They Don't Get It For a Reason

I remember this last summer in Madison Wisconsin sitting around a table outside a fine restaurant on a cool evening with some of my closest friends on the Roadshow. The conversation was light as we jumped from topic to topic. I knew it was just a matter of time before the conversation went to politics and Sarah Palin. Initially, the criticism centered on her lack of international credentials and failure to be convincing on a national stage with Charlie Gibson and Katie Couric. For my money these are all fair points and can be debated within the context of the campaign.. namely a head to head comparison with Joe Biden. For all of Sarah's shortcomings it is my opinion that for many Americans Joe Biden has more drawbacks. Bidens ability to tell the truth and his proclivity for boneheaded comments and gaffs are certainly relevant. As the debate intensified, immediately the attacks on Palin went personal. I looked at my friends and asked why they felt the need to trash her as a person instead of focusing on her political philosophy. They backed off unable to defend trashing someone in an effort to discredit their politics. Everyone at that table was pretty smart, pretty well informed, and good people. So why within this narrow context do liberals go nuts when they see Palin?

I submit that the talking heads on the right and left miss the point. Just as the liberals denigrate the Tea-baggers and their movement, the moderate wing of the Republican party views Palin and her supporters and hicks, trailer trash and NASCAR beer guzzlers. If you can marginalize someone or something, they or it are certainly less threatening. Results in Virginia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts and the sinking liberal polls are making this process of marginalization a bit more difficult. Sarah Palin is more popular than ever. Why?

In my judgment the answer is pretty basic and actually has more to do with personal conduct than political philosophy. Americans are desperately trying to find leaders that will tell them the truth and not try to double deal, saying one thing and doing another. More than ever this is the kiss of death for a politician. People are willing to trust Palin to do the right thing because they believe and do trust her. In a head to head campaign with Biden she would crush him because of his record and propensity to say dumb things. Palin would be folksy, straight forward, and probably simplistic. It would be no contest and Biden would be embarrassed.

For all the experience Joe Biden has I would sooner trust Sarah Palin to learn the job surrounded by good advisors and most importantly to make the right decisions. I would love to see a Romney-Palin ticket and I don't care that she has already run once. Just don't lie to me anymore. You will see the generation of Dodd, Frank, Reid, Pelosi pass into political oblivion because they have arrogantly squandered their political credibility with all they have done. It is too bad because in all this mess there were some good ideas that could have been advanced in a bi-partisan climate. By the way when the Republicans held all the power they were just as arrogant and just as paralyzed as the Democrats have been. You remember the Republicans suffered significant defeats as a consequence. Marginalizing your political opponents today and ignoring the American people is a certain course for repeating history.