October 26, 2012

Camille Paglia, who voted for Obama in '08, delivers a fine rant about why she's not voting for him this time.

She's interviewed on video here, by Glenn Reynolds. Most of the interview is about art in America and her new book "Glittering Images" (which I just bought, in Kindle). But in the end, she's asked why she's not voting for Obama — she's voting for Jill Stein — and out flow the words, which I started transcribing without knowing how long she'd go on. I kept transcribing, because it was all such great material, so here it is (with a few screen grabs, taken from the art section of the interview):
I was very excited about him. I thought he was a moderate. I thought that his election would promote racial healing in the country. 
This is the point at which I started transcribing, thinking: This is how I felt, when I voted for Obama in 2008. Except I wouldn't say I was "very excited." I wasn't caught up in the ecstasy. I thought it was the better bet, compared to the GOP alternative, and I hoped for the moderation and advancement in attitudes about race.
It would be a tremendous transformation of attitudes. And instead: one thing after another. Not least: I consider him, now, one of the most racially divisive and polarizing figures ever. I think it's going to take years to undo the damage to relationships between the races. 


Yes, this hope for racial transformation got squandered early, over that awful Henry Louis Gates incident. Back to Paglia:
But beyond that, I am just sick and tired of endless war. I was in favor of bombing the hell out of the Afghanistan mountains after 9/11, but I would have never agreed to this land war in Afghanistan, this endless land war, as well as things like this Libyan incursion that Obama appears to have been pushed into by these women, like Hillary Clinton and Samantha Power, the chaos in foreign policy, the bowing to foreign leaders.

Also the Obamacare: of course, we need health care reform in this country. What a mess! Everyone agrees about that. But the Obamacare is, to me, a Stalinist intrusion — okay? — into American culture.

The creation of this culture of surveillance, from these bureaucracies, which is also carried over into Obama's endorsement of drones on the military level as well as for police control of the population. I mean, I don't understand how any... veteran of the 1960s who's a Democrat could not see the dangers here, that Obama is a statist. It's exactly what Bob Dylan was warning about in "Subterranean Homesick Blues," okay?
I paused the video at "It's exactly what Bob Dylan was warning about" and asked Meade what song she's about to name, and he said "Masters of War," and I said "That's what I thought." But it's "Subterranean Homesick Blues," and as soon as she says it, we know why. (Look out kid/They keep it all hid/Better jump down a manhole/Light yourself a candle...)
You don't want government agencies being empowered to intrude into people's lives like this. The controlling force in Obamacare is the IRS! Okay? This flies in the face of what the Free Speech Movement was about at Berkeley or about any of the values, I feel, of my generation.


Yes. Exactly. This is how the Democratic Party lost me — by trading freedom for statism.
So I feel the Democratic Party needs to be shattered and remade to recover its true progressive roots. I don't see progressives. All I see is white upper-middle-class liberals who speak in this unctuous way about the needs of the poor.
Unctuous. Yes. White upper-middle-class liberals lubricating themselves.
They have no connection whatever with the working class. Okay? It's the professional class gone amok. And that's why they don't notice what a bureaucratic nightmare Obamacare is.

253 comments:

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test said...

Robert Cook said...
"What did Bush lie about?"

That Hussein was associated with Al Qaeda. That Hussein had active stores of WMD and was close to having a nuke. That Hussein was a threat to America. That Hussein had intention to supply Al Qaeda or similar groups with WMD to deploy against us. That, when his imminent nukes were extant, Hussein could shoot them in rockets to our shores within 45 minutes. That if we did not invade Iraq we would face some sort of almost-certain annihilation at the hands of Hussein.


How revealing. Almost everything you wrote is a lie, and the rest is wrong. Further you show you don't know the difference between lies and errors. In short, you reinforce that the left is simply not serious, that their function is not to offer credible alternatives but rather to build a fantasy world for its adherents.

I hope you enjoy it, but I'm not sure why you expect the rest of us to play along.

test said...

Robert Cook said...
"What did Bush lie about?"

That Hussein had something to do with 9/11


Whoops, accidentally omitted the biggest whopper. Of course the left likes to pretend Bush did this, but that accusation remains factual only in FantasyLand.

Rick67 said...

Word.

Except progressivism, even shattered and remade, is still evil.

And with all due respect to Ann and Camille, I was *never* fooled by Obama.

Nate Whilk said...

In a Salon article in August 2009, she wrote, "I simply do not understand the drift of my party toward a soulless collectivism."

I emailed her that it was power for the sake of power. I wonder if she understands it now.

Rick67 said...

Marshal wrote, "Further you show you don't know the difference between lies and errors. {removed to save space} I hope you enjoy it, but I'm not sure why you expect the rest of us to play along."

Qft. A professor of philosophy at Tennessee Tech once said progressivism is a psychological malady.

