All Else Confusion

I'm a fan of Sarah Palin. Unapologetically. Unlike some I did not just watch the Katie Couric interview and judge Sarah Palin. I actually took a look at her record, watched interviews with those who work with her in Alaska, heard what some of her former opponents had to say about her, and read previous interviews. I listened to the interviews that she gave to talk radio and on Fox. Having spent the time, I can say one thing with surety: Sarah Palin is no dummy. As Fred Barnes notes, people who actually take the time to talk with her, whether they like her or not, all agree that she's intelligent. All the talk about her lack of basic knowledge is ridiculous and people who believe it are frankly dumber than the media and whoever the leak is from the McCain campaign are trying to portray her. As for Palin's supposed lack of knowledge about Africa and other foreign policy matters, she's being supported by Steve Biegun, the former Bush NSC aid who briefed her on foreign policy. His take?

In general, according to Beigun, Palin had a steep learning curve on foreign issues, about what you would expect from a governor. But she has "great instincts and great core values," and is "an instinctive internationalist."

I'm not saying that you can't have policy differences or questions about whether or not she was ready for a national role. But please, can we quit participating in the media's effort to paint the woman as stupid?

Labels: Sarah Palin