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Sarah Palin May Be a Pit Bull in Lipstick, but She's No Populist
"Perfect populist pitch." That's how CBS political pundit Jeff Greenfield described Sarah Palin's VP acceptance speech.
Excuse me, but real populists don't support profiteering schemes of Big Oil or embrace the extension and expansion of tax giveaways to Wall Street speculators and corporate chieftans. Palin might claim to be a pit bull in lipstick, but she's damn sure no populist. As Greenfield must surely know in his less infatuated moments, she is to populism what near beer is to beer -- only not as close. Indeed, she's the candidate of the plutocrats. Mary Ellen Lease -- a real hell-raising populist from the 1880s and 90s -- would be appalled at the media's perversion of this historic and proud term.
Jim Hightower is a national radio commentator, writer, public speaker, and author of "Thieves In High Places: They've Stolen Our Country And It's Time to Take It Back." He publishes the monthly "Hightower Lowdown," co-edited by Phillip Frazer.
| Also by Jim Hightower | |||
| Army Recruiters Open War 'Experience' Arcade to Attract Youngsters With more than 14,000 square feet of prime mall space, the experience center is bigger than three basketball courts and is filled with lots of dazzle. December 5, 2008. |
Jim Hightower on "Cowboy George, Horse Thief" [VIDEO] We've learned the hard way over the past seven years that George W lives in his own fantasy world. February 13, 2008. |
Jim Hightower: Republicans Want to Put Reagan on Rushmore [VIDEO] The real Reagan certainly doesn't deserve the heights of Rushmore, but neither did he fall to the depth of today's extremists who claim his image. January 16, 2008. |
Jim Hightower's Gifts for a Happier New Year [VIDEO] Wait till you hear about the gifts I gave to some of America's power elites for Christmas. December 21, 2007. |
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