http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2009/jul/13/palin-expected-at-simi-gop-gala-group-says/

i suppose what else do you expect at the reagan library, although it does make me seriously question the decision to return here from a stint in nor cal… weather (the.best.ever) or not. ocean or not.

whatever.

Also stopping here: my desire to find common ground with you. That really wasn’t a necessary statement for you to make, and I don’t appreciate it.

” I feel I could have fielded questions in the Couric interview better than Palin did.”

I think you have more in common with the Governor than you might like to admit.

On the Obama topic — although he did not have a great deal of experience in government, he had a background of knowledge that you cannot begin to argue that Palin had. He majored in PoliSci, with a focus on international relations. He went to law school and focused on constitutional law. Palin majored in communications and I think it’s pretty clear that she doesn’t have a grasp of that, much less law and policy (she didn’t know what the VP did! I don’t blame that on a verbal flub…). Heck, I didn’t even major in PoliSci and I only follow politics as a sometimes-hobby, but I feel I could have fielded questions in the Couric interview better than Palin did. And I can’t even see Russia from my house…

I have to agree with you entirely on the vain/arrogant thing. The stuff that came out post-campaign was incredible, but not surprising to me. Her refusing to take criticism, refusing help in preparing, etc. etc. etc. She is close-minded and absolutely opposed to seeing anything that doesn’t fit her tiny and precarious worldview. That’s terrifying in anyone with any type of power. Horrifying.

National candidates generally have two years to be briefed by experts, build a team, test and hone ideas, practice debating in lower stakes venues. It’s all time well spent. We don’t know how Palin would have done in the summer of 2008 if she had a similar tune-up.

She tried to appear as comprehensively knowledgeable as those types, and far more qualified on foreign policy than she was. She should have prepared heavily on a half dozen issues and hit those hard, avoided detail everything else, and admitted the obvious fact that she had a lot to learn.

I think she’s been vain, arrogant, and quite simplistic in her politics. Maybe she’ll outgrow them, though she doesn’t seem interested in that. In any case, these are bad qualities and we’re better off having seen them early. But I’m not sure whether other politicians have less of these flaws, or have learned to better hide them.

the repubs are experiencing a steady decline, morally, ethically, and politically, it’s true. but we will experience the same thing if we continue to get pulled into this finger pointing game and lose focus.

and while i understand an argument can be made for sarah palin being a culturally relevant phenomenon, to me it’s clear that reporting on it constantly comes at a pretty big expense, don’t you think?

if we insist on playing though, let’s talk about sonia sotomayor. beautiful, smart, educated, experienced, and dignified. the new sexy.

in the meantime, is it rude to post this non-palin link to bill moyer’s interview with wendell potter regarding health care?? http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/07102009/watch2.html/watch?v=Mv1FwOCNoZ8

No, no, no, and…no. Most national candidates have experience. And knowledge. They don’t NEED that time and space to prepare, and she shouldn’t have either. Had McCain chosen any of his other front-runners, they would NOT have needed that time and space to prepare. Would they have needed time to brush up? Sure. Would they flub their way through every interview after weeks of preparation and a two-week media blackout? Not a chance…Dan Quayle being the obvious exception.

No time to prepare is NOT an acceptable excuse when the stakes are this high.