Tea Party Anyone?

[And a note for my largely apolitical sister, Beata, below] I have difficulty understanding the level of visceral hate over politicians and ideas that some people have never experienced. I try to be pragmatic about these things but for me at least they've got to have done something pretty horrible to deserve anything similar to the scorn that's heaped on those like Sarah Palin.

I was talking to friends over Christmas who were stunned that I lack animus for someone like Palin who is apparently so "stupid." Granted, I don't really have insight into who she is as a person, but I suspect they don't either especially after the media filter (fool me once?). And then there are the 'Tea Partiers' (which really isn't a political party at all - yet) who are often portrayed by another set of friends on Facebook as racist cavepeople and the minority fringe until Rasmussen found that people have a more favorable view of the "Tea Party" over the Democrats and Republicans (Rasmussen). And as for that racist thing? Despite what the literally color blind Chris Matthews might think, as Instapundit responds, "That’s not the moral high ground you’re standing on . . . it’s a big ol’ pile of crap."

David Brooks (of the NYT) wrote a column of how unhappy Americans are with their institutions over the weekend. While I have no quibbles with the underlying content, what strikes me as curious is the remarkable level of condescension he has for the disenchanted: "The public is not only shifting from left to right. Every single idea associated with the educated class has grown more unpopular over the past year." Right. David, to understand and adopt "right" ideals is to be an uneducated country bumpkin.

To quote Donald Luskin: "No, Mr. Brooks, the people are not rebelling against the “educated class” because they are “educated,” they are rebelling against being corralled, taxed, regulated and bullied into acquiescing to the unconstrained, misdirected, dangerous course of government."

I've never really understood those who value party over ideas but then again, as my sister and/or close friends might point out, very few people understand me. For the supposedly "educated class" that David Brooks presumably counts himself a part of, perhaps renaming the movement the "Throw the Bums Out" Party would be helpfully more explicit.

Oh, and Beata, in the coming Senate election, unless you want a healthcare system that's taken the worst of the Canadian system and made a whole lot more expensive (brought to you by the same types of people who brought you the Big Dig), please suggest to Loren (and other friends) that they might want to vote for Scott Brown to replace Ted Kennedy for Senator on January 19th. Notes here (BigGovernment) and here (Jules Crittenden; I mean Democrats don't even really like her). Oh one more - more love for Martha Coakley.

OK, I know, that's enough politics blogging for now.