Palin Fighting 'Culture War' Nobody Cares About

Why is Sarah Palin such an epic failure? Because she's a moron? A racist? A dingbat? A national clown? Well, yes, but experts say therealproblem is that she's the last Republican culture warrior. The old GOP anger-bear army consisted of abortion-obsessed white losers furious over the existence of minorities. And they're still out there, still angry and still illiterate. But there's not enough of them to win elections anymore, and the new Great Depression has even knocked some common sense into a few of these people -- this year, a lot of bitters sort of cleared the Rove Goo from their eyes and realized being permanently enraged about guns or Mexicans is not really the path to wealth and happiness.

Younger voters just don't care much about race, they aren't paranoid about homosexuals trying to do whatever it is they fear homosexuals want to do to poor dumb white people, and they're very much in favor of the kinds of things Dingbat Palin mocks with such enthusiasm: environmental protection, alternative energy and government-backed health care.

And surprise, surprise, younger voters are going heavily to Obama and Democrats across the board. Older voters are surprisingly in the tank -- that Medicare and Social Security is pretty good stuff, HENGHH? -- and "that one" has the wealthy and the educated on his side.

In theWashington Posttoday, Peter Beinart says Culture War just isn't selling anymore, and that only 6% of voters now name "issues like abortion, guns and same-sex marriage" as a big deal.

The economic challenges of the coming era are complicated, fascinating and terrifying, while the cultural battles of the 1960s feel increasingly stale .... Although she seems like a fresh face, Sarah Palin actually represents the end of an era. She may be the last culture warrior on a national ticket for a very long time.

 Last of the Cultural Warriors [Washington Post]