Nov 20 2008
Palin, Turkey and Sense of Insecurity
Every once in a while, I will have a Voila! moment when several discrete things all come together and a puzzle suddenly makes perfect sesne.
A while back when Katie Couric asked Palin what newspaper she read. She gave a very awkward and discursive answer. While I laughed at her with others, deep down, it didn’t make sense. Obviously, she read something. She is not the most intelligent person there is but she can’t possibly become who she is without reading anything. Later on, she explained to Lauer that she felt trapped by that question, as if “whatever I say will get me into trouble”.
Her explanation didn’t make sense to me: why the fuss? Just tell Couric anything, how could that have hurt? And many people felt the same way. But we all let it go. What is the big deal, after all.
But the epiphany came to me today. I came across a video of her giving an interview in Alaska. As she was recounting her VP experience and her renewed Alaskan family life, a guy was seen in the background stuffing a turkey–kicking and twisting–down a slaughter machine. As if that wasn’t enough, the guy was shaking and swaying with the bird (to drain blood?) as if in front of a urinal. What is worse, she was said to be there to perform the pre-Thanksgiving turkey pardon.
Then it suddenly hit me: no wonder she is so self-conscious of being trapped by journalists–from where she comes, the level of sensitivity and sophistication is just not there! Although Alaska is one of the highest per capita state of the most powerful nation in the world, it is still a very primitive place. Life’s challenge is still physical and perception of the ambient is largely visceral (Norbert Elias vs. Moose). She must be aware of that. No wonder she over-reacted, no wonder some Alaskan felt misunderstood by the lower-forty-eighters.
Had the economic crisis begun a couple of month late, she could have been our VP. It was as if Queen Sheba came to Israel, and stayed!
I don’t know why I still waste time on her. But the sense of discovery is quite intoxicating, I guess. Also, maybe one day I will look back at the last campaign and re-live the drama through things like this.
You’re too kind. I don’t buy into the mystique of the rugged Alaskan frontier where real woman know hot to shoot and field dress a moose.
This is the same woman who shoots wolves from helicopters for sport.
Why rant on about her? She lost. The frightening thing is she came close.
this interview demonstrates Sarah Palin’s cunning ability to use the media for her own ends. For example, the turkey in the background is designed to appear accidental… in reality she put that flailing bird directly behind her to warn anyone who might oppose her rise to power: Submit now or die.