Someone told me once that the hallmark of having spent time with a narcissist is that you feel like absolute sh!t afterward. And that you need to parse their impact on you for a lonnnng time. Think that fits here.
And another movement all you moms out there might be interested in is http://www.MomsRising.org We can be like mama bears too!!! lol
Good night Ohiovoter.
We do need to come together. A good place to begin is becoming involved with http://www.MoveOn.org If anybody hasn’t registered with them, now would be the time to get involved.
Good night Ohiovoter.
We do need to come together. A good place to begin is becoming involved with http://www.MoveOn.org If anybody hasn’t registered with them, now would be the time to get involved.
And another movement all you moms out there might be interested in is http://www.MomsRising.org We can be like mama bears too!!! lol
Mudflatter K–
Decades ago, we called it peer pressure ( still do, I guess) when the group attempts to influence you into behavior that makes you feel uncomfortable…and the more you fail to join in, the stronger your indictment of THEIR behavior becomes.
Crowd mentality is triggered and you now have a “perfect storm”.
Shake it off, but file it for future reference. I fear it’s not over yet.
Karin in CT Says:
July 28th, 2009 at 4:01 PM
Muflatter K,
Thank you very much for this post. You words clarified exactly what it is that scares the living crap out of me when it comes to Sarah Palin. She brings out the worst in her adoring crowds and she knows how to incite those crowds solely for her own adulation.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Mudflatter K,
CREEP factor YES!!!! I was going back and forth to my computer and TV trying to keep up with chat, and its been only after catching soundbites here and there I’m truly horrified at her “Speech” Creepy is putting it mildly. It was Nazi worthy if you ask me.
Her waving her arms like a spaz, sneering, baring her teeth, Insane statements,
“We eat therefore we hunt” she was twisting her word salad for all it was worth. And it was not good, it was UGLY, SHE is UGLY & HATEFUL and If I believed in the devil or satan I would say she is it!
She is all that is evil.
Lets keep this speech close at hand so we can remind ourselves the true evil she represents. 😈
Mae Lewis, I think you bring up a good point. Haven’t we all noticed lately on TV that there is no meaningful ‘conversation’, no ‘civility’ – just rude, loud people outshouting each other with no attempt made to listen to the other person. I don’t know about anyone else, but I can’t watch this type of TV any more. It gets me ‘riled up’ too and my stomach churns. Rude people with absolutely no manners and no regard for anyone but themselves seem to be getting to be the norm now and just how long are we going to put up with it? Freedom of speech is NOT freedom to be verbally abusive, rude and cruel – that’s just plain incivility and has nothing at all to do with freedom. Hate speech is not expressing freedom, it’s expressing intolerance and inciting hatred and violence – it is actually discouraging others from feeling free enough to speak their mind without incurring the wrath of others and possibly a physical attack.
We cannot expect a better world if these problems aren’t addressed – it is just getting worse every day and too many of us are being too polite by being quiet.
fawnskin mudpuppy Says:
July 28th, 2009 at 4:24 PM
my husband and i were invited by collegues of his to be their guests at a pepperdine university law school fundraiser. my husband had taught a seminar there and thought, “why not”.
so we attended the event at the kodak theater in hollywood with 6000 others.
the dean of the law school is ken starr. the guest speaker was justice roberts.
that in itself should have clued us as to the makeup of the crowd.
we were forced to sit politely as speaker after speaker prayed for the intervention of christianity into the laws of america.
the creepiness was permeating. the atmosphere was one of being amongst members of a secret society with an agenda known only to themselves.
i get goosebumps still.
*****
LOL, you must be new to California? You didn’t know that Pepperdine was affiliated with the Churches of Christ?
Sigh, such a waste of great Malibu property.
No way could Starr have found a job in the UC system- only a private school would hire that little worm.
SystemBucker…. keep the faith. 🙂
Mae Lewis,
I agree. We can take this opportunity and really come to gather as a nation or let it pass us by. I hope we choose the former. Peace and goodnight.
does this same creepy peer pressure occur in the voting booth? it’s strange that the crowd goes back to normal after she stops talking…was there Kool-Aid being served?
Ohiovoter, I think he’s great too…so much so, my husband and kids tease me and call Obama my boyfriend. lol What I love the most about him is his peaceful manner. He doesn’t need to encourage fear and hatred.
SystemBucker… Sarah had maybe 5,000 at her quitting speech??? Remember back in the fall when President Obama had 70,000 on the state house lawn?? I think he’s great.
Tizzielish.. I don’t think Palin really cares about the Great US of A. She is only interested in the limelight and the fawning crowds.
I don’t know why but my last comment is awaiting moderation…hmmmm?
I was saying Hi to you Ohiovoter! Glad to know there’s another Ohio Mudpuppy!
