Sarah Palin's new book titled "America by Heart" is aptly titled considering "America by Head" would not fit so well with her anti-intellectual pride. For Palin a free press and a thoughtful citizenry is a threat to her drive for power through means of identity politics and mind-numbing populism.
In her book we are given gems such as this statement:
"Most of those who write for the mainstream media and teach at universities and law schools don't share the religious faith of their fellow Americans. They seem to regard people who believe in God and regularly attend their church or synagogue as alien beings, people who are "largely poor, uneducated and easy to command," as the Washington Post once famously put it."
This is Palin's "religious test" which the Constitution forbids.
Palin knows that the majority of the American people at least say they believe in God so this is a perfect subject to demagogue and she targets the media and the university setting where ideas and thoughts are debated and discussed. She is trying to cut off any criticism of herself by using religion as a wedge issue. Notice that she did not mention the mosque only the church and the synagogue. I suppose Muslims are alien beings to Palin so she left out the mosque.
And her continued criticism and Joe Miller attitude toward the media should concern anyone who understands the Constitutional importance of a free press.
George Mason, the father of Virginia's bill of rights and for that matter the United States wrote,
"the Freedom of the Press is one of the greatest Bulwarks of Liberty, and can never be restrained but by despotic Governments."
Palin talks about the Constitution and American greatness but she has no understanding that the things she shows contempt for are enshrined within the Constitution. A United States with no religious test and a free press is something she continues to fight against.
Palin continues in the book with her populism and tribalism:
"it's actually the liberal women's groups that have little in common with the majority of American women."
Again notice she stresses the force of the majority not any force of reason or argument. Palin positions herself with the majority with no intellectual basis besides might makes right.
Next she takes on Hollywood:
"A European movie might have had Juno get her abortion in the opening scene and then spend the next hour and fifteen minutes smoking cigarettes and pondering the meaning of life. It would have been depressing and boring. Not here. Americans want to be entertained, but we also want to see people do the right thing, even when it's hard and there is no prospect of being rewarded. Hooray for some in Hollywood for occasionally letting us see that."
I find it interesting that Palin views those who ponder the meaning of life as depressing and boring. I suppose those who do not ponder and do not ask difficult questions are happy and exciting like those on Dancing with the Stars. She likes the shallow waters where she thinks the majority splashes around in.
Once again her mind-numbing populism attacking the intellectual. Her lack of curiosity and cognitive work is a source of pride for her because she is betting that the majority are as shallow as herself. Palin does not believe in American exceptionalism she believes Americans are unexceptional and will fall for her anti-intellectual tribalism.
To think is boring and depressing for Palin no wonder her lack of knowledge and awareness on foreign policy and other important policy matters.
For Palin what matters is not truth or big ideas but what is useful for her image to win over an ignorant and tribal citizenry. Palinism is identity politics over policy and principle.
"Democratic governments are altered by the shamelessness of demagogues."
-Aristotle