Very interesting to witness Arianna Huffington, that “superior intellect”, twist and turn this narrative of Sarah Palin. Basically her message is that Palin is dumb but great at getting the message out. We never saw a candidate like that in say…08′ right?
She whines over the Grizzly Palin ad:
It’s classic Palin. And, as often is the case with Palin, the video doesn’t feature a single word about policy — as many of her critics have pointed out. But they are completely missing the point. Indeed, this video and the response to it are a perfect illustration of why we need to widen the scope of our political analysis.
We are awash in crises right now — crises that require smart and creative policy fixes. So why is somebody who so rarely deals in policy fixes so popular? It’s because Palin’s message operates on a level deeper than policy statements about the economy or financial reform or health care or the war in Afghanistan.
To really understand her appeal, we need less policy analysis and more psychology. Specifically, we need to hear from that under-appreciated political pundit Carl Jung.
It’s not Palin’s positions people respond to — it’s her use of symbols. Mama grizzlies rearing up to protect their young? That’s straight out of Jung’s “collective unconscious” — the term Jung used to describe the part of the unconscious mind that, unlike the personal unconscious, is shared by all human beings, made up of archetypes, or, in Jung’s words, “universal images that have existed since the remotest times.” Unlike personal experiences, these archetypes are inherited, not acquired. They are “inborn forms… of perception and apprehension,” the “deposits of the constantly repeated experiences of humanity.”
This is the realm Palin is working in — I’m sure unintentionally — and it’s why she has connected so deeply with a large segment of the public. In fact, her evocation of mama grizzlies has a particularly resonant history in the collective unconscious. According to the Jungian Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism, “The bear has long fascinated mankind, partly because of its habit of hibernation, which may have served as a model of death and rebirth in human societies.”
I love how she attempts to portray Palin as someone lacking in policy but she lubes herself some Obama eh? The same guy who wouldn’t know policy if it smacked him in face. The man who accomplished nothing his whole life EXCEPT by using symbols and ignorant slogans.
But I will say it’s funny to watch as these lefties just can’t figure it all out. They observe millions flocking to the Tea Party and Sarah and just can’t get it. Being on the left, in their little bubble, they never will. So they bring out Jung to make it seem like they are oh so intellectual and make up crap like “it’s all symbols.”
Gonna bite you in the ass someday.
I watched this ignorant woman on TV one day. After listening to her for about 10 minuites it became clear why her husband turned gay.
I hav a new hero besides Witten of the Cowboys. Breitbart was going to write for Zsa Zsa of the Puffington Post. He left in 10 days. Remember that Zsa Zsa gets her behind handed to herself by George Will nearly every Sunday. I used to raise hell on the Puffington Post and as per usual got punted every time. And you wonder why I watch football religiously on Sundays.
“…crises that require smart and creative policy fixes.”
She’s not wrong, y’know – too bad we don’t have an administration capable of that.
“So why is somebody who so rarely deals in policy fixes so popular?”
How, exactly, can someone who supported Obama (whose “policies” were and are “Hope!” and “Change!”) say this with a straight face?
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@alanstorm
One has to wonder how Palin’s policies in Alaska garnered her so much support if they weren’t ‘smart’.
@Curt
“They observe millions flocking to the Tea Party and Sarah and just can’t get it”
Your use of the word ‘can’t’ in that sentence is spot on. Using either the word ‘don’t’ or ‘won’t’ assumes they have an idea of what her appeal, and the broader appeal of the TEA Party, is, which they obviously do not.
Sarah Palin is the most affective person in politics trying to stop Obama and his liberal agenda and thats why the left has targeted her.
Name one other Republican that the media has sent an army of reporters to dig up stories to discredit them as they did and are still doing to her. No one else has a liberal writter living next door as she and her family have in Alaska.
Well, “cut taxes” “cut regulations” “eliminate ObamaCare” and “protect our borders” sounds like some pretty good policies to me. Real policies, ones with substance, and a healthy respect for the opinions of mankind. So there you go, Palin has policies galore.
Oh, I know what Palin’s missing — the utter audacity to divine what my pursuit of happiness is and to make a policy and a bureaucrat with a form to implement it. And she’s clear about that. Such symbolism, “free yourself, do what you want, respect others and life itself.” Yes, sounds dastardly, I do declare.
Ms. Huffington should perhaps recall the wonderful policies of her homeland, so recently abandoned, legally I would hope, for which Obama holds such love and adoration. Yes, Huff, them’s the policy wonks we need, for the worldwide socialism which you escaped. Where do you plan on going next, dearie?
Tom N FYI Affective; influenced by or resulting from emotion.
Effective;producing a decided,decisive or desired effect.
You speak Palinese.
I am so looking forward to watching Democrats trot out some “Archetypal Symbols” from what they think is the “collective unconscious”, but which will actually be a glimpse into the dark recesses of their own twisted little minds.
ARIANNA is not to bright, she is just trying to show that she is,
just by what she mentionned about SARAH PALIN.
Since when was Huffington the brightest bulb in the lamp?
To dumb to understand, ok, I may be dumb but she is a bitch.
sarge charlie: hi, she has the 2, It’s pityfull,. bye
Well, after reading Ariana’s remarks I’m sure of one thing — just which “deposits of the constantly repeated experiences of humanity” her logic represents. She’s squeezed the Charmin a few too many times.