KayinMaine…. As my grandkids would say… That man has “issues” lol. Seriously. I grew up Walter Cronkite. Chet and Dave. These hate spewers have taken over the airwaves and distort the real news. Thank the good Lord most sane people can see through this garbage.
I think that tizzielish opens up an important theme for discussion– how Sarah rallies a crowd to express hatred is frightening and nothing new. We’ve seen examples of crowds-gone-wild at her rallies, bringing out the hate and worst of those in the audience. Crowd psychology must be an interesting subject to study.
We’ve seen so many examples of hatred throughout history that you would think that we would want to change things, instead of repeating the mistakes of the past. The first time I every heard the (fictional) anger of a lynch mob was in the Westerns we saw in movies and on TV. Hitler stirred a real audience to the same hatred. When we saw pictures of young African American children, the first ones to integrate schools in the South, we saw that same horrible angry face of hatred in the crowd that lined their brave walk to school each day.
We hear that same irrational, unthinking hate-fill speech when Rush Limbaugh made fun of Michael J. Fox’s disease. We hear it when Lou Dobbs disparages immigrants, and unless we are Native Americans, many of us are here because our parents or grandparents were immigrants who made the tough trip here.
Today, we have reached a point in public discourse where alternate opinions have no place; they are just shouted down. Thanks to GWB, it was “My way or the highway.” I certainly appreciate the intelligent, clever, humorous and delightfully different points of view that are expressed here at The Mudflats. I am truly sorry that politicians resort to hate-filled speech to replace good ideas, to disparage Obama’s heritage and birth as an expression of their unhappiness with the outcome of the election last November. What Sarah does is to galvanize the hard right Republicans, playing to the lowest common denominator. She is preaching to her own tone-deaf choir, and as long as she is out there, she is still pretty scary.
Here is something I don’t understand and I think this is both a profound issue and profoundly important.
Let us imagine that all the Palin supporters at Palin’s good-bye picnic get what they seem to think would be good for this country. Let us imagine that Palin becomes president and, somehow, she is able to implement her conservative social vision, to impose it on all of us.
In this world, our personal liberties would be severely restricted and there would be no social safety net. In this world, there would be almost no government so there would be no more road maintenance, no more public libraries, no more public education. No more public parks. If you take the neo-cons seriously and try to imagine a world with no government, if you let the whole world be run on a ‘live free or die’ philosophy. . . you would still have poor people and humans needed to learn how to read and write. . . .
Who would want to actually live in that world? Can someone explain the appeal in a world without all the good things government provides?
and can someone explain how the neo-cons reshaped our national conversation, making ‘government’ to be something apart from the people. The government is us, right? Government, on behalf of the whole, does things that we, as a society, have agreed are needed. And then we have to pay for these needs so we have taxes.
Does Palin ever seriously try to imagine what the world would be like if her ideas became the norm? I don’t think the folks at that picnic who mindlessly adore Sarah Palin would actually like living in the world she would impose on the rest of us.
And a big hello to you too Ohiovoter! I’ve wondered how many other Ohio Mudpups there are…I now know there’s at least one other one — yippeeey! lol
Was your rural community pro McCain/Palin or pro Obama/Biden? I live in the inner city and we were (and still are) very blue!
AlaskaDisasta… I hearing ya, too. You are right on.
SystemBucker…. A big hi to you. I’m down south in the cornfields of Pickaway County. I hear ya! lol
And to think today on Glenn Beck’s show he was freaking out about how President Obama is mandating community organizing/volunteerism for anyone who wants help financially with their college intuition! Beck said ‘this is scary stuff, people’. Beck says our nation has been taken over by Nazis. Spit. Funny, but when members of his American Taliban form armed militias to kick the ‘black guy out of the White House’, that’s fine! Beck thinks it’s perfectly normal. Spit.
I want a better world for my grandkids.
______________
Then we need NOW politicians who will address what is happening to our planet because at the rate we are heating up, by 2020 it could be quite unbearable. That’s just a decade away.
33 Ohiovoter Says:
July 28th, 2009 at 3:54 PM
This is why I CANNOT stand this woman. With the exception of a rally at Capital University in Cols….she hit all the river towns. I would say probably the majority weren’t even registered voters. (Don’t believe in being on the Government grid). She just fired up an element that normally sticks to themselves. If she thinks she can come to Ohio with her hate speech she is in for a rude awakening. We don’t like you Sarah. Best regards. REGISTERED VOTERS.
——————-
Hi Ohiovoter! I agree 100%. I’m also from Ohio, Columbus to be exact. I (and my husband & kids) were faithful volunteers for the Obama campaign and we worked several rallies and never did I hear or see any form of hatred. It was absolutely forbidded…every training/planning meeting I attended always focused on nonviolence…there was to be NO form hatred allowed – period!
