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Sarah Palin is the first presidential “hopeful” to come out aggressively in support of Ryan, while recognizing it is not a “perfect plan”. Implicitly and explicitly, therefore, she is the first candidate to support an actual existing plan to reduce entitlements in exchange for a more free market based savings and healthcare system. This is different than supporting a non-existent or incoherent plan spouting platitudes. This is significant in my opinion. The GOP candidate that can carry this message forward without alienating the people, who must elect them, will have achieved a historically significant accomplishment. It is very hard to be the bearer of bad news such as; “we are not taking anything away from you because you already don’t have it. Rather, we are creating a system where your savings and health care consumption are not empty promises”. I do not pretend this is politically easy. But, as a nation, we need to do this.
Of course, as has been obvious for 2 years, the GOP has no respect for Palin. It even borders on hate or disdain. They disdain her because they believe she won a lotto ticket when McCain put her in the spotlight, (which she did). They hate her because she is popular and uncontrollable, also true. They disdain her because they believe she is vain and self absorbed —I disagree—but certainly no more so than other candidates. They hate her because they think she is stupid. This implies those who say so are smart. To quote Steely Dan from “Reelin’ in the Years”—“you’ve been telling me you were a genius since you were seventeen, and all this time I’ve known you, I still don’t know what you mean”. This obsession with “smart” and politics is the ultimate misunderstood red herring. Finally, and most of all, they hate her because they think she will lose—which only an election can determine.
Consequently, and most recently, we see the spectacle of my home state (and town) governor, Chris Christie, yukkin’ it up with Jimmy Fallon on the dopiness which is Palin. I like Christie a lot, but now less so. We see the shocking gracelessness of Big Barb Bush wishing Palin would just go back to Alaska. We see Karl Rove invoking the empty concept of missing gravitas as Palin does an Alaska Culture and Travelogue show on TLC. Gravitas in politics? Is he kidding? Which politician had an 11th commandment? I forget.
As Palin said after the disgraceful comments of Christie and Ms. Bush, “let’s have the competitive process determine who will be both candidate and president”. I believe the person who will be chosen for both is the one who can, among other issues, best articulate our fiscal problems and actual solutions, in a way which persuades people truthfully. Such a person also has the potential to be an historic figure. I don’t know if this person is Palin or not, nor does she. But her support of Ryan’s plan, despite its weaknesses, is a step in the right direction.
So far, Jumpin’ Joe Biden said it best, even if partially in jest; “It is a mistake to underestimate Sarah Palin”.
