Sarah Palin the Dominatrix

(Image/Salon)

Salon and Gary Kamiya have really gone off the deep end when it comes to Sarah Palin, depicting her as a dominatrix.

It truly is Palin Derangement Syndrome.

It amazes me that they haven't learned that this smear campaign isn't working.

The Left is imploding. Stunning.

Kamiya writes:

Right now, Palin has Democrats quaking in their boots -- and with good reason. But all hope isn't lost. For even if this election turns out to be a referendum on the national libido, Palin may scare off more voters than she attracts.

Because to anyone who isn't a true believer, Palin comes across not as a fantasy pinup, but as a dominatrix. And the S/M demographic isn't going to put the Republicans over the top in the swing states.

For the die-hard Republicans who lusted over Palin at the convention, her whip-wielding persona was a turn-on. You could practically feel the crowd getting a collective woody as Palin bent Obama and the Democrats over, shoved a leather gag in their mouths and flogged them as un-American wimps, appeasers and losers. "Drill, baby, drill!" the chant ecstatically repeated by the GOP faithful during Rudy Giuliani's speech, acquired a distinctly Freudian subtext after Palin spoke. The more Palin drilled the Democrats, the more hotly the base yearned to drill her. (We will leave it to shrinks to determine whether the GOP hardcore has the hots for Palin because she's reaming the Democrats, or because authority-worshippers tend to have secret fantasies of being reamed themselves.)

The problem for the GOP, however, is that for independents, Palin comes across as someone who's going to drill them. Strict biblical literalism, trying to ban books, denying human responsibility for global warming and launching nasty vendettas against foes may put lead in the pencil of unreconstructed Bush supporters, but for those who haven't already signed up for the extreme GOP agenda, they're about as seductive as a great white shark in Victoria's Secret lingerie.

Palin was brought in to appeal to women and to independent, socially conservative voters in small towns. But aside from the crude fact of her gender, she has nothing to offer women who don't share her out-of-the-mainstream cultural values. Palin's opposition to abortion is so extreme that she refuses to even make an exception in cases of rape or incest. She sees nothing wrong with Guantánamo, the Bush administration's Big Brother-esque "Protect America Act" and the gutting of habeas corpus. She praises altruism and selflessness, except when Democrats do it (or it involves helping poor black people). She believes that God is constantly intervening in her daily life. These aren't "traditional values" -- they're radical ones. They worked for George W. Bush, but times have changed -- McCain/Palin can't win just with a base of hardcore Republicans and religious fanatics. They need the independents. And Palin's image as a maverick may pull some independents in, but that image is like a rub-on tattoo -- it won't last long.

Palin is a weird political novelty cocktail. Her bitter reactionary taste is disguised by tasty female flavoring, but after the first few sips, you know exactly what you're drinking.

This stuff is absolutely sick.

It's beyond sick.

Kamiya's sexual imagery in regard to Palin and her supporters is so offensive. As a woman, I find this to be incredibly degrading.

This accomplished woman is the governor of Alaska and the vice presidential running mate of Republican nominee John McCain. She's a mother and Salon mocks her as a dominatrix.

Disgusting.

His lies about her record are equally offensive.

PALIN DIDN'T TRY TO BAN ANY BOOKS.

Kamiya claims that Palin has nothing to offer women "who don't share her out-of-the-mainstream cultural values."

"She believes that God is constantly intervening in her daily life. These aren't 'traditional values' -- they're radical ones."

And there you have it. That's the Left's problem in a nutshell.

Kamiya doesn't know American women. He doesn't understand their values. He doesn't understand what the mainstream culture is.

He doesn't get it. That's a given. But wouldn't you think that by now the guy would grasp that these smear tactics against Palin aren't going to work?

Barack Obama's supporters really need to step back, take a deep cleansing breath, and try to compose themselves. They are out of control.