Palin Is No More Ready Than W. Was: Brooks

The fact that she horrifies liberal elites, however delicious, isn't enough to make Sarah Palin a good candidate for VP, writes David Brooks in the New York Times. Success in government “requires prudence,” which comes from experience. Palin thrills supporters with the “fear, hatred and panic” she prompts, but offers little evidence of being prudent. She’s a continuation of the Bush style of taking pride in lack of preparation.

A populist strain has always been present within “frankly elitist” conservatism. “For those in this school, book knowledge is suspect but practical knowledge is respected. The city is corrupting and the universities are kindergartens for overeducated fools," Brooks writes. The trouble is, “governance, the creation and execution of policy, is hard.” The same populism that defines Palin “made Bush inept.”
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