Read other letters about this article

• Saturday, November 29, 2008 06:45 PM

  readerreader what distilled idea does sarah palin represent to you for government?

  I've seen you write about her for pages and pages and pages...but you only say that she's a nice person, likeable, good, pretty. Wonderful...millions of other Americans possess those same qualities. It's not enough.

  Every successful politician has some idea behind him or her...Bush, hilariously enough in retrospect, ran as a compassionate conservative.

  Obama successfully ran as the anti-Bush. Plain and simple he was able to say I'm change--not primarily because I'm black, but primarily because I'm not Bush. He also carried this off by opposing Bush on major issues like tax breaks to the wealthiest .01 percent and by just calling a timetable to evacuate Iraq a timetable, and Bush just looked more slow by talking about a time table using the words "time horizon" instead. Obama was able to look like a leader.

  Even Ronald Reagan said, famously, "government isn't the answer to our problems...government IS the problem..." In retrospect, given the radical deregulation that has contributed to today's banking crisis and global financial precarity, this may not have been a good idea, but it was an idea.

  The biggest problem Palin has is not a lack of star power or charisma (funny the very qualities that conservatives mocked in Obama they don't see as even slightly shallow in Palin)...but what idea does Palin have about government that distinguishes her from anyone else?

  It can't be just a regurgitation of Reagan....as conservatives have been doing for years. Because right now the borrowing for bailout front that I see you're licking your chops to blame on Obama...the banking bailouts, to most Americans, I hate to say this, but they are going to be blamed on Bush. Do you know why? Because Obama hasn't even taken office yet. That's why. And we're already around 8 trillion promised in the hole...Conservatives have grown government at roughly twice the rate Democrats have (I heard that today even on fox news!) so even fox news adherents (those who are not brain dead) know that Obama is not to blame for the banking crisis today.

  So, I wouldn't count on Palin being able to run as the anti-obama in four short years, and that being enough. You can hope so, but looking at Obama's cabinet, it's pretty centrist and he seems to be, whatever his faults, willing to work with and talk to those he doesn't agree with.

  So as far as your great hope, Palin: distill an idea she represents that is not just a culture war washup or something regurgitated from Reagan or from Bush. What new and original idea has she brought to the political scene?

  (And, no, I'm sorry, but spiky heels don't count!)

  —doloresflower Read doloresflower's other letters
  Permalink
  Flag
  Click "Submit Flag" if you feel this post is inappropriate. Explain why below if you wish.

  Cancel