The Continued Saga of Sarah Palin

 

The speech that Sarah Palin gave at the Tea Party Convention was once again evidence of her strong personality but lack of skill and knowledge. She has a commanding presence on stage and has a projecting voice, but her scope of world knowledge and her concept of government is much too narrow and limited. So though she is touting limiting government, her mantra of “less” or “limited” government is in itself too narrow a concept and position. Curiously, and ironically, though her main point is limiting the role of the federal government, what has been more conspicuously limited from the moment she stepped into the public spotlight as John McCain's running mate is her vocabulary and knowledge of national and international issues. This is evident not only in the frequent reference to a single issue (less government), but also, in this speech, by the notes she had scribbled on her hand during the speech and that she awkwardly referred to during the question and answer portion of her appearance. 

She is also limited in her ability to make substantial points. She resorted to making derisive comments about President Obama more than once. (Incidentally, making derisive comments about her is something that the Obamas completely refrained from doing in their campaign, and are continuing to refrain from. It’s a petty form of making your points which the Obamas have the grace and dignity to avoid.) Palin referred to President Obama as a, “charismatic guy with a teleprompter.” This when she had notes written on the palm of her hand, which is silly, elementary, and even tacky. It’s grade-school preparation. She should have had her talking points memorized. But then I find Sarah Palin’s complete persona and presentation grade-school and almost elementary. 

Also referring President Obama she said, “We need a commander in chief, not a professor of law standing at the lectern.” The fact that President Obama was a professor of law is an enormous asset to the presidency, not a detriment. It doesn’t take much observational intelligence to notice that. Like Joe Wilson’s outburst during President Obama’s speech on health care, Sarah Palin’s comments reveal much more about her own ignorance and lack of qualifications than those of President Obama. And finally, she said mimicking addressing the president, “How is that ‘hopey, changey’ thing workin’ for ya?” This is childishly ridiculous. Even if she had had a legitimate point (which I don’t think she does), the way she chose to phrase it is mocking and juvenile, even if only somewhat playfully. This lack of skill with mature oratory is not a quality becoming of a serious adult, much less a potential candidate for president.

The plain truth in my view is that this country was smart enough to recognize Barrack Obama’s smarts to elect him president of the United States, but that when it comes to accepting the work that needs to be done (and that he has demonstrated that he is prepared to and can do) that some of the same people who elected him have become prematurely fearful of the actual reality of the work that is necessary. They have begun to lose trust in the qualities of the very person in whom they put their trust on election day, November, 2009. Conservative Republicans did not trust him already, so there is no surprise in that portion of the drop in his poll numbers. But some liberal Democrats have begun to distrust him because they are allowing themselves to feel their short-term fear more than his and their long-term thought process. President Obama is essentially doing an excellent job. But partly because there are still so many dire issues in the country, and partly because the solutions to the problems will take much more time, the country is feeling impatient and wants results too quickly. Many of the problems the United States faces right now are large, national problems and therefore the responsibility of the federal government, not state governments. The Republicans (the new “Tea Party”) are encouraging a distrust and paranoia with the federal government, promoting the view that most of the serious problems should be handled by the states, even if the problems are too large to be handled effectively by the states, such as health care, transportation, unemployment, and the crippled Wall St.. Limiting the size of the federal government is not always the solution. But again, focusing only on limiting the degree of involvement (size) of the federal government is too narrow and incomplete a point of view. It is clearly no coincidence that this new “party” calls itself the Tea Party after the “Boston Tea Party” which was an excessive reaction to federal government taxation, and a revolution on a small scale. The reaction by the Republicans (and the “Tea Party”) to the federal government now was referred to by Sarah Palin as a “revolution” and

is also excessive.

Palin is no more qualified now to be considered as a candidate for president or vice-president than she was when she ran with John McCain. The truth is she never will be. Her education and skill is not in that league. Add to that that her comments about President Obama are derogatory and disrespectful and not exemplary of a serious political candidate. They indication of lack of substance of her part and proof that she has to revert to “cutesy” insults to make her speech and arguments strong. It is in fact the opposite. Her oratory is juvenile. She is a strong personality, but that is all. She is ignorant, immature, mediocre, paranoid of the federal government, and not in the least qualified to run for federal public office.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7gVp3diPbI