Why the ferocious reaction by both the Left and the MSM to the Palin nomination?
The conventional wisdom is that it is sexism, a variation on what Hillary experienced during the Democratic primaries. That is certainly part of the explanation. When have you ever heard male candidates, such as Obama, asked about how they will handle their job given their young children?
But there is more going on here than sexism.
A second factor is how the Left is notoriously intolerant of women and minorities who don’t tow their ideological line. Just like they react fiercely to blacks who wander off their plantation, women who hold different views are deemed as lacking authenticity. Can’t be a real feminist if you don’t think their left-wing way. (What is no less appalling is how overtly the MSM has fully joined the Left’s insanity.)
A third factor explaining the intensity of the reaction to Palin is she is a direct threat to the existing culture of death. Whether it is Trig’s birth or her daughter’s pending child, there has rarely been such a direct challenge to the abortion culture. The culture war is alive and the Left is facing having to deal with a young, dynamic and contrary role model who has walked the life walk.
What is not lost on many of us is how tolerant the evangelical community has been toward Palin’s daughter’s pregnancy. One of the most striking comments in several articles below is how several people have said that it was a similar development in their family’s life which drew them into the pro-life movement. And what a contrast they offer to the rabid anger of the Left.
So the Left has to try to destroy Palin out of the box because she appears to be a strong, capable and “regular” woman who offers, by her life example, an appealing alternative vision for the future. Again, we don’t know her well enough yet to know if she can pull it off – especially given how committed the Left is to destroying her.
But, if Palin can pull it off, she could be one of the biggest threats of my lifetime to the cultural and political Left, someone who could potentially alter the political and philosophical landscape in the United States.
Which explains the ferocious response by the Left to her nomination.
More thoughts to come.
Jonathan Adler on Sarah’s rough start?
Kathryn Jean Lopez on We’re Not Sisters with Her: Palin exposes the feminist Left
Kathryn Jean Lopez on Heart of the Matter: Sarah Palin and a new feminism
Rich Lowry on Hating Sarah: Partisanship at its worst
Byron York on Why the Palin Baby Story Matters: What it means to evangelical voters
Ed Morrissey on We have walked in the Palins’ shoes
Focus on the Family on Pastor doesn’t preach
Richard Adams on A tale of two philosophies
John Pitney, Jr. on Go Ahead and Laugh: How Palin matters
NR Editors on Pregnant Pause: Trying to end the Palin candidacy before it begins
Thomas Lifson on Sarah Palin and the Two Americas
Jeff Jacoby on A stark choice on abortion
Michelle Malkin on The Four Stages of Conservative Female Abuse