The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Sarah Palin, Phillis Schlafly, Mrs. Other Smitty, And #CPAC2013

Posted on | March 16, 2013 | 17 Comments

by Smitty

Taking in the afternoon at CPAC, I thought Sarah was rousing, and spot-on in her criticism:

While a great example of whipping up the crowd to a froth, the speech sounded a bit Ann Coulter-ish, NTTAWWT. In other words, and excellent outing from a media personality, and not from someone laying the foundation for serious campaigning in the near future.

Many would be daunted by the idea of following Sarah. Many are not Phyllis Schlafly.

Concurrent with the speeches above, Mrs. Other Smitty came by CPAC, and brought the World’s Youngest Blogger.

All this speechifying leaves a man parched.

As someone from Old Europe, Mrs. Other Smitty looks at CPAC through some different eyes. She saw a few vehicles like the ‘Arguably Most Raaaaacist Vehicle in the Country‘ (seen there in stock footage from #CPAC2012) over at National Harbor and found their ‘unrefined’ nature (and, by extension, the whole CPAC crowd) just a little off-putting.

I acknowledged that, the ‘raw, colonial feel’ of e.g. Ted Nugent. . .


. . .can be neither denied nor separated from the American experience, having been kicked out of Old Europe those centuries back. That unrefined nature of a Nugent (or even Sarah Palin) is closely associated with authenticity, whereas ‘excessive polish’ is viewed with some skepticism, and the stout patriotism of a Schlafly is increasingly unknown outside the movement.

But that’s part of the nature of representative democracy. That ‘refinement’ has some correlation to age, income, and education. Mrs. Other Smitty is more drawn to the straightforward intellectual appeal of a Schlafly than the folksy tones of a Palin.

For my part, I like the whole, broad spectrum of appeal from high- to low-brow. Leadership cannot be talking over, or down to people. Rather, leadership must strive to pick up the audience and elevate it. That kind of virtuous agitation grows people, helping them to rise to whatever optimal level Destiny has ordained for them.

Then again, I’ve always been just riff-raff sneaking in to hang out with the Cool Kids, so what do I know?

Category: CPAC, Sarah Palin, World's Youngest Blogger

Comments

17 Responses to “Sarah Palin, Phillis Schlafly, Mrs. Other Smitty, And #CPAC2013”

  1. GlockLady
    March 16th, 2013 @ 5:51 pm

    RT @smitty_one_each: Sarah Palin, Phillis Schlafly, Mrs. Other Smitty, And #CPAC2013 http://t.co/vvVLoAswqf #TCOT

  2. DosMasCervezas
    March 16th, 2013 @ 5:53 pm

    RT @smitty_one_each: Sarah Palin, Phillis Schlafly, Mrs. Other Smitty, And #CPAC2013 http://t.co/vvVLoAswqf #TCOT

  3. rtoberl
    March 16th, 2013 @ 5:58 pm

    RT @smitty_one_each: Sarah Palin, Phillis Schlafly, Mrs. Other Smitty, And #CPAC2013 http://t.co/vvVLoAswqf #TCOT

  4. Dorothee Oberdhan
    March 16th, 2013 @ 5:59 pm

    Hmpf… I didn’t use “unrefined” but thought it all looked trashy and out of place at the Gaylord – not just those weird trucks. But what do I know….

  5. Rosalie
    March 16th, 2013 @ 6:10 pm

    Palin’s been to Hell and back, and I don’t think she wants to return. And I can’t say that I blame her. If she can get more senators like Paul and Cruz elected, she will be invaluable in that capacity. Maybe the little guy’s going to be a speaker one day.

  6. Matt Ross
    March 16th, 2013 @ 6:12 pm

    Matt Ross liked this on Facebook.

  7. smitty
    March 16th, 2013 @ 6:15 pm

    Yep.

  8. Paula
    March 16th, 2013 @ 6:28 pm

    I agree. I am a Palin fan but, I would fear for her&family’s safety The media and Democrats have Alinskyed Palin to such a degree that people froth at the mouth hating her. (It’s gotten so bad on twitter and facebook that some of them need an exorcist now. LOL)

  9. Paula
    March 16th, 2013 @ 6:43 pm

    Smitty, you were so spot on when you said this–> “For my part, I like the whole, broad spectrum of appeal from high- to low-brow. Leadership cannot be talking over, or down to people. Rather, leadership must strive to pick up the audience and elevate it.” Like Rand Paul, Rubio, Cruz, etc. CPAC presented the Conservative movement with a plethora of Candidates to chose from in the future.

    I was watching the #CPAC twitter feed during Palin’s speech and I noticed the style of her speech seemed to make the Conservative message resonate with new people hearing her speak.

    I love the folksky Sarah Palin. She is sooo relatable and empowers Women with her speeches. #mamagrizzlies = the real Woman’s movement 🙂
    I agree with Rosalie though, I don’t think Palin will run. But, by golly, she will be our voice!!

  10. Bob Belvedere
    March 16th, 2013 @ 6:57 pm

    It’s her duty, dammit, to run [‘…we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor’].

    Sarah Palin gets it more than the others do.

    I watched her speech and Senator Cruz’s and, even though he is damn good, she is so much better [and getting better with each one].

  11. Shawny Lee
    March 16th, 2013 @ 8:29 pm

    Yes, she needs to take her own impassioned advice to others, each of whom must be willing to courageously commit themselves for the greater cause as so many before them have done. Few have the leadership skills and energy she does or the inate power to find common ground on which to unite others.

  12. RichFader
    March 16th, 2013 @ 10:24 pm

    I’ve always thought she’d be great. I think on one level she’d still very much like to, even after all that’s happened. The problem is that a national campaign in the modern age really does require staff, and at this point, I wouldn’t blame her a bit for just as soon wanting to shoot the potential prospect pool as hire any of it.

  13. richard mcenroe
    March 16th, 2013 @ 10:54 pm

    While I am second to none (okay, maybe to one) in my admiration of the Mrs. Smitty who keeps the Admiral of the Afghan Fleet happily moored at home, I do note that we rowdy and unpolished rude colonials have been put to considerable exertion a time or two straightening out the consequences of those “more polished” yurpeen notions.

  14. Eric Ashley
    March 17th, 2013 @ 3:15 am

    Y’know, you could have one of those Macchiavellian dinners….the ones where the king or in this case queen to be invites all her worst enemies to a ‘peace and friendship’ meal, and then closes the doors….

    There is probably a good reason why I’m not running for office.

  15. smitty
    March 17th, 2013 @ 5:32 am

    Fair point.

  16. JohnInMA
    March 17th, 2013 @ 10:30 am

    I’m not a huge Palin fan, but I do find that the attacks against her actually endear her more to me and others. And I’d listen to a lifetime of her speeches rather than a ten minute snippet of someone like Alan Grayson or Nancy Pelosi or…..

  17. PhilipJames
    March 17th, 2013 @ 8:11 pm

    Sarah is going the media and culture route (as so ably explained by Breitbart) to get the message out and for her to be plain and simple and straightforward like Shafley.just puts her right along side the other boring and uninspiring policy wonks…. we are in a different world now and as Breitbart kept repeating, we need to get into the fight from all angles.