In Defense of Sarah Palin (Again)

In assessing the odds of prospective Republican aspirants actually making a run for the White House, Ross Kaminsky describes Michele Bachmann as "Sarah Palin with brains and real-world experience."

Where do I begin?

Well, let me start by stating that Kaminsky's remark is disrespectful, demeaning and unbecoming. Am I making the argument that Sarah Palin is above criticism? Absolutely not. Kaminsky is, of course, entitled to believe that Palin is not the best alternative for the GOP to put up against President Obama. Fine. But surely there is a difference between disliking Palin's policies or public speaking style and calling her stupid.

Now perhaps Kaminsky is of the opinion that working on a commercial fishing boat doesn't constitute real-world experience. But if Palin is so devoid of intellect then how come she worked her way from being a small-town councillor to small-town mayor, a state oil & gas commissioner to state governor, to vice-presidential candidate in a little over fifteen years? If Palin had no brains then how come she made Time Magazine's list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World? Sarah Palin has brains and real-world experience in spades and both qualities will be put to use in one way or another in the 2012 election.

Besides it wasn't Palin who stated that the first shots of the American Revolution were fired in Concord, New Hampshire. Nor for that matter was it Palin who claimed FDR went on television to address the nation about the stock market crash in 1929. Nor did Palin ever say she had travelled in all 57 states "with one more to go."