Thursday, June 2, 2011

Kimberley Strassel; Elitist Naysayer de Jour

Kimberley Strassel wrote a piece on Thursday, for the Wall Street Journal in which she attacked Governor Palin wrongly as being someone who doesn't engage in "serious policy discussion." Before she began her best Charles Krauthammer impersonation, she took a swipe at Palin supporters. She wrote:
Her fans have come to view her as the living antithesis of everything they find offensive—the mainstream media, cultural elites, out-of-touch Washington. She so embodies this role that it is no longer clear whether her backers support her in her own right or support her because they so dislike what she dislikes.
Listen Kim, I've spent over two years, down here in the muck defending an honorable reformer from the most vile, insane, and downright evil attacks from the Republican establishment, left-wing zealots, backstabbers, and crackpots. I, just as any other Palin supporter, don't need your detached opinion about why we support Governor Palin. I've known for quite some time why I support this woman, and it's not because she's some sort of "symbol" for all the things I find "offensive." I could go on to list Governor Palin's attributes and record to better describe why I support her, but that would take another blog post. For now, just know that her courage and principles have everything to do with it.

Strassel goes on to make the kind of uninformed remarks about Governor Palin that we have come to expect from writers of her ilk, such as:
Of all criticisms of Mrs. Palin back then, the most legitimate was that the relative political newcomer lacked knowledge and experience, in particular on foreign policy. A serious candidate, one who was determined to seize the frontrunner mantle in 2012, would've set about using the intervening years to bone up, to demonstrate accomplishments, and to build a brilliant team.
What does Strassel know about Governor Palin's foreign policy team? She knows that nobody she knows is on it. And exactly what kind of foreign policy "accomplishments" should the governor have at this point? Standing with Israel, in Israel near the same time as our current president is selling out their security, should be something to be admired in a prospective candidate. Highlighting our country's relationship with India, and the plight of the people of Haiti, is also important. I'm just not sure what Strassel considers as an "accomplishment," or what other possible GOP candidates have done in this realm to merit her giving them a pass.

Strassel continues:
Mrs. Palin had a perfect perch from which to do this, as governor. She instead chose to quit that job and retreat to (let's be honest) the easier occupation of private citizen. Rather than build a team, she has cast herself as a one-woman-show. Her supporters love this spunk, but the aggressive insularity—Sarah against the "establishment"—has also served to alienate many of the local political leaders and organizers necessary to build a nationwide campaign. That includes fund-raisers.
Yes, let's be honest, shall we...

Obviously, Strassel isn't familiar with the fact that Governor Palin RESIGNED for the good of her state. Otherwise, Strassel would consider that a bogged-down, politically targeted (with no help from the national Republicans, thank you very much) administration would have been better for the governor's future political aspirations. If Governor Palin had just forgotten about Alaska's welfare, and thought about her own, she would be respected by the Beltway establishment. No wonder this country is so messed up!

Strassel goes on to praise Mitt Romney for having a health care "plan" and Newt Gingrich for "getting into specifics." She doesn't get into the specifics about which of Newt's "specifics" were so impressive, however. She then states that Governor Palin "has not outlined many policies of her own."

Why is Kimberley Strassel writing articles about people whom she is unfamiliar with? Governor Palin has taken a position on virtually every major issue since the 2008 election, in detail. Even recently, throughout the "One Nation" bus tour, Governor Palin has been talking policy. All you have to do to find this out is read articles written by people who actually pay attention. Like for instance, Byron York:
One thing many viewers have probably missed in all the horse-race speculation is that Palin is perfectly willing to discuss her positions on key issues, if anyone wants to ask. In fact, in recent days, weeks, and months, we've seen a lot of policy commentary from the former Alaska governor.

[...]

For those interested in her positions on issues, Palin's Facebook page is filled with notes and commentary. Recent entries include titles like "New Afghanistan Development Dangerous to NATO," "Obama's Strange Strategy: Borrow Foreign Money to Give to Foreign Countries," "Barack Obama's Disregard for [Israel's] Security Begs Clarity," "Obama's Failed Energy Policy," and "Removing the Boot from the Throat of American Businesses." They're not think-tank white papers, but they are substantive statements on key issues.

The other GOP candidates really aren't all that specific in their policy statements, I've suffered through them, I know. These guys pander to which ever audience they are in front of at any given time, and they flip-flop all over the map on important issues. None of them have a record of reform, but they have sipped cocktails with all the right foreign policy advisers, lobbyists, and party "leaders." For that alone, they won't be subjected to the same level of scrutiny as the governor, I guess.

Clearly, nothing Governor Palin says or does will be enough for people like Kimberley Strassel, Charles Krauthammer, and Elitist Inc. The question for the future is, how much longer will people listen to baseless arguments from these sheltered columnists?

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