Conservatives Against Sarah Palin: The List is Growing

I wonder what George W. Bush really, really, really thinks about Sarah Palin...I can't imagine Laura Bush thinking much of her, but that's my own speculation.

There are more and more top line conservatives who are either publicly stating that Sarah Palin is not nearly prepared or qualified to be President of the United States (nor Vice President) or they are expressing grave doubts about her.

Conservative columnist George Will has joined the growing chorus telling Senate aides that Palin is "obviously" not prepared to assume the presidency.

Others include conservative columnists Kathleen Parker and former Bush White House speechwriter and American Enterprise Institute Resident Fellow David Frum (who must be having an awkward time with Palin-promoter Bill Kristol).

And Kristol pal, David Brooks, has also come out expressing severe reservations about Palin in his New York Times piece, "Why Experience Matters".

Senator Chuck Hagel has also been an early critic of Palin -- and more recently conservative firebrand Charles Krauthammer has articulated that Palin is a rookie and not ready for the White House.

And let's not forget former former Senator Lincoln Chafee (who has formally left the Republican Party and become an Independent) who was very dismissive of Palin and called her a "cocky whacko."

George Will, Kathleen Parker, David Frum, Senator Chuck Hagel, former Senator Lincoln Chafee, Charles Krauthammer. . .Who else should be added to this list?

The Biden-Palin debate Thursday night should be a huge draw. Digital City has just published a roster of viewing parties around the country and notes that these parties are beginning to look like what sports evenings are in the country.

I'll actually be watching and blogging the vice presidential debate live -- and then watching again Friday night in Vienna, Austria with the Austria chapter of Democrats Abroad and speaking after.

More later. Off to Salzburg.

-- Steve Clemons publishes the popular political blog, The Washington Note

Comments

[curocat]

About the up coming debate, I want to know if Palin gets an advance copy of the questions. Is this debate based on that format??? I think the public has a right to know...

[bellier20]

Yep, and if the God, Guns & Guts wing of the Republican party gave a whiff about what conservative columnists think, all this might matter. But they don't. So it doesn't.

[sparkscommakevin]

Chafee was never a conservative, and was probably further to the left than many Dems in the Senate until 2006.

[mom2sons]

Yep, morally bankrupt and have been for years. LOL

[MEC43]

The right wing of the Republican party has been overplaying its hand for a long time, but never so much as when it foisted Palin on America. I view the list of Republicans who criticize the VP choice as an honor role. With any luck, their influence will grow when the party rebuilds. For those who parrot talking points and tout Palin's credentials, I'm thankful that we have the internet to record and replay their folly.

[Malarcus]

The fact is, every person noted above will, in fact, vote for Sen. McCain, so... .

[normathumb]

Yes, but she has the support of such real conservatives and bright lights as Rush and Sean. Those guys you mention are really only cocktail party Washington elites. And not only that, I like chocolate more then you do and I can prove it because I really really really like chocolate. See?
I'll get back to you on that, baby. (Just don't hold your breath.)

[Kindheart]

The entire party will be in shambles by November 4th, thanks to Bush, Cheney, Johnny, and too many others to mention. They have nobody to blame but themselves.

[thepurpleocean]

As informed in the ad about aerial hunting in Alaska, Sarah Palin is the type of person that rewards brutality. Is this what we really need for our country, when the United States is suffering so much economically? What will other countries think of the United Sates, when some countries in the world already denounces America? I feel that Sarah Palin lacks the experience and ability to be the vice president of the United States. I do respect her for being a woman running for vice president, but I feel that she isn't a qualified candidate.

I learned a lot about her through www.dailysource.org/palin
very helpful and organized news website!

[carriellbee]

Thank you. That's a great site.

[charlott]

Why would you respect anyone who lacks the necessary background and ability running for a position for which he/she was not qualified. It's idiocy to me and certainly does not warrant respect.

[GeoDBA]

Don't you know, John McCain thinks these are Georgetown Cocktail toating Republicans so they do not count.

[bellier20]

As one conservative insider noted recently, "Sarah Palin was not chosen to please David Brooks and the other intellectual conservatives; she was chosen to please the base (evangelical) of conservative activism." In that regard, her brand of populism has done quite well.

[EvasDaddy]

The question is, "done quite well" at what? Stirring emotion? Striking a chord of familiarity? Physical attraction?

You have missed the point, bellier. Though Palin may not have been chosen "to please David Brooks and the other intellectual conservatives", those intellectuals ARE conservative, and therefore hoping for another conservative administration.

For so many of them to concede that McCain's choice for his running mate is faulty, is to illustrate McCain's poor judgment.

Your seeming defense of populism as meaningful approach to winning votes is interesting, since Barack Obama's popularity was once viciously decried by those of your ilk.

Which is it then?

Experience with bad judgment, or freshness with good?

Popularity through message, or "maverick" derision of hope?

Even tempered thoughtfulness, or hot-headed snap judgments?

Sarah Palin is being panned by conservatives because she is not qualified to fill the seat she seeks.

[bellier20]

Oh, I'm not making my comments in support of Palin, and I'm of the "ilk" that firmly supports Obama. I don't think you took the time to weigh my statement, EvasDaddy.

It is a statement of fact that Palin's supporters see Washington insiders -- especially the media like Will, Frum, Brooks, Parker et al -- as the "elite." They don't draw a lot of distinctions between whether or not it's a liberal or conservative elite, just that it's an elite. That what populism is all about. To understand that fact is not to support it.

Do you deny that the McCain camp has positioned Palin as the ultimate anti-elite outsider? .
If so, then you plainly haven't been listening.

[bellier20]

To further illustrate, there are two kinds of conservatives, the thoughtful, more intellectual kind -- of which Brooks is part -- and the social conservatives, a reactionary, arguably less thoughtful populist breed which includes the likes of Limbaugh, Hannity and even William Kristol. This is who they refer to as as "the conservative base" and the very reason McCain rolled out Palin.

To somehow make the case that risking a loss of the reactive "base" --which they were doing pre-Palin -- is less threatening to a McCain presidency that having his judgement called into question by true conservatives is naive to the extreme.

[suekzoo]

Conservatives against Palin? Andrew Sullivan ought to head your list. He came out against her pretty quickly.

[DNeal]

The Liberals would for this story to be true. But when it is just one person screaming to the World, not many will hear them.

[obamadeus]

Republicans who are secretly voting for Obama: Condi, Colin Powell, Laura Bush, Meghan McCain

[Pupadup4oBama]

I think Jenna Bush too!

Is that Gdub crying???? do i finally see this heartless wretch shedding a tear or two for what he's done??

[lincheryl]

I think there will be many more people who have functioning brain cells who will secretly vote for Obama.

[BCubedReg]

Don't forget George H. W. Bush.

[BabyBoomer]

I'm truly not looking forward to another embarrassing night for America. We've had too many lately between John McCain's antics as well as the Republican party's general approach to "winning at all costs". The whole party is so morally bankrupt as to be completely indefensible. I liked the Eisenhower cloth coat Republicans of yore. You could at least respect them. They did know the meaning of integrity, but no more. Sad, really.