Joe Conason is usually one of the best political thinkers in America, with a long background in progressive politics. On explaining the Palin phenomonon, I think he's missed the point.

Anti-intellectualism and America go back a long way together. In 1828, Andrew Jackson was elected and welcomed a drunken, faux-populist mob into the White House for the post-inaugral celebration. The US was the home of the "Know Nothing Party" (and arguably still is) which was anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic yet which pushed the Bible. It seized mayoral seats from Boston to San Francisco 150 years ago. Two of its leaders became vice presidents. Sixty years ago we had the Dixiecrats such as Strom Thurmond followed closely by "Tailgunner" Joe McCarthy. Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush together likely read fewer books in their lifetimes than Teddy Roosevelt did in a few months.

In 1963 I read Richard Hofstadter's new, Pulitzer-prizewinning "Anti-Intellectualism in American Life," I can't recall any of his well documented examples that are not worth review forty-five years later.

Sarah Palin may be the worst amongst current pseudo-populists. If elected vice president, she could easily become the most dangerous. In the wake of her own dismal education, she downplays the need for academia, preferring vocational training in its stead. She might well fill the White House with snake handlers and glossolalia. She has certainly appointed a flock of ignoramuses to the highest posts in Alaska, from her Attorney General, an obscure small town workers comp lawyer, to her agricultural commissioner, who as her qualifications for the job wrote that she "loved cows as a child." Most of her commissoners are drawn from those who ended their sputtering educations on graduation from high school, from fellow fundamentalist church members, and from assorted incompetents from amongst her neighbors and friends.

Let's hope that Americans aren't fooled by the substanceless pep talks, the folksy "Yah"s and the "You betcha's." Lets defeat the desperate man who choose her.

"Yes, I'm sure she hasn't risen to the elite standards that the MSM, or Salon.com, has set for our leaders."

Whatever you assume those MSM or Salon.com standards are, what are YOUR standards? Why do you believe that Governor Palin has enough knowledge and competency to become the VP and potential President? Specifics, please.

She's a mom of 5. I know (and love) exactly some of those moms, and some others with maybe 1, 2 or 3 kids instead, living under a substantially lower household income per year. I know (and love) many people with "fancy" college degrees and people with no college degrees, maybe not even a HS diploma or GED. So what? Gee, I read Salon.com and there are many who post here who are more highly educated than I am, and others whom I may be more highly educated than. "Smarter than" is another criteria--doesn't have to be about "schooling." I repeat: so what? Except--PERHAPS MAYBE?--when it comes to choosing the leaders of the U.S.?

Snobbery can go both ways. And I don't think I'm stupid, but I want someone way smarter than me to be VP and possible Prez.

So, I ask to you: Why Palin? Make your case.

I'm not sure whether I've responded specifically to any of your posts before, but I know I have noticed and RE-read many of your posts. Thanks. You keep me thinking. And dang, now I have to go and out find more books to read ;)

The questions posed were simple. Even if she just answered and addressed the questions in the simplest of terms, saying how she felt one way or another, staying focused, she would have gotten more points in my book. What is your response to the ecomomic meltdown? How would you suggest McCain handle it? A simple answer like, I don't support the bailout as it nationalizes corporations, which is more of socialist notion, which Republicans should not support. This is the kind of answer I might have expected from a real Republican "maverick" who didn't think like Bush. And even though this answer didn't have much detail, it would have given me a better idea than simply blurting out like a caged rabbit, "reduce taxesObama doesn't think the surge workedhere's a shout out to my homies"... I mean, can anyone say, non sequitur, emotional argument, distraction, ambiguity, etc. She is a lover or rhetorical fallacies. She was as vague and seductive as a quiet, smelly fart. And her obvious attempt at sounding populist (or even "black") was revolting. I don't want to see a shout-out on a presidential debate. Save that for a hip hop show. I mean don't wear a top hat to a baseball game. She doesn't make sense on so many levels. Overall, after the debate, I was left with the shocking knowledge that she is extremely unfocused and that her lack of indepth knowledge on what political geeks would drool to comment over, is utterly demoralizing to anyone interested in the process. And I agree, as the writer of this article pointed out, Palin does not represent forward thinking women. She simply embarasses me, especially with her canned responses which shows her lack of originality, and shows she is not thinking for herself.

Thank goodness for SNL who really made the point clear, to perhaps those enamoured and confused by her charm. Tiny Fey accentuated in her caricature of Palin, how "cute" she became when pushed for a real answer. In addition to Republicans embarassing themselves, they are also frustrating many women in the workforce, regardless of their party. Unfortunately now she is a role model, the token woman, and as such, she is making things worse for women, not better. She is promoting the stereotype that women cave in under pressure, that they resort to distraction and inappropriate "feminine ways" when under the gun, like a pretty girl waving her arms while the magician does his trickery. It's almost as insulting as when the Italian parliament added a porn actress into their group several years ago (Ilona Staller in the 1980s won a seat in the Italian parliament). Did that help foster the idea that Italian women should be taken seriously? Yes, I am very saddened by Palin at every turn. - bebesvin from Redmond, WA