09/02/2008
I have to admit: in contrast to VDARE.COM’s Patrick Cleburne (see here and here) I am smitten. You in the lower 48 do not understand how holy she strikes us in Alaska. She was like a one (wo)man army against oil corruption. She’s like Joan of Arc to us. The only people who hate her are what I call "devout atheists".
But also the Obama enthusiasts in this state are dismayed. I suspect because they know how formidable she is. They know she is a force and do not relish the thought of crossing swords with her.
I admit, I’m biased — so take this with a grain of salt.
After my past VDARE.COM column, The Salmon Symptom, several readers have asked me what to think about Sarah Palin vis-a-vis immigration. To tell you the truth, I don’t know. I've never heard her say a thing about the subject. Obviously it’s less of a problem here in Alaska than in the lower 48. And her role of mayor and governor didn’t require her to say much about federal immigration policy.
Or perhaps it’s because she simply hasn’t ever lived in areas with an immigrant population to speak of, or even non-whites for that matter.
Her home-town Wasilla is overwhelmingly white. Her college years took her to Idaho, again overwhelmingly white. Perhaps she never talks about immigration because she simply doesn’t have any real experience with the wonders of diversity. Living in Washington D.C. should be an eye-opening experience …although she may be insulated from it all by virtue of her office.
However, I can relate some encouraging things about her:
But you must keep this in context. The Buchanan of 1996 is not the same as today. Back then he had an ambition to become president. And he ran his campaign accordingly. He ran a slick campaign advocating the Feds lay their hands off Alaska and such and such. (For a state that bilks the feds out of so much money, we sure do complain about them a lot, go figure.) In any event, Buchanan’s campaign was very effective. He won the Republican straw poll here — he won Alaska in 1996.
Again, she is from Wasilla, perhaps the most conservative town in Alaska. It is precisely the kind of place Steve Sailer so aptly describes in his column about "affordable family formation". The cost of living in Wasilla is 25% lower than in Alaska’s largest city, Anchorage. Land prices are vastly cheaper due to open space to develop upon without artificial government limits on development.
Wasilla is the place in Alaska that people flee to escape the kind of dysfunction and demographic displacement that accompanies mass immigration and big city life.
It is precisely the kind of place and people Obama talked about with condescension. In fact he continues his condescension by dismissing Wasilla as a mere 9,000 souls and of no consequence.[Obama campaign highlights Palin’s 'zero' experience]
Plus, of course, Palin recently gave birth to a son with Down’s syndrome. She could have easily slipped out of state and quietly aborted him. This shows she has sincere Christian convictions. She is no joke.
"How is this a good thing?" You may ask. Well, this is where my insider knowledge comes in. A good friend of mine is a state legislative aide. His legislator is a firm patriot and definitely on our side. He fought this bill hard.
My aide friend had this to say — this is paraphrasing mind you:
"The Palin administration wanted to see the bill killed in committee, but it passed decisively. There was an unholy alliance between liberals who didn’t want to see immigration laws enforced and conservatives who were paranoid about big-brother and the number of the beast and the like. We wanted it vetoed but they [the Palin Administration] didn’t see the point. The veto would simply be over-turned and when the [federal] REAL ID requirements kick in, it will be a moot point anyway. Also the governor’s #1 priority was getting the gas pipeline built. They [the Palin administration] did not want to needlessly antagonize the legislature on a point that would resolve itself in any event and perhaps mitigate her efforts at gas pipeline legislation."
My point here is that Palin has an instinct to enforce the law. She wanted the laws enforced, but was unwilling to go to the mat for it.
I know this is thin gruel. But it’s a damn sight better than Obama, McCain or Biden. They don’t want the law enforced at all.
Last, you should all understand Palin’s mentality. After watching her political career for some 15 years, I have concluded that she is basically a nationalist. She has a fierce love for home and hearth. She is not really driven by ideology. This comes across in all her speeches. She seldom cites lofty principles but instead constantly talks about this being "Good for Alaska" or "Good for Alaskans" and the like.
And I tell you (and I am very cynical about pols) she seems sincere. I think that’s why she has an 80+% approval rating here, unheard of in the last 50 years. She got into some hot water in that area too. During the gubernatorial campaign, she boasted in public to her fellow Wasillians that once she was Governor she would not forget them and would use her office to favor them. She did something similar just recently on the radio. She was very emotional and kept talking about how good her nomination would be for Alaska. I found that remarkable — her first thought on her remarkable achievement was not about herself, but about what it meant for her people and her home.
From this, I gather she draws concentric circles around herself. First and foremost she is loyal to God, second she is loyal to her children, then husband, then town, then Alaska, then Country, then the laws of diminishing returns kick in…and so on.
It even comes across in how she names her kids. Two of her daughters are named after places in Alaska, Willow and Bristol (the one whose out-of-wedlock pregnancy has just been announced). Willow is a small hamlet just north of her home-town Wasilla and Bristol is Bristol Bay, the bay where her husband fishes during the summer. And the youngest daughter is named Piper. I think she’s named after the Piper Cub airplane. Piper Cubs are single engine aircraft that are ubiquitous in Alaska.
You must understand, many Alaskans have an almost national pride. And the longer you've been in this state the more entrenched that feeling gets. I don’t know why that is, but it is so. Perhaps it is because we are relatively separated from the rest of the U.S. Perhaps it’s because of the occasional U.S. tourist who asks where he can exchange his dollars for Alaskan currency. I don’t know. But I know it palpably exists because I feel it myself.
Alaska also has a serious Independence party. I didn’t say independent party, I said Independence! As in, secession.
And they are not crackpots. They elected an Alaskan Governor, Walter Hickel, in 1990. Today he is considered an elder statesman and writes regular op-eds for the leading newspaper. Gov. Sarah Palin addressed their annual state convention here. [Youtube]
I just can’t believe she would tolerate to see her home sweet home submerged in an unending tide of Third World immigration.
But what about McCain, you might say? As we all know, McCain is an open-borders wacko — completely beyond help. He is actually more dangerous than Obama on the issue since he is in the "conservative" camp.
Well here, you've got me. In my worst nightmare a reporter will ask Palin, "What do you think of McCain’s plan of comprehensive immigration reform?" And she would reply, "I agree with the Senator that we need a comprehensive immigration reform." At that point I will need to check myself into the local nut-house.
I admit, Palin is a gamble. But hey, what are our alternatives?
I believe Palin will be the first woman president of these several states. If McCain wins, he may well die in office. He will be the oldest president in history and has had several bouts with cancer. If he dies in office or suffers a stroke, she will take his place.
If Obama wins, his administration will be a disaster, full of party cronies and race hustlers. His self-absorbed messiah complex will become increasingly tiresome. In 2012, Sarah will be jacked up and ready to roll like a tornado on steroids.
In any event, McCain’s nomination of Palin has shifted my plan. I was planning to sit this election out. I was going to be a part of the plan to punish quisling Republicans for selling out their base. I did not relish the thought of boarding the straight-jacket express. But now I am presented with a more attractive (shall we say) option.
Sarah Barracuda, All our hopes rest on thee.
Ryan Kennedy has written us many letters. He lives in Anchorage, Alaska.
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