Speaking of Ignorant Yahoos ...

In my previous post, I mentioned that a lot of liberals believe that conservatives are all ignorant yahoos. I think a lot of this goes back to the two Georges: George Wallace, who inveighed against "pointy-headed intellectuals," and George W. Bush, who concealed any intellectual curiosity he might have had behind that annoyed frat-boy smirk. Among those often nominated for yahoo status is Sarah Palin. But David S. Broder thinks we need to take the lady from Wasilla seriously. No, really.

It's very easy to underestimate someone like Sarah Palin. She's from North Idaho, the only part of the northern United States to regularly rank behind Arkansas in statistics on education, income, and healthcare. You always knew when you drove into Idaho from Washington; the broken pavement and potholes proliferated. So, Sarah Palin is just too North Idaho for my taste.

But there are late-bloomers. There are people whose misspent youths are no real indicator of their present talents and abilities. There are people who rise to the occasion. Read U.S. Grant's Personal Memoirs sometime. While overestimating your opposition may lead you to give up without a fight, underestimating them may leave you unprepared for the fight you face. Let us not allow Sarah Palin's weaknesses, real and apparent, to blind us to her very real strengths. This column is a good starting point.