Saturday Night Livid
Political satire started in prime time as Sarah Palin preempted SNL with a parody of herself at the Tea Party convention.
“How’s that hopey-changey stuff working out for you?” she twinkled during a $100,000 standup (to be donated to “the cause,” destination unclear) for hundreds who paid $349 to hear her pummel Obama with one-liners about everything from bailouts to the Christmas bomber (in the war on terror, “we need a commander in chief, not a professor of law standing at the lectern.”)
Her star turn on C-Span and the cable news networks, amplified by bloggers and Tweeters, brought a substantial audience to the movement of malcontent that had been marginalized by what she called “the lamestream media” until Scott Brown’s capture of Ted Kennedy’s seat brought Obama odium into the headlines.
Before Palin took the stage, its kooky roots showed in a rant about the President’s citizenship, but the perky personification of 21st century “Conservatism” tamped down the anger with her trademark cheerfulness in anointing the Tea Party as “the future of politics in America.”
As always, Palin’s upbeat string of non-sequiturs tapped into angers and resentments too deep and ugly to be openly aired directly even in today’s anything-goes culture, a strain of American animus memorialized half a century ago as the “paranoid style in American politics.”
The subject came up in 1964 when historian Richard Hofstadter gave it a name during Barry Goldwater’s run for the presidency against Lyndon Johnson:
“American politics has often been an arena for angry minds…who have now demonstrated in the Goldwater movement how much political leverage can be got out of the animosities and passions of a small minority…a style of mind that is far from new and that is not necessarily right-wing. I call it the paranoid style simply because no other word adequately evokes the sense of heated exaggeration, suspiciousness, and conspiratorial fantasy.”
Half a century ago, Goldwater lost decisively when he claimed that “extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And…moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue!”
But one of his pitchmen, the actor Ronald Reagan who started out in sports-casting like Sarah Palin, later found a way to convert that zeal into a “Morning in America” campaign all the way to the White House.
Last night, Palin invoked Reagan on his 99th birthday…
16 Responses to “Saturday Night Livid”
Is it paranoid to loudly proclaim that the glaciers will melt and submerge the coastal cities and drown the islands if people don't vote for your program of tax increases, economic subjugation, and worldwide redistribution of wealth?
How about to claim that tens of thousands will die every year if your version of health care reform isn't passed? Is that paranoid?
Or wait, maybe to claim that if your stimulus bill isn't passed, that unemployment could mushroom, and rise to (gasp) 8%!!
This is the most entertaining meltdown the left has staged since Massachusetts Senate race.
“Is it paranoid”
As you noted, Obama and the Dems exhibit the true paranoia, just as I have noted already it is they who have engaged in the true demagoguery, Long-style, with continued campaigning featuring BS a year after taking office, after normal people end their campaigning.
“This is the most entertaining meltdown the left has staged since Massachusetts Senate race.”
Due to heating (agitation) driven mainly by irrationality and pathology…
“Is it paranoid to loudly proclaim that the glaciers will melt and submerge the coastal cities and drown the islands if people don't vote for your program of tax increases, economic subjugation, and worldwide redistribution of wealth? “
WORLDWIDE REDISTRIBUTION EVERYBODY PANIC ECOFASCISM AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH.
Thanks for the chuckle, master of irony. Where would European comedy and mirth be without the US serving as inspiration?
“How about to claim that tens of thousands will die every year if your version of health care reform isn't passed? Is that paranoid?”
Unfortunately, naw.
“with continued campaigning featuring BS a year after taking office”
Here I thought the reason many on the left has criticized Obama is because he hasn't been going out there to do marketing. I guess since he is a democrat, basically anything one yanks out of the ass one calls one's mind and throws at him is expected to stick.
“As always, Palin’s upbeat string of non-sequiturs tapped into angers and resentments too deep and ugly to be openly aired directly even in today’s anything-goes culture, a strain of American animus memorialized half a century ago as the “ paranoid style in American politics.””
Now that's funny…..”asd always” ….. BWAHAHAHAHAHAAA
Typical confusion among commenters here about the difference between facts and hype. In case you didn't get it, Sarah is all about the hype. Robert's observations are very much on the mark, to which I would add: This Palin/Teaparty circus is just another reason for the rest of the world to be embarrassed for the late great US of A. Duh…
Good post, Robert. I wonder, distractions and diversions aside, if the 'conservative' commenters here think Palin scored, that she is the right person to define the 'tea party' movement, or that this convention helped or hurt that movement.
Since you asked –
Did she… er… score? I think those who liked her liked her, those who didn't didn't, and those who aren't sure got a good chance to be better acquainted. I'll await further evidence from polling before drawing a conclusion as to which of those groups predominate.
She's one of many 'right persons' to define the Tea Party movement
The convention definitely helped — live coverage on msnbc, Fox, Cspan, PJTV, numerous blogs — millions of dollars worth of media exposure.
Thanks for the chuckle, master of irony. Where would European comedy and mirth be without the US serving as inspiration?
Probably goose stepping it way down the Champs-Elysees
Of course that's a different generation of Americans who get to take credit for that, NOT us. Which generation of Americans are going to step up to the plate to address THIS mess? From what I see they don't even come close to having the right stuff. Most act like bickering children playing petty games while the house burns down around them Guess what? Mommy and daddy aren't there to help this time.
[...] Saturday Night Livid [...]
No Palin fan here, but thats an awesome line. Kudos to her or her speech writer for it.
as I recall Switzerland turned away refugees who came through the snows to escape the Nazis. Sent them straight back to their deaths. Axel forgets so easily, so conveniently.
I believe the Norwegians were terrific allies. Are they part of Scandinavia?
No Palin fan here, but thats an awesome line. Kudos to her or her speech writer for it”
She says ya instead of you and O drops his g when in campaign mode. It is kinda insultin.
They all tailor their speeches for their audience. Obama speaks differently to a primarily black audience for example, and when down south campaigning both Clinton and Obama tried to sound more southern.
They all tailor their speeches for their audience.”
All the world is their stage and we are but an audience.