Robert J. Elisberg

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Robert J. Elisberg

Robert J. Elisberg
Location
Los Angeles, California,
Birthday
December 31
Bio
Robert J. Elisberg has been a regular contributor to the Huffington Post since 2006. His writing has appeared in such publications as the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Daily News, and Los Angeles Magazine, and served on the editorial board for the Writers Guild of America. He has contributed political writing to the anthology, "Clued in on Politics," 3rd edition (CQ Press). Born in Chicago, he attended Northwestern University and received his MFA from UCLA, where he was twice awarded the Lucille Ball Award for comedy screenwriting. Most recently, he wrote the comedy-adventure screenplay, “The Wild Roses,” for Callahan Filmworks, and had published his comic novella, "A Christmas Carol 2: The Return of Scrooge."

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Editor’s Pick
JUNE 8, 2010 11:13AM

Sarah Palin: America’s Historian

Rate: 20 Flag

Thank God that Sarah Palin wasn't elected Vice President of the United States.

Thank God that Sarah Palin resigned as governor of Alaska after only half a term, and no longer represents any American citizen.

Thank God that Sarah Palin explained that her national security credentials were based on living close enough to see Russia.

Thank God that Sarah Palin when asked what newspapers and magazines she read couldn't think of one.  Instead she answered, "All of them!"

Thank God that Sarah Palin when asked to name her favorite Founding Father couldn't think of one.  Instead she answered, "All of them!!"

Thank God that Sarah Palin when asked what Supreme Court decisions in history she disagreed with couldn't think of one.  At least she didn't say, "All of them!"  Instead she answered:

"There's, of course -- in the great history of America rulings, there have been rulings, that's never going to be absolute consensus by every American. And there are those issues, again, like Roe v. Wade where I believe are best held on a state level and addressed there. So, you know, going through the history of America, there would be, there would be others but..."

Thank God that Sarah Palin, while making a speech, had to write reminders on her hand to mention her one, supposed-area of expertise, "Energy" - as well as "Tax," and even to "Lift American Spirits.

Thank God that Sarah Palin, before being nominated for Vice President, said that she didn't even know what the vice president did.  Replying, "I still can't answer that question, until somebody answers for me, what is it exactly that the VP does every day?"

(Apparently, in addition to not reading newspapers and magazines, she never got around to watching Schoolhouse Rock.)

Thank God we have all this on the record, on video, for all the world to see and be reminded of, because otherwise no one would be believe it.

Yet Sarah Palin still, somehow is able to top herself with utter inanity.  And there's no other way to describe it.  Utter inanity.  

On Fox News, a few weeks back, Ms. Palin spoke out on a proposed National Day of Prayer, discussing laws and the Constitution as if she had the slightest idea what she was talking about, as if she was an expert on law and American history.  Chastising those who wanted to "revisit and rewrite history" - this from someone who has shown she doesn't have even a grade school grasp of history.

This from someone who -

Well, as sportscasters like to say:  let's go to the video.  Here's Sarah Palin at the Wasilla Assembly of God Church, having hands laid on her by a witch hunter from Kenya, protecting her against evil demons, crying out, "We come against the spirit of witchcraft!  We come against the python spirits!" - all amidst speakers calling on Christians to "infiltrate" schools, banks, media and the government.



So, that's the Sarah Palin who sat down on Fox News to discuss religion and history and tried to bamboozle the public by stating:

"Go back to what our founders and our founding documents meant -- they're quite clear -- that we would create law based on the God of the Bible and the Ten Commandments.  What in hell scares people about…"

Wait, let's stop there a moment.  This is someone who can't even name a Founding Father she likes.  Who can't explain what the vice president does.  And she's trying to convince listeners that she has even a clue what "our founders and our founding documents meant"??  This transcends gall.  It turns demagoguery into an art form.

To state that our Founding Fathers meant to create laws based on the Bible is an exit from reality.  In point of fact, here's what John Adams had to say on the matter - you know, John Adams one of those Founding Fathers Sarah Palin can't name.  The second president of the United States.  In an official government document, the Treaty of Tripoli, John Adams wrote, "The United States is not a Christian nation" and "...the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion..."