You are so right, Ohio doesn’t like Sarah, especially Central Ohio!
I had friends over today from our area, my better half told them I was always on the computer, I said I spent half my time on the stock market and the other half reading Ak. blogs about Queen Quitter. They said do you like her and I said most definatly not. They said at the end of the election they had gone on a cruise to Ak. and nobody they meant up there liked her, even the cab drivers, NOBODY LIKED HER, so where is the appeal?
I had friends over today from our area, my better half told them I was always on the computer, I said I spent half my time on the stock market and the other half reading Ak. blogs about Queen Quitter. They said do you like her and I said most definatly not. They said at the end of the election they had gone on a cruise to Ak. and nobody they meant up there liked her, even the cab drivers, NOBODY LIKED HER, so where is the appeal?
264 Crayons – that’s probably why the Scientologists (Coale) love her- to have the “presence” that Palin can emanate is what their students strive for. to be at “cause” – to move people (control people) and circumstances with little effort.
face it, she’s attractive, but not drop dead gorgeous like many other women. she spent a lifetime practicing how to get her way. but whining and winking won’t work in the grown up world.
xxxoooo Polly. I want a better world for my grandkids.
“The use of IN GOD WE TRUST has not been uninterrupted. The motto disappeared from the five-cent coin in 1883, and did not reappear until production of the Jefferson nickel began in 1938.
Since 1938, ALL United States coins bear the inscription”.
______________________
The above from the US Treasury site at
http://www.treas.gov/education/fact-sheets/currency/in-god-we-trust.shtml
Big hugs to you Ohiovoter. I think the Women for Obama headquarters was in Ohio. You all were a force. What courage for keeping your sign up. Thank-you so much for all you do.
Palin is such a coward! She should have had that stupid picnic in Juneau, where she would have just been met with stares mostly, and a lot of shaking of heads. Fairbanks – well, I love the interior and the folks there, but can’t say I agree with their politics! Our second largest city, they are very conservative even with the university in town.
She did this, too because of the military bases located in Fairbanks (four of them, I believe). Juneau just has the Coast Guard. She is reminding me more of Jim Jones (Jonestown) every day. Thanks to a certain person I know who brought this up…
She is creepy, no doubt about it! Creepy Coward Quitter Twit!
Thank you for your thoughtful post, Mudflatter K.
Palin plays on our most base fear: us versus them. Her actions are calculated to feed this fear and to exaggerate and strengthen our differences.
She wants us separate and vulnerable, not working together, because working together and finding common ground makes us stronger, more powerful, more independent–qualities Palin pretends to value but which she in fact disdains.
So Palin plays on this base fear of “the other”–whether labeled as “the Feds” or “the elites” or “the unGodly” (or even “bloggers”!).
And it’s a baseless fear as well, as the truth is that “we” are all in this together, and we must find ways to accommodate our diversity or face terrible consequences.
My spiritual tradition doesn’t have the concept of “evil” (instead, we say that people are “deluded”) so I can’t call Sarah Palin “evil”. And I’m suppposed to be developing my compassion and equnitmity so I’m trying hard not to hate her (!) and to avoid saying “May everyone be happy . . . except Sarah Palin . . .”
So I can’t call Palin “evil” but I can confidently identify her as terribly “ignorant” of reality and the way things really are and also as grossly “deluded.”
Evil or deluded, the consequences are the same: the infliction of terrible suffering upon oneself and upon others.
Finally, here are two quotes I came upon this week that I think are connected to what you’re writing about:
****
“Imagining the other is a powerful antdote to fanaticism and hatred. It is, in my view, also a moral imperative.
The ultimate evil in the world is not war itself, but aggression.”
—Amos Oz
****
“You want to free the world, humanity, from oppression? Look inside, look sideways, look at the hidden violence of language. Never forget that it is in language where the other parallel violence, the cruelty exercised on the body, originates.”
—Harold Pinter
****
Thanks. I was just curious. The image in my mind of this family driving around Alaska in a camper is just too much! It’s so outrageous to me that that witch is acting like she’s a ‘commoner’, when really, she’s going to be using every ounce of her being to rake in the dough! What a fraud she is.
I second that 264 Crayons. I’m an old white grandma from rural Ohio and I raised my kids to believe that we are all equal. I voted for President Obama, as did my family, because he was the smartest man to get us out of this mess. My Obama sign was knocked down and stolen many times, but I went out and got me another. Finally, I had to hang inside in my living room window.