Michael said...

"Like Paglia, I'm voting for Jill Stein. Unlike her, I didn't vote for Obama the first time. "

But you basically are this time.

TOTWTYTR said...

Gee, I thought it could only be "Statist" if those evil Republicans were in power.

North Korea, China, USSR, Cuba, all those Republican "statist" strong holds.

As Prof. Reynolds would say, "Another Rube figures it out."

Of course what she's saying is that the idea is good, it's the execution that's flawed.

Sure.

Chip Ahoy said...

A fun read, but she's slow on the uptake. There were 20 year old girls, Democrats, a group of them pointed out and smiling at the first t party gatherings 4 years ago. Took off from work to be there to see what they were about. This surprised the small crowd but there were other Democrats there too. Paglia's loyalty is misplaced. It's keeping her behind those girls.

Q said...

"What did Bush lie about?"

That Hussein had something to do with 9/11.



Can you cite for me where Bush said that "Hussein had something to do with 9/11"?

No, I didn't think so. Keep playing with that strawman.

Nate Whilk said...

Robert Cook said, ...we'd be much better off if Bush had acted after 9/11 more like Obama after Benghazi.

The only way that makes sense to me is if you think he would've been impeached soon after or just not re-elected.

gadfly said, So how come she gets an Instalanche and attention from popular blogger Ann Althouse? Beats the crap out of me!

Hint: what is your user name? And unlike your opinion of her, we just think she's entertaining, too.

West Town said...

Hot jacket!

Paul said...

When you have lost Camille Paglia you have lost middle ... well you've lost pretty much alot of feminist.

Obama is gonna lose.. and lose big.

Kirk Parker said...

Inga,

"And yes to Medicare for all! "

Yes! Yes! Kill that damned golden goose already; what are we waiting for???

Anonymous said...

From the older-end boomers that I've talked to, the reason is that

A. A lot of them have very cushy jobs in the government and so now view "Statism" differently

B. Obama's black and therefore the fulfillment of their youthful ideals, and also a tad younger than they are. He is therefore only reproached in the most mild terms, if at all.

Anonymous said...

Well Kirk, if Medicare for All is good enough for Camille Paglia it's good enough for me. Jill Stein for President! Obama on steroids!

On another note, what up with several conservative commenters wishing liberal commenters here dead? Is politics that fucking important?

David said...

Is politics that important?

Sometimes, though not in this case.

David said...

Medicare for all is a fine idea.

If covered by premiums.

You will not like the premiums.

Or the limitations on care to keep them down.

Robert Cook said...

Bush administration and Iraq/911 links

I should have been more precise in my language when I stated that Bush lied about Hussein having had something to do with 9/11. He never said any such explicit thing, and neither did anyone in his administration. However, they did very carefully and intentionally--and successfully--insinuate a linkage between Hussein and 9/11 in order to rouse public antipathy to him and in favor of war against Iraq.

Majority of American public believe Hussein linked to 9/11

Even many who joined up to go fight in Iraq thought Hussein had been involved in 9/11.

This misperception by the public and among the military did not happen by accident, is not due to mass stupidity or delusion, but was the intended perception seeded and grown by the propaganda machine of the Bush administration. A lie need not be an explicit statement that is untrue, but can be, and often, in fact, is, the product of an aggregate of many lesser statements, none of which may be literally untrue, but which are phrased and presented in such a way as to create an erroneous impression, until the intended mark is as deceived as if he had been told one convincing and explicit big lie.

I stand by my statement that Bush lied about Hussein having had "something" to do with 9/11.

Unknown said...

I don't know how anyone can use the excuse that they thought Obama was a moderate. All you had to do was look at his background and the people who influenced him to know he was a radical leftist.

test said...

I stand by my statement that Bush lied about Hussein having had "something" to do with 9/11.

You can stand by a bucket of shit and call it cuisine all you want. All it proves is you a fool.

Matt said...

Robert Cook,

You didn't put all the pieces together, man. No one in the Bush Administration explicitly ties Hussein to 9/11 but lots of people thought it. Think about it. What else was going on then? That's right. The proliferation of cell phone towers, man. That's right. The government is brainwashing us with brain waves sent from cell phone towers. Bush did it and then, in 2006, with the Democrats taking back Congress, they took control. How else can we explain all the otherwise intelligent voting for the wholly unqualified Barack Obama? It's the cell phone towers...

Titus said...

She doesn't have any connection to the white working class either.

She is an academic, who lives in Philly and very upper crust.

She also needs to work on the wrinkles in her neck.

I would not mind seeing her and Althouse doing it though. Rolling around the bed, fingering each other's cunt, stroking each others ego and then finally performing cunninglinglus while they are each moaning in ecstasy. Although, Althouse, who thinks of herself and her postings as some sort of elite would definitely be the subservient bottom Althouse, would say yes Master i will like and lick your pussy.

