The Palin Debate: How To Teach An Infant To High Five.

Every parent has done it. "Watch this! She high-fives!" The parent giggles proudly, "She's a genius!" Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but they all high-five. Even my dog has learned to high-five. Which leads me to the obvious....a pit bull can learn to high five.

One conservative journalist said that Palin didn't learn the easy way by going to Harvard, she learned the hard way, on the streets. I guess if I ever need open-heart surgery I won't go to one of those doctors who learned the easy way in medical school. I want someone who learned surgical technique on the streets of Wasilla. Conservatives have long sent their sons and daughters to our greatest universities, but now they've decided to surrender those admirable values in exchange for pandering to the people they endeavor to inspire. The Republican party's contrived contempt and manufactured mistrust of intellect is not only counter to what they've always believed, but is terribly dangerous to the country they claim to put first. To indoctrinate a nation to renounce education and intellect is to shamefully discourage and suppress the very thing that America has not only historically exalted but needs so desperately right now.

They talk of competing in the worlds of science and medicine, technology and economics and yet present us with a presidential candidate who has repeatedly shown and even admitted that he knows very little about such things, has repeatedly voted against funding for education, but will repeat at every opportunity that he is an expert at winning wars, though he's never actually won one. They talk about teaching our children to compete in the global economy and international relations and yet they present us with a vice presidential candidate who has to memorize talking points and cynically condescend to us with winks and "doggonits" in order to conceal her astounding and terrifying lack of genuine knowledge.

Is Sarah Palin really the best and the brightest? Shouldn't a leader inspire us by example, be curious as well as ambitious, humble as well as formidable, gracious as well as robust, and learned as well as knowable? Folksy does not have to mean ignorant, regular does not have to mean ordinary, and earnest does not have to mean frivolous. For an example of this, look at one Joe Biden. To call him a "Washington elitist" or a typical "east coast politician" is to shamelessly insult the type of American we like to claim as unique and special to our nation. Ironically, Joe Biden is the very type of person Sarah Palin aspires to be, a "real American" who tirelessly works for his country, never forgets where he's from, and constantly looks forward to where we should be going. One thing is certain, Sarah Palin is no Joe Biden.

Sarah Palin and those like her do not aspire to transcend anything more than lowered expectations. Her foresight and ambition only reach as high as she tells you to look. The terms "Joe Six Pack" and "Hockey Moms of America" are code for the type of person she assumes won't aspire to anything more than mediocrity. The talent of Sarah Palin is in her ability to charm some with her folksy demeanor while concealing her stunning vacuousness. The obscenity of John McCain is in his selfish willingness to reignite a culture war by attempting to provide someone like Sarah Palin entree to an office that she should only see from the other side of the velvet rope on the White House tour.

Last night's debate was a David and Goliath match-up. Not because Joe Biden is a towering and formidable foe to a less-prepared civilian. Look again and tell me if you can tell the hero from the monster. Need some help? Goliath is the one who is condescending, arrogant, sarcastic, combative, insulting, childish, patronizing, untruthful and divisive. The monster doesn't lead, it misleads. It doesn't inspire, it frightens. It doesn't protect, it provokes. The monster is what has dominated us for eight long years. Sarah Palin is just the brand new model.

The monster marches and devours and never sleeps and it can only be defeated by its opposite: Hope, Courage, Knowledge, Kindness, and Grace. Those are the traits we saw in Joe Biden last night. They're the traits we see in Barack Obama. But most importantly, those are the traits they see in us.

Read more reactions to the Biden-Palin Vice Presidential debate from HuffPost bloggers

Comments

[taddles]

Outstanding read!

Why can't the Republicans give us anything even vaguely resembling this kind of insight? Why do they have to pander to the lowest common denominator? Why can't they give us anything to strive for?

[samrlives]

Bravo, Mr. Seitzman! What a fantastic article! You have eloquently and succinctly written EXACTLY what I have been feeling over the last two weeks, culminating with the debate on Thursday. The anti-intellect and anti-education that is personified in Sarah Palin is not just disingenuous, but a tin performance for the cheap seats. I can only hope "middle America" and reg'lar Americans see through the sham that is being foisted upon us.

[BurrDeming]

Governor Palin did very well for herself.

Joe Biden merely did well for Obama.

But I have not yet heard anyone from any side express any concern about the most dangerous possibility if Governor Palin is elected to national office.

[zanbama]

October 4, 2008


To: Sarah Palin
From: American Citizens Human Resource Office
Re: Job Position


Dear Sarah Palin we regret to inform you the position you applied for as Vice President of the United States is denied. Your qualifications do not match our job description. Thank you for applying and good luck.


Sincerely,
American Citizens

[DChance]

Mr. Seitzman I just joined BUZZ so I could send your article to others--I hope you get more Press--
Brilliant article. I hope you set your sights next on the fact Palin refuses a real press conference but just mocked the Press on Fox News.

SARAH THE CABLE GIRL NEEDS A REAL PRESS CONFERENCE ASAP!!!!! Not infomercials on FOX.

Obama/Biden should make a point out of it--Put Biden out on a full-blast press conference and
challenge Sarah to the same.

[ert]

This artical should be required reading for all the political intellects and the media.No reasonable person (not even fox news personalities) can be honest then look you in the eye and say Gov Palin is qualified to occupy these high offices.

[ENOUGH1]

I am a person of few words. You have done an excellent job of conveying my thoughts.

I have never been interested in politics until I heard Barack Obama speak on TV at a rally in Feb. '08.

I do not agree with Senator Obama on a few issues but it will not stop me from voting for him.

We have a house divided. My husband will vote for McCain because of the gay and abortion issues but I will vote for Senator Obama because I feel I can trust him to do the right thing for our country.

[patriccio]

Michael,

You are the first person I have selected as "I am a fan of". I normally would not do this, but I must read more after this excellent post. Your hero and monster paragraph is fitting for publication in the letters to the Corinthians. Let us hope that we can realize this election cycle who the monstres are by those who are using the same fear tactics as the W crowd.

[Hoosier4change]

Bravo! I don't want a leader who is ordinary; I want a leader who is extraordinary!
Larry the Cable Guy is charming in a folksy way. He relates to the common folk.
He even says, "Git R done!" which we're bound to hear from Palin's mouth before this is over, but I don't think Larry would make a good leader.
And McCain made this his choice? Republican women all over America must feel betrayed.

[Indie2008]

Exactly right! "Joe-Six-Pack" and "Hockey moms" are code words that strategists use to pander to a
carefully targeted audience. Among them I suspect are those who are offering themselves up as gullible pawns- ("She's just like us") to rationalize why they are really voting against their own best interests. They are actually mocking the middle class whose vote they so desperately need.

[robeson]

How does our political system come up with candidates like GW Bush and Palin? Why are they promoted as leaders? Well for some promoters there's money to be had, trillions these past eight years. And for those out of the money, fears and prejudices are soothed. Gosh darn, I betcha there are better, more qualified people to lead this great nation. And there they were in front of me, on PBS Bill Moyers Journal, Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Brooke Gladstone, and Emma Coleman Jordan, all intelligent, articulate, concerned, knowledgeable, and patriotic. But we'll never see them on a ballot. Joseph Stalin had it right, vote as often as you want, as long as I choose the candidates. Golly gee, that's it. Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and others, don't let Joseph Stalin, Karl Rove or Rupert Murdoch pick our candidates. Get involved all you Joes and Janets, vote in primaries, throw out the garbage early before it stinks up the nation.

[PumaAnn]

Until I see someone admit that Biden misstated more facts than Pal, then I know this is nothing but complaining because she's managed to deliver her message in a style that is understandable, authentic, and persuasive. If Biden wants to knock off stuffing made-up facts into long answers, he sure can do so, too.

He made factual errors, folks, of the nature that someone with his years of experience should not make. Moreover, he does treat people as though they are stupid. We all know that O was questioned a lot about his statements about sitting down with dictators. He never reversed his position. Biden dismissed that out of hand, and he was.....lying.

So the notion that Biden is so much smarter than Pal is not evident. In fact, his answers were often garbled. His supporting evidence for his points were less than persuasive. He did NOT speak to the real issues.

And neither O or Biden has yet to answer the simple question: What WILL you do differently given the nature of this economic crisis?

It is poor judgment to even think that a trillion or whatever the number is in new spending is now still feasible, and people know the truth.

[typingisnotactivism]

yeah, her message is so powerful: "vote for the people who created this mess, because they'll really stick it to the people who created this mess".

pay attention much?

[annschneider1]

Have you attempted to diagram Palin's sentences yet? She says nothing. It is probably because she is a puppet and there is nothing in her head. It is really sad. I know so many people like her and they either just sit and look like they are listening or they agree with their chauvinist pigs husbands on every issue. I agree there are a lot of women like that and men who love it like that, and it is exactly these "folks" who Karl Rove wants her to appeal to. .....and she does.

[annschneider1]

and Michael Seitzman...I absolutely love you. You know what is occurring and you are able to express it with inspiring truth.

[pam45]

All of us have made selections for different reasons but Palin is authentically stupid for the job of VP. I do believe that she and her husband have shown their ability to run Alaska but come on doggonit! Washington politics and Alaska politics are many worlds apart and helping to shape this nation's best interest in world politics is way out of her league. The woman hasn't even studied the Constitution to gain a refined grasp on the responsibility of the nation's VP. Her answer was pathetic and yes, Biden is not only smarter but tried to protect her dignity in the debate. What really was the point in demoralizing her so he took the high road like a gentleman. I have never in my life seen such mediocrity aspiring to be VP until she was snapped out of Alaska! I'm beginning to wonder if she has a reading problem or just doesn't like to tend to the details in government. Remember she didn't relate in her interview what she reads on a regular basis. This is a very strange thing. Palin seems to me to be just an ordinary person who has gotten over with her looks, perky attitude and sexuality. She's the girl in class who memorized a lot of stuff but didn't know how to use it appropriately. She's a good multiple choice test taker and in a week it's gone! Peace.

[Jamchinadian]

So there you go again ... doggone it ... you betcha

[Jamchinadian]

PUMA: I know this is nothing but complaining because she's managed to deliver her message in a style that is understandable, authentic, and persuasive.

JAM: So there you go again ... doggone it, I get what you mean ... who needs garmmar and syntax ... or even facts and logic ... that's for elites .... you betcha she does.

[ProudLiberalDemocrat]

I just posted somewhere else why we shouldn't diminish the role of mediocrity.

You brought me back to earth....

I'm going to go hug my pregnant wife.......I hope my child gets a scholarship to Harvard after completing Julliard.....

[uheardme]

Soft bigotry of low expectations indeed.

[truthforme]

Brilliant.