AKPetmom—I grew up with “one nation, with liberty and justice for all” and my allowance coins were God free. Then came the McCarthy era and as a reaction; to prove they weren’t part of the witchhunts; our “godfearin” politicians added the phrases that bother both of us to this day. I think it was under Eisenhower that the change was made. Zealots believe I guess, that these words were there since the beginning, they are wrong about this too. People of SP religeous right beliefs are infiltrating everywhere, specially the military. Be very careful to keep an eye on the trend. Can you see her or her ilk being elected and calling out the militarily armed fellow believers? Scary thought—but just a thought. Methinks I reads a little too much.
Someone asks if they can use my comment . . . please do. You can attribute it to me, too, if you like. My name is Tree Fitzpatrick.
46
AKPetMom Says:
July 28th, 2009 at 4:21 PM
As far as the “polite applause” goes, I don’t do that, ever, no matter the circumstance.
I also, when pledging allegiance, do not recite the line “One Nation under god” because I don’t believe that we should be a Nation under any god and firmly believe that the combination of church and state (under the guise of separation of church and state) is one of this nation’s fundamental flaws.
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Well put and I agree.
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50
CO almost native Says:
July 28th, 2009 at 4:26 PM
Mudflatter K:
Thanks for sharing another, valuable on-the-ground perspective. Palin continues in the tradition of Lee Atwater (although Atwater, when dying of cancer, expressed remorse for what he orchestrated)…
——–.
too little, too late at that point.
I’ve said before that the first time I heard her speak at the convention, the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I can imagine it would being unnerving in a crowd of supporters. I’m not scared of Sarah or her ilk…I’m just 100% sure that she doesn’t represent the leadership I’m interested in for THIS country.
I haven’t recited the pledge of allegiance since 7th grade. I always found it rather odd that we hold the objects in more reverence than the ideals for which they stand. I didn’t attend any McCain/Palin rallies in FL and only attended a couple of Obama ones – & even though I was voting for & volunteering for Obama, those rallies made me very uncomfortable. . . the whole group-think one-mindset thing. I enjoyed the speeches, I was fascinated by the amount of security, but I just couldn’t get into the whole “herd” vibe. Friends of mine snatched up t-shirts, buttons, hats, stickers – and were appalled that I wasn’t interested.
I think this has been one of the richest, most meaningful threads I’ve read on the Mudflats. Fear is indeed a great motivator, and change is the thing most white, working class Americans seem to fear most. The country and the world really ARE changing, and we can either embrace it and grow with it, or hide behind hatred and let fear dictate our lives.
Someone wrote about being in a hostile crowd, geing screamed at and flipped off by grannies and kids. I’ve been in the same situation. I’ve found it effective to give them a steely, deadpan stare and just respond “How dare you?” in a firm, loud voice. Keep repeating it and they usually back down and go away.
I was born and raised here in la frontera – the border area of Arizona and Mexico – and was in the Peace Corops in Central America before moving to and spending many years in Alaska. Now that I’m back, I have found a real change in the dynamics of the state. Down here, right on the border, everyone, Anglos and Hispanics, speak a little English, a little Spanish. No one is afraid of brown faces. But drive north towards Phoenix and you can feel the fear and suspicion in the air. Quite tellingly, it’s McCain country.
We have to remember that just because we have an African-American President, and just because Sarah stepped down, our problems are not over.
It CAN happen here, still. We need to stand together and stand firm. Do not let anyone make you afraid.
Tizzielish
I think your analysis is very accurate and very frightening.
tizzielish…may i post your post on another site?
i find your thoughts so provocative and true.
tizzielish…may i post your post on another site?
i find your thoughts so provocative and true.
Tizzielish… there was a 60 Minutes program back in the 90’s on the Aryan Nation. They had a preppy kid, with the allegator logo, stating that they were going to distant themselves from the skinhead persona. They were going to promote college and infiltrate all manner of business and government to further their cause. Scary. I think 60 Minutes should rerun that show. This is Sarah’s base.
oops-quoted loosely from an I love Lucy episode. Control should read uncontrolled
I think Tizzlelish hit the proverbial nail on the head. Babblehead appeals to the subconscious fear of the undereducated white and the powermongers in her party of NO recognize this and will distort and manipulate it for their gain.