Am I right, fellow straighties.

gl63 said...

Amazing that an experienced, old woman could have been so ignorant. And that goes for every motherfucker who voted for Obama. What this human trash just did has threatened the security of every citizen in this country. I'm not interested in Paglia's conversion. She can go to hell.

gl63 said...

Amazing that an experienced, old woman could have been so ignorant. And that goes for every motherfucker who voted for Obama. What this human trash just did has threatened the security of every citizen in this country. I'm not interested in Paglia's conversion. She can go to hell.

a psychiatrist who learned from veterans said...

"This flies in the face of what the Free Speech Movement was about at Berkeley or about any of the values, I feel, of my generation." I Appreciate her fierceness. I don't think however that his election has been all that damaging to race relations, the next one would be, not that he is black, if he loses the Irish will pick him up at pawn, but because he will have been supported by 95% of the blacks, and we'll have such a disastrous outcome.

SCOTTtheBADGER said...

Virgil Xenophon, I hope Dr. Althouse will allow this, they are trying to get hold of you over at Bring The Heat, Bring the Stupid. Quartermaster is in the hospital, but is gonna be OK.

Tony Clevenger said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Part of my own disenchantment with Obama is Chris Matthews and the Obamabots at MSNBC.... endlessly chanting "racist".... desperately trying to motivate black voters who are not as enthusiastic about Obama this time.

This Song/Video is about Matthews and the Obama cult at MSNBC.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txEvoHfQH58&feature=BFa&list=HL1350286003

John said...

As an Independant voter, I urge everyone to rent or buy "2016, Obama's America". Love him? Hate him? Learn about what makes the man tick BEFORE you vote!
Decide for yourself, don't just rely on TV and the media.

David Rayner said...

I thought that was a good read. I think she would be a fun person to share a co versationnover coffee or 18 year old scotch. I am a non-republican libertarian who is voting "not Obama" and here is why...I think Romney is a leader and an executive at a time when we need both skills badly.

http://dmrayner.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

The one great overiding virtue that the democratic party has beat all opponents over the head with, for as long as I can remember, is their compassion for the poor, well,
"The load of their loveless pity,
Is worse than the ancient wrong"
Any entity that has enacted and maintained, against all attempts to reform, a program that over the course of two generations has systematically destroyed the family structure of the African-American community, has no claim to any virtue worth considering.
That one crime against their fellow man is enough to damn a far nobler cause than the democrat party.

man on fire said...

Stalinist/Statist/Satanist -- who cares? He's a big government geek with a small brain who thinks its a good plan to sell today's children into indentured servitude to get himself elected by the moron class. That's enough.

BTW, post more pictures. Of yourself.

mxd said...

Medicare is a government sponsored savings plan whereby people set aside money to provide for their health care when they get old. You contribute a small percent of your earnings each month for 35 or 40 years and then, when you reach retirement age, you get good affordable health insurance so you can live with dignity when you are old and vulnerable and you won't have to die in the gutter is you get sick. Because life expectantces have increased dramatically since the 60's and because health care costs have escalated this program in no longer solvent, but the basic idea is sound and it could be corrected if we want to keep it. However, for the present discussion, the main point is that everyone already has medicare. Medicare is *not* socialized medicine, it is something paid for by the individual getting the benefit.

Unknown said...

Unctious, indeed. It's the Noblesse Oblige, the paternalism of a (s)mother who can never be pleased. They treat their "children" with treacly contempt, never failing to remind them that - in the face of a myriad foes that only mommy knows - little is expected of them. If they'll do as they're told and love Mommy always, then Mommy will always make room in the fold.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Scott said...

Whenever I read the thoughts of disillusioned anti statist liberals like Camilla Paglia and Mickey Kaus I always wonder if I'm seeing the early seeds of a Democrat style Tea Party. Maybe, maybe not, but I'd trust them more than the current crony capitalist machine politicians currently controlling the DNC.

johnwerneken said...

Bravo, this woman speaks for me!

ShaneH said...

I would like to know how Obama is not exactly what the progressives want? How is Obama not exactly what the principles of the democrat party and progressives represent? I think he is exactly the progressives of the 1960's. I think the principles that the progressives fought for made him.

Have you ever thought about the ramifications of the principle that may take someone elses property and give it to another as you see fit as "free healthcare" does. You must monitor his income so he doesn't "cheat" his taxes and pay his "fair share". If you agree to monitor his income, you agree to monitor everything. How do you get around it? That is the principle of liberals. You can monitor his income, you can take it if you want to, you arbitrarily say "fair share". These are the principles of statists. They are your principles.

We take in 2.6 trillion in revenue in taxes, we spend 3.7 trillion and the progressives say we should just "take it" from the rich. Have you ever considered the ramifications of that? How do you know how much they have? You are taking their "fair share" through the IRS and you wonder why it is embraced by the progressive statists like Obama? Think about what it means, you are guilty you just failed to use reason when making all of the liberal assertions. You want money from the taxpayer for birth control? Guess who is going to collect it, and how do they know how much you have? You are guilty of ignoring the result of your principles. Obama is exactly a progressive from the 1960's.

Claudius said...

I used to love C. Paglia back in the day...Seeing her in this interview soured my image of her. She seemed to be strung out, as if on drugs.
She's obviously still a genius, but I'm detecting an off-note.

Kady said...

Thank GOD for this woman!

The Dems love to talk about the extremism of the right while ignoring their own extreme statism, which has been obvious for some time. Compare the Democratic model of Kennedy (it amazes me that so many Americans think of him as one of the better presidents yet repudiate his legacy) with Clinton and Obama's.

Clinton repudiated Kennedy by his creeping corporatism, Obama by confusing statism with good governance. The squeals from the right about the "nanny state" are not without foundation.

The GOP, at the same time, has been overrun by militarists and corporatists, thinking THAT to be "conservativism"; the most rational governance model on the right is the Tea Party, which has been impuned unfairly by both statist Dems and corporatist/statist republicans.

Kady said...

"I should have been more precise in my language when I stated that Bush lied about Hussein having had something to do with 9/11. He never said any such explicit thing, and neither did anyone in his administration."

In other words, you've got bupkis. Opinion stated as fact.

Kady said...

"On another note, what up with several conservative commenters wishing liberal commenters here dead? Is politics that fucking important?"

Dear, people all over the world have shown themselves willing to die than to live under statist rule. Many conservatives feel as strongly about statism as the people in Poland did.

So, the answer is yes. :-)

Anonymous said...

I'm a solid Conservative, but I really love Camille Paglia. Know why? Because she's absolutely, totally HONEST.

Anonymous said...

What Not To Wear: Paglia is sixty-five years old yet deems it proper to adopt the look of a biker's old lady.

She reminds me of the sort of old hippy fellow I see from time to time: clad in a tie-dye tee shirt; graying, thinning head of hair pulled back into a ponytail.

Living in the past, and cases of arrested development, however many books they've read and degrees they hold.

Shmuel HaTalmid said...

Paglia seems very interesting, with some intelligent commentary. I have to look up what she says about art now. I'll probably disagree, but enjoy doing so.
I am, however, confused.
I completely understand and agree with her insights into the Democrat party of today, but I don't understand her labels. She says the Democrat party has to get back to it's progressive roots (or be town down and replaced by a more progressive party), because it is too statist.
Isn't she mixing the term liberal with progressive here? Liberalism derives from "liberty" and militates away from centralized control. Progressivism derives from "progress" and favors progress even if driven by central mandate. Many progressives in the 1920s and 30s thought Fascism in Italy was efficient at promoting needed social change and reform. They weren't concerned about statism out of control. Thomas Freedman in the NY Times made exactly the same argument about China last year. At least they can move forward (progress) with a green agenda even if they are not exactly a democracy.
Liberals are all about a government that is NOT watching you with drones, progressives (classically understood) are fine with the drones as long as they are being used to promote social justice. Isn't this the fundamental fault line that has caused tension in the Democrat party for a century now? Like Libertarians versus social conservatives in the Republican party. I just think she has her labels mixed up here, or maybe I am missing something (?)

Martin said...

Obamna and the current Congressional Dems are not something different than progressivism, they are progressvism distilled to its essence--racist in the way the old progs were eugenicist; want to be the elite that runs your life for you; and not half as smart as they think they are.

notsofast said...

"I thought he was a moderate. I thought that his election would promote racial healing in the country." Based on what?

Unknown said...

liberal Marxist progressive moderate racist fascist Stalinist

a word salad... consume w/ caution.

Tots said...

Birches sums it up for me. The way Romney will satisfy me is by doing what's right for the country, not what is popular with either political party.

Keeping in mind that may not be popular with the citizens either.

Things have been out of control for so long, there is no easy way out.

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Corday dArmont said...

I have always had great respect for Paglia's incite, but she was just as blind as everybody else in academia when she voted for Obama. Even a quick perusal of his background writings and interviews from the past would have revealed that he has always been a confirmed Statist, in fact a Marxist.

Paglia has also drunk the coolaid regarding Progressiveism. Progressiveism to maintain itself must control everything so that it can provide everything. It requires stateism in order to flourish.

She should poke her head out of the academic hothouse and perceive reality.

Baby™aka Beatrix Kiddo aka The Bride said...

Wow. The racism here is thick. Seriously thick.

When angry white entitled women attack and are supported by Rape-publicans is what this section of your website should be called.

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