Thought of the Day: Sarah Palin, "Mama Grizzlies," and the Nanny State

You know, the more I read about the so-called "Mama Grizzlies," who are politicians like Sarah Palin that supposedly defend their cubs fiercely and unreservedly, the more I begin to wonder about the meaning of this meme as it relates to the notion of the Nanny State that these Palinite conservatives would seem to oppose. These Palinite female politicians, "Mama Grizzlies," seem to be embracing the notion of a mother bear and the defense of her helpless cubs as a part of their political platform. I see a contradiction here with the anti-Nanny State mantra. Think about it ... here we have female conservative politicians in the mold of Sarah Palin declaring themselves to be the right candidate because they know how to keep their helpless charges protected. In the political realm, what does this mean? Does this mean that their constituents need their political assistance? Does this mean that their constituents are helpless to take care of themselves without their Mama Grizzly? In fact, the whole Mama Grizzly meme wreaks of the whole idea of Nanny-ism. If someone picks on you or if you're down and out, don't worry, Mama will take care of you!