Mudflatter K:
Thanks for sharing another, valuable on-the-ground perspective. Palin continues in the tradition of Lee Atwater (although Atwater, when dying of cancer, expressed remorse for what he orchestrated), Karl Rove, Dick Cheney and GW Bush: gain power through fear. She pushes themes of military might/freedom, religion and guns (other freedoms), and vigilance against “those” who would take away freedoms.
my husband and i were invited by collegues of his to be their guests at a pepperdine university law school fundraiser. my husband had taught a seminar there and thought, “why not”.
so we attended the event at the kodak theater in hollywood with 6000 others.
the dean of the law school is ken starr. the guest speaker was justice roberts.
that in itself should have clued us as to the makeup of the crowd.
we were forced to sit politely as speaker after speaker prayed for the intervention of christianity into the laws of america.
the creepiness was permeating. the atmosphere was one of being amongst members of a secret society with an agenda known only to themselves.
i get goosebumps still.
my husband and i were invited by collegues of his to be their guests at a pepperdine university law school fundraiser. my husband had taught a seminar there and thought, “why not”.
so we attended the event at the kodak theater in hollywood with 6000 others.
the dean of the law school is ken starr. the guest speaker was justice roberts.
that in itself should have clued us as to the makeup of the crowd.
we were forced to sit politely as speaker after speaker prayed for the intervention of christianity into the laws of america.
the creepiness was permeating. the atmosphere was one of being amongst members of a secret society with an agenda known only to themselves.
i get goosebumps still.
I have always felt that there was no human thing more dangerous than a rowdy and angry pack of teen age males with time on their hands. After reading some of these experiences I realize that was wrong. Seems a pack of rabid Scarahfans can be much more dangerous. Horrifying! That stuff shoulda been exposed, but we know who owns the media.
First Intro to SP 4 me was when she appeared on Glen Blech. He was still on CNN @ the time. She was leading him on big time. He was drooling all over her, I was totally creeped out. He even asked if she would consider being a vp candidate as she was soooo totally smart! Then she appeared onstage with McC and I couldn’t help but think we were in Big trouble, she has the wiles of wicked city woman {I luv Lucy) and the restraint of any control crowd she eggs on…
I was at the ceremony too, in a little group of nonclappers. We were pretty comfortable there in our zone, in the shade of the trees, to the right of the signs. It was odd how the crowd had self-sorted before the ceremony started, the liberals seemeds to be on the left, facing the podium, with more vocally supportive people to the center and the right. Couldn’t really tell until she started talking.
Sarah does have vocal energy that can mesmerize those susceptible to it.
Traditional cultures have always acknowledged the power of the human voice and we should do the same. Actually, all the women spoke more clearly and were easier to understand than the men. The woman who opened the show with an Inupiaq invocation was amazing. Weirdly, the mikes seemed to be turned off when Parnell actually took the oath of office, we couldn’t hear that at all.
I’m going to believe that this was her political eulogy and she just doesn’t know it yet. The world is so much bigger than her ego, except in her own mind.
As far as the “polite applause” goes, I don’t do that, ever, no matter the circumstance.
I also, when pledging allegiance, do not recite the line “One Nation under god” because I don’t believe that we should be a Nation under any god and firmly believe that the combination of church and state (under the guise of separation of church and state) is one of this nation’s fundamental flaws.
A country practicing separation of church and state does not have “in god we trust” on it’s currency.
No wonder so many feel that it is appropriate to run on platforms of religion and incite their followers with religious rhetoric, which in turn breeds hatred for things not accepted by their particular religion.
Until we remove god from all aspects of anything associated with our government, we will never be free from the zealots that threaten our freedoms.
In order to be a truly free country and one that can hold the title of democracy, we must remove any god from the equation.
Ok, that’s my rant for the day, back to flu bed.
Tizzielish… you said it much better than I could have.
@TBNT Judy- OOpsy, I meant for us to be awake for 2010. (the next Guv election).
I had a thought today about her future: she might be moving to TX to run for the Senate seat being vacated by Kay Baily H. Seeing a sign referring to TX, they can have her, reminded me.
Even she has enough shame not to run for Lisa M’s seat.
Just a horrible thought.
I am unsettled to read so many comments suggesting that the hatemongering group-think that Palin evokes in crowds is, somehow, common. These comments are further evidence, for me, of the great danger that Palin represents. I think we are watching the rise of a very dangerous phenomenon.
Palin’s appeal seems more similar, to me, to Hitler’s rise than Nixon’s. Nixon never inspired crowds like Palin does. He was actually kinda unappealing, he knew it and he did not build his career around personal appeal.
Almost as soon as McCain selected Palin last summer, even before I heard about Troopergate or discovered Mudflats (thank you Mudflats), I sensed great power in Palin’s ability to incite anger. And I sensed great danger in this power.
The world is rapidly changing. I am 55, white, middle class. I remember when I started college in 1971, hearing that at some point in the new millenium, maybe 2020, or 2030, whites would no longer be the majority in this country. Then I drifted through my life, which has always, inescapably, unavoidably, rested on the unearned rank and privilege of my whiteness.
But now, when this major shift in demographics is actually becoming real, it is hard for white people to remain unconscious about their unearned rank and privilege because they can see it slipping away from them.
