O.k., first of all, in contrast to the appalling Salon.com coverage of Palin's book that Turkana eviscerates discusses today (rec list), EVERYONE should read this funny, devastating review of Palin's book, from ginandtacos.com. Excerpted below, it brilliantly captures the stupidity, lies, and hilarity as no other has before it. For example:
"...the book provides ample proof that Sarah Palin’s version of her own life is like the Turkish government’s version of the Armenian Genocide - and approximately as trustworthy."
But aside from sharing a great piece of humor writing below, I also want to caution about "rational" assumptions regarding the horror-show that is Sarah Palin and the movement she's leading. In times of crisis, Palin's lies and irrationality are far more potent.
Meet me (and our brilliant, funny writer pal at ginandtacos.com) below...
The second part below is directed at all those smart, informed progressives who gleefully insist that they would love to have Palin be the Repug nominee in 2012, under the assumption it would be a disaster for the GOPosaurs. I argue we are crossing though a very dangerous transitional period in our history -- that must be survived first -- and that the outcome is not inevitable. There is still a significant risk this monster could be our next president, especially if we become complacent.
In the Meantime, Nonetheless: Best summary EVER of Sarah:
GOING ROGUE
Posted in Rants on November 17th, 2009 by Ed
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Now we are faced with the daunting task of wrapping our minds around the Palin memoir Going Rogue, appearing atop a bestseller list near you. Millions of copies will be sold of a book written by someone who can't write, intended for an audience that doesn’t read, about the thoughts of a person who doesn’t think. God is dead.
If you are in a hurry, here is the succinct version of this review: Going Rogue is shit. It is groundbreaking in its banality and disregard for facts. If you are sentient, it will pain you to read it. Imagine watching your parents 69 one another while John Madden sits behind you and bellows out color commentary and you will have some idea of how excruciating and profoundly scarring it is to plow through each page of this wholly fictional monument to self-aggrandized mediocrity. Going Rogue is to the art of writing what the Holocaust is to the concept of a just God - the piece of disconfirming evidence so overwhelming that we are left questioning whether it can exist at all.
Now, aside from that VERY disturbing imagery you will now never be able to get out of your head, you might be saying to yourselves, as I was: "Why won't this guy take a position on the book, and stop beating around the (cough!) bush and pandering to Palin's lustrous if undeserved media image?" Fortunately, the author goes on to clarify:
Going Rogue is not without merit. It certainly delivers what its intended audience wants. Readers who already like Palin will love it, much as America’s pedophiles will find the latest Jonas Brothers DVD to their liking. The authors’ talent for communicating the ex-Governor’s unique rhetorical style in print is remarkable - the Sesame Street cadence of her delivery and the intermittent Tourette’s-like winks leap off the page. The book, recession priced at just $9, is also an ideal gift for the Aunt or Uncle who assaults your email inbox with a dozen weekly communiques on the President’s Kenyan birth and the constitutionality of income taxes.
Unfortunately that is an exhaustive list of its strengths.
And as a northeaster Ohio resident, I can particularly appreciate this metaphor:
The book is less a biography than an elaborate press release. Its 432 pages (with sixteen pages of pictures - and no index) barely feign interest in describing Palin’s life in detail. It moves as quickly as possible to its real raison d’etre: a methodical re-imagining of her entire political career replete with more excuses than a Cleveland Browns post-game press conference.
The essay goes on to colorfully discuss Sarah Barracuda's many LIES LIES LIES record-straightening points in the book, which at least a few among the tradmed, bloggers, and particularly those bad people in the McCain campaign (i.e., ALL of them... kinda like the newspapers Sarah can't even remember the names of reads) have already disputed.
Palin has never done anything wrong. The public have merely been led to believe that she is a dangerously stupid, erratic narcissist. Going Rogue is all about setting that record straight, offering a wildly implausible excuse for every crash and bang in her train wreck of a political career.
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The theme that permeates the book - and with all the subtlety of an Oliver Stone film - is Palin’s overwhelming magnanimity. The book itself was written solely for our benefit, to set straight all of our misconceptions.
Cynic or Sociopath?
