Many Would Vote for Sarah Palin

Published in Avui
(Spain) on 22 November 2010
by Miquel Porta Perales (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Karin Riechenberg. Edited by Heidi Kaufmann.
Her biography is unique. Sarah Louise Heath Palin — daughter of a teacher and a secretary — was born in Sandpoint, Idaho, and after having earned various scholarships from universities in Alaska, Hawaii and Idaho, she graduated with degrees in business management, journalism and political science. Her hobbies include sports, beauty and cuisine. In terms of sports, she enjoys basketball, fishing, snowmobiling and marathon running. Regarding beauty, she was elected Miss Wasilla and Miss Congeniality and was in the finals for the Miss Alaska competition, thus becoming a beauty queen. And her favorite cuisine? Antelope burgers. As to her family situation, she married her high school sweetheart. After working in sports journalism and running her husband’s fishing business, she had a go at politics, becoming mayor of Wasilla, then governor of Alaska and, finally, candidate for the vice presidency of the United States, forming a ticket with John McCain.

Lately she has been writing books, holding conferences and giving speeches for $100,000 a pop. As a member of the Republican Party, the National Rifle Association and Feminists for Life of America, she defends the traditional family and criticizes abortion and same-sex marriage. Contrary to common belief, her inspiration is not George W. Bush but Ronald Reagan and his conservative revolution that revolved around “the four pillars of freedom”: individual liberty, economic opportunity, global democracy and national pride. That is to say, individualism, the rejection of intervention in private life and economics, international unilateralism and that classic American phrase: America for the Americans.

What is happening in the U.S.?

All this considered, some would ask how it is possible that a conservative — even an ultraconservative, from a European perspective — such as Sarah Palin could accumulate such a large number of supporters. What is happening in the U.S.? In old and know-it-all Europe, people are talking about the inevitable growth of populism and of a right-wing wave. This being progressive Europe, unsurprisingly, people also talk about the big businesses that generously finance Sarah Palin for their own glory and interests, thus returning to the imperialist conspiracy theory. This is not true, however, if we consider that SarahPAC — the committee in charge of collecting resources for her — $1 million per trimester — lives off individual donations averaging $337.

Let’s return to what is happening in the U.S. regarding Sarah Palin and the tea party that supports her. This phenomenon is not new: a spontaneous protest movement, decentralized, without a defined program and leadership. Sen. Marco Rubio could cover both the tea party and the Republican Party. A movement with a libertarian air about it, which rallies against the established politics in Washington, against Obama and against RINO (Republicans In Name Only) that do not represent change, but exchange and recycling of ideas.

And what about Obama? On Sept. 20, in a televised debate on a friendly channel, Velma Hart, an African-American, told the president that she was “tired of defending him.” Obama answered that the United States was on the right track toward a promising future. That night, Obama showed himself for what he really is: a politician like all the others. A great speaker, but nothing more. A man who talks big, who does not keep his promises and who continues to promise something he cannot accomplish. Hence the lack of trust and the frustration. Hence, the citizens, feeling cheated and disillusioned, do not vote and turn to a Sarah Palin or a Marco Rubio, who, far from big speeches, demand less state, less public expenditure, fewer taxes, less help for banks and more work. Tired of projects never realized, the citizens want that society of “free citizens and minimum government” that the founders of the United States proclaimed. Looking at it this way, many would vote for Sarah Palin.


La seva és una biografia singular. Sarah Louise Heath Palin –filla d'un mestre i una secretària– va néixer a Sandpoint (Idaho) i, després d'estudiar –amb beques– en instituts i universitats d'Alaska, Hawaii i Idaho, es va graduar en administració d'empreses, periodisme i ciència política. Aficions? L'esport, l'estètica i la gastronomia. L'esport: el bàsquet, la pesca, el motociclisme sobre la neu i la marató. L'estètica: va ser elegida miss Wasilla i miss Simpatia i va quedar finalista en el concurs de Miss Alaska, esdevenint una beauty queen. La gastronomia: les hamburgueses d'antílop. Matrimoni? Es va casar amb el xicot de tota la vida que va conèixer a l'institut. Treball? Després de dedicar-se al periodisme esportiu i de traginar en el negoci de pesca del marit, va fer el pas a la política i va arribar a alcaldessa de Wasilla, governadora d'Alaska i candidata a la vicepresidència dels Estats Units formant ticket amb John McCain.
Darrerament escriu llibres, dicta conferències i pronuncia discursos a 100.000 dòlars la peça. Ideologia? Membre del Partit Republicà, de l'Associació Nacional del Rifle i de Feministes per la Vida, defensa la família tradicional i critica l'avortament i el matrimoni homosexual. Contràriament al que s'acostuma a creure, la seva font d'inspiració no és George W. Bush, sinó Ronald Reagan i la seva revolució conservadora que gira al voltant dels anomenats “quatre pilars de la llibertat”: la llibertat individual, l'oportunitat econòmica, la democràcia global i l'orgull nacional. És a dir, l'individualisme, el rebuig de l'intervencionisme en la vida privada i l'economia, l'unilateralisme internacional i allò tan clàssic d'“Amèrica –del Nord, of course– per als americans”.
Què succeeix als EUA?
Arribats a aquest punt, alguns demanaran com és possible que una conservadora –ultraconservadora, diuen aquí– com Sarah Palin arrossegui un nombre prou important de seguidors. Què succeeix als Estats Units? Des de la vella i saberuda Europa es parla de la irresistible ascensió del populisme i d'una onada dretana. Com no podia ser d'una altra manera tractant-se de la progressista Europa, també es parla –torna la conjura imperialista– del gran capital que finançaria generosament Sarah Palin a major glòria dels seus interessos. Cosa que no respon a la realitat, si tenim en compte que SarahPAC –el comitè encarregat de recaptar recursos per a Sarah Palin: un milió de dòlars al trimestre– es nodreix d'aportacions individuals la mitjana de les quals és de 337 dòlars.
Tornem-nos a demanar què passa als Estats Units amb Sarah Palin i el Tea Party que l'escolta. Res de nou: un moviment de protesta espontani, descentralitzat, sense programa ni lideratge –el senador Marco Rubio podria ser el tapat del Tea Party i el Partit Republicà– definits. Un moviment d'aire llibertari que envesteix contra la política establerta a Washington. Que envesteix contra Obama i contra els RINO (Republicans sols de nom) que no representen el canvi, sinó el recanvi.
Obama? El passat 20 de setembre, en un debat televisiu en una cadena amiga, Velma Hart –per cert, negra– va dir al president que “estava cansada de donar-li el seu suport”. La resposta d'Obama: “els Estats Units es troben en la via correcta vers un futur prometedor”. Aquella nit, Obama va mostrar el que era: un polític com els altres. Un gran orador que s'esgota en ell mateix, que ven fum, que no compleix allò que promet i continua prometent allò que no podrà complir. D'aquí la desconfiança i la frustració. D'aquí que el ciutadà, enganyat i desil•lusionat, no voti o giri la vista vers una Sarah Palin o un Marco Rubio que, lluny dels grans relats, demanen menys estat, menys despesa pública, menys impostos, menys ajudes als bancs i més treball. Cansats dels projectes mai no realitzats, el ciutadà vol aquella societat de “ciutadans lliures i govern mínim” que reclamaven els fundadors dels Estats Units. Vist d'aquesta manera, molts votarien Sarah Palin.
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