This morning, reflecting on
David Frum's much-discussed attack on Sarah Palin, I found
myself pondering the question, "What is this really all
about?" And finally I concluded
it's about Bush:
That born-again, down-to-earth, drawling Texas thing --
somehow, it had once made Bush seem like Gary Cooper in
High Noon. But as the disasters mounted and the poll
numbers headed southward, that Gary Cooper glow faded and these
conservative intellectuals turned on their TVs to behold, with
unspeakable horror, President Jethro Bodine.
Thus their reaction to Sarah Palin. While the Republican Party
grassroots looked at Palin and saw an American Margaret
Thatcher (except much sexier), the conservative intellectuals
looked at her and saw . . . Vice President Ellie Mae
Clampett.
Shootin' her some vittles! Takin' care of young 'uns. Let's go
a-swimmin' in the ce-ment pond!
You see? The fear and loathing of Sarah Palin among (some)
conservative intellectuals is a subconscious reaction to their
belated recognition of Bush's weaknesses.
There's more, if you're interested. In the end, the question
becomes, "To whom does the Republican Party belong? To the
intellectuals, or to the people?" Perhaps you can
guess my allegiance in this proprietary dispute.
