COMMENTARY | It may not be unusual for the New York Times to publish an article about Sarah Palin. It is unusual for said article to actually praise Palin and her ideas. Indeed, it is a historic event to have a Times article that suggest she has ideas.
Anand Giridharada has done something few people in the media have done regarding former Palin. He has managed to go beyond the “‘caribou Barbie; cliche” and “will she or won’t she” question, listening to what she has to say and paying attention.
“She made three interlocking points. First, that the United States is now governed by a ‘permanent political class,’ drawn from both parties, that is increasingly cut off from the concerns of regular people. Second, that these Republicans and Democrats have allied with big business to mutual advantage to create what she called ‘corporate crony capitalism.’ Third, that the real political divide in the United States may no longer be between friends and foes of Big Government, but between friends and foes of vast, remote, unaccountable institutions (both public and private).”
It reminds one of the story of when Roger Ebert, a film reviewer and no righty, watched the Palin documentary “The Undefeated” and was shocked to discover that as a public official in Alaska, Palin went after corrupt Republicans with as great a will as she did Democrats. Subsequently Ebert wrote a surprisingly fair review of the film.
In any case, conservatives, as opposed to Republicans (to make the often overlooked distinction), have been familiar with Palin and her disdain for the governing establishment since she first emerged on the national political scene in 2008. Part of her appeal has been her unwillingness to be a loyal party person and follow her principles no matter where they lead.
Palin has hit upon one of the great overlooked calamities that big government can bring. Besides being remote, unresponsive, and incompetent, big government very often allows the wealthy and well-connected to game the system, to take unfair advantage at the expense of everyone else. Outrage at this state of affairs has been a feature of the Tea Party movement, which, unique in the Western world, has taken to the streets and the polls to demand government do less.
Giridharada is not the first to hit upon the notion that Palin is articulating both a campaign theme and a governing philosophy that is distinct from the current political candidates. He is likely the first to publish this epiphany in an organ of the mainstream media. Palin’s approach is part populist, part libertarian, part Reaganesque. Contrary to what President Obama said in his jobs speech, Palin believes, as Reagan before her, that America is great because its people are great, not because its government is great.
One can only hope that Giridharada, who also comments on CNN, will not be punished for revealing this little-noted aspect of Palin and her approach to politics. It goes against the media narrative and therefore has truth on its side.
Source: Some of Sarah Palin’s Ideas Cross the Political Divide, Anand Giridharada, New York Times, Sept. 9, 2011