If you want something "quite clear"… that is quite clear.  You can't get much clearer.

Well, okay, you can.  Here's what another of those pesky Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States - you know, the one who wrote the Declaration of Independence - actually said about religion and government:  

"I consider the government of the United States as interdicted by the Constitution from intermeddling with religious institutions, their doctrines, discipline, or exercises."

Hopefully, that is clear enough about what the Founding Fathers (who Sarah Palin can't name) meant.

Yet Sarah Palin, in all her rabble-rousing ignorance continued, "What in hell scares people about talking about America's foundation of faith?  It is that world view that involves some people being afraid of being able to discuss our foundation, being able to discuss God in the public square."

A person with no awareness of history, whose view of religion is protection from witches and evil demons, who accepts the infiltration of private religion into secular society, that person has no business lecturing others.  I don't mean on religion, I mean on pretty much anything.

"Talking about America's foundation" is one thing, because that acknowledges addressing its secular foundation.  Discussing faith is one thing, as well, because America encompasses all faiths.  Discussing God in the public square is one thing, too, since public openness allows all topics.

But it's another thing when this is infiltrated into society, in an effort to turn personal, private belief into law.  That's why those Founding Fathers created freedom of religion, so that all people could have whatever belief they wanted, which is what allows religion to flourish.  As opposed to having religion be a part of government, where it is imposed on others, and faith withers.

Sarah Palin is a demagogue trying to force her personal demons on others, totally ignorant of what the Founding Fathers (who she can't name) actually believed about creating laws based on the Bible.  Totally ignorant that one of those very Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson, himself wrote -

"Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear."

What Thomas Jefferson and John Adams understood is America could never be a Christian nation because when a society imposes religion on its citizens, it is there that we see people jailed for their beliefs.  It is there that we see the terrorism of fundamentalists against non-believers.  It is there that we the totalitarianism of an Iran, Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, and the Spanish Inquisition.

If Sarah Palin wants to honestly know what scares people - that's what scares people.  That, and people who don't understand any of this and who try to impose their narrow prejudiced beliefs and ignorance on others.

And still, there are people who ask Sarah Palin what she thinks.  And people who listen.  Thankfully, the more she speaks, the smaller she appears.

Thank God.

 

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She is scary because she wallows in her own stupidity in glee and self-righteousness, and her stupidity is contagious, especially at Teabagger rallies! R
She is scary because she wallows in her own stupidity in glee and self-righteousness, and her stupidity is contagious, especially at Teabagger rallies! R
Sarah Palin has sold her soul. And the Repubs who insist that this is a "Christian" nation are un-American. The first time I heard Ronald Reagan say the words, "This is a Christian nation...", I was absolutely appalled that an American president would say anything so un-American, as our nation was founded on prinicples of diversity and freedom of religion.

Now I know it was a new strategy among Repubs to attract Right Wingers who call themselves "Christians". All I can say is that if the USA is a "Christian" nation, it sure has failed in that regard! Let's see...slavery for 200 years, genocide of countless Native-American tribes, wars, invasions, torture, the bombing of Laos ( a particular abomination and crime), sexism, extreme racism into the 21st century and growing, in fact........and ours is a "Christian" nation?! Really?!! The definition of Christian behavior must have changed since my childhood as I was taught that Christians are beacons of light, love, peace, tolerance, forgiveness, sharing, kindness, not judgmental, compassionate, humble, etc.....none of which describes the USA!!!!
And now, according to Wonkette, she's running with the horse racing set and sporting some new "work" on her chest. Certainly Dick Cheney never matched that.
Robert, thank you for this piece. It sums up everything I find myself howling at the TV when her face appears on the screen...only you say it with more eloquence and a few less "f#@%!"s.
"That's why those Founding Fathers created freedom of religion, so that all people could have whatever belief they wanted, which is what allows religion to flourish. As opposed to having religion be a part of government, where it is imposed on others, and faith withers."

Excellent point, well made and taken.

