Count on the Madville Times to respond to its readers. Commenters on this morning's Palin–tanning bed story (Sarah won't be pale in comparison to anybody!) bemoaned the lack of substance and the use of the nefariously liberal Huffington Post as a source.
O.K. Substance, from conservatives:
—The Wall Street Journal reports on some less than fiscally conservative behavior by Governor Palin. Evidently the governor saw fit to keep open a declining, money-losing state-run dairy near Wasilla. The dairy had lost $1.5M in two years, so the state creamery board decided to close it in June 2007. Governor Palin sacked the creamery board and replaced it complete with one of her grade-school chums as chair. The dairy stayed open for six more months and lost another $800K before the new board closed it anyway. [see Jim Carlton, "Creamery Case Has Palin Critics Taking Aim at Fiscal Conservative Claim," Wall Street Journal, 2008.09.16]
—The New York Times isn't noted for conservatism, but its columnist David Brooks is. Brooks joins George Will, Charles Krauthammer, David Frum, and Ross Douthat in suggesting that Palin is not qualified to be vice-president:
How is prudence acquired? Through experience. The prudent leader possesses a repertoire of events, through personal involvement or the study of history, and can apply those models to current circumstances to judge what is important and what is not, who can be persuaded and who can’t, what has worked and what hasn’t.
Experienced leaders can certainly blunder if their minds have rigidified (see: Rumsfeld, Donald), but the records of leaders without long experience and prudence is not good. As George Will pointed out, the founders used the word “experience” 91 times in the Federalist Papers. Democracy is not average people selecting average leaders. It is average people with the wisdom to select the best prepared.
Sarah Palin has many virtues. If you wanted someone to destroy a corrupt establishment, she’d be your woman. But the constructive act of governance is another matter. She has not been engaged in national issues, does not have a repertoire of historic patterns and, like President Bush, she seems to compensate for her lack of experience with brashness and excessive decisiveness.
[David Brooks, "Why Experience Matters," New York Times, 2008.09.15]
If I'm a conservative and that's my energized base, I'm worried.
No Huffington Post, no tanning bed fluff. Serious conservative observers, serious questions, serious policy implications for serious voters.
Brooks also says this:
ReplyDeleteLook at the condescension and snobbery oozing from elite quarters, her backers say. Look at the endless string of vicious, one-sided attacks in the news media. This is what elites produce. This is why regular people need to take control.
And there’s a serious argument here. In the current Weekly Standard, Steven Hayward argues that the nation’s founders wanted uncertified citizens to hold the highest offices in the land. They did not believe in a separate class of professional executives. They wanted rough and rooted people like Palin.
So do I.
Brooks acknowledges Hayward's argument, but doesn't seem convinced, and doesn't conclude with it. Of course, Brooks is a University of Chicago elitist... ;-)
ReplyDeleteJim Carlton's article in The Wall Street Journal also says this:
ReplyDeleteSupporters of Gov. Palin say she was motivated primarily by a desire to save the creamery's 70 jobs and help the handful of local farmers reliant on it. They say she helped keep the small dairy industry from collapsing by giving the farmers time to find new places to sell their products. "It takes good leadership to say, 'Wait a minute. Let's take a look at this before we shut this down,' " says Kyle Beus, a former local dairy farmer. ... The extra time allowed the farmers to find new buyers, including a private creamery that recently opened near Wasilla with a federal grant. Meanwhile, the state has raised $2.9 million from the sale of property, equipment and inventory and is seeking to sell another parcel appraised at $1.3 million. "At the end of the day, farmers are still working, and that's a positive thing," Ms. Cole says.
That's executive leadership.
...executive leadership that contradicts the free-market fundamentalism and small-government image the McCain-Palin ticket is peddling.
ReplyDeleteSo, if Palin is so unqualified - what would that make Barack Obama?
ReplyDeleteThe State Govenor experience includes following projects through from begining to end then taking responsibility for them. Oddly enough so does being mayor.
