November 22, 2008 12:16:22 PM CST
(Newser) – At first blush, Sarah Palin—a “fitness-obsessed, policy-lite, skirt-wearing conservative” might not remind you of Bill Clinton—a “Big Mac-scarfing, policy-relishing, skirt-chasing Democrat”—but dig a little and the similarities are staggering, writes Eve Fairbanks in the New Republic. Both governors were forged “in the cramped and corrupt crucible of small-state politics,” and come with a trail of home-state enemies and an us-versus-them mentality.
Each even has a spouse who seems a part of the political team—Todd Palin is like “Hillary with a goatee.” The pair is united by the “total, complete hysteria they provoke in their critics”—Clinton and Palin so completely embody their respective sides of the culture war they drive opponents insane with rage and fear. Caution, Dems: When Republicans raged against Clinton, Clinton won.
Source New Republic
Nov 20, 08 9:37 CST Sarah Palin’s non-answer to Katie Couric’s question about what periodicals she reads still has the CBS anchor puzzled. Couric visited with David Letterman last night, and he quizzed her about why post-election interviewers haven’t asked the VP wannabe about her non-response, Gawker reports. Meanwhile, Letterman has a theory: “She was afraid of offending people who don’t read.” More »
Nov 17, 08 4:45 PM CST Sarah Palin made such a splash in American politics this year that she deserves consideration for Time magazine Person of the Year, Kathryn Jean Lopez writes for the National Review. “They’ve probably long picked The One,” Lopez writes, referring to Barack Obama. But “like Obama, all you had to do was look at her to see that she offered something different on a national ticket.” More »
Nov 17, 08 11:21 CST Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin shattered the glass ceiling in politics, but the broken shards sharply undercut the feminist movement. “In the grand Passion play that was this election, both Clinton and Palin came to represent—and, at times, reinforce—two of the most pernicious stereotypes that are applied to women: the bitch and the ditz,” Amanda Fortini writes in New York. More »
Nov 13, 08 12:07 PM CST Breaking from presidential-campaign habits with a press conference, Sarah Palin thanked supporters, mentioned Joe the Plumber, and dodged the obvious question about 2012 today at the Republican governors confab in Miami, the New York Times reports. “The future is not that 2012 Presidential race, it’s next year and our next budgets,” she said, citing opportunity in 36 gubernatorial races in 2010. More »
Nov 12, 08 4:54 CST Political analyst Michael Barone was booed by a crowd of academics after saying the media hated Sarah Palin for not aborting Trig, Politico reports."The liberal media attacked Sarah Palin because she did not abort her Down syndrome baby," the US News & World Report writer said, prompting some audience members to walk out. "They wanted her to kill that child." More »
What unites Clinton and Palin the most is the unique level of total, complete hysteria they provoke in their critics. - Eve Fairbanks
It's not too surprising that Clinton and Palin have similar political styles. They were both forged in the cramped and corrupt crucibles of small-state politics. - Eve Fairbanks
Election 2008 • Sarah Palin • Bill Clinton
