Quoted at NRO: Camile Paglia on Palin

Apropos, given the current contretemps.

Paglia--

“We may be seeing the first woman president. As a Democrat, I am reeling,” said Camille Paglia, the cultural critic. “That was the best political speech I have ever seen delivered by an American woman politician. Palin is as tough as nails.”

And see Andy McCarthy's criticism of Brookheiser; and Brookheiser reformulating his nasty put-down into a more productive critique of Palin, and most of it, really.

Actually, for all the anger directed at The Corner, I've just been reading it, and I'm finding it pretty pro-Palin. There are reservations expressed, yes, and Brookheiser is aggressively antipathetic, but mostly... I guess I just don't know what all the fuss is. It's a reasonable debate.

I say again: Anyone who's claiming they have no concerns about Sarah Palin's ability to handle foreign policy questions and answer the Readiness to Take Charge question is, well, either fooling themselves or trying to fool others. I love 'er, but the fact is I have concerns. I want -- more than want, really -- her to answer these questions decisively. I have a sneaking, hopeful idea she will. (She is furiously aggressive and talented; she is not going to be snoozing on this stuff.)

But these questions are on people's minds, and it serves no purpose whatsoever to pretend they don't exist or are illegitimate or obviously ill-founded. Or offered in bad faith.

On the left, hell, bad faith is their stock in trade. After arguing that the Senator from Community Activism was obviously qualified to be President because he's, um, well, something or other, it's pretty bad faith to now deride a serving governor as unqualified.

But those on the right have been stressing the importance of obvious, clear experience and readiness -- so it's not bad faith at all for some on he right to continue insisting on this as the most important qualification of all.

Caribou Pic:

Thanks to Mister Brickhouse, who notes the LA Times ran the photo "to scare the metrosexuals."

posted by Ace at 04:31 PM

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