"Not One of Us" (Thomas Sowell on Sarah Palin)

Real ClearPolitics ^ | 2-23-09 | Thomas Sowell

[VinL]

If Barack Obama has been the most remarkable phenomenon of the recent political scene, Sarah Palin must be second. The emotional responses to each-- especially by the media and the intelligentsia -- go beyond anything that can be explained by the usual political differences of opinion on issues of the day.

That liberals would be thrilled by another liberal is not surprising. But there are conservative Republicans who voted for Barack Obama, and other conservatives who may not have voted for him, but who are quick to see in various pragmatic moves of his since taking office an indication that he is not an extremist.

Anyone familiar with history knows that Hitler and Stalin were pragmatic. After years of denouncing each other, they signed the Nazi-Soviet pact under which they became allies for a couple of years before going to war against one another.

Pragmatism tells you nothing about extremism.

[mbraynard]

I know you are new here so you might want to learn about using the < p > tag to break apart your paragraphs (just remove the spacing.

[jazusamo]

LOL!

That is a great pic, have already ripped it off.

The only way it would have been better is if they’d given her a lady Viking costume to wear. :-)

[Earthdweller]

He's saying basically the same thing I said. Regrettably we still have the same pass go cards for our Presidents that we have had since our founding and Sarah doesn't have one, as unfair and ridiculous as it might be with liberals now in charge of our Universities.

She might be qualified and smart as a whip but she still has to get her toilet paper from an Ivy League school to be “in”. That's the way it's always been. She can be a VP but never a POTUS.

[Sarah Barracuda]

My Bad..I’m sorry..will know better for next time

[Big_Monkey]

I like Jindal, Sanford, Cantor and a few others.

It's not that I don't like Palin. She just needs much more work on her extemporaneous speaking and media skills. She also needs a better command of national domestic and foreign policy issues, IMHO.

It's not about what you know in politics. It's about what you can convince people to believe you know.

[broncobilly]

I read many pieces by Sowell prior to the election, and none of them supported Obama. He continually denounced him. Where is your evidence he voted for Obama?

[mbraynard]

Yeah, I’m cool with Sanford and Jindal. Cantor doesn’t stand a chance in hell since he’s tied to the current failed leadership of the GOP and, face it, he’s no Newt. He might make a great Senator.

[mbraynard]

Can you demonstrate how she is ‘smart as a whip?’

[SuziQ]

One of the reasons Sarah went to so many schools was because of the problem of PAYING for college. Of course, those who attended Yale, Harvard, and Princeton don't seem to understand that regular people don't have unlimited funds to attend college, and sometimes have to move to less expensive schools, or take time off to earn money to pay for college.

As for her not answering the question about what she reads, Sarah said she was appalled by the question, because it was so silly. I don't blame her. Someone running for office is thinking in terms of policy questions, or other SERIOUS subjects, not about what magazine she reads.

[broncobilly]

I want to see fewer people who spread dissension in the party. We could use all the becks and Hannitys we can find.

[SierraWasp]

"But, if you can't answer "tough" questions like, "What do you read on a regular basis?, then some of the damage has been self-inflicted."

Anyone, even in small-time political campaign battles, that answers such a LOADED question is on a self-destructive binge of comedic proportions!!!

Just think for a few minutes about what the leftist mediots can "read into" each book, article or blog and just mop the floor with her, or any other conservative.

She was wise to do exactly what she did. She probably learned not to do that while running for mayor and certainly by the time she ran for Governor!!!

[SuziQ]

ROTFL!!

[rockinqsranch]

AANNNHHH! I dunno. I think a TRUEConservative would throw themselves in front of a speeding train rather than vote for a Democrat much less Obama, whereas a "Republican"......yer guess is as good as mine.

With regards to punishing the party, that's a given. Many stayed home and didn't vote with that in mind.

[TChris]

I believe Mr Sowell voted for Obama.

And I believe you're either A) clueless, or B) trolling.

Which is it?

[VinL]

"Her inability to speak more than grammatically correct complete sentences in a row"[sic]

********************************

Huh? You offering her lessons??? (LOL- Just joking- you must have left something out)

I understand your reluctance. She has limitations- they all do. We'll see.

[EDINVA]

“I recall seeing him interviewed twice before the election and watching in stuned (sp) amazement that Mr Sowell was leaning toward Obama.”

I don’t know who you saw interviewed, but it sure as hell wasn’t Dr. Sowell.

[TChris]

I recall seeing him interviewed twice before the election and watching in stuned (sp) amazement that Mr Sowell was leaning toward Obama.

Maybe you're confusing Dr. Sowell with Colin Powell?

Gen. Powell did vote for Obama, AFAIK.

[smoothsailing]

She'd look great in a lady Viking outfit!!!!!!!!

[VinL]

She might be qualified and smart as a whip but she still has to get her toilet paper from an Ivy League school to be “in”. That’s the way it’s always been. She can be a VP but never a POTUS

********************

You could be right. But, Ronald Reagan and Nixon come to mind as exceptions, but that was a different era. We’ll see.

[SuziQ]

She also fared poorly in the one-on-one with Couric in a way that a Thatcher or a W or a Reagan never would.

Have we seen any video of Reagan or Thatcher in interviews when entering politics? Of course, Reagan was an actor, and he had skills, but I'm not so sure about Maggie Thatcher. Our memories of them are colored by their superior skills later in their careers.

As for your comments about her inability to speak without a teleprompter, are you aware that during her acceptance speech the teleprompter got off track, but no one knew it, because she continued her speech without any trouble?

As far as her knowledge of international politics, she's a smart lady, and she'll pick it up as she needs to do so, and would have done quite well, had McCain been elected, and she had become Veep.

She was more qualified than EITHER That One, or Smilin Joe with his 64 perfectly white teeth.