Skip Navigation
Ta-Nehisi Coates

Ta-Nehisi Coates - Ta-Nehisi Coates is a senior editor for The Atlantic, where he writes about culture, politics, and social issues for TheAtlantic.com and the magazine. He is the author of the memoir The Beautiful Struggle. More

Born in 1975, the product of two beautiful parents. Raised in West Baltimore—not quite The Wire, but sometimes ill all the same. Studied at the Mecca for some years in the mid-’90s. Emerged with a purpose, if not a degree. Slowly migrated up the East Coast with a baby and my beloved, until I reached the shores of Harlem. Wrote some stuff along the way.

The Resignation

By Ta-Nehisi Coates
Jul 6 2009, 11:00 AM ET Comment

I wrote a long post on Sarah Palin, and then deleted it. I was overthinking. Here is what must be said-- Sarah Palin is deeply ignorant. She actually sounded worse, unedited and uninterrupted, than when she was under the withering fire of Katie Couric. One need only go to the text:

Let me go back to a comfortable analogy for me - sports... basketball. I use it because you're naïve if you don't see the national full-court press picking away right now: A good point guard drives through a full court press, protecting the ball, keeping her eye on the basket... and she knows exactly when to pass the ball so that the team can WIN. And I'm doing that - keeping our eye on the ball that represents sound priorities - smaller government, energy independence, national security, freedom! And I know when it's time to pass the ball - for victory.
This is not off-the-cuff. It was prepared in advance, and, on video, it actually managed to make it sound worse. I just don't think there's much going on here except a deep-seated pride in a deep-seated ignorance. I don't know what else to say.




Presented by

More at The Atlantic

Meet the 'Fly Boys' of Memphis, the Future of American Education Meet the 'Fly Boys' of Memphis, the Future of Education
A Brief History of Time Travel (in Movies) A Brief History of Time Travel (in Movies)
Buying a Piece of America: Why Chinese Shoppers Love U.S. Brands Why Chinese Shoppers Love American Brands
With 'Dashboard,' Obama Campaign Aims to Bridge Online and Off Obama's 'Dashboard' Aims to Bridge Campaign Online and Off
Poll of the Day: Americans' Attitudes About Sin Poll of the Day: Americans' Attitudes About Sin

Join the Discussion

After you comment, click Post. If you’re not already logged in you will be asked to log in or register.
blog comments powered by Disqus
View All Correspondents

The Biggest Story in Photos

The American West, 150 Years Ago

May 24, 2012

Subscribe Now

SAVE 59%! 10 issues JUST $2.45 PER COPY

Facebook

Newsletters

Sign up to receive our free newsletters

(sample)

(sample)

(sample)

(sample)

(sample)

(sample)

Ta-Nehisi Coates
from the Magazine

Why Do So Few Blacks Study the Civil War?

Ta-Nehisi Coates is an Atlantic senior editor.

Fade to White

A filmmaker maps Austin’s shifting ethnic landscape.

The Legacy of Malcolm X

Why his vision lives on in Barack Obama