Valuable insight into the progressive media semi-mind Tom Smith

This is sort of interesting.  I'm not sure who Margaret Wente is and if she actually exists.  This column reads suspiciously as if it was written by a computer programmed to spew forth political cant.  It's sobering to think some people will read it and feel confirmed in their prejudices.  Or maybe it just helps explain why newspapers are going broke.

Comparing Palin and Sotomayor is a bit much.  If you want to pull comparisons out of a hat, why not compare Sotomayor and firefigher Ricci?  I'm not saying he's any big hero.  Maybe The People for the American Way will unearth evidence that he beats his dog or something (and if they do he's on my black list for sure).  But here's a guy who manages to score highly on a technical test about hose pressures and fire physics and all kinds of hard stuff, in spite of being dyslexic, and then doesn't get a promotion because he's Italian, which is currently considered to be bad/white.  Meanwhile, in this corner, Judge Sotomayor, though undoubtedly talented, undeniably gets some doors opened because she is Latina.  I'm not saying that's fair or not fair.  Just saying if you're looking to generate drama by making random comparisons, that one's better than most.

This article about Palin in the NY Times is also interesting.  It manages to be almost fair, except for the choice of photo to illustrate the piece (what is Palin doing to that baby?  Is it some sort of weird fundie-Christian ritual?  Disgusting.)  I read the article and concluded her decision to resign made a lot of sense, from every point of view except possibly maximizing her chances to get the GOP nomination in 2012.  It actually does sound that she will be better off and so will (what's best for under Palin's POV) Alaska given her resignation.  Perhaps the Times article tried to make it sound as if Palin were dumb not to heed the wise counsel of the GOP governors' organization, but come on, what a joke.  Can you imagine taking such an "intervention" seriously?  As the old joke goes, Palin should consider them her sexual counselor:  If she wants their f*&%ing advice, she'll ask for it.  Sending an ambassador with a long memo full of advice?  Only the Republican Governors could come up with something so stupid and certain to fail.

Comments

[athena]

Fundie-Christian ritual? She was autographing the womans baby's dress! Your comment is as silly as the MSM which has CRUCIFIED her in a not so "fundie-christian" style.

[Tom Smith]

Athena, I am parodying those who cast silly accusations at her. Alas, my rumor seems recondite to many of my readers.

[Dan Simon]

Not only does Margaret Wente exist, but she's been writing for many years, and if I'm not mistaken she has been (or at least had once been) a relatively moderate-to-conservative, David Brooksish voice in the Globe and Mail, which is Canada's rough equivalent of the New York Times.

Recall that Brooks, too, had some rather tart things to say about Sarah Palin, as did Peggy Noonan, David Frum, and other formerly stalwart conservatives. After thirty years of remarkable success in reshaping the political conventional wisdom (if you don't think that today's political landscape is significantly more conservative than that of 1979, then your memory has failed you), you're bound to lose some non-ideologues to the "good enough" camp.