If the shoe doesn't fit
Shoe shopping with the kids today made me realize something, because my brain is always hungry for a new analogy. I'll set the context for what I'm talking about first.
Very typical scenario: The kid finds a shoe on the shelf, and that's all it takes. Before they even try them on, they know it's the shoe for them. So they plop them on and walk over to you with a big dopey grin on their face to get your approval, and the first thing you think is, "Wow, those shoes don't fit at all." You check the size on the box, and it's about two sizes too big for their feet. Just to be sure (because sometimes different manufacturers size things differently) you do the manual test. You press your thumb down in there and confirm: Their feet are swimming in these shoes.
So, it's time to be the bad guy: "Sorry honey, these shoes are way too big." There is only one possible response to your claim, and sure enough there it is: "No they aren't!"
This exact scenario happened today and I'm glad it did, because the magic of allegory helped me articulate to myself something that's been bothering me for awhile. Sarah Palin is a pair of shoes that don't fit. We suspected from the first glance, and delving into her background only heightened our suspicion. When given the manual test of multiple interviews and television appearances, she made it clear that she just wasn't cut out. But despite what they can see right before their own eyes, Palin supporters -- like little kids -- want the shoes so badly that they can't bring themselves to admit that they simply don't fit.
Very typical scenario: The kid finds a shoe on the shelf, and that's all it takes. Before they even try them on, they know it's the shoe for them. So they plop them on and walk over to you with a big dopey grin on their face to get your approval, and the first thing you think is, "Wow, those shoes don't fit at all." You check the size on the box, and it's about two sizes too big for their feet. Just to be sure (because sometimes different manufacturers size things differently) you do the manual test. You press your thumb down in there and confirm: Their feet are swimming in these shoes.
So, it's time to be the bad guy: "Sorry honey, these shoes are way too big." There is only one possible response to your claim, and sure enough there it is: "No they aren't!"
This exact scenario happened today and I'm glad it did, because the magic of allegory helped me articulate to myself something that's been bothering me for awhile. Sarah Palin is a pair of shoes that don't fit. We suspected from the first glance, and delving into her background only heightened our suspicion. When given the manual test of multiple interviews and television appearances, she made it clear that she just wasn't cut out. But despite what they can see right before their own eyes, Palin supporters -- like little kids -- want the shoes so badly that they can't bring themselves to admit that they simply don't fit.