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What Sarah Palin and Joe the Plumber have in common with Al Sharpton and Louis Farrakhan.
“Do your job.”
—Lt. Cedric Daniels, The Wire
Gov. Sarah Palin isn’t using the title “Reverend” yet, but that could be her next move. She’s well on her way to becoming a conservative Rev. Al Sharpton in whiteface. At least she’s not known as “Sarah the Fisherman.” (Unless she forgets to take down the “Gone Fishin’” sticky note on her office door in Juneau ...)
Joe the Plumber isn’t looking to join the Nation of Islam any time soon. But since he’s already dumped his slave name, “Joe X” doesn’t really seem like that much of a reach.
And Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele might be surprised to learn that some of his closest associates think he’s Washington, D.C.’s real “Magic Negro.”
However, none of them is using their high-profile, public platform to actually do the hard work of consensus-building and shaping public policy. Instead, they’ve all opted for the steadily withering and oversubscribed role of unelected, unaccountable representatives.
New Jack Pity
A new generation of African-American elected officials, including D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty, Newark Mayor Corey Booker, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, Alabama Congressman Artur Davis and Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick are taking their cues from the Barack Obama school. They’ve accepted the hand-off of leadership from the civil rights generation by asking their constituencies to trust them to use the reins of government as a primary means for advancing the interests of their communities.
Meanwhile, Palin wants permission from her constituency to become more famous and less accountable. Just as mainstream black civic leadership is becoming fully invested in working within, rather than confronting, the political system, Palin is going in the other direction—trading the rigors of day-to-day governing for a 24/7/365 license to ill on behalf of presumably fed–up, “family-values” promoting conservatives.
But as the Atlantic’s Ta-Nehisi Coates points out, Palin’s self-conception as catch-all representative of these “real” Americans is a fantasy conjured up by conservative elites that only works “if you think that most of working-class America is as f***ing inept as Sarah Palin.”
In fact, Palin is a classic example of the “Peter Principle”—she’s actually benefitted over and over again from the slack she’s been cut, mostly because of her personal appeal.
So when Palin blames a media double standard for her inability to govern, it’s akin to Sharpton suggesting that the media’s coverage of Michael Jackson’s death has been a racist double standard—it only means anything if you factor in that the whole point is to generate more media attention. The difference is that Sharpton actually knows how to deliver a good sermon—“a genius that dealt with a freaky situation,” indeed.
Get Off the Bus
In another life, Joe could be the Republicans’ counterweight to Sen. Al Franken.
The plumber should be the perfect congressional candidate—a prototype citizen legislator as envisioned by the founding fathers. If he put on a coat and tie, sharpened his focus on the tax issue that made him famous and started quietly making the rounds in his own community, he’d be a shoe-in to win a congressional seat in 2010.
Instead of working his way up the ladder of the House GOP caucus, he’s content to be a T-shirt wearing, tea-party keynoter. His political role model is really Minister Louis Farrakhan—a Minister-without-Portfolio standing in for an amalgamation of poorly defined grievances.
The Curious Case of Michael Steele
The Young Republican Federation meets in Indianapolis this weekend to choose a new leader, amid controversy surrounding Audra Shay, a contender for the top YRF post, for recent comments in postings on her Facebook page that contained racist jokes.
Some conservatives, like Hip Hop Republicans’ Lenny McAllister, came out unequivocally condemning the comments. But Steele, who campaigned for the RNC chairmanship against an opponent who distributed “Barack the Magic Negro” CDs, has been pretty quiet about the incident, raising the question: What is he even there for?
There are more seasoned political players, more stalwart conservatives and more prodigious fundraisers who could have been installed as GOP chair other than Steele. But he’s a jocular, semi-credible good soldier who’s also black. He really only brings value to his position if he takes a crack at changing the Republican culture from the inside out. He hasn’t done it yet, and if he can’t do it from the bully pulpit he has now, then he was a lame duck from the start.
Once upon a time, a few undemocratically self-anointed individuals spoke (and spoke, and spoke) for black America. Black participation in government and the elective political process was stunted, and Middle America nurtured a perception that African Americans were content to stay permanently outside of the political mainstream.
That’s finally changed in the Obama era. But while the old leadership model is rapidly declining in the black community, it’s being revived among the tribe of disaffected cultural conservatives whose most visible leaders now are young, gifted and slack.
David Swerdlick is a regular contributor to The Root.
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For saving me from a lot of typing...an excellent article but let me just throw this out there for the record -
Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups...
http://despair.com/idiocy.html
I dont see either of the reverens running for anything either. They are running the mouths though. Sharpton and Jackson are just as good running after the cameras too. Sharpton "political speech" at Jackson's funeral was outragous...boarding on being absurbed!
Comparing Joe the Plumber, and Farrkhan? What a stretch. One a tool used by Republicans to promote a casue, the other a preacher known more for his racist statements chasing...
David Swerdick raises an interesting point about Black politicians and cultural conservatives moving in opposite (political) directions. Maybe there's some ironic cosmic justice to this phenomenon. As for the practical reality of Sarah Palin, does anyone really think that she has a snowball's chance...? Only because Obama came out of left field last time do we even have to consider this, but I'm not sure that this means that we have to pay attention.
This being said, I must have talked to at least a half-dozen friends who are all convinced that she's secretly inked a lucrative Fox News deal, which is the real reason (they contend) for her stepping down. I doubt this for two reasons: first, given my lack of faith in her credulity, I always suspect that there's some scandal a-brewin' that she wants to get out in front of literally; second, the last thing that she needs is an extended, high profile platform right now - come on, even the conservatives know that she's not ready for prime time yet (or have we forgotten her campaign performance last year already?).
