or “Why ‘Troopergate’ won’t matter much.”
Marcus Stone – Claudio, deceived
Hands down “Much Ado” is my favorite of Shakespeare’s comedies, I know that marks me lacking in taste, but what can I say? Beatrice and Benedick in their quick witted, sharp tongued, reluctant love affair get me laughing every time. And the scene where Claudio, deceived by Don John, spurns Hero and Beatrice claims Benedick’s love and his hand in avenging her cousin’s honor might be instructive for the current political season.
At my parent’s house a couple nights ago the “troopergate” thing was floated for about 30 seconds before totally dismissed. “Man who cares if she tried to get the dude fired, he tasered a ten year old and threatened their father’s life? Anyone who wouldn’t fire a trooper pulling that sort of crap should get the boot.” Hand me another piece of fried chicken and let’s talk about Georgia joining NATO, the obligations of NATO allies to smaller nations, and the parallels of Russia’s current aggressions towards Georgia over South Ossetia and the German attack against Poland over the Sudentland.
Troopergate? Who cares? Even under the worst possible spin (Monegan was fired because he refused to fire Trooper Wooten) the “red-neck”, “unwashed masses” of small town America and the big city transplanted trailer dwellers and other low life, don’t care. Why? Because enough of us would ask our Benedicks to “Kill Claudio” too if it came right down to it. It is one of those elusive “family values” things. We value family.
When I was going through my own divorce years ago my older brother said something sort of tongue in cheek about there being a lot of places out in Eastern Oregon where no one would ever think to look. My younger brother concurred and they spent a few minutes talking about way out places miles and miles from anywhere and what a pleasure it would be to take my soon to be ex out there and “drop him off naked with nothing but the buzzards for friends”. We all laughed, with a touch of guilt, but the sentiment was that they, in their hearts, wanted to defend their sister’s honor. Not in the sick and twisted way that we see in the Muslim, tribal, honor killings, but more in the “you wrong my sister and there will be hell to pay” way. Which might seem sick and twisted to some, but I guess it might be a cultural thing. I have no doubt if I was actually in danger, the kids were being hurt, or the ex was threatening the family with violence my brothers would do just about everything in their power to help me. Or at least they would want to.
I look at the “Troopergate” thing and can’t really work myself up to much more than a shrug. It is family dirty laundry, probably not handled in the absolute best way possible, but if someone tasered my nephew, was terrorising my sister, threatened my dad, by all reports wasn’t shining so hot as a state trooper anyhow and the person in charge of the situation wasn’t doing anything about I might just do the same thing. If Palin had gone on the line like this for random woman, victim of spousal abuse, against psycho husband with a state issued gun I think a lot of typical “feminist” would applaud, heck if she had a ‘D’ by her name I suspect they would be pinning a medal on her for her brave stance in support of victims of domestic violence.
Does this, can this, will this sink Palin? Nope, the core constituency will see it for what it is, one sister going to the mat for the other. That in no way will diminish Palin’s appeal. No one is going to worry about her abusing power in the Vice-presidential office, this isn’t about some personal slight against herself, this was about defending family. Compare that to the Clinton’s slash and burn tactics with their enemies and there isn’t much left to say. Troopergate won’t amount to much even in the worst possible form it could take. If you want to keep reading about politics I highly urge you to look at my favorite Catholic Politics Blog: The Anchoress she is doing a most excellent job of posting all the great Palin stories.
Next post, I promise, is back to my Holiday Grand Planning and my normal “quiet Catholic Homemaking blogging about nothing really exciting”.
Simply Catholic 
I completely agree!