Sunday, May 09, 2010

Sarah Palin and the Dumbing Down of America

I have been reading a lot lately about how Sarah Palin's appeal is due to her ability to connect with "real" America and how she is just like so many other average Americans. I agree that Sarah Palin's appeal is because of this. However, what I can't understand is that people actually think this should be the hallmark of a leader. It's the dumbing down of America. We speak of America's greatness, and yet Sarah Palin's appeal is precisely for the opposite. She's not great; she's average. She's not impressive, she's ho-hum. She's not thoughtful or curious, she's actually vacuous and devoid of ideas. She's not even inspirational in any meaningful way; she's just happenstance celebrity. I challenge anyone to point out anything about Sarah Palin that represents anything even remotely accomplished that a parent would want her daughter to imitate. Sarah Palin is no role model for my daughters.

Let's try to think of this in a different way. When people say that they feel drawn to Sarah Palin because she is like them, don't you think you ought to know a bit more about who these people are who make this claim? Who is it that Palin appeals to and why? Are these people who live dysfunctional lives? At another level, I find it problematic that people who are drawn to Sarah Palin convey in their support for her that they want their leaders to be a "normal person" just like them. What does this mean when we recognize that of us are not very extraordinarily skilled in leadership, or knowledgable enough about complex matters, or psychologically prepared enough to endure in such a stressful and demanding job. Is that really what we want in a leader? Mediocrity? Sarah Palin's celebrity is because of her mediocrity. That's just pathetic, if you ask me, and is quite the opposite of what this country promises.

I know some very self-absorbed, ignorant, and troubled people who think their lives are "normal." They think that their lives are as "real" as it gets -- especially because they haven't had an easy life (even though it's a life they made for themselves). Yes, yes ... I know ... call me elitist; but I believe that being leader of the free world requires someone extraordinary, not someone ordinary; and the reality is that very few of us have what it takes to be President. I include myself in that number. I think there is a lack of imagination when people are drawn to someone as a leader not because of anything special about that person's abilities that transcend the average; but precisely because of that averageness. I also think that there is something very pedantic and even narcissistic to think someone worthy of leadership because they are like "me." I, personally, want my leaders to inspire me to something more, greater, better than what I think I am capable of or what I am accustomed to.

In fact, of the many conservatives I know, the ones who like Sarah Palin are people, even ones who are salt-of-the-earth good people, whom I would never, ever want to hold any position of authority over the public trust. Of the many conservatives I do know who are smart enough to recognize that extraordinary ability is actually desirable in a leader, almost none of them support Sarah Palin for any kind of authority in governing.

I come from a very humble background. Neither of my parents got a high school degree. They eventually earned their GEDs, but their formal education stopped there. Thank God my parents didn't ascribe to the attitude that I find undergirds much of the support for Sarah Palin, else I wouldn't have been encouraged to get all "elite" by going to a good university and aspiring to something beyond a career as an electrician, which is the family trade. In fact, the attitude of the Palinites is one that has its own elitism -- one that snubs its grubby "real America" nose at the American dream of becoming part of an elite. If you distinguish yourself from the "average" American, however that is defined, then you are one of those snobby elites who think they are better than the "average" American. It ascribes success outside of what Palinite America defines as success as "elitism." I just think it's plain jealousy at the success of others. How else can one look at the story of Barack Obama and think that his story is not as much the quintessential story of the American dream as any other. And yet the Palinites despise Obama because of his success and his abilities. They call him elitist because he resists the Palinite embrace of the dumbing down of America. Palinites can have their "Joe the Plumber" America. I prefer an America that recognizes the value of "Joe the Plumber" America, but sill aspires to something greater than that.

6 comments:

Don_cos said...

“I challenge anyone to point out anything about Sarah Palin that represents anything even remotely accomplished that a parent would want her daughter to imitate. Sarah Palin is no role model for my daughters.” ~ Huck

1. Member of the Wasilla, Alaska City Council.
2. Chaired the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.
3. Youngest person and the first woman Governor of Alaska.
4. Vice Presidential candidate.
5. Mother (unless you think less of this than your Mother’s Day post implies).
6. Is respectful of her fellow Americans (who are apparently too “dumb” for you).
7. Challenged and ousted corrupt politicians from her own party. Something more politicians should emulate.
8. Best selling author.
9. Head of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes
10. Member of the Wasilla High School girls' basketball and cross country running teams.
11. Graduated college with a bachelor’s degree in communications (journalism) in 1987.
12. Still married (to her first and only husband) after 22 years.

Can you honestly say that you would not be proud of your daughters if they accomplished these things?

Huck said...

Don_cos - Yeah, I tend to go overboard when it comes to Sarah Palin. So, my challenge was a bit over the top. Even uninspiring, average people accomplish things that aren't half bad. And even some downright bad people accomplish some of the things on your list. I wonder how many conservatives think of Obama as "accomplished" for being a college graduate, a lawyer, a community organizer, a state Senator, a US Senator, and President of the USA, not to mention a loving father and a loyal husband, too. Of course, I would be (and am) proud of my daughters for all sorts of things, just because they are my daughters and I love them. But I wouldn't want my daughters to aspire to be like Sarah Palin, who goes around conveying an idea that there are "real Americans" and then there are the rest of us elitist snobs. Sarah Palin doesn't respect people like me, but then I guess I don't count as a "fellow American." And I certainly don't want my daughters emulating a woman who thinks that what I have accomplished in my own life, rising from working class poverty to be a successful university professor, is to be belittled and despised as faux-American elitist.

Don_cos said...

“College graduate, Lawyer, State Senator, US Senator, President of the USA”

These are definitely accomplishments. However this still doesn’t make him a good choice for President.

