If It's About Perceived Intelligence, Kathleen Parker Should Go

The more I think about it, if a genuine conservatism is to have a resurgence in America, NRO really may simply have to go. That's a shame given the legacy of Buckley in this regard. But what NRO is becoming, at least with respect to its on line presence, is something from which more and more conservatives might want to consider distancing themselves.

Poor Kathleen, I guess it is about the company you keep, after all. The Washington Post, Joe Klein, Andrew Sullivan? Well, that explains a lot. And it more and more appears to be the direction of NRO - an inside the Beltway vanity publishing affair for individuals who might just as well be Democrats, or moderates, at best.

Given the sheer stupidity it took for an allegedly Right-side pundit writing this item, let alone the stupidity of NRO in publishing it, there seems little reason to engage the substantive debate this Kathleen Parker would profess to engage.

Palin Problem
She’s out of her league.

By Kathleen Parker

So a week out from the VP debates, as crowds continue to pour out to see Sarah Palin, John McCain should throw the election to Obama - which is precisely what he would be doing for a multitude of reasons were he to take Parker's advice? Does this idiot Parker get a check from Obama's campaign? If not, she should start.

It's hard for me to respond fully given that I've never heard of Kathleen Parker before this. But then I doubt that I'll ever hear much of anything from her again and apparently very little worthwhile.

Congratulations on your some few column inches of blogospheric fame, Kathleen. You gave the far Left just what they wanted - evidently your only Outside the Beltway claim to fame given the search results. Now please hop back up into your little yellow bus - I trust it's a Mercedes - and go home. There's an election to win just now. And it would seem to me the Right would do well to ignore you given your elitist view supported by such an incredibly superficial analysis of events.

Comments

[SacTownMan]

Never heard of her until I read this earlier today but I could actually care less what this one person has to say. It's not like she has any impact in my life but I'm sure our troll friends will let us know just how she is one step below the Pope in importance.

I have seen many more ex-Clinton supporters come out the past couple of weeks for McCain that have a lot more to say about Barry not being ready. You know the one that is actually running for POTUS! This will end up having a much bigger impact than Ms. Parker.

Bill's loving stabs at Xerxes have been a lot more effective. He now has even more to worry about after McCain gave him his foreign policy lession tonight.

As far as Ms. Parker, opinions are just like assholes, everybody has one!

[Robin]

Her column reminded me of a recent comment by Peggy Noonan about how the Beltway and NY crowd live in a bubble and often forget how the rest of America perceives figures like Gov. Palin. Parker is really good with social commentary, and normally I like her columns a lot, but she and some of the other NR contributors seem to have buyer's remorse right now with Palin. It always seems as though they are terrific Monday morning quarterbacks, or that they were the smartest kids in their respective class, but they have a serious elitist problem over there (Rod Dreher being another to bash Palin on that interview) when talking about Palin.

Beware the bubble NR - you need to get out more.

[Ryan Byrd]

I disagree with my fellow Floridian Kathleen Parker on this as well as her previous assertion that Obama getting elected would be healing in some way. We've collectively grown beyond caring about skin color!What those who actually vote care about is substantive policy : Not who YOU are but what will you DO? And do I think what you will do is what ought to be done. If I disagree with you on that you could be Ronald Reagan resurrected and I would not vote for you ! In all fairness to Kathleen though you really ought to read more of her writing posted on Townhall before passing further judgement. She isn't such a bad columnist. America doesn't need a giant psychotherapy session with "healing" and "closure"- we need decisive unwavering leadership that makes sound decisions across the board ( this excludes W on spending and immigration)

[freetofly]

THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I was so steamed to read that article this morning, and I had no idea who that woman was, but I was truly puzzled at why she was listed as with NRO. I disagreed with her on so many counts that it is not worth going into. Suffice it to say I applaud to this very day the choice of Palin as running mate.

And btw, if Palin had the cake walk questions that Barry always gets (and that Kerry got in 04) and Barry actually got the tough, substantive questions that Palin gets, well, it'd be a whole entirely different race...

[ate mely]

Womb problem for Kathleen Parker is the reason for such negative article, I think. Jealous of Sarah Palin's strong stand on Life, politically and real life.
I promise myself not to read her columns again from this time on.

[Denton Romans]

I agree and say as much on my blog: http://palinreport.com/2008/09/26/palinoia/

I mean, who's the one in over her head? She says Palin should step aside on the basis of a couple of interviews?

[Peg C.]

I thought it was just me. Glad to see others perceive a tilt at NRO toward the David Brooks wing of the Republican party (bash your side, kiss up to Dems). NRO has less and less to offer us "Get Offa My Lawn" conservatives (someone on RedState coined that term for our Fred Thompson wing of the party). Parker is no one to be calling a self-made, accomplished and conservative Republican woman lightweight, out of her league, etc. Parker's good on social issues; that's not enough anymore. Go away, Kathleen.

Man, with the friends we have we really don't need enemies.

[Fred Beloit]

NRO, correct or can Parker.

Do it for your country.

[Dave M]

The NRO crowd is a bunch of nervous nellies far to infatuated with wordsmithing to see the real world. Not bad people, but they think WFB's vocabulary was all that was important. Regular joes who like Sarah Palin know that wordsmithing is not enough or even that important.

[Wally Balls]

NRO is such a mixed bag that I don't think it is fair to characterize the assemblage there as indicative of any trend in conservative commentary.

[Ralph]

She and KLO are trying to be the smartest person in the room. If Palin does poorly in the debate they get to say see I told you so. If not then they will take the credit because they prodded Palin to do better.

As for NRO, I used to read it daily. Now I occasionally do.

[Eric Dondero]

The elitist wing of the conservative movement have always been wary of us libertarians coming into the GOP. Sarah Palin is one of the top elected libertarian Republicans in the country, (along with Idaho's Gov. Butch Otter, and Cong. Jeff Flake of AZ).

Of course, she's going to make some conservatives nervous.

They are wary of her libertarian cultural views. This is the woman who famously fought back against social conservatives in Wasilla who wanted to run all of the bars and taverns out of town.

But what she loses from the social conservatives, she gains 10 times over in libertarian votes.

Figure, Libertarian Bob Barr was polling 6% nationwide in mid-summer, and post-Palin he's now down to 1%.

With Sarah Palin, the libertarian wing of the GOP has finally arrived. Of course, that's going to make some other Republicans nervous.