Kathleen Parker’s latest column calling on Sarah Palin to remove herself from the VP running has sent politicos around the country into a stir of excitement. This is red meat for the lefties who have been waiting for a conservative woman to come out against Palin – and to their joy, it was a conservative woman who has previously written in support of her. Click past the jump to read more. You can imagine the delight on the faces of liberals everywhere when they read Parker saying this:
Palin’s recent interviews with Charles Gibson, Sean Hannity and now Katie Couric have all revealed an attractive, earnest, confident candidate. Who Is Clearly Out Of Her League.
No one hates saying that more than I do. Like so many women, I’ve been pulling for Palin, wishing her the best, hoping she will perform brilliantly. I’ve also noticed that I watch her interviews with the held breath of an anxious parent, my finger poised over the mute button in case it gets too painful. Unfortunately, it often does. My cringe reflex is exhausted.
Let me just lay it down Kathleen: You’re wrong. I’ve watched Sarah’s interviews and I’m not going to say they were a slam dunk – in fact, I’d say she barely pulled off a “decent” in all of them (grading on the curve, of course for the easy Hannity interview). But I’m not convinced that this somehow proves she is “out of her league.” Let’s review the facts:
- Joe Biden continuously showed that he is inept at understanding basic military concepts, but no one is claiming he is “out of his league.”
- Biden can’t even remember where his ticket stands on what particular issues when he is talking to a little girl. Doesn’t that make him “out of his league?”
- Barack Obama referred to Iran as a “tiny” country that doesn’t pose a “serious threat.” It seems to me that such an extraordinarily naive statement would make him “out of his league,” and yet he seems to be doing just fine in his run for the White House.
- After Palin’s alleged “bombing” of the Bush Doctrine question by Gibson, a hypothetical matchup on Rasmussen showed her beating Joe Biden in a head to head matchup for the presidency. Who does the American people think is out of their league?
Joe Biden is allegedly “qualified” to be president – and I’m sure Kathleen would agree – but for some reason he’s doing nothing but making bizarre mistakes on the trail that would suggest he isn’t. Barack Obama is clearly unqualified to be president and yet he’s leading McCain in all of the polls right now. With these two things in mind, why would anyone listen to someone like Kathleen Parker’s litmus test of being in “their league?”
Sarah Palin has remained gaffe-free on the trail despite the lefties doing everything they can to turn everything she says into some type of gaffe. Joe Biden screws something up everytime he opens his yapper. Why in the world would this situation compel anyone to think Palin should drop out?
Parker ends by saying this:
McCain can’t repudiate his choice for running mate. He not only risks the wrath of the GOP’s unforgiving base, but he invites others to second-guess his executive decision-making ability. Barack Obama faces the same problem with Biden.
Only Palin can save McCain, her party and the country she loves. She can bow out for personal reasons, perhaps because she wants to spend more time with her newborn. No one would criticize a mother who puts her family first.
How in the world could you think this is a good idea? Do you really believe that if Palin high-tails it out of the race for “personal” reasons the press and the public are going to ignore that? Do you think that anyone would think that McCain had nothing to do with Palin deciding to leave? Would the base really forgive him even if she “claims” that it was her idea to leave?
Besides being just wrong about this “out of her league” nonsense, Parker seems to have reached mile-high delusion if she thinks that swapping out VPs would be helpful to the campaign. McCain’s entire campaign is based on being ready to lead. What do you think would undermine it more than him having to admit that the most important decision he has thus far made was wrong?
It’s a shame that Parker has decided that Sarah Palin isn’t the candidate that she hoped for. But even if she was right – campaign suicide isn’t going to fix it.
The elitist wing of the conservative movement has always been wary of us libertarians coming into the GOP. Sarah Palin is one of the top elected libertarian Republicans in the country, (along with Idaho’s Gov. Butch Otter, and Cong. Jeff Flake of AZ).
Of course, she’s going to make some conservatives nervous.
They are wary of her libertarian cultural views. This is the woman, after all, who famously fought back against social conservatives in Wasilla who wanted to run all of the bars and taverns out of town.
They even started a whisper campaign in Alaska during the 2006 primaries that Sarah wasn’t really a Republican, but rather a “closet libertarian.” She had attended a couple local Libertarian Party meetings seeking their support.
But what she loses from the social conservatives, she gains 10 times over in libertarian votes.
Figure, Libertarian Bob Barr was polling 6% nationwide in mid-summer. As high as 10% in New Hampshire. And post-Palin he’s now down to 1%.
Ever since Goldwater the eastern establishment Republicans have distrusted Western cowboy individualists in the GOP.
With Sarah Palin, the libertarian wing of the GOP has finally arrived. Of course, that’s going to make some other Republicans nervous.
Get over it Conservatives, THE LIBERTARIANS HAVE ARRIVED!!