Monday, October 20, 2008

WHEN CHARACTER WAS KING

We've criticised the Republican presidential ticket. But apparently we aren't the only ones to note the problems on the right. 
You want to know what Reagan conservatives think of VP Nominee Sarah Palin? You don't have to take it from us that Palin is a know-nothing caricature of a candidate. Peggy Noonan is a certified Reagan Republican. She was Reagan's speechwriter and the author of a book on the 4oth President: "When Character was King, The Story Of Ronald Reagan" (which is a great book by the way).

Noonan wrote this about Palin  in the Wall Street Journal this past week:She doesn’t think aloud. She just ...says things... She does not speak seriously but attempts to excite sensation.”

That about says is all on the Palin issue. Here is more of Noonan on Palin:
[W]e have seen Mrs. Palin on the national stage for seven weeks now, and there is little sign that she has the tools, the equipment, the knowledge or the philosophical grounding one hopes for, and expects, in a holder of high office. She is a person of great ambition, but the question remains: What is the purpose of the ambition? She wants to rise, but what for? For seven weeks I've listened to her, trying to understand if she is Bushian or Reaganite—a spender, to speak briefly, whose political decisions seem untethered to a political philosophy, and whose foreign policy is shaped by a certain emotionalism, or a conservative whose principles are rooted in philosophy, and whose foreign policy leans more toward what might be called romantic realism, and that is speak truth, know America, be America, move diplomatically, respect public opinion, and move within an awareness and appreciation of reality.
Noonan's identification of the differences between the current Bush and Reagan are profound. She nails W as "a spender" whose policies are rooted in "emotionalism" and not grounded in a particular philosophy or logic. Look around the world today, and you will see the end result of a leader who acts based on what "his gut tells him" rather than based on what learned professionals think should be done. Remember Bush's famous statement of looking into Putin's eyes and seeing his soul? Did that include the destruction of Georgia? We are a country with a simpleton president who is not even close to being a deep thinker. And all you have to do is see the enthusiastic crowds cheering for Palin to understand why anti-intellectualism rules the day in the US. Now make no mistake, this appeal to anti-intellectualism is crafted and created by very smart people (Karl Rove, et.al.) However, the end result is when the Frankenstein they created starts two wars and supports legislation that does away with regulations over financial institutions. We have the country and the problems we deserve because we elected these profoundly and proud anti-intellectual politicians. 

11 comments:

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  3. While I agree with the points with regards to Bush, we have to keep in mind that Barack Obama has a lot less experience than Sarah Palin but he is the top part of the ticket. What's good for the goose is good for the gander, and Obama is no intellectual either. He's just good joining words and phrases together, but if you listen carefully to his speeches, you won't hear a lot of substance.

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  4. You should consider Gore's book "the assault on reason" - much like liberal has become a dirty word over the past decade or two, so has being a deep thinking intellectual.

    Its really quite scary where this country is going. I finished law school only a few years ago, and I remember in my litigation skills class the professor telling me to "dumb down" my language otherwise the jurors wouldn't be able to follow.

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  5. like Obama or not, it's tough to call a former editor of harvard law review "not intellectual". His speeches are written to win an election, as most politicians are, but I'm pretty sure dude is a smart guy.

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  6. 6:15 -

    Remember that your audience in a court room is comprised of 6 people who couldn't get out of jury duty.

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  7. W went to Harvard or Yale or both

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  8. W was a legacy admission at Yale and was at best a mediocre student. I don't think you can seriously question that Barack Obama is intelligent and if you are counting Palin's "executive" experience when you say she has more than Barack, than she also has more than McCain. Palin may or may not be smart, but she is clearly unprepared and was chosen by McCain as a stunt to try to steal some thunder from the Dems after their convention. What does it say about "Country First" McCain that he would pick someone that even intellectual Republicans agree isn't prepared to be President should something happen to McCain?

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  9. to anonymous at 2:25 p.m. - This fight is not between W and Obama. This is Obama and McCain, an individual that has much more than simple intellect. He actually has experience. By the way, even if W was a "legacy" admission at Yale, who's to say that Obama's admission wasn't a product of affirmative action?

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  10. So you prefer a candidate that had approximately 166 days of previous job experience before he decided that he was due a promotion?

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  11. It is laughable to hear Obama supporters criticize Palin for lacking experience. Pot? Meet Kettle. The fact is that she is the ONLY one of the four that has EVER had any executive experience. You don't get to take on your own party, become Governor, and get an 85% approval rating for no reason. When has Obama EVER made a difficult decision, or EVER made a sacrifice for the benefit of his country or, for that matter, for anything? He is a total empty suit, nothing but rhetorical flourish with zero substance. He is a socialist in the mold of Lenin, Castro, or Mao. If this country entrusts the mantles of governance with Obama, we are in deep trouble. At least we picked the less experienced candidate for our VP pick, instead of the Presidential nominee.

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