http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/and_its_titled_cut_kill_dig_drill Stranger-certified Genius Jonathan Raban on Sarah Palin in the London Review of Books: Like Wally the Green Monster, Baxter the Bobcat, the Mariner Moose and other giant furry creatures who accompany major-league baseball teams from game to game, Palin is the adored mascot of the anti-fiscal crowd. Her actual performance as mayor and governor counts for little beside her capacity to keep the fans happy during the intervals between play, which she does in the style she developed as mayor of Wasilla and then perfected in her triumphant gubernatorial campaign in 2006. Transcripts and videos from her time in Alaska... Copyright 2008 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:00:00 -0800 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 17:16:24 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss That really is a terrific piece of writing - it's the best analysis of the appeal of Sarah Palin and the facts of her political career that I've read to date.

]]> John Galt http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/and_its_titled_cut_kill_dig_drill#c1159832 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/and_its_titled_cut_kill_dig_drill#c1159832 2008 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:31:25 -0800 Raban is the greatest living American. I love his stuff so much.

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/and_its_titled_cut_kill_dig_drill#c1159864 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/and_its_titled_cut_kill_dig_drill#c1159864 2008 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:36:49 -0800 Great post Paul. The second chapter has Seattle and its realtionship to the rest of Washington down pat. Palin's political rise to prominence is well told. It is saluatary to read how intelligent people in countries other than our own see us. It is not necessarily objective but it provides further matter for introspection. I and most other city dwellers would never have thought that a minor player fromm Alaska could rise to such eminance is so short a time, yet Raban makes it seem almost inevitable.

]]> inkweary http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/and_its_titled_cut_kill_dig_drill#c1159866 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/and_its_titled_cut_kill_dig_drill#c1159866 2008 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:37:09 -0800 Elucidatory.

]]> PopTart http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/and_its_titled_cut_kill_dig_drill#c1159894 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/and_its_titled_cut_kill_dig_drill#c1159894 2008 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:44:27 -0800 Ooh, PopTart!

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/and_its_titled_cut_kill_dig_drill#c1160019 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/and_its_titled_cut_kill_dig_drill#c1160019 2008 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:12:09 -0800 poptart's comment is hilariously perfect. that article was great; worth the read.

]]> infrequent http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/and_its_titled_cut_kill_dig_drill#c1160070 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/and_its_titled_cut_kill_dig_drill#c1160070 2008 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:26:07 -0800 Makes one wonder how Tony Knowles managed to lose to her in the '06 election. Either he's even worse, or there's an awful lot of stupid, gullible Alaskans, hmmm?

]]> Seajay http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/and_its_titled_cut_kill_dig_drill#c1160089 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/and_its_titled_cut_kill_dig_drill#c1160089 2008 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:32:59 -0800 @4 Well said!

]]> inkweary http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/and_its_titled_cut_kill_dig_drill#c1160192 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/and_its_titled_cut_kill_dig_drill#c1160192 2008 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:03:29 -0800 Very interesting article. It explains a lot about Gov. Palin and her arrogance about her own ignorance.

]]> Lawks a Lordy http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/and_its_titled_cut_kill_dig_drill#c1160242 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/and_its_titled_cut_kill_dig_drill#c1160242 2008 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:23:53 -0800 I'm cheered by the comments here, but that's not why I'm writing. One nicely ironic blogger says she hasn't actually read the piece, but, to judge by its title ("Cut, Kill, Dig, Drill"), she takes it to be an article about Palin's children--which made me laugh, and I hope makes you laugh too. --JR.

]]> Jonathan Raban http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/and_its_titled_cut_kill_dig_drill#c1161109 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/and_its_titled_cut_kill_dig_drill#c1161109 2008 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 17:16:24 -0800