Obama and Biden, both, have NOT PROVEN they can do this. Biden should probably be more ashamed than Obama, due to his experience.
But when all is said and done, executive experience is more important than debating issues with foriegn heads-of-state. Decisions have to be made - and for all the negotiating Obama says he can do - he has NO experience to speak of.
You could say Republicans doubt Palin. I don't see any conservatives in there.
I remember the millions the Clintons lost in their Whitewater Development and I don't think that was to save jobs. That was simply self-serving greed. How about Hillary's miraculous $100,000 gain on her stock accounts in a short period of time.
ReplyDeleteWow, some folks forget in a hurry. I feel bad that the creamery had to close, but I admire her savvy in an effort to fix it and retain jobs.
This is a concern of mine. While everyone is campaigning, who is running the government?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nypost.com/seven/09152008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/obama_tried_to_stall_gis_iraq_withdrawal_129150.htm
You obviously also had one eye tied behind your back because you missed the best parts of your own references! To quote Mr. Brooks:"It turns out that governance, the creation and execution of policy, is hard. It requires acquired skills." ( does he mean the experience gained by running a state or the experience gained by running your mouth?) "Most of all, it requires prudence.What is prudence? It is the ability to grasp the unique pattern of a specific situation. It is the ability to absorb the vast flow of information and still discern the essential current of events — the things that go together and the things that will never go together."(like Obama and Biden) "It is the ability to engage in complex deliberations and feel which arguments have the most weight." (certainly he doesn't mean arguments like TANNING BEDS?)"How is prudence acquired? Through experience."(once again...see governor vs. community agitator, oops, I mean organizer)"Sarah Palin has many virtues. If you wanted someone to destroy a corrupt establishment, she’d be your woman." (WHAT???WHAT???Does he mean SHE is the conduit of change??? I thought Barry was the messiah who would destroy the status quo?) Those were HIS words (David Brooks, "Why Experience Matters," New York Times, 2008.09.15] OUCH!
ReplyDeleteTrue values: Is there anything more superficial than skin color: black, white, or tan? Or a hair cut? Might Cory's posts simply be saying that more important than image is authenticity? jh
ReplyDeleteGo, Palin! She is the best thing that has happened to this campaign. Keep digging up non-stories and bashing her in the media, and I guarantee it will backfire big time. Methinks the libs are scared, scared, scared of her! And I love it!
ReplyDeleteNonnie
Palin linked electoral success to prayer of Kenyan witchhunter
ReplyDeletehttp://timesonline.typepad.com/uselections/2008/09/palin-linked-el.html
Hey Kenyan witch hunter,
ReplyDeleteI checked your reference, it is no longer available, then I searched timesonline.com and searched Kenya, Palin, witch, witch hunter, all to no avail. I also did a general search engine on Yahoo, nothing. Apparently they pulled it, or your making stuff up. The research within the democratic party is astounding, it's like frickin Christmas every time they open their mouths for the Republicans.
Pat
http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/html/weblogs_toppiece_uselections.html
ReplyDeleteI found it, no problem.
The pastor whose prayer Sarah Palin says helped her to become governor of Alaska founded his ministry with a witchhunt against a Kenyan woman who he accused of causing car accidents through demonic spells.
ReplyDeleteIn the article she didn't link it to her success.
ReplyDeleteShe commented on his prayer. And how sure he was about her.
Details are a real pain, but they really change the story.
More cred for Palin!
"The pastor whose prayer Sarah Palin says helped her to become governor..."
ReplyDeleteKind of says it all in that first line.
If he hadn't prayed for her, she wouldn't have become governor?
O.K. Here's another SHOCKER for you! The phrase you just quoted was the 'reporters' assumption. Nowhere else does Palin say this person made me govenor.
ReplyDeleteDetails really are a downer. Especially, when they have to be taught to the ignorant!