Palin seems to understand that she appeals to Joe Six-Pack, Joe white guy who used to always be able to count on getting a good job to support his family even if Joe didn’t get the best grades or the highest level of education. More and more, Joe has to compete for the not-enough good jobs and less and less can he count on his whiteness landing him the job.
The people behind George W’s elevation to the White House seem to understand the demographic of the blue collar white voter who is afraid of maintaining their humble middle class lives. There aren’t enough middle class homes for everyone. There aren’t enough middle class jobs for everyone. When Joe Six-Pack has to compete with everyone, instead of just with other white people, that is very scary . . but Joe’s fear is mostlly unconscious. I think most Americans think of themselves as good and decent and not racist. I think Palin appeals to an unconscious fear in those stratas of this culture (white, union, blue collar . . and also college-educated but not rich whites) that see their heretofore guaranteed slice of the pie slipping away form them.
I think Palin’s appeal, to those who are attracted to her, is rooted in mostly unacknowledged fears about the great changes unfolding in this culture. Whites are not going to be calling the shots and Palin appeals to people who would like to hang on to the olden days when whites did.
This is frightening and dangerous. Palin represents demogoguery. Similar to how ordinary good people rallied for Hitler because he promised the same economic demographic that he would make the lives of the little guy better. Hitler created an enemy to focus people’s fear, Jews. Many in Germany society felt their way of life slipping away and Hitler got their support by promising to maintain their way of life. He never really intended to take care of those who supported him. He never cared about Joe Six-pack (or the German equivalent. . . Joe stein-at-the-pub?) but he played on fear.
Palin’s appeal plays on unconscious white fear. You don’t see many nonwhites rallying for her.
Jersey suggests a polite “no comment”. I would suggest “frankly, I don’t understand a word she’s saying – I don’t speak garble”.
—
#4 moose pucky,
While Jersey suggests a polite “no comment”, There’s also the response to ’she’s so sweet’ which goes “You know, they say arsenic is very sweet, too. But it will kill you all the same!”
—
I find that the Southern “Bless her heart . . .” (ex-Southerner AND ex-Alaskan here) serves me well.
Leota2…you nailed it. The press didn’t really cover what happened at these hate rallies in Ohio.
She has the warmth of Ann Coulter, the intelligence of an overflowing ashtray, and the political savvy of an unelected Bill Kristol. All in all, someone who could run another Jonestown, complete with Koolaid.
Her ‘followers’ have relinquished any semblance of logic and common sense, and are becoming dangerous – apparently willing to do ANYTHING if asked by this charismatic leader of the brain-dead. The unscrupulous powers-that-be in the party of NO do know this and will use it to their advantage.
Watch the rise of yet another Cheney (Lynn), another Bush (Jeb) and the same puppeteers (Kristol, daddy Cheney, Pearl, Frum, Wolfowitz, Rove, etc – those same unelected vermin who are so bent on molding the United States into a country of compliant sheep just to gain their own selfish ends.
I can only attest to what happened to me after a Palin event in Ohio.
She was holding her Hitler youth rally down the street from my home. I’ve lived in Ohio my entire life–but that was the first time I’d every been called
(screamed at, really) the N word from a passing car plastered in McCain/Palin
stickers with screaming red t-shirt waving fellow Ohioans just leaving the auditorium..
John McCain should have to live next door to this nightmare of a woman for the rest of his menial life.
anyone up for a chat, come on over!
Muflatter K,
Thank you very much for this post. You words clarified exactly what it is that scares the living crap out of me when it comes to Sarah Palin. She brings out the worst in her adoring crowds and she knows how to incite those crowds solely for her own adulation.
I’d like to contrast this “group mentality” to seeing Obama with my mom and my son and others, way back in February of 2008. The packed Civic Center of 16,000 people were as diverse as diverse could have been and, at least speaking for my car load of people, there wasn’t a single one of us who didn’t feel GOOD and POSITIVE and filled with HOPE when we left the event. Can this be said for Sarah fans?
Wow, great right up K. As others here have said, you really did a really good job in ‘painting’ the scene emotionally.
And to Fran, I agree with you in not wanting to attend any sort of $P event. I had an opportunity to attend the Anchorage event, but despite the ‘historic’ nature of it all, and the fact that people chose to travel thousands of miles just to see the anointed one, I couldn’t bring myself to go as I didn’t want to be around her freaky, frothing at the mouth supporters.
I have replied, to those who want me to join in Palinphilia, “she’s not my type,” and that has worked very well without offending.
This is why I CANNOT stand this woman. With the exception of a rally at Capital University in Cols….she hit all the river towns. I would say probably the majority weren’t even registered voters. (Don’t believe in being on the Government grid). She just fired up an element that normally sticks to themselves. If she thinks she can come to Ohio with her hate speech she is in for a rude awakening. We don’t like you Sarah. Best regards. REGISTERED VOTERS.