“Community organizer”

Not so impressive. I lived in the Chicago area during his time as a community organizer. No lasting positive results.

“Loving father and a loyal husband.”

This is the thing I respect the most about him. I just hope that he doesn’t ever pull a “Tiger” and put those girls through the gauntlet that would be thrown on them.

“Sarah Palin doesn't respect people like me.”

Actually I think she would like and respect you. It’s difficult to say without you actually meeting. I think that you and I are a good example of two people who have strong opposing political views, but in our discussions have often been able to come to a point where we realize that our hopes for this country are not as far apart as they would seem.

“rising from working class poverty to be a successful university professor, is to be belittled and despised as faux-American elitist.”

That is indeed an accomplishment that you rightfully should be proud of. However there are many who do believe that such an accomplishment means that they are in reality better than the average American. My wife has a liberal cousin who has a masters in early childhood development and has been very successful professionally. I have personally heard her say that if conservative were as smart and educated as she was then they would understand. She cannot conceive of someone being intelligent and not agreeing with her. You yourself imply in your post that average Americans are not fit to lead. It fails to note that in many cases not having a law degree or PHD is often not due to lack of ability but lack of desire to take that path in life. We all choose our course and most choose other professions.

When you discount the average American you discount the concept of self governance that our country stands for.

Huck said...

Don_cos - All good and fair points. Just a couple of comments to clarify my position. First, I don't discount the average American. As I said in my original posting, "I prefer an America that recognizes the value of 'Joe the Plumber' America, but still aspires to something greater than that." There is nothing inherently wrong with being an "average" American, but the average American is not the person that I look for to be the leader of the free world. I want an exceptional American to be that leader. Part of effective self-governance comes with the humility of recognizing the limits of our abilities and talents, and acknowledge that others are more talented or capable than we are in some things. Not everyone has what it takes to be President of the U.S. and we sell the aspiration to greatness, a quality that I think truly represents the American dream, when we pretend otherwise in deference to the "average" American. I hear what you are saying about your liberal cousin, and I acknowledge that this exists; but let's not pretend that this kind of arrogance doesn't exist among conservatives who look at someone like me and assume that my level of education and my profession, when coupled with my political ideology, makes me by definition an elitist snob. It completely discounts the possibility that my success is yet another example of the American dream. Think of it like this: imagine my attending a Tea Party event and introducing myself as a University Professor of Ethnic Studies. You think anybody in that room isn't going to prejudge my choice of career without having the least bit of interest in knowing where I came from or what I had to overcome to get here?

I certainly recognize and respect someone being intelligent and disagreeing with me. But what I don't respect is someone belittling intelligence and elevating ignorance as a virtue.

Finally, notice that I include msyelf in the number of those not fit to lead; and I don't consider myself to be average in many respects. But I am not pretentious enough to think that only folks like me are worthy of leadership. I also recognize that I am average in some respects. And I am less than average in other respects. Believe me that you wouldn't want me fixing your plumbing. Likewise, we shouldn't want the plumber to run the country. Sarah Palin, as nice and "real" an American as she may be, does not, in my estimation, have the exceptional abilities that I want in a President.

eric said...

The problem as I see it is that our government is so encompassing, convoluted, and entangling that it is ridiculously naive to expect *anyone* to possess the intellectual and managerial skill to effectively operate it. What I prefer isn't a President with supernatural abilities, but a government that is small enough to be manageable by mere mortals. They don't have to be plumbers, but I do honestly believe there are plenty of plumbers who could have done a better job as POTUS than our last two Presidents. I don't care if the President is 'like me' or not in their day-to-day life, but I do put a higher priority on their general beliefs about the proper role of government than I do on their scholastic pedigree or their charisma, so while Palin wouldn't be high on my list, I do connsider her to be far superior to Obama in that regard.

And on another note, personally, I would be more proud of my daughter for making just about any kind of living under her own steam in the private marketplace than I would be if she had high levels of accomplishment at any public sector job, and that even includes the military. That doesn't mean I wouldn't be proud of her for making accomplishments in the public sector, but I would feel more pride and accomplishment for her making it on her own as a cleaning lady than I would if she became a popular and respected state Senator.

As for leadership, I don't look to politicians for inspiration or emulation. Even the ones I agree with are doing a job that I consider to be morally inferior to what plumbers and elecricians and physicians do.

Huck said...

I don't care if the President is 'like me' or not in their day-to-day life, but I do put a higher priority on their general beliefs about the proper role of government than I do on their scholastic pedigree or their charisma, so while Palin wouldn't be high on my list, I do connsider her to be far superior to Obama in that regard.

Eric - So do I understand correctly that someone who simply shares your belief about the proper role of government would be your preferred choice for President over someone who actually is better skilled at the job if this person's views about the proper role of government differ from yours? By that measure, it would seem to me that you would prefer an ignorant incompetent who doesn't know what the Taliban is to Obama if that person is a small-government conservative.

I think you're smart enough to know that the reality is that even running a "small" government responsible for 300 million people requires some skill and talent level beyond simply sharing a philosophy about the proper role of government or being able to fix a leaky waterpipe.

I'm not asking for my President to possess supernatural abilities; but I damn sure would prefer someone more closely approximating superior abilities for the job than someone with no abilities.

Even the ones I agree with are doing a job that I consider to be morally inferior to what plumbers and elecricians and physicians do.

And what about school teachers, trial lawyers, and college professors? Sure, Eric, there are professions we don't take kindly to for one reason or another. But I fail to see what is inherently morally inferior to a career as a politician than to any other career. Seems to me that the morality part comes not in the task, especially if we recognize the necessity of the task, but in the character and behavior of the person taking it on. The honest politician is much more noble than the dishonest contractor or banker.