It’s too hard for Arianna to understand that someone might actually talk the talk and walk the walk rather than lying through their teeth. What? Not only is she Pro-Life but she refuses to have an abortion under dire circumstances, putting herself and baby into God’s hands…which is heresy to them. Scum.
I can’t watch this woman without thinking about the Lisa Douglas character on the old Green Acres TV sit com.Which makes it all the more ironic when she accuses Palin or her supporters of being stupid.
The best hope that the Democrats have in 2010 is Sarah Palin and the Tea Party. She singlehandedly turned around the Senate races in FL and NV and both of which were locks for the Republicans.
I don’t know what the problem is here, you can believe everything you read in the
Huff and Puff Post!
So what’s the problem? Sometimes you need to get the “gist” of a person – their “gestalt” to borrow some psychobabble, rather than specific policy details… Seems to me the mama grizzly metaphor is a good one.
>>Lisa Douglas character on the old Green Acres TV sit com>>
That would be Zsa Zsa Gabor, not Lisa Douglas (unless there was a remake – possible, but I’m not aware of one). They both come from Hungary, I believe. Certainly their accents are the same – which is probably why you hear her and think of Zsa Zsa. (who, by the way, is now 94 and in fairly serious condition after falling out her bed or out of her wheelchair – depending on your source. Getting old is not for the weak!)
@suek:
Ummm….”Lisa Douglas” was the name of the character that Gabor played on Green Acres.
THERE’S no problem here; now what is your’s? SARAH PALIN doesnt need any psycopath.
@ Coastal Eddie and jim s
>>Lisa Douglas was the name of the character”
Heh. That’s funny. Thinking back on it, I don’t think I ever heard her name. Never. She was Zsa Zsa. Always.
You know how _long_ ago that was?????
suek: hi, no?
@suek: I think that was Eva Gabor, not Zsa Zsa, on “Green Acres.”
@John ryan
Scored the *Good Acid* again, did ya?
Toothfairy’s right; Eva was the actress, Zsa Zsa just a socialite.
DUMP-STUPID-NO BRAIN’S JUST LOOK’S bitch!!!!! NEWS FLASH****Huffington,MSNBC and Katy (where did Palin get her kid’s name from????)Couric. When Barry hands over the keys to his ride which he say’s he has the wheels on the pavement to Sarah in 2012-yes you do have the shift indicater in D, but with all the D’s that are in your ride-no one is stepping on the gas. (Your on a 70% upgrade and we are rolling backwards) Palin/Ryan will jump in and hit the gas. She did in the AK, she will do it in the USA (Huffington-do you think that everybody in AK is DUMB & DUMBER then Sarah****IS THAT WHAT YOUR SAYING ??????)
I love it. The left just can’t accept Sarah Palin. They just don’t understand her appeal and why she connects with her audience. So they call her dumb.
Well the smart ONE has certainly managed to screw up the country, destroy his own party and remain oblivious to destruction he is reaping. I would rather have someone with a good moral compass, than ONE who is “smart” in the wrong direction.
mmm Let me think, Alaskan supermom/ governor/hunter/ fisher/ loving wife/ loves God/ loves ountry/ loves constitution/ KNOWS constitution/ loves the less fortunate/ knows love is a verb, knows family values are the bricks a nation is built from, the courage to say what she means and mean what she says WITHOUT a telepromptor. Beautiful from the inside out, respects her elders, respects the military, respects the opposition{even when they are irrationally vicious} A REAL femenist, the personnafication of every virtue that kept every sucsessful family together,healthy and loved through every storm. And the envy of every progressive who’s faith in Humanism and the state as the ultimate ideal, debunked by simply existing. This as apposed to our present encarnation of Ceasar Discustusus, hand picked demographically optomised achademic theoretic socialist idealist with a twisted world view poisoned by a splintered marxist family life with multiple axes to grind and divergent and often conflicting faith systems dwarfed by a festering indignation over the supposed unfairness of the traditional American self image with its “Manefest Destiny, rape of the worlds peoples and wealth, all rubber stamped by thier white colonial God! A condition that he would surely correct if given the chance. Judging by the efforts and zealots so far, our beloved “post racial,honorable “Pax Obahmas” was nothing more than an expertly choreographed four act play to “Make all things right” by tearing down the mighty from within an ushering in the Age of Aquarious by ensuring that all men become equal.
EQUALLY MISERABLE, with no chance to undo the damage for generations to come. With the elite exempt from any such realighments of course. We are all in this together! But I digress…
Given the choice between a real leader with ” a bigger pair than any progressive you could name, and an achedemic theorist who has NEVER created anything but trouble. Mom wins hands down!!!! You snowy noses keep on pickin on her at YOUR OWN PERILE. Clash of the titans indeed!
Newpatriot: hi, I’m sure you are qualified to clash with any TITANS;
YOU are one of our TITANS here, stay here, WE will need all of you , to shape and
restore the wrongs done to AMERICA which will regain her PRIDE of showing the world instead of submisivly bow to it. YES stay with us here. among theses great AMERICANS.