KayInMaine–well, they drove up to Fairbanks in one for Great Abdication Day, so I would guess they have to drive back down to Wasilly in it. Don’t have a clue if they’re sightseeing on the way back though, and…I DON’T CARE!
weRpennst8, I am afraid to ask what the monkey cards were; I hate to think I probably know the answer 🙁
Polly said: “Alaskans were sleeping to have let her sneak in on us. Be awake for 2012!”
Alaskans did not unleash her on the lower 48; John McLaim did. And, clearly John did not care about really vetting her; he was more interested in HIS agenda.
Is it true Sarah and the family are driving a camper around Alaska?
AKM, my congratulations for being so observant and honest.
It is not always easy to admit you felt “submerged”. This feeling is not to be taken lightly, and I was wondering if among the mudflatter there is a psychologist or someone who may indicate a good link explaining this crowd effect. It is the first step to understanding and not being cowed.
I have lived in Europe most of my life and had the opportunity to ask people who had gone through the war how they witnessed the nazi uprise. They all mentioned this crowd effect, and the pounding of propaganda.
Let us never forget history.
sandra in oregon Says:
July 28th, 2009 at 3:12 PM
A friend indicated that she avoided all these rituals. She was frightened of them because she had witnessed the Nazi rallies in Germany. Even innocent sporting evernts brought back the ugliness to her
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I’m like this…..i didn’t witness any personally but my last year of high-school in Germany history classes where totally dedicated to the holocaust. I had an amazing teacher who lived through it and her Father was in in some sort of resistance.
I’m always mindful of mob mentality. It scares the heck out of me. When i listen to Palin’s speeches i get this almost sick feeling. I’m amazed that people are afraid of Obama whom i never heard to say a really hateful or nasty thing unlike Palin or Bush and his cronies.
Demagogue fits her to a tee
An HR manager told me a story about going into a Revival meeting with a friend, where the entire scene was orchistrated to get new members..regulars had a name sticker, so newbies stood out, the back pews were blocked off , as well as the doors, so if you couldn’t leave unnoticed- had to walk to the front. once the thing started, Newbies were invited up to give their names- no name sticker, you were immediately ID’ed, and then escorted to the front…and asked if you believed…and so the nite went… he said on a personal level, he was totaly intimidated-center of attention, etc. on a professional level, he admired the manipulation of the crowd by the Revivalist Speaker; catch phrases, audience responses, etc…
So let me see if I got my head wrapped around this…
She begged the people of Alaska to let her lead your great State and you all agreed.
She up and quits 1/2 way thru her contract.
On her way out the door she says…
I would make a great leader of these United States of America so
Please elect me as POTUS in 2012!
Sound reasonable to anyone??
Normally I would say I want some of the drugs she’s taking, but in this case I think I might be better off with MJ’s doctor!
If I recall correctly, the Romanian playwright Eugene Ionescu wrote a play called “Rhinoceros” based on his spontaneous reaction to the crowd at a pro-Hitler rally in Germany before WWII. Ionescu was anti-Fascist but as Hitler spoke to the hysterical crowd, he found himself chanting and “sig heil”ing along with everyone else. I think the play was about how people who believe in one thing can be swept along in the crowd mentality, particularly when manipulated by masters of propaganda.
Scary, indeed.
Tough to be in that atmosphere; but that is when we must dig down; and find the strength to be resolute. No applauase; and as mentioned earlier, polite “no comment” when asked “how wonderful she is”.
The quiet intimidation factor is what many of her supporters rely on.
Palin/Joe the Plumber
2012-whenever
with Joe Six Pack as Alternate #01
in case someone quits a little early!
There is something very exciting about being part of a crowd. It must be at the instinctual level. Sporting events are excellent examples of this. Cheering and not thinking is like music. When I was a college student in the 50’s, we enjoyed football season with the Friday night rallies and the Saturday games. What a great relief of the tension of studenting. A friend indicated that she avoided all these rituals. She was frightened of them because she had witnessed the Nazi rallies in Germany. Even innocent sporting evernts brought back the ugliness to her.
I used to think this was part of the men in packs thing for hunting, but I have experienced it in a group of women, e.g., a Susan Komen walk.
Repubs (McCain and Schmidt) should have given SP as VP Decision more thought, since Limbaugh was her major fan. Follow you heart and good sense, but get good references! Oh, and background check. – aargh….. Alaskans were sleeping to have let her sneak in on us. Be awake for 2012!
