Liberals Always Need Someone to Hate

[deacon blues]

I don't get the levels of vitriol and passionate disdain that liberals have for Sarah Palin.It comes across to me almost to a psychotic level. Think about it: she is the former Vice Presidential candidate on a losing ticket, she is unlikely a threat to Obama's presidency, most likely won't win the GOP nomination, she doesn't even hold political office anymore and yet liberals not only dislike her, they react to her like she is the greatest threat known to mankind. It goes beyond disagreeing with her politics. It gets personal.

My dad is a yellow-dog Democrat and his reaction to SP is more civil, but I always detect a measure of angst when it comes to her that goes beyond just not liking her idealogy. One day talking about her I said she couldn't be all that much of a lightweight if she was sharp enough to become the Governor of Alaska and seemed to govern fairly well. He responded, "She's the prettiest girl in school." I asked what he meant. He explained that she's achieved what she has simply by being attractive. I stated, "Well, if Hillary was so intelligent, why couldn't she win the nomination against Obama?" He said, "Like I said, she's the prettiest girl in school. You just made my point!" I guess he feels HC couldn't get any further b/c she's not attractive enough. It still dumbfounds me that people have such a disdain for SP and believe silly things about her like this.

A man in our church who is a strong Democrat in discussing politics said, "I'll tell you why I can't stand the Tea Party movement. Its Sarah Palin." I was left stunned that this very tough, masculine, Southern gentleman would be threatened by this little lady from Alaska. And again the feeling I got from him was not because of political differences. It felt personal and I sensed a bit of anger.

Think about the past. Liberals and Dems didn't just disagree with Dick Cheney---he was "Darth Vader", dark, sinister, mean, scary. The personal attacks on that guy were limitless it seemed.

W was not just opposed. They hated him!

Gingrich---more of the same.

I know conservatives can have their favorite Democrat lightning rods. I certainly have liberals that I really vehemently disagree with and completely oppose politically. But to hate? To feel a deep, gut-wrenching when I think of them or talk about them? Its not there.

There are certain conservatives and extremists who spew a lot of conspiracy theories, make personal, poisonous attacks on liberals, and seem angry about their favorite liberals-to-hate. But it seems by and large that liberals have a deeper and more widespread personal loathing for conservatives that are or perceived as threats to their idealogy.