I've thought a lot about the credulous nature of Bible Spice and her 700 Club fans, it seems they want to built a construct implying the Puritans founded the country rather than colonized Massachusetts, relying on our Red cousins to survive, and following the trails left by our also cousins from Greenland.

It would seem to me that before one can understand any document, from Articles of Confederation to our rightly exalted Constitution, one should consider the source- as those elusive facts conclusively prove, both, and especially the the special Constitution were written following massive and thorough study of EVERY PREVIOUS ATTEMPT FROM THE MAGNA CARTA ON!!! Adams et al, following there many visits with the, well, elite, of Europe looked at all the examples, many forgotten outside their own countries, and, took the best and improved the rest.

For any dispensationalist to invoke Jefferson can only mean they've yet to read his Bible- which is actually pretty good stuff. Amazing what a genius can do with 4 languages, a blank diary and the sharpest of metal and mental razors ...

rated
A few things:

1. faved and rated

2. The Christian States of America. That makes about as much sense as the Caliphate States of America. I don't see either the Taliban or Pat Robertson sitting in the White House soon.

3. One only hopes that in her fifteen minutes of fame, our Alaska Evita is at 14:50.
To be fair, when asked about her favorite founding father, she EVENTUALLY came up with George Washington after first saying "all of them". So she can think of at least one.
(but great piece, and rated)
Great summary Robert. Folks like you will have to keep posting reminders like this I'm afraid. It's alarming that such an ignoramus can get to be so influential so quickly. My optimistic side tells me that enough Americans see through her to prevent her ever getting elected to anything, but nothing is ever quite certain in politics.
Excellent post. Very well written.

What frightens ME personally is that she has thousands upon thousands of people hanging off her every word and cheering with ferver. It's like she encompasses every idiot in the US who doesn't understand the true foundation of America, and when I see her talking to a whole auditorium full of screaming people, I realize there's a whole bunch of them out there!

And then I get scared.
R
Yeah. She's peach, all right. What disturbs me about the woman more than anything is her blindness to the world around her and her complete lack of curiosity about it, not to mention the thoughts and opinions of others.

All things need to be considered to make intelligent judgments. I don't see any of that with Palin. She is a my way is the only way type, and it is the same type of folks that flock toward her ignorance.
I am fairly certain every culture and every government has its share of idiots, fools, followers and preening princes (or princesses). It just happens that as the biggest media stage on the planet, we seem to produce and magnify these types.
Sister Sarah and her witch doctor friends are just the latest incarnation. What makes her perhaps a little more dangerous than so many earlier iterations of public ignorance is that she has the Murdock Microphone from which to spew.
You've done an excellent job with this piece keeping from using the more colorful euphimisms that really describe her, and staying factual. That's why there isn't a media outlet in America other than these self-published kind of sites that would print your work. I for one honor and rate it! Well done.
what scares me most about Sarah Palin is that the more she talks, the more money she makes, which makes her talk more and more people seem to be listening. She endorsed a candidate for governor and the candidate jumped ten points. She has clout. She's making big money. You know she's got to be getting a lot of fundamentalist financial backing as well.

What's worse, I think she's going to make a run for the presidency. The fact that there is a sizable contingency of Americans who will vote for her, who LOVE her and believe she is their voice scares me to hell. Because like it or not, she could win. Bush won and he was a complete fuckup idiot warmongering lunatic. He won because Kerry lost.

Sarah could win because Obama could lose. It's that simple.
There's nothing more to add. Could not be truer or better stated. Well done!
I don't personally care for Sarah Palin and her simplistic views, and I would never vote for her but I absolutely love how she gets the liberal left all bound up in knots. Drives you crazy, doesn't it? Because someone on a national level actually speaks with pride about being an American, and it resonates with millions of other simplistic people, the left hates her. Too fucking bad for all the self loathing lefty Americans.

How come the left loves any women in power, unless she has viewpoint other than liberal? Then they HATE her. Same with blacks. If an African-American speaks out in a conservative manner, he can't be accused of just having a different perspective- he's an Uncle Tom, a sellout ,,blah, blah

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