The best so far, from Chris Ortiz:
But Palin frightens those on the looney Left, and the only strategy they have is to make her appear as a tongue-talking theocrat.
Again, this will not work, because you’re attacking her where she’s strongest. You’re also assuming that most of America are northeastern, latte-sipping liberals with a penchant for gay rights. You’re soooo wrong. America is much more disturbed by gay marriage than the Assemblies of God. This too will backfire.
I really like Chris’s optimism and triumphant language.
Pentecostalism is one of those things common in the Heartland, but seems very frightening to liberals in big cities. I don’t endorse their their theology, but they’re nothing to be afraid of, and maybe they’re the means a few of the elect are brought into the hidden Church. By making Pentecostalism a bug-a-boo, the Left shows how out-of-touch with Real America they are, while also making the more mainstream conservative denominations uncomfortable, because we know what they really think about us, don’t we?
Next is a critique of her religion from a different angle over at Lew Rockwell. I agree somewhat, as I find support for a foreign nation far more disturbing than pretending to speak in tongues:
So, Sarah Palin proudly displays an Israeli flag in her office in Juneau, and her “Pentecostal” faith makes supporting the state of Israel a central tenet of belief, possibly even more important than the Gospel itself (you know, that odd little fact that Jesus Christ was crucified and raised to redeem humanity from its sinfulness).
This got me to thinking. Flying the flag of another country, pledging allegiance and loyalty to another polity, this is not the behavior of politicians in a powerful, world ruling empire — it’s what people in conquered nations, colonies and satellite states do. I can imagine Czech communist party officials in, say, 1980, having the Soviet flag in their office, of groveling before the USSR and the CPSU. No serious politician in Moscow (the head of the Soviet-Czechoslovak Friendship Society is not serious) would fly or wear the Czech flag — it was clear how power flowed, from Moscow to Prague. Or Senegalese politicians in the 1950s pledging their loyalty and love to France, but no one in Paris caring much about Senegal.
You know, I’ve been trying to figure this one out for weeks now. I think the Palin nomination really gelled it for me.
McCain is a Republican (sic). The Republicans are the authors of a deeply unpopular war. The Republican President has alternately historically and near-historically low approval ratings. The economy is in the gutter, on its way to the sewer. All this should add up to a handy victory for O’bama. I mean, he should be leading in any reasonable poll by a 20-30% margin.
But he’s not. Drudge recently suggested he’s lost his mojo, and is struggling to get it back.
Part of what’s torpedoed his campaign is the “first time in my life” comment by Michelle. Part is the “guns and God” line. Part is the obscenely ridiculous row over the lapel flag. Part was Jeremiah
WhiteWright.I think what’s going on here is that the Left has seen what caused O’bama to start losing traction, and is trying to emulate it.
They orchestrate attacks against Palin’s apparent affinity for secessionism. Nothing.
They take aim at her “extreme” religious views. Doesn’t compare to O’bama’s “secret Islamism.”
They paint her with a neo-Confederate brush on the secessionism, as if it’s not the most reasonable position that getting as far, as fast, from Washington would be great. Doesn’t take.
The Dems are trying to use weapons from the GOP arsenal against them. Problem is, they don’t quite know how to load, aim, and fire the durned things.
The more I see of this, the more I appreciate the GOP’s genius move. Palin looks impregnable. Unpatriotic? She has a son in the Army. Out of touch? She’s a caribou-hunting
soccerhockey mom with a husband in the local. Heartless conservative? She not only is taking care of her knocked-up teen daughter, she’s also got a special-needs infant son. Weird religion? She’s a dispensationalist evangelical.And to top it all off, she was a bleedin’ beauty queen!
Now, that last might have Gloria Steinem spinning in her grave, but to the rest of the world, that’s pretty doggone special. And another thing–
What’s that? Steinem’s still alive? Huh.
I stand by the “spinning in her grave” part…
Every once in a while even a blind hog finds an acorn. (And you can put lipstick on the GOP, but it is still a blind hog.)