Sarah's Big Night

Well, well, the vice presidential debate is over. The pundits and operatives are weighing in. It isn't too hard to tell who favors who. One astute observer noted that if you turned off the sound, it was clear Sarah Palin was the winner. Interesting observation to be sure. But who tunes into a vice presidential debate and turns off the sound. It is perhaps the most absurd if not ludicrous comment one could make. I guess the intent was to observe how important body language. One cannot never never underestimate that absolute nonsense that passes as insight in this age of tabloid news.

Then, there was the obvious claim by the Republican surrogates that Palin again communicated to the American People. “She looked right into the camera and connected.” Well, the only people she could have connected with are those who already buy into her brand of populism. “Golly Gee, I'm Sarah Palin and Me and John are going to change Washington and get rid of greed on Wall Street because me and John are reformers and we know how to reform the things that need reforming.” Wink. Wink. Smile. Smile.

Oh yeah, she certainly strutted her stuff. The person who couldn't name a newspaper or a magazine didn't really answer a single question. The build up to this event was cast as high drama when in fact it turned out to be nothing but a farce.

Sarah is likable but she has no depth. She was plucked from no where and thrown on the national scene. Her credentials are thin. There is no way to make this woman's experience for anything other than what it is. Who actually vetted this woman? What were the questions that was posed to her? Did anyone listen critically to her responses? Perhaps the disciples of Rove and Atwater believe that their tactics will in the end be the deciding factor in this election regardless of the knowledge base or skill set of the candidate. Heck, they sold George W. Bush to America.

As these tacticians carve out demographics and put their operatives to work stripping election roles and employing fear tactics to scare the voters to their candidates, one can only ask if these same unethical efforts will win the day.

Sarah Palin seems to be a good hearted giddy conservative. I don't agree with anything she has to say. Quite frankly, I don't even understand what she is saying. I realize I am not one who buys into slogans generated by professional politicians of the ilk of those professed by “neocons.” It is a very disturbing sign of the time that we are facing critical issues on many levels and that the person selected to be the Vice President is without an understanding of those issues. It is perhaps telling that John McCain doesn't get it either. He didn't understand the economy until it came crashing down. He doesn't get Iraq was a devious adventure brought on by unethical people who placed their misguided values ahead of common sense and more importantly the national interest. It is appropriate that he is linked with Sarah Palin because there is no clearer evidence that this guy doesn't get it. More important, however, is the realization that the lack of depth on one side and stubborn bullheadedness on the other is simply frightening.

Let's raise the bar a bit and expect the candidates to have an awareness of the country and the world and all its complexities. We have had enough of simplistic answers to complex issues. We have had enough of politicians who decry people who talk in complex sentences. Simplistic solutions to complex problem leads us to nowhere but where we have been. Oh, by the way, Ms. Palin's cute little remark about it is not time to look back but look forward. There was a wise philosopher who observed that those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it.