Jeffrey Goldberg responds to a reader who takes him to task for not supporting Sarah Palin because she is “pro Israel.” Goldberg unpacks why he believes Palin “endangers American National security,” doing so seriously. This is exactly how people should take on Sarah Palin, through the issues she trumpets that reveal her Bush-esque neoconservative views are not only a blast to the past, but wrong on their merits. That Palin’s Ground Zero mosque crusade is supported by the likes of Pamela Geller, with the photo below from Geller’s anti Muslim mosque demonstration June 2010, should raise questions in anyone’s mind about whether Mrs. Palin should be taken seriously or just assumed as dangerous as the usual neoconservative suspects. The latter, certainly, because love her or hate her, Sarah Palin has amassed a serious following no one should discount.
Goldberg:
On the second point, the danger she poses to America — and specifically, to American national security — Palin has this week argued vociferously against the building of a mosque near the site of Ground Zero in lower Manhattan. She calls the idea of a mosque there a provocation. But it is her opposition to the building of a mosque that is provocative. The organization that hopes to build the mosque, the Cordoba Initiative, is a moderate Muslim group, striving for better relations between the Muslim and non-Muslim worlds. It is in the direct interest of American national security to strengthen those groups that argue against Islamism. Palin’s opposition to the mosque — and by extension, to the enfranchisement of moderate Muslims — is a gift to Islamists, proof to their potential followers that America is as intolerant of Islam as Europe is, proof that it is America, not Islam, that wants to see our civilizations clash. We as a society should embrace those Muslims who want to live the American dream; their lives, as free, devout and proud Muslims in a diverse country, are a refutation of the radical notion that the West is forever aligned against the interests of Muslim believers. Opposing the building of mosques by anti-jihadist Muslim groups in this country is perhaps the best way to radicalize American Muslims not otherwise prone to radicalization.
As for Goldberg’s point on Palin regarding Israel, he’s also correct. But the even more alarming tendency illustrated by Palin is her friendship with “Jewish Americans for Sarah Palin,” where the Geller photo above originates, who think smearing and swiftboating veterans like Joe Sestak is a good thing, as long as they achieve their goal. Palin taking a page from Bush and Karl Rove’s dirty tricks to divide and conquer through trying to separate Democrats from Jewish voters, but also illustrating that she “supports the troops” as long as they’re one of hers.
This tactic is something that’s going to rise, because Republicans believe Pres. Obama has made himself vulnerable with the American Jewish vote, because of his correct and strong stand against settlements.
Palin will no doubt mine this for all it’s worth.
You can’t reveal Sarah Palin’s national security vein by calling her “moron,” in fact, that kind of juvenile name calling only allows her to hide her Bush-esque foreign policy neoconservatism. It’s through the issues she will be revealed.
Start asking any Sarah Palin supporter if they want to go back to the Bush era policies. The knee jerk It Would Be Better Than Obama will be the inevitable response by many. These people are already gone. However, independents definitely don’t remember Bush fondly, while also being very suspect of Sarah, even if they’re now backing away from Obama.
Just keep driving the question, because Palin’s Bush-esque politics are something we’ve already tried and know doesn’t work out very well, especially on foreign policy.
Remember, it was former Pres. George W. Bush pushing the Palestinians into an election that gave Israelis and the Palestinians Hamas.
I would very much like to see more of this kind of critic of Palin.
The “moron” meme just pays right into her hands.Her know nothing supporters eat it up. That is one reason I can’t watch Olbermann. Don’t have to this week. YAY!
Lawrence O’Donnell is great.
We gain nothing by making light of really offensive positions she takes. This one is dangerous and sends an awful signal.
I have a feeling that the only way a mosque would meet with the approval of Queen sarah and her teabbagin Grizzled Mommas(or is it Momma’s who are grizzled?) would be for it to be about ten miles off shore in the ocean.
Number one, the property is privately owned, the owner can do anything they want to within zoneing ordanances. Or have the libertarian/teabagger/repugnantklaners suddenly changed their tune on private property rights?!
Second, the mosque IS NOT AT GROUND ZERO. Or even at the address of the footprint of the twin towers.
SCREW THESE HATE FILLED BIGOTS!
But still, ya gotz ta admit, she IS a moron.
The name-calling and labeling stuff, whether regarding national security or other things, does more to help Palin than hurt. I think labeling tactics in general do that, actually, whoever is involved. Or at least that’s the case when labels replace factual analyses.
And I think your focus, Taylor, on pointing out the similarities between Palin’s position with those of Bush is right on tartget. Sen. Cornyn is widely quoted in a recent comment about how people are beginning to look more fondly on W. — of course, his target audience will likely agree, but I’m kind of hoping he keeps making statements like that
.
“Or at least that’s the case when labels replace factual analyses.”
Only when it’s Dems pointing out reality about repugnantklaners. The wingnuts have had pretty good results calling names and labeling people haven’t they?
No doubt, secular, the labels will always work for some, on both sides of the political continuum. And I have no doubt they’ll continue to be used for that reason. I was thinking more broadly, I suppose, as in “labels hinder learning facts,” about whoever, and thus the harm is done to the whole process by which we put people in elected offices.
I was reading on yahoo front page actually and it went something like “Anti-Mosque prostests on rise in US” and it talks about not only about the new mosque at ground zero but other places in the country too. It seems the protests are growing. It mentions Sarah Palin and her facebook and what she said. I bet if it was a church or synagogue, Sarah would be proberly be there for the ribbon cutting ceremony, but Sarah Palin is not the only one against the mosque. Right wing radio and some television hosts are also against it and railing against it everyday. I also read that the mosque will have a community swimming pool and other things open to the public. Sarah Palin is a big player in the GOP and it showed even on Tuesday when she endorced Karen Handel for Georgia governor even when she was down in the polls and she got in alittle trouble because some said Karen Handel is too liberal but Sarah endorced her and she got most votes in the primary and how has to face a runoff with Nathan Deal because she didn’t reach the 50% mark needed to avoid a runoff. Sarah seems to be endorcing conserative women and at least they are winning there primaries such as Carly Florina,Nikki Haley and proberly Karen Handel is she wins Tuesday. Two women could make history by becoming the first female governors in Georgia and South Carolina. I say all this because some people say Sarah Palin is a moron, no she is not she is alot smarter than some give her credit for.