Miss Wasilla 1984, campaigning in North Carolina yesterday, noted that she loved to visit the "pro-America" areas of the country, of which North Carolina is one. Since she doesn't (can't?) read the campaign news, she might be in for a big surprise on November 4th.
Here we go again, the latest variant on the tired, old "If you aren't with us, you're against us" refrain. I live in a city where the McCain/Palin vote might not make it to double digits, but I think that it's hard to find a place that is more "pro-America". We strongly support the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, which means individual freedoms, civil liberties, and respect for diversity of thought, race, religion, sexual orientation, and more. We strongly support politicians and policies that respect those guarantees. We believe that Americans should have the highest standards of living in the world, where the "pursuit of happiness" is enabled through outstanding educational programs, universal access to health care, and the best employment opportunities. We think that Americans should be respected around the world.
But this might not be what the Palinistas mean by "pro-America", since virtually every elected official for 50 miles in every direction from here is a Democrat. When Ms. Moose-dresser uses the term, she probably means the places inhabited primarily by God-fearing white Christians who continue to support W, reliably vote Republican, support the illegal occupation of a foreign country, carry a shotgun on their pickup trucks, and have a hard time saying "African-American". They listen to the drivel emanating from Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, and other bigots of the extreme right.
It is, however, odd that she would pick North Carolina rather than, say, rural Alabama or western Texas, for this statement. Recent polls don't look very good for Sen. Elizabeth Dole, and the North Carolina electorate hasn't lined up solidly for the Republicans. Ms. Palin, can a blue state be a "pro-America" area?
Mostly, though, I'm surprised that more people haven't commented or taken offense at her unspoken notion that there are "anti-America" areas in our country. Maybe she is referring to parts of Alaska that strongly support the Alaska Secessionist Party. Maybe she is picking on the Fortune 500 CEOs, investment bankers and hedge fund managers who wreaked havoc on our economy and spent their bonuses on foreign goods (Swiss watches, German cars, French wines and designer clothing). But I don't think so....
I think that this election is partly about taking back our country from the extreme right wing, and restating what it means to be "pro-America".