E tu Palin.....

In a previous thread there was the intimation that perhaps I was being too harsh on Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin.

A comparison was drawn between Sen. McCain and President Eisenhower to, I believe, show the perils of prejudging an individual. In my response I went over some of my rationale as to why I thought this was an inaccurate comparison at best. The choice of Sarah Palin as vice president and the choice of Richard Nixon, are not analogous.

Yes Nixon would be viewed unkindly by history after his presidency, but let us not forget, he had to become president. He was no political neophyte and there are some very noteworthy aspects of his presidency. There are many terms that could be used to describe this man, but "inept" is not one of them. And this is coming from a person who has no love for President Nixon, his implementation of the "southern strategy" is a pox on our body politic, that has yet to be fully cleansed.

Yet comparing him to Sarah Palin is wildly inappropriate. Why? Before he was tapped he had put together an impressive list accomplishments. What acumen has Mrs. Palin shown, other then her charisma?

And then there is this. Steve Benen over at Washington Monthly does some additional analysis. With this little gem in it:

[W]hen I asked Palin if she ever decided to pursue national office again, as she did less than a year ago when she joined Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., in the race for the White House, wouldn't she encounter the same political blood sport? Can such ugliness ever be avoided?

Palin said there is a difference between the White House and what she has experienced in Alaska. If she were in the White House the "department of law" would protect her from baseless ethical allegations.

"I think on a national level your department of law there in the White House would look at some of the things that we've been charged with and automatically throw them out," she said.

There is no "Department of Law" at the White House.

I have to concur that it would be easy to think that Gov. Palin may have been referring to the Dept. of Justice. But that does not make the reference any better.

You see, I have it in my head that those who seek national office, should at the very least have a working knowledge of how out government works. Some basic initiation in civics would be nice. They should be able to enumerate what the various parts of the government are. Also they should know that the Executive is not immune to prosecution. They do not get to ignore them. That is for the judicial branch to decide the relative merits of various legal complaints. The would not just "throw them out".

Gov. Palin has not shown any expertise in policy, any aptitude with complex issues, or even the slightest acknowledgment that others might disagree with her. And these are all things we know before she has set foot in office. Nixon did become a crook. But that was much later.

This women is dangerously incurious, and I do blame Sen. John McCain for foisting her upon us.

-Cheers