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A serious question arises from her narrative. Is she a sociopath with a messiah complex - i.e. she actually believes the version of events she relates here - or is she simply a shameless liar? Does she honestly fail to realize that the McCain team was bending over backwards to protect her from her own stupidity when she rails on about how they abused, demeaned, and stifled her? Does she honestly believe it when she describes herself as someone who "wouldn’t stand for" a conflict of interest from a public servant, or does she consciously sit down at the keyboard and say, "I think I’m gonna make some shit up here!" -- with the intention of burnishing her image?
But Don't Get Too Cocky: Remember the Bush!
I, as most of you, take great pleasure in skewering this idiot and her band of slathering (and at times other activities... Rich Lowry, I'm talkin' to YOU, sittin' on the couch doin' yer naked "starbursting," or whatever you call it!) ignoramuses. Yes, less than 30% of Americans think Palin is qualified to be president, and yes, she's an embarrassment to our nation and sensible, patriotic Americans everywhere.
But the Wasilla Winkster is far more dangerous than many of us truly believe. First, despite her comparative current low popularity nationwide (and position in early Repug primary polls), and progressive Dems' justified disdain, her nomination by 2012 is still quite possible, and arguably even likely. Second, despite Barack Obama's intelligence and verbal adroitness, things could be worse nationally, and globally, than they are now 3 years from now.
The economy is and still could easily be in dire straits 3 years from now. The "jobless recovery" appears to be emerging, and American are increasingly (if clearly unfairly) blaming Obama for their dire straits. And there are many deteriorating international situations too numerous to elaborate on here that could plunge into crisis (Pakistan's A-bomb situation; Pak-India; Iran vs. Israel/the world; Iraq after the Americans; etc., etc.)
Or there could be a major terrorist attack on the United States, either before or after the Republican National Convention.
Republicans (I hesitate to misuse the term, "conservatives," since many of them are radicals who conserve nothing) and a large percentage of so-called "independents," are driven by emotional rhetoric. Some would even say (uh, me included) they are childish. When they perceive danger, they lose what little objectivity they might have had.
But this is true of any human
What we "rational" progressives often forget is that everyone has some of this emotionalism in them. When major crises emerge, clear thinking is less likely to hold sway, and the emotional reigns. People get put in concentration camps for stuff like that.
And is is well established in the socio-political literature that people tend to turn more toward authoritarian "father" Republican leaders than nurturing "mother" Democrats when outside (or inside) threats are perceived. Palin is brilliant at the manipulation of not-too-educated or sophisticated, paranoid people, and increasing numbers of them might follow her in the event of greater crises.
Point being: Tough times are when dictators assume power. These are perilous, volatile times, which could get worse before they get better, and during worsening times (aided and abetted by Limbaugh, Beck, Dobbs, and "Fox and Fascists," our buddy Sarah Palin looks better and better to more and more Americans. And yes, she could even end up as president under worst case scenarios. Don't confuse the fact that, of course, over the long run, she and her ilk are destined to fail, based on demographics alone. But in the short run, before the ignorant, racist, fundamentalist Christo-fascist white folks are outnumbered more, we would do well to not let our guard down.
Last word to our reviewer, however! The summation of this "thunderingly stupid" Thrilla from Wasilla train-wreck of a book:
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It is not coincidental that everyone -- and we can use that term without hyperbole -- involved with the McCain campaign, and not named Sarah Palin, has already lambasted this book as, variously, "pure fabrication, "other worldly," "blatantly and absolutely inaccurate," "total fiction," and "a serious mixing of truth and imagination."
In short, the book provides ample proof that Sarah Palin’s version of her own life is like the Turkish government’s version of the Armenian Genocide - and approximately as trustworthy. Going Rogue is an irritatingly vernacular, fantastical, and cloying autobiography of a malignant narcissist, every bit as thunderingly stupid throughout as the person behind it. In what world is it either necessary or desirable to spend $9 and four hours to figure that much out about Sarah Palin?
Peace, humor, and humility, brothers and sisters.
UPDATE: Fellow Kossack scorponic alerted me to his/her related diary discussion from a few days ago on the subject of conservative psychology and appeal.
Also, forgot to note (thanks to skohayes and scorponic) the related Frank Rich column from today. And the wonderful slicing and dicing that Matt Taibbi did on Palin's book Friday.