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Ross Douthat draws a distinction between “meritocratic” leaders like Barack Obama and “democratic” leaders like Andrew Jackson and Sarah Palin:
Our president represents the meritocratic ideal — that anyone, from any background, can grow up to attend Columbia and Harvard Law School and become a great American success story. But Sarah Palin represents the democratic ideal — that anyone can grow up to be a great success story without graduating from Columbia and Harvard.
Actually quite a lot of American politicians have become great success stories without graduating from Columbia and Harvard. Even Republican politicians.
How about Richard Nixon? He had a lot of, um, issues, but being incompetent and not knowing what he was talking about wasn’t one of them. Liberals didn’t hate him because he went to Whittier College, after all, and they certainly didn’t think he was a fool! He frightened them because he wasn’t a fool.
Or Colin Powell of City College? Again, not without his flaws, but nobody criticizes him for incompetence, lack of preparation, lack of command and public policy knowledge.
And then there was this guy named Ronald Reagan, graduate of Eureka College…
Palin’s critics — left, right, and center — don’t have a problem with her educational background, etc. etc. They had a problem with the fact that she was manifestly unqualified to serve as vice president, or, if need be, President of the United States. And then she showed she — like Nixon and McCain, to a lesser extent — was thin skinned about legitimate criticism. Which, in turn, made her even less qualified.
barker13 // Jul 7, 2009 at 10:12 am
Nixon: Wage and price controls? Taking the U.S. off the Gold Standard? Attempting to create “Supercabinet” departments? Sorry, Eugene, but I have plenty of critiques of Nixon based upon the idiocy of some of his policies.
Powell: Arguing that Saddam Hussein’s Republican Guard should be allowed to survive Gulf War I? His inability to rally the world to our side against Saddam Hussein’s Iraq in Gulf War II? Again, Eugene, I believe you’re a bit quick on the trigger with your declaration that nobody criticizes Powell for incompetence.
BILL
sinz54 // Jul 7, 2009 at 8:57 pm
To use a metaphor from the private sector or the military, Sarah Palin was “promoted too fast.” Yes, she wasn’t ready to be POTUS if need be–in 20o9. But she can learn and she can change–if she really wants to.
We’ll see if she wants to learn and change, and begins to appeal to suburban and urban votres–or if she just wants to go around the country talking about small towns and her life in Wasilla.
I know I’ll be watching.