Palin's time as governor has been a mixed bag. She deserves high marks for moving the possibility of a gas pipeline forward. But most of the work on oil taxes was done by the legislature. Ditto with ethics reform. And her role in killing the ballyhooed "Bridge to Nowhere"? Turns out that she was for it before she was against it, and that, well, she kept the money anyway.
Add to this a growing sense that the state government isn't running all that well: commissioners and key staffers jumping or being pushed. The operating budget growing 10 percent a year. Policy problems such as high energy costs being papered over with cash giveaways. The governor and her aides being investigated by the legislature. You can see why it's not clear she's a competent governor of Alaska, let alone qualified to take over the reins of the national government.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
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7 comments:
Interesting how all these Good Old Washington D.C. Boys and Girls treat an outsider. Too bad Obama couldn't have picked someone from the outside, too.
Don't you think this inside/outside washington thing is largely meaningless ? I mean once they get the job, they become instant insiders.
Mostly true, but not always. Eg, Ronnie Reagan ran as an outsider, and stayed pretty much an "outsider", even while in DC for 8 years. But basically all Senators-for-Life, such as Kennedy, Kerry, Biden, etc, etc really do become Washington dinosaurs.
In principle, it's a good thing to send fresh blood to Washington. Methinks though one should prove one's mettle for a while before that -- not necessarily as a politico. Eg, Ike was commanding General on the European front (and then President of Columbia University) before running directly for the Presidency. A man like General Petraeus could conceivably do something like this, 4 or 8 or 12 years down the road.
Reagan's second he was really outside, in a demented fog. Still, in that fog, he would have a lucid moment or two a week and that was better than all the goddamned democrats.
Don't you think this inside/outside washington thing is largely meaningless ? I mean once they get the job, they become instant insiders.
No, it's not meaningless when our ideal is to continue this Democratic-Republic. If insiders are continuously elected, things will slide more and more towards the European-style aristocracy that Jefferson so wanted to avoid. Seriously, it's important that both parties recruit from the outside as much as possible.
But basically all Senators-for-Life, such as Kennedy, Kerry, Biden, etc, etc really do become Washington dinosaurs.
AI, let's be fair, here, and not forget Strom Thurmond.
Biden is gonna sweat this one out in the debates!
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