My guess is that she's going to a top secret finishing school: some hardcore right wing nuts are going to train her to be the conservative MILF Barbie that they can use to spread their message and do their bidding. Don't think it'll work but given the paucity of their options (other than her Ken counterpart Mitt "being a Mormon doesn't make me different" Romney)....
As for Michael Steele, what can one say, really, and heed your mom's advice (to speak only if and when you have something positive to say)? The best that I can say of him is that I'm impressed at his willingness to sell his soul, though his fellow 'publicans seem less moved. I suspect that they still can't get over his difference, but it could just be that they elected a mainstream leader to quell a splinter(ed) group rebellion - last time I checked, Steele wasn't known as a crack heads and take no prisoners kind of guy (and when he tried it early on in his tenure, he executed so poorly that he just pissed everyone off, especially his ostensible constituency).
The only reason that I hope that I'm not wrong about these sadly ineffectual 'publicans is that we need them to get their act together ... 'cause we all know what can happen if we let the Dems run wild/unchallenged for too long....
There is no way you can compare a man like Minister Farrakhan to you, your parents, grandparents, or others who seek to slander individuals for the sake of....? An article, the joy of it? Minister Farrakhan has done more for Black people and the community than you have investigated. He is not responsible for the conditions of those living here in the Mystery Babylon. He is not the author of racism, he is the answer to the cry of our people who suffered massively FROM racism, you idiot.
Minister Farrakhan is a humble man. He has empowered people who have never laid eyes on him. Who have you empowered? In fact, who the heck are you? Anyway, I just wanted you to know your article was not clever, not well-thought out, and indeed offensive except to general bigots, racists, and disconnected individuals.
thanks.....great perspective, great history, great politics! Gave me much to ponder. You hit many nails all at once; when my drain does not work I'll call you. A 62 year old progressive man; who has found hope.
"[Palin’s] actually benefitted over and over again from the slack she’s been cut, mostly because of her personal appeal."
Could someone provide me an alphabetized list of the details of "her personal appeal," please? Because all I can find are pretty unappealing. Let's start alphabetically.
Agenda? Her agenda for 2008 was to shoot down Obama, even though she wasn't running against him. She failed to even mention her real opposite number, Joe Biden, whom she ostensibly was running against. Moreover, her purpose was to incite racism of a violent nature ("Off with his head!" "Kill him!") I don't know, but I don't find these tactics to be very appealing in a personal or a political way. Her agenda will be a run for the presidency in 2012 and doing all she can to get there on a two-issue platform, one publicly addressed (anti-abortion), one silently addressed (of course he failed, he's black).
Appearance? OK, but how's she gonna look by 2012 without cosmetic surgery to keep those apple cheeks and prevent her neck from wattling? Will she require more ridiculous shopping sprees to look stylish? If so, she'll have to dump that tacky, 1962 hairdo, which doesn't look good with what she wears even now. Much of her appeal to the "base" was "base" in its nature -- supporters would have as happily looked up her skirt as listened to what she had to say. Much of her "appeal" was sex appeal, and we know old John McCain's leaning to the lech, so his choice of her, from among many more qualified candidates, should have been no surprise.
Brains? Among a substantial part of the populace, attractive women attract more approval if they are stupid than if they are intelligent, capable of understanding complex issues facing the country, other countries, and the entire planet. The "base," anyway, prefers their ignorance, because its members can relate to it. I mean, how many redneck, "off with his head!" types understand the basic effects of global warming? Or foreign policy, which must vary from country to country around the world, and seeing Russia from Alaska doesn't count. Or the economic issues that are eluding the brightest minds to solve.
Cowardice? Those mounting ethics violations allegations can't be ignored, and she had two choices to make about them and she chose both: deny them, and resign from office so she wouldn't have to suffer the public humiliation of being found guilty and removed from office by the ever-mounting evidence against her. But her announcement over the July 4 weekend, in her own backyard, was somehow... oh, shall we call it "congenial?"
Dumping? Things had soured for her in Alaska, so she did what was in Alaska's best interest; she resigned her governorship. Now while her reasons for doing so were specious as hell, in fact she's probably done do the best by Alaska that she possibly could, even if completely unintentionally. It'll be interesting to see how the lieutenant governor, soon to be governor, cleans up the mess she's leaving behind, and whether Alaska's image can be uplifted under new leadership, once "bring-me-wolf-paws" Palin is gone. That's one sick image: What did Palin do with them as they piled up?
Evolution? Now that she'll no longer be governor after the end-of-the-month, state employees' picnic, exactly what does she plan to do? Work from the outside to achieve the best for Alaska and Americans (these being separate groups in her mind, obviously), or so she's said. How will achieve what's best for Alaska and Americans? She hasn't said. If I were to guess, it would be to say she'll become the Anti-abortion Queen of all she surveys who are stuck with unintended/rape-induced/sex-abuse pregnancies, like she and her oldest daughter were (accidental), and she will charm the "base" with their reiterated stories of We Kept the Baby No Matter What and Trig will accompany her everywhere to prove her virtue as a Down Syndrome child's parent. Let's hope her daughter has the good sense to "Just say no" and stay at home with her baby, no matter how much Levi scarfs up appearance funds on talk shows and Palin browbeats her.
Now -- anyone want to pick up from here with "F"?