Friday, October 17, 2008

It's True: The Best of America Is Not in Washington, D.C.

It's quite obvious to Sydney Brillo Duodenum, who was born in D.C., grew up in D.C. and now lives but a mile from the D.C. border, that Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin, in stating that "the best of America is not all in Washington, D.C.," meant that what makes this country great is not the government (let's call it Washington, D.C., Inc.), but the people of this country, who drive it forward with their work, their families, and their bond to the Founding Principles that they are free and independent and have a right to pursue their individual happiness and safety. In most Americans, that forms a fundamental patriotism, love of country and hope for the future.

Only the assinine and immature would suggest that Gov. Palin was referring to D.C. as opposed to Washington, D.C., Inc. D.C. is a separate thing, a small, incredibly mismanaged but very proud aglomeration of Americans from all over the country mixing with third, fourth and fifth generation inhabitants. Away from the federal morass, it is a small town in many respects, albeit a very liberal small town. A good deal of the people in D.C. make a living working for Washington, D.C., Inc. As we have seen, a fair number of those people think that what's good for Washington, D.C., Inc. is good for the whole country. Certainly not.

Senator Palin said that, "We believe that the best of America is in these small towns that we get to visit, and in these wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America, being here with all of you hard working very patriotic, um, very, um, pro-America areas of this great nation." She is speaking to them as one of them. Washington, D.C., Inc. is not pro-America. It is pro-Washington, D.C., Inc.

She continued; "This is where we find the kindness and the goodness and the courage of everyday Americans. Those who are running our factories and teaching our kids and growing our food and are fighting our wars for us. Those who are protecting us in uniform. Those who are protecting the virtues of freedom." She's speaking of the local, appealing to the local. She's drawing a contrast with Senator Obama who makes appeals to "the nation," to the national community, really the national commune in his mind, as held together by a strong guiding hand - Washington, D.C., Inc.

Mentioned above were the assinine and immature and so let's discuss Senator Biden, but briefly. Senator Biden trying, and aided and abetted by "the media," to turn Gov. Palin's fairly straight forward message into some monstrous, unforgiveable gaffe, bloviates that he is tired of being called unpatriotic, and he's tired of Senator Obama's patriotism being called into question and "We are one nation, under God, indivisible. We are all patriotic, we all love this country." It's very telling that Senator Biden reacts so sensitively, almost as one who occupies a corner suite in Washington, D.C., Inc. and not a resident of a D.C. And what of that type, that resident of a D.C.? Well, just yesterday, Sen. Biden was casting aspersions on the authenticity of Samuel Joe Wurzelbacher, the very type of American Gov. Palin was describing, a man drawn out of his house and to his front lawn to engage the presumptive CEO of Washington, D.C., Inc. with a sensible question about the disposition of the fruits of his labor. But of course, Senator Biden once told us that men like Samuel Joe Wurzelbacher are not patriotic because they are reluctant to pay their fair share of taxes.