Received a note from a Bible scholar in Germany. It read, “Since you like words, I thought you’d be interested to know that the word for ‘rebirth’ in New Testament Greek is ‘Palingenesia.’ Is this perhaps a prophecy in Bible code? Could it be a favorable omen for the Republican party? (These days it is probably wise to explicitly state that I’m kidding . . .)”
Quite right, Herr Professor.
Another reader — stateside — said, “I hereby order you to use the phrase ‘The Killa from Wasilla’ at least once a day in reference to Sarah Palin.”
Well, I’ll give you today!
Several times, over the past many years, I’ve introduced our beloved Jonah Goldberg this way: “Move over, Katie Couric, because America’s Sweetheart is . . .”
But I’m afraid that Sarah may — may — have replaced Jonah as America’s Sweetheart, among conservatives. Just for now, of course . . .
Was talking to a friend of mine in New York (conservative). He had been to the playground, with his kids. Got into a conversation with some “other moms.” They said they were very, very insulted that McCain chose Palin, expecting them to vote for her.
My friend said, “Oh, don’t worry: He wasn’t expecting you to vote for her — at all. He was expecting me to vote for her, which I will.”
Incidentally, I believe John Kerry won 84 percent of the vote in Manhattan — 84 percent. You know what they say: As goes Manhattan, so goes . . . Madison?
Was talking to a lady who is not 100 percent wild about Palin, but likes her: and she said, “She’s an appealing, admirable, neat American product” — which I thought was a wonderful description.
Check out this, from a reader:
Hi, Jay,
I went to the post office yesterday, and several of the clerks (federal employees all) were wearing Obama pins. Nobody had a McCain pin on. I wouldn’t even think of wearing a McCain pin in such a setting, lest any of my parcels be accidentally “misplaced” and fail to reach their intended destination.
Is this frustrating? You could say that.
Hey, I’m just glad that federal employees aren’t
required to wear Obama pins . . .
Four years ago, I did a piece on how everybody in concert halls and opera houses, around New York, wore a Kerry-Edwards button. (When I say “everybody,” I don’t mean everybody — I mean like 99 percent.) (Just kidding.) (Sort of.) I saw only one Bush-Cheney button — it was on an extraordinarily brave, singular friend of mine.
Anyway, you can find that piece in this collection. (Pardon the plug.)
So, they’re going around calling Sarah Palin “extreme.” They support abortion on demand, even unto partial-birth abortion. This Freedom of Choice Act, as Ramesh Ponnuru explained in our 9/1 issue, mandates taxpayer funding of abortion.
Hang on, let me quote him:
Obama, on the other hand, is a co-sponsor of the Freedom of Choice Act, which codifies abortion as a legal right at any stage of pregnancy and requires taxpayer funding of it. As a state senator in Illinois, he opposed legislation to clarify that infant survivors of abortion have the same legal rights as other infants. Obama is vulnerable to charges of extremism on this issue, and he has misstated the facts in ways that make him look more moderate.
Anyway, it’s Sarah, of course, who has to be “extreme.” They always do this to our people — and wouldn’t it be great if, this time, it didn’t work? (Well, it didn’t work against Reagan, true.)
If I were Governor Palin, I might say something like this: “They call me extreme. And do you know their definition of an extremist? Anyone who disagrees with the Berkeley sociology department, the New York Times, and Barbra Streisand.”
Well, that’s pretty lame — but you get the idea: Agnewism with a smile (and a fetching pair of glasses).
More on this extremism BS: You remember what Billy J. said at the Democratic convention? Well, first of all, he said, “I will never forget the parents of children with autism and other serious conditions who told me on the campaign trail that they couldn’t afford health care and couldn’t qualify their children for Medicaid unless they quit work and starved or got a divorce. Are these the family values the Republicans are so proud of?”
Yeah, those are the family values we’re so proud of, you son of a . . .
But, anyway, he also said that McCain “still embraces the extreme philosophy that has defined his party for more than 25 years.”
Now, what did he mean by “more than 25 years”? He meant since 1980, and the nomination of Reagan. And what has happened since then? Well, this “extreme philosophy” has won five out of seven presidential elections. How extreme can it be, then? It may be wrong — but it can’t be extreme.
