WingRight

In psychology, psychological projection (or projection bias) is a defense mechanism in which one attributes one’s own unacceptable or unwanted thoughts or/and emotions to others. Projection reduces anxiety by allowing the expression of the unwanted subconscious impulses/desires without letting the conscious mind recognize them.

See Psychological Projection for more detail.

In today’s New York Times, Roger Cohen has an op-ed entitled Palin’s American Exception which is a classic example of liberal psychological projection.

Cohen begins by quoting Sarah Palin, who clearly believes in American Exceptionalism, the idea that America is a unique country, a country with a great responsibility in the world, but then Cohen discovers an “ugly twist” (surprise) to this American phenomenon:

But exceptionalism has taken an ugly twist of late. It’s become the angry refuge of the America that wants to deny the real state of the world.

From an inspirational notion, however flawed in execution, that has buttressed the global spread of liberty, American exceptionalism has morphed into the fortress of those who see themselves threatened by “one-worlders” (read Barack Obama) and who believe it’s more important to know how to dress moose than find Mumbai.

That’s Palinism, a philosophy delivered without a passport and with a view (on a clear day) of Russia.

Behind Palinism lies anger. It’s been growing as America’s relative decline has become more manifest in falling incomes, imploding markets, massive debt and rising new centers of wealth and power from Shanghai to Dubai.

The damn-the-world, God-chose-us rage of that America has sharpened as U.S. exceptionalism has become harder to square with the 21st-century world’s interconnectedness. How exceptional can you be when every major problem you face, from terrorism to nuclear proliferation to gas prices, requires joint action?

Exhibit A in my argument is that Cohen apparently perceives Sarah Palin as always being angry. How about an alternative explanation? Cohen is always angry when he sees Sarah Palin.

In Cohen’s view, American conservatives, lead by Sarah Palin, who believe the United States is an exceptional country are now full of anger because the world doesn’t behave the way they think it should. As Obama’s most fervent supporters would say, au contraire.

It’s the left wing that’s consumed with anger. They have the ideal presidential candidate who is the right race, went to the right schools, speaks in a way that would impress any faculty club in the land, is seriously and reliably left wing and is just so metrosexual one can’t help falling in love.

They have Mr. Cool on a stick and the Other America isn’t responding. The Other is actually thinking of voting for McCain. In a year during which a Republican shouldn’t be able to be elected dog catcher, the Obama might lose. If you were a Progressive wouldn’t you be enraged? Of course you would and so is Mr. Cohen.

So he writes an article talking about how angry all the knuckle-draggers who support Palin are because they know America is in the toilet and will only become smaller and smaller as a penance for its centuries of sins. Classic projection.

I read quite a few paper and online conservative publications and take an occasional trip over to liberal land. It’s hard to find a conservative writer who is ever as angry as the Kossacks are every minute of every day.

Tags: Liberal Hysteria, Palin //