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Que Sarah Sarah: Facing Storms Of Missives Over Elitism And Ethics

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Daniel Ruth

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 7, 2008

"Daniel Ruth is such a frickin idiot." "Daniel Ruth is such a moron." "Daniel Ruth exemplifies the liberal elitist arrogance."

Well, I think my work is done here for the week.

As for the elitist suggestion ... excuse me for a moment while my butler draws my bath.

But seriously folks, accusing anyone in the scribbling racket of elitism is a bit like suggesting all those uppity Bangladeshians are living high on the hog.

Of course, most of these wadded missives were from disgruntled readers angry about a column last week that mused that the addition of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as John McCain's running mate made about as much sense as naming Gallagher the White House chief of protocol.

So during the Republican convention last week sensibilities about Palin, who governs over a population smaller than Pinellas County's, were running high.

Worked Out Great, By George!

"Being governor for two years is more experience than being a U.S. Senator for two years because senators deliberate, but governors have to step up and take responsibility," sniffed dalatorr. "Does your wife still work for the former Democratic governor candidate? No bias there."

Say, having a former governor in the White House for the past eight years has really worked out famously, hasn't it?

As for the Bombshell of the Balkans, who is executive director of the Holland & Knight Charitable Foundation, to clear up dalatorr's confusion, she never worked for former gubernatorial candidate Bill McBride after he left the firm eight years ago to pursue his ill-fated political career.

"Sarah Palin is a great running mate because she's a woman, that's it," opined WakeBorder. "Plain and simple a good choice to get some of those female voters. The moronic Democrats, they could not even find a white guy."

Now there's an "I have a dream" moment for you.

Not all the letters in response to the Palin column were offended.

"Drive out corruption?" wrote davidkc regarding the governor's reputation as a reformer. "Palin is currently under an ethics investigation in Alaska. Fight pork barrel spending? In her brief term as governor, Palin supported the Bridge To Nowhere (despite her lies to the contrary). As mayor of Wasilla, Palin employed a lobbying firm to secure almost $27 million in federal earmarks for a town of 6,700 residents.

"The Palin pick has to force any reasonable person to question John McCain's judgment."

Role For Ronda?

In this community, it took a nanosecond after the announcement of Palin's veep pick for readers to start noting she was "...an Alaskan version of state Sen. Ronda Storms in every sense of the word," wrote hockeyray.

"Trying to pass Creationism in public schools, telling the local librarian either certain books need to be banned or the librarian gets fired, and there's also troopergate - very much like Ronda threatening the county staff to deny a permit to a bikini bar club she didn't like.

"Breaking the county charter meant nothing to Ronda as I'm sure the Constitution means about the same to Palin."

Who knows? If the McCain/Palin ticket gets elected, perhaps there would be a place in the new administration for Ronda Storms - Secretary of Pinched Harrumphing, perhaps?

Last week's letters column touched upon the often misunderstood and frequently mischaracterized allegation that current Democratic Party vice presidential candidate, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, "plagiarized" a speech by then British Labour Party Leader Neil Kinnock during his own presidential campaign in 1988.

Biden had been properly citing a Kinnock speech in his own stump remarks until on one occasion he forgot, thus leading to the "plagiarism" allegation.

That prompted alneri to note the real truth about Biden's phony "plagiarism" escapade can be learned by logging onto the Web site of Ann Coulter, the Frau Blucher of the right-wing wacko community.

Uh-huh, wonderful idea, alneri. Using the Eva Braun of the Faux News crowd as an historical authority on anything would be like looking to Michael Vick for advice on dog obedience classes.

Oh, and lastly, one more quick point on elitism.

Aside from all the multimillionaires like Thompson, Giuliani and Romney trying to pass themselves off as Joe Six-Pack, Vanity Fair reported this week that when Cindy McCain and First Lady Laura Bush appeared at the GOP convention, between the two women they were wearing $300,000 in high-end designer clothing and bling.

Little wonder then, this gaggle of conventioneers should have more appropriately been holding up signