"Change?" *snort*

[jducoeur]

So I've been thinking about the Palin thing in recent days, particularly in light of that letter that's been making the rounds about her. (Which I recommend reading, BTW -- it's apparently real, and quite informative. My thanks to cvirtue for pointing out the Snopes article, which is what I am linking to.)

And y'know, this business about her claiming to be a reformer is sticking in my craw quite badly, because she appears to be precisely the opposite. As I've said a number of time in the past, the *worst* problem of the current Administration is its arbitrary attitude towards power: an almost religious adherence to the principle of the imperial Presidency, regarding loyalty as the most important quality one can possess.

And what do we see in Palin? A disquieting vindictiveness. A preference to stuff offices with inexperienced cronies. A tendency to cut taxes and raise spending. A skill at changing her tune about her previous statements, to make it look like her position was the opposite of what it actually was.

Change the Washington of George Bush? My ass -- she *is* George Bush in every respect that matters.

I don't want McCain for President, but I at least respect him in a number of respects. But Palin is looking to be downright dangerous: someone who shares all of Bush's worst flaws. Having her one step from the White House is genuinely scary.

So please -- pass the word, and encourage folks to actually read that bloody letter. It's a lot more interesting and informative than the Internet chain letters it resembles -- frankly, it contains more substance than all the big-press coverage of Palin we've gotten to date...

Comments

[bkdelong.livejournal.com]

Being someone desiring non-partisan or sourcing for all the various claims, I was referred to this document vetting Palin (http://mudflats.wordpress.com/2008/09/05/palin-vetting-documents-from-2006-for-hard-core-palin-addicts-only/) (unfortunately by the Democrats), in 2006. It's 63 pages and I haven't had a chance to look at it yet but I thought I'd pass it along.

[osewalrus.livejournal.com]

I liked the letter. It is also amusing to me as being a good example of how the internet has serious potential to change politics.

[baron-elric.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link. No surprises, unfortunately.

[yakshaver.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the snopes pointer. I'd seen the letter, and wanted to pass it on to people, but was holding off to see it it turned out to be a setup. (It felt authentic, and faking a letter like that would be pretty out of character for Democratic spinmeisters — and not much more in character for Republicans trying to pass it off as from Democrats — but American politics have reached the point where I automatically suspect authenticity.)

[jducoeur]

Ditto -- indeed, I'd largely ignored it as it made its way around email, because I'm so reflexively suspicious of chain letters. But when I saw the Snopes pointer, I gave it a much more serious read-through...

[hungrytiger]

You raise some good points in this post which I was thinking about passing on to some friends outside our circle. Would you mind if I pointed people to your blog, or would you prefer if I quoted you?

[jducoeur]

Feel free, either way...