The scariness of the religious-military-sacrificial imagery of her latest speeches and twitters and how that relates to how I see her relating to crowds is the subject of the LAST chapter of Saradise Lost:
http://progressivealaska.blogspot.com/2009/07/saradise-lost-book-3-chapter-31.html
I’m from Indiana. Everyone know that she think she have this state in her pocket. She does excite a certain crowd, here. I had no problems at the rallies. A large group of us Hoosiers let it be known where they (McCain/Palin) stood with us.. The State went Blue. I can understand you might of felt left out if you didn’t follow suit. More importantly, follow you heart and good sense. She is not the person I want to represent me or my State.
Fortunately, we don’t have that problem so much here! Though I do know a number of people who think she walks on water; we just don’t talk politics with them…
On a related note, last year when she rode in the 4th of July Parade, apparently she didn’t really get applauded at all. Perhaps that’s why she didn’t ride this year?
What you describe is a bit like the feeling of remaining seated at the end of a performance as others about you stand clapping. Here in Minnesota we give standing ovations to just about everything. I always thought those of you in Alaska were more independent, less prone to being polite. But social creatures we are.
Might as well stand and actually have a view.
#4 moose pucky,
While Jersey suggests a polite “no comment”, There’s also the response to ‘she’s so sweet’ which goes “You know, they say arsenic is very sweet, too. But it will kill you all the same!”
This information is available regarding 2012 Presidential Election. Palin is showing no $ but listed as candidate???? Check it out.
http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/campaigns/sarah-palin.asp?cycle=08
We kicked butt in Pittsburgh though. We (protesters) were on every corner, at least three deep, and McCain’s bus with Sarah on it had to ride past all of us to get to her destination. She saw us all, you betcha. There were no warm and fuzzy feelings for her in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is a union town and we left her know that she was not welcomed.
I imagine it’s like being at the PAC for the inevitable standing ovation regardless of the quality of the performance / show. You feel you have to stand up, deserved or not.
I guess those are pitbully rallys.
It is amazing how she is able to incite hate instead of pride or love.
My experience at one of Palin’s rallies in Pennsylvania was creepy also but not for the same reasons. My experience was down right scary. It is amazing how she can incite hate in a group. The area that the rally was held in is a very rural, coal mining area and heavily republican. I saw folks that you would never think to be violent get right in your face with shameful monkey cards that the McCain campaign had handed out. Old ladies in my face calling me a baby killer and flipping us off. LITTLE KIDS flipping us off and parents encouraging them. I have never been ashamed of my state but, I was that day. I cried the whole way home ( a two hour drive). Totally creepy.
@ Moose Pucky – I would have said “no comment” that’s being polite.
I think what you describe is typical of being at large event where people are cheering and you don’t personally feel inspired to join in, but it feels uncomfortable to just stand there. I am the kind of person who rarely gets caught up with the crowd and can feel uncomfortable just by being at a sporting event in which people are shouting and cheering while I’m just wondering what all the fuss is about. There is always a sense that everyone around you has become a single entity and you are other and that large entity might notice you and attack you as being other. When you are at an event where people are cheering someone vicious who enjoys putting other people down, like Palin, it is a thousand times worse. She is only a few steps away from inspiring a mob reaction in which all of those people feeding on her anger turns and looks for someone to attack. Personally, I won’t want to attend a large gathering where she was speaking. I think it is only a matter of time until violence breaks out if she continues to speak in a similiar vein.
I was at a town meeting on health care held by my very Republican representative on Saturday. The crowd was overwhelmingly conservative. I managed to hold my ground and not applaud at the outright stupidity around me when most others applauded, but I can totally understand the feeling. I was just so angry that I didn’t care.
This is very interesting, and a very human experience. We all like to fit in, and be a part of the greater human experience. It comes from being socialized to the point of being uncomfortable when we have a differing attitude about what is happening. It is kind of like a Babtist at a Catholic ceremony.
We must learn to have differences, and to express them politely, as your respected listener did. Group think is a very dangerous thing. ( i.e. Hail Hitler!)
Oh yeah, Mudflatter K, very similar here in the slough. A little rally. Troops, Mayor, Repubs–applauding. Moose Pucky with hands tied up on the camera. A woman saying earnestly to Moose Pucky, “She’s so sweet. Isn’t she sweet.” No avoiding an answer, “Sometimes” is the best I can come up without offending a neighbors too deeply –thinking of something that would make the answer seem honest. Yeah, well, she can be pretty nice with the kids, for a few seconds at least. Choke, choke, cough, cough.
There is an interesting blog on huffpo comparing the polarizing tactics of Nixon and Palin. It may explain the creepiness. The attack on the senses is intended to be visceral, and it is. We have to be very aware and informed.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-wyskida/is-sarah-palin-our-richar_b_245628.html
If your mind and eyes are open…you can see courage in people when it really counts! Great Post and you spoke to me!
OK – only one problem with the picture………the sign to the far right….I DON”T THINK SO.