No, I understand her appeal

I caught part of the wonderful program Sarah Palin's Alaska last night. Now, maybe it was because I was woozy from helping Teacher Dave move or multiple bus CDTA trips between Albany and Troy yesterday (don't ask) but I decided to watch for a couple of minutes and after that, I got it.

I understand why flyover America loves her and coastal America doesn't take her seriously.

For the flyover folks, she is one of you. Or at least she pretends to be. She is the normal, simple American of average tastes and good (as she sees them) values. She is never going to be one to make things to difficult for you, or condescend to you, and she was elected Governor of Alaska, the most American of States, so she has been vetted by her peers already. That she is cute and has a haircut that they can relate to makes it even easier to love her.

For coastal America, it is for the exact same reasons. She oozes average. She is normal and simple and banal. Her sense of taste is uninspired and boring, while her values show that she sees the world in black and white, without a sense of gradation. She is never going to challenge with her words or ideas and she is never going to make you strive to be a better American, because they understand that when she takes control, they will be first against the wall. She has no experience, stating that she was the "Half term Governor of Alaska" and that is not the big stage. Don't get them started about how cute she is or the big hair thing that she has going on.

They are both right, and they are both wrong.

Part of it is an issue based on class, and the mores of the various microcosms of the societal level we choose to inhabit, and some of it is a distinct distrust of the other but she is fascinating to to both Americas. I can see why she is divisive though, and I wonder if there is anything that she can do to make herself more appealing to everyone. It would require certain changes that she wouldn't do because it would upset the base of her support (hello Tea Party people!) and people who are moderates on the left would never trust her.

Plus...there is the while gun thing and the sport killing...



So, now that I understand why she is loved and talked about...that means she is going to go away and I am never going to hear of her again, right? When I understand something in the zeitgeist, it has moved past the relevancy date, right?

She is going to go away now...please.