Not Only Liberals

It’s not only godless liberals who want Sarah Palin to depart from the political stage.

In television interviews she was out of her depth in a shallow pool. She was limited in her ability to explain and defend her positions, and sometimes in knowing them. She couldn’t say what she read because she didn’t read anything. She was utterly unconcerned by all this and seemed in fact rather proud of it: It was evidence of her authenticity. She experienced criticism as both partisan and cruel because she could see no truth in any of it. She wasn’t thoughtful enough to know she wasn’t thoughtful enough.


peg-noonanThat was Peggy Noonan. For those of you who don’t know her Peggy Noonan is currently a conservative columnist for the Wall Street Journal, a solid supporter of the Republican Party, and a former speech writer for Ronald Reagan. While Peggy Noonan and myself go our separate ways when it come to the Right-To-Life issues, there are many areas of agreement.

People who do not know me may assume from my frequent and sharp criticism of the GOP, Repiublicans, and the Conservative movement that my political leanings are to the left. This is not so. I personally favor small and less intrusive government. I think that many solutions can be found better in the private sector. I have a real repulsion to identity politics. For many years and several election cycles I voiced support and often voted for Republicans. (I have never voted a straight ticket for any party and I am very unlikely too.) My criticism of the right side of aisle develops from a greater expectation of that side. I am hurt and angry that the right has wandered off into a crazy land where image matters more than substance and that they have so casually abandoned their principles.

Peggy’s closing sentiments on why it is good that Palin should leave the political scene are dead on in my opinion.

It’s not a time to be frivolous, or to feel the temptation of resentment, or the temptation of thinking next year will be more or less like last year, and the assumptions of our childhoods will more or less reign in our future. It won’t be that way.

We are going to need the best.

Share