Johan Goldberg has an interesting piece on line today contrasting the treatment Sarah Palin received as a conservative Republican vs. the gushing the PTB on the left are doing over Caroline Kennedy’s bid for the New York Senate seat.
Goldberg: Kennedy, Palin treatment evidence of cultural divide | Viewpoints, Outlook | Chron.com – Houston Chronicle: “For people who think there’s no cultural divide in this country, consider the treatment of two women much in the news in 2008.
The first is Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. A woman from very humble roots and with a very blue-collar life story, she worked with her steelworker and professional-fisherman husband to provide a life for their large family. She got involved in the PTA. She became mayor of her small town, then rose, by dint of her dedication and almost naive fearlessness, to the job of governor. In a mainstream, almost romantic sense, it’s almost like she was designed by God for a Hallmark movie of the week.
But, when John McCain picked her to be his running mate, the full fury of the liberal establishment — and sizable swaths of the conservative establishment, some of whom dubbed her a ‘cancer’ on the GOP — came down on her with a vengeance usually reserved for Klansmen and pedophiles. Don’t get me wrong: There were valid criticisms to make. But that is quite a different thing than saying all of the criticism was valid or that the intensity and volume of the criticism was warranted.
Then there’s Caroline Bouvier Kennedy, daughter of John F. Kennedy, brother of John Jr., niece of Sens. Ted and Robert Kennedy,”Ted and Robert Kennedy, granddaughter of Ambassador Joseph Kennedy, and the cousin of myriad other Kennedys and Shrivers who’ve burrowed deep into the timber of the house of liberalism. A multimillionaire from birth, Kennedy has spent most of her life on the charity-benefit and cotillion circuit. A product of the Brearley School in New York and the Concord Academy in Massachusetts before she attended Harvard and Columbia, Kennedy has made the importance of public education her signature cause. Sweet Caroline (she was the inspiration for the Neil Diamond song) recently made it known that she would like to be appointed to Hillary Clinton’s vacant Senate seat. One could say without fear of overstating things that the liberal reaction to the inexperienced Caroline has been somewhat more gracious than the reaction to the “inexperienced” Palin. Ruth Marcus of the Washington Post has devoted two columns in as many weeks to this “fairy tale” scenario in which Kennedy, our “tragic national princess,” is finally rewarded — for her years of quiet dignity, selflessly avoiding scandal and the paparazzi — with the Senate seat that once belonged to her uncle Bobby. What’s astounding about the normally sensible Marcus’ case for “the Cinderella Kennedy” (New York magazine’s phrase) is that she doesn’t really make one, at least not on the merits. Marcus doesn’t even bother. It’s all schoolgirl gushing.
Now don’t get me wrong. I have a special place in my heart for Caroline Kennedy. She’s only a couple of years old than me and as a little kid I couldn’t imagine how sad she just have been to lose her daddy. I very much admired the gracious gestures of her mother, and I followed the milestones in Carolines’ life with great interest. I give her kudos for being the mother of three and having a fit physique and great hair (although she and her cousin Maria Shriver are good examples of why sun screen for girls and young women is important!) My old Democrat roots tingle at the thought of Caroline taking over her uncle’s old seat. It seems perfect.
But then Mr. Pete smacks me in the head with the reminder that Caroline Kennedy embodies just about everything I’m against philosophically and politically.
The truth is that Mrs. Schlossberg (Caroline’s married name) is where she is because of her circumstances. She has never had to worry about paying the gas bill, or having the electric turned off, or hoping that she could hold off on seeing the doctor or the dentist until the next pay check came in. I doubt she knows what Aldi’s is and although I’ m sure she has heard of eBay I’ll bet she doesn’t have an account. And yea, she has a great education and was an excellent student – but seriously I think I could have done just as well at Harvard or Columbia given the economic chance to go, and I’ll bet a lot of you could have too!
Sure there have been some very public and sad moments in her life. But on thinking about it, what 50 year old hasn’t had some tragedy and death in their lifetime? Grief and tragedy doesn’t make Ms. Kennedy special. What makes her unique is that most of what she has including her education and position in life, are because of who she is, not what she has done.
So I’m not getting why there isn’t more fuss from regular liberal women (and those beloved middle grounders who decided to vote with the left this time) about Caroline Kennedy’s bid for the senate when they were just LIVID about Sarah Palin.
As Mr. Goldberg points out in his fine article, Mrs. Palin went to regular colleges for her education. The kinds of colleges my kids will probably end up if they decide to pursue higher education. Mrs. Palin married a working, blue collar kind of guy and with tenacious determination started at the bottom of the ladder – in the PTA of all places!!
Yet I can remember reading a post written by a working, middle class blogger in Philadelphia, bragging about her elitist views! Cavier taste on a tuna budget I suppose. But I’m not getting why there wasn’t more admiration or at least a bone thrown now and then for Mrs. Palin’s accomplishments. She is really one of us. She did the grunt work. She made it to the show! And got the proverbial bumps, bruises and mud stains to prove it.
And on the other hand the Camelot Princess, who would be hard pressed to know what Walmart is, let alone where her local one is, is for the most part getting kid glove treatment by liberal bloggers and the drive by media.
I just don’t get it.
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