Althouse v Sullivan And Secondary Benefits

When we look at someone's behavior, we tend to assume they are being driven by the obvious. So, when Ann Althouse challenges Andrew Sullivan to apply the same allegedly thorough but fair analysis to Obama that he seems obsessed with applying to Sarah Palin, it's Sullivan's targeting of Sarah Palin driving that challenge. But what else is going on here that might be a motivator for Andy to focus so intently on Palin as he has been doing?

Chris Matthews has somewhat turned on Obama. SNL is now making jokes at his expense, and much of the Left and the Right is increasingly unhappy with him. But not Andy Sullivan, despite Obama's basically slapping the gay community in the face on gay marriage and don't ask don't tell.

Point being, if Sullivan were genuinely focused on what is actually going on over the political landscape, it would be all but impossible for him to still defend Obama. But by focusing nearly all of his attention on Palin, he conveniently gets to avoid admitting he was wrong about Obama and the new potus simply isn't measuring up to expectations, especially his. I suspect Sullivan does not want to admit he was wrong, or simply isn't ready to do it.

Frankly, given that Sarah Palin is at least 2.5 years away from even being anything of a threat to Sullivan in terms of her running and winning high office, tearing her down now is mostly a worthless exercise. No one is going to be going back to reference Sully's old posts on Palin in three years.

But ignoring what a disappointment Obama is proving to be just now? That gives Andy a reward he can benefit from today. His attention has to go somewhere if he is to ignore reality. It's likely that with Cheney and Bush gone, Palin just happens to be the most convenient target for him to become obsessed with, thereby allowing him to carry on living and writing what amounts to no more than a fantasy. Don't look for him to take up Ann's challenge any time, soon. To do so would break his heart, if not his mind, assuming that isn't already shot.

In short, Andy doesn't want the truth. He can't handle the truth, to coin a phrase.

Comments

[Elmo]

Who's andy sullivan?

[Dan Riehl]

You may know him as rawmuslgluts, or something like that. ; )

[Elmo]

His brain worked once, for a whole day or two. And it indeed was something to see. Now ... just sad.

[zaugg]

Who's Andy indeed. The few times that I read his drivel left me unimpressed. I'm not sure who reads that nut but I have to believe the Atlantic inflates his page views. Maybe he blows the boss or pays them to work?

[Joe]

I suspect Sullivan does not want to admit he was wrong, or simply isn't ready to do it.

Avoiding Obama's faults is part of it. Sullivan does not want to admit he was wrong. It even took him a while to turn on W. But he really wanted to land the "big scoop" on Trig Palin and got made a fool of...so he keeps doubling down and doubling down. It is madness.

[Joe]

http://hotair.com/archives/2009/11/24/the-911-trial-clueless-moment-of-the-day/

So the Nuremburg Nazi trials were good and Bush Military Tribunals were bad, bad, bad? So upset over waterboarding and Abu Graib, Sullivan cannot think straight anymore.

[radar]

This is the simplest way to explain Sullivan's current ravings, but probably pretty close to the mark. As we know, Excitable Andi gets a bit emotional at times, and no doubt it would destroy him to have to face the fact that his idol is not, in fact, who he claimed to be. That's just a damn shame, isn't it? So he'll continue to make an ass of himself with Palin rather than eat crow about Obama.

[syn]

Gee, the Ivy-Inbred Law Professor should really have had the wisdom to know that getting on bended knees to stimulate her Smooth-Talking-Bad-Boy-in-Chief's magnificence would NEVER lead to a fairy tale wedding.

After all that devoted work stroking his ego Sweeties must be so disappointed to only receive a 'good girl' pat on the head.

Sweeties have been thoroughly humiliated by their own Ivy-Inbred; deservedly so.

[Andrew X]

My first thought on this is that the analysis may be wrong, in that it assigns to Sullivan a calcualted political acumen regarding the issue... i.e. "backing off Palin = being forced to confront Obama's failings, ergo I won't do it."

Where I think this is wrong is that it would be a somewhat intelligent and logical calculation, though not necessarily valid. At least it would be understandible, in some sense. And Sullivan's stalker obsession with Palin is not the least bit intelligent or logical, it is rather entirely pathological and borderline psychotic.