When Ann Coulter speaks in anti-Semitic stereotypes directly to Donny Deutsch’s face, when Fred Barnes asserts that Tiger Woods’ personal problems aise from his being a Buddhist, when Franklin Graham charges that Islam is inherently and irredemably violent, they are spreading religious hatred.

When Sarah Palin expresses similar sentiments, implying that only evangelical Protestants are “real” Americans, Jews react hostilely. And so should all of the 66,000,000 Americans, one fifth of our nation, who hold minority religious beliefs.

Jennifer Rubins arguments are silly. You did a fine job in countering with infinetely sillier arguments.

“Yes, Todd belonged to a Union, but so did Reagan” Huh? A commercial fisherman and North Slope Oil worker can only be described as working class. Are you serious? Todd Palin doesn’t have working class background? That is plain dishonest.

“The Heaths were not rich, but they were comfortable and respectable” You can’t be comfortable, respectable AND working class? You ought to examine your prejudices. It is amazing that you believe that some how respect and working class don’t go together. You ought to be ashamed.

Working on a fishing boat is hard, back breaking work. Anyone who has done that has at least some exposure to the “working class”. Many salmon boat captains in Alaska are teachers. The salmon run in the summer and teachers have the summers off. I’ve worked on those boats. Bill Clinton’s mother was a nurse and stepfather owned a car dealership. That qualifies as working class roots. But a School teacher doesn’t.

Until her book deal the Palin’s were not millionaires. That said, that people with blue collar roots can become “among the richest residents of Wasilla” isn’t something that would surpise anyone who lived there. I grew up there so it does not surprise me. Maybe that type of thing doesn’t happen back east.

Whether Jews dislike her more than others, I can’t really say I’ve seen evidence of that. But there is a much more visceral deeper emotion it seems for folks who dislike Palin that goes beyond the she’s not intellectually qualified argument. I haven’t really placed it yet but it’s almost like they see her as somewhat alien and anathema to who should be in the political elite.

Not trying to convince anyone to like or not–don’t care if you do. Just pointing out Frum selectively chooses to highlight what he considers her worst qualities and ignores why she does appeal to the GOP base. He has a tin ear to what matters to the base and as such, can’t put forth an effective political strategy to co-op them along with moderates under one tent.

It’s not that there is anything wrong with being elite. But when the elites seem to be unable to govern (and I say this for both parties) and out-of-touch, and on top of that, condescending with a we-know-best-attitude, people are rightfully resentful. This Jacksonian attitude is nothing new in American political history and tends to come back with a vengenance when the elites appear particularly corrupt and inept (Wall St anyone? DC anyone?). Having skepticism of the elites is also nothing new among conservative intellectuals, like William Buckley, either.

I never said you did. I was referring to the quote from Paul’s grandmother. Your first clue might have been that I addressed the post to him.

“And what’s this reference to ‘ive league’ education? You Palinites just love the culture wars, don’t you? I admire anyone who graduated from an Ivy League college, because most people do – nothing wrong or weird in that at all. You admire people who did better in life usually, but with the culture-war crowd, any sign of education or articulation in speaking means you are an ‘elite.’”

I referred specifically to ‘parent-funded’ Ivy league educations, as opposed to those that are paid for by the students themselves. And your comment about the culture war crowd is a giant assumption. Don’t put words in my mouth.

We know you dislike Palin; move on.