Innnnnnteresting ....

[veronica_rich]

Supposedly, according to McCain campaign staffers, Sarah Palin didn't know Africa was a continent, not a country, and she was guilty of other asorted dumbnesses. Let's break this down:

In defense of the woman - and I cannot believe the text is coming from my fingertips - I know more than one smart person who has made this initial mistake. Including me. Not in the lasting, insistent sense - "Uh huh! Yes it is! South Africa's part of one country!" - but in the initial, unthinking sense when the topic first comes up. Because I've known since I was in at least the fourth grade that there are various and assorted countries in Africa. All I'm saying is, if you've ever heard anyone toss off "the country of Africa" before thinking, or someone reminding them "it's not a country, dummy" and then they go "what'd I say? oh shit, I wasn't thinking" - yeah. So, is this what the staffers are exaggerating? Or is it a case of her insisting it IS a country even after someone says "um ... it's not one country?"

Because I have to say - George Bush went to Yale and Harvard, and frankly, I think he's about as dumb as an actual president can get. (Not knowing the philosophical differences between Sunnis and Shi'ites before going to war is WAY worse than a slip of the tongue on Africa, IMO.) And while his lack of intelligence has been lampooned, spread out over eight years, the fact is that it took a lot longer than three months for people to start pointing and laughing at it. So why with Palin?

Is it - again, I have to wonder at this coming from ME - because she's a woman? Because it very well could be. (Bit of a lesson to the casual fandom pheminists out there: THIS is the sort of shit feminism was REALLY invented to combat. Not your crocodile tears over a fictional character not getting the right man.) Make no mistake about Palin - I don't want her anywhere NEAR my White House, now or in the future - but there are plenty of things to legitimately criticize about her besides lack of geographical knowledge IF it's just being exaggerated as I reference above. (And I suspect this may well be the case. I don't think the woman's the sharpest tack in the corkboard, but I really question if she's THAT ignorant.)

And if she is that ignorant? Well, it's not the fact she's being criticized for it, because certainly basic geographical knowledge is important. It's HOW she's being criticized. (See previous paragraph.) Certainly the electorate has the right to know, just as they should be cautious when listening to her tell a third-grader about the duties of a vice president and getting it out of whack. All I'm saying is, let's watch how we do it, and maintain a healthy skepticism about the extremity of her reported "ignorance." (If she were truly that dumb, wouldn't we be hearing about something far more egregious than the Africa thing? That's what makes me suspicious.)

Comments

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

That's something else I mean but didn't say well - why the fuck did they pick her if she isn't what they wanted? Did she do a flipflop and change who she was AFTER she was selected? Was she a bookworm during the DNC and then ignorant after?

I love the people who are all "she should've known her own limitations and not accepted the request to join the campaign." Are they seriously telling me they would turn down being the second most powerful person in this country if they're an uber-ambitious politician, with the excuse of "oh, I'd love it, but honestly, it's just not time yet?" Hell, even I might have thought Hmm, if they're asking me, maybe I AM ready after all ... if they can see it, why shouldn't I?

(Keep in mind I had the same criticism I just cited above, at one time, and I've since thought about it and concluded that it was John's job to pick somebody more qualified. But I will say I'm glad it was NOT Lieberman, either.)

[the-dala.livejournal.com]

I think she was want they wanted. They just failed to anticipate that she wasn't at all what the county wanted, so now they're backtracking accordingly.

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

I figure that's the case. They've been this small and mean for many years now, it's just the first time they've LOST and had chance to display those colors so very magnificently.

[crevette.livejournal.com]

They just can't fathom why we want to keep killing babies, lovin' the gays, and why we just don't love Jesus the way they do.

As a Republican, I *wish* I was kidding about that, BTW.

[justawench.livejournal.com]

Someone mentioned (I think on Rachel Maddow last night) that they kept the Palin pick under wraps better than lots of other things that leaked out later. I'm not sure I agree with that. I think the reason the Palin choice wasn't leaked was that she was a last-minute grab. It would also explain why she wasn't vetted. They got hit upside the head right away with Troopergate and her daughter's pregnancy and they seemed completely unprepared.