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Opinion
Sep. 04, 2008
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ERIN NEFF: GOP spins nice yarn about Palin

ERIN NEFF
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ST. PAUL -- Here we are in the Twin Cities awash in a mythical version of Sarah Palin that looks little like the real woman but features few of the facts.

This is the kind of turning point in an election you often don't realize because things just don't add up.

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    • When you don't know much about someone, it's very easy to buy the story line being offered. And once that initial message gets out there, it's impossible to take it back.

    What a difference one week has made in this campaign.

    Early last week it appeared John McCain was desperately clinging to the part of his biography that actually proves his character. When Jay Leno jokingly asked McCain how many houses he owns, the senator sternly reminded viewers about his "house" in the Hanoi Hilton.

    Sadly, the honorable service and true American heroism McCain displayed during his five years of capture and torture are as hard to remember at this convention as John Kerry's Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart were last cycle.

    The machine on the right (it sort of goes soft money, hard money, campaign, Fox News, talk radio, churches) doesn't let facts get in the way of the myth.

    Sarah Palin is this cycle's most prominent myth, and any journalistic attempts to present facts that might muddy the beautiful storyline are being greeted as sexism and worse, an attack on her family.

    The right has found a champion of the unborn who loves guns and has "executive" experience.

    When the country was first introduced to Palin last Friday in Ohio, she spun a nice little yarn about being a reformer. "In fact, I told Congress, 'Thanks, but no thanks,' on that Bridge to Nowhere," she told supporters.

    In fact, what Palin said then wasn't true. Little Miss Reformer may know how to field dress a moose, but she was sucking at the trough with the rest of Alaska on the $400 million bridge to an island of 50. When she ran for governor, way back in 2006, she encouraged the use of state funds to levy federal earmarks for the bridge.

    "The window is now while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist," she said at the time.

    But Republican delegates here see that simple fact as an attack on a woman. And not just any -- she's a Christian woman, mother of five. We can't let the facts get in the way of Palin's introduction to America.

    If you thought Hillary Clinton suffered sexism, you ain't seen nothing yet. This victimization will be felt in the Christian community before those pundits stop talking about last night's speech.

    Palin was such an unknown commodity this week that speaker after speaker here knew little about her. What a perfect opportunity to create the myth.

    On Monday various speakers at the convention referred to her as either Pay-lin or Pah-lin. Republican National Committee vice-chairman Jo Ann Davidson called her Sarah Pawlenty.

    Into this abyss of unknowns enters the myth-making machine that has turned Palin into a "proven reformer." Never mind that she has no security clearance, has traveled abroad only to U.S. military bases (and Ireland) and couldn't even run a car wash properly. She's even raised taxes. In Alaska, where every man woman and child gets handed more money each year than anyone anywhere.

    Delegate after delegate say the same thing about Palin -- "a breath of fresh air."

    "Hell's bells, she's got more experience than Barack Obama and Joe Biden put together," said Al Valdez, attending his fifth GOP convention, this time as a guest.

    By Tuesday "the message" started turning into an attack on the press. Typically that signals desperation. Here it simply triggered the victimization process that goes from the "angry left" to the pundits to CNN/MSNBC (never Fox News) on down to local press.

    During Tuesday's breakfast meeting, Lynn Jones, the wife of Las Vegas alternate delegate Roger Jones, prayed for protection from "those who would do us harm." Later, Jones told me she hadn't personally felt threatened but saw media reports of broken glass at businesses nearby the St. Paul Hotel.

    "The selection of Governor Palin has the other side and their friends in the media in a state of panic," Fred Thompson said Tuesday night. "She is a courageous, successful, reformer, who is not afraid to take on the establishment."

    Earlier, during a lull between speakers, the delegates danced to Journey's "Don't Stop Believing," the anthem for the white trash biopic "Monster." Small town girl indeed.

    As a woman I find it offensive that Palin suggests she's going to be the one to put the final crack in the glass ceiling.

    Republicans like their "babes" this way. If the only controversy with Palin seems to be in the media, then the American people just see the myth of the muckraker in mukluks.

    No fact. No matter. What a story.

     

    Contact Erin Neff at (702) 387-2906, or by e-mail at eneff@reviewjournal.com.



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    Joel Wollin wrote on September 08, 2008 05:35 PM: Never mind that Kerry was a medal-hunter who neither earned nor deserved any of his medals. Hell, his purple heart was the result of a self-inflicted wound! Never mind that governors typically do not have a "need-to-know" and thus no need for a security clearance. Never mind that, as only having a 20% ownership of that car wash, her partnership in said business was a silent partnership and that "running it" was not part of the deal...honestly, the American people are getting sick and tired of the squabbling and rabble-rousing that is coming from the left, I wonder if they'll EVER manage to elect a President ever again. I think the Democratic Party has once and for all lost its place as the party of the people. I'm just a working stiff, but in my honest opinion, the Republicans now represent my interests FAR MORE than the Democrats ever did. If the Democrats could once and for all shed their fringe-element special interests and start representing WORKING people again, I would once again consider voting for them.


    Jake wrote on September 06, 2008 04:09 AM: Erin,
    I suggest you find a new hair style.
    You look like a Basset Hound in your pic.
    :)


    Queen ERIN wrote on September 05, 2008 01:28 PM: Elite Queen ERIN NEFF says

    "As a woman I find it offensive that Palin suggests she's going to be the one to put the final crack in the glass ceiling."

    So ERIN is insulted.

    Wow, I feel her pain that a conservative may get their first.

    What is Erin going do about this?


    Constitution wrote on September 05, 2008 01:21 PM: Last time I checked the US Constitutional covered:
    -establish Justice,
    -insure Domestic Tranquility,
    -provide for the Common Defense,
    -promote the General Welfare,
    -secure the Blessings of Liberty


    timinator wrote on September 05, 2008 07:09 AM: Come now, Mr. Green, where in the Constitution did the states delegate the power to the federal government to tax the U.S. citizenry to pay for other nations' poverty stricken citizens? Pls state article and section...

    If that isn't socialism, (taking) from each according his means, (giving) to each according to his needs, what the hell is?

    And, yep, you got me there, I hate the rest of the world and don't believe in helping anyone. Maybe they'll all die from starvation and deprivation, and reduce the global overpopulation so we rich Americans can just sit here and count our (near-worthless) dollars and not feel guilty.

    BTW, I'm certainly no supporter of our 60-year long love affair with being the World Police either, having our boys in 700+ bases occupying 100+ nations around the globe is neither politically nor economically reasonably, especially when we refuse to secure our own borders.


    Sad Summerlin wrote on September 05, 2008 03:58 AM: Michael...

    Never said it was a problem for NEFF to have a bias... just don't want people thinking she is objective in her columns... that was the point I am making...

    I think it is great for ERIN to publish her views and perspectives and I enjoy attack each one where I can and finding flaws in her arguments... (or even supporting good ones when she has them)...

    I am going to leave your "global poverty" argument for another time...


    Michael Green wrote on September 04, 2008 11:20 PM: While it's neither unconstitutional nor socialist, the point I was making was that Obama has tried to do something about global poverty other than try to cause wars, as McCain loves to do (bomb bomb bomb bomb bomb Iran?). Try doing better than calling constitutional legislation unconstitutional and aid socialist. Just admit that you don't care about helping the rest of the world, ok, timinator?


    timinator wrote on September 04, 2008 11:16 PM: Mr. Green,
    You're actually promoting that unconstitutional socialist Global Poverty Act that B.O. has been foisting upon us?

    Isn't $10,000,000,000,000 enough debt already?

    "Here's the new boss, same as the old boss!"


    Erin your a dinosaur wrote on September 04, 2008 10:31 PM: Erin your political position is on the extinction list. This observation isn't about liberal or conservative dialogues (democrat vs republican), it's about your lack of vision in politics.

    It's time for you to move on and actually become a flack for the politician of your choice.

    This "news" paper needs to do itself a favor and hired a columnist that isn't getting some emotional or financial kickback thats promoting extinct political blah, blah, blah... It's truly embarrassing for you


    Michael Green wrote on September 04, 2008 10:20 PM: Sad, by the way, I would just add this about your criticism of Neff. Remember that this is a column. I don't mind a biased column if it's based on sound facts, whether liberal or conservative. When the bias is evident in the news columns, that's when we have a real problem.


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