I can only hope that this essay is a subtle work of satire, but I am all too afraid that Paglia is entirely genuine. This is not ultimately even about whether or not one likes Palin. This is about the fact that Palin represents vapid anti-intellectualism and pseudo-populist authoritarianism, and Paglia seems to be endorsing those traits. Salon is one of the highest-quality political blogs out there, but Camille Paglia's writings are a joke.

This is probably the best (and most dead-on) speech I've heard in response to Prop 8 and its passage. I think I love Keith Olbermann more every day.

Although conservative, Andrew Sullivan has a good take on the issue as well. His tone varies somewhat from Olbermann's, but he raises some excellent points that should serve as comfort to us all. http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/11/prop-8-chill.html

Great essay by Sullivan. Palin herself seems doomed to become a footnote in history, but the ignorance behind her rise to popularity needs to be thoroughly dissected and examined by social and political analysts in order to fully understand the inner workings of the American far right (which seems to fortunately be shrinking, aging, or becoming increasingly irrelevant).

She should watch her back, though. When one plays with right-wing Christian fire, one should be extra alert for anthrax in the mail.

What a liar and a phony.

I'm highly in favor of this steer-sharply-to-the-right strategy, as it virtually guarantees that conservatism will be a moribund force within a decade or two. The far right simply refuses to understand that its rigid obstinance is proving to be its own death knell.

9/11 aside, flying has been the safest mode of American travel for decades. That said, I wouldn't step on a Russian or Sub-Saharan African aircraft anytime soon.

This is positively sickening. People like Sarah Palin have no right to call themselves pro-life.

...except his claim that "the religious impulse" should be respected. I think it's high time we as a society (and as a world) quit kowtowing to the forces of willful ignorance and superstition. Religion is what's largely holding us as a world back, and it's time to relegate it to a marginal position and influence in society.

Just because other guilty parties are not being punished does not mean that Graner's punishment is unfair. Every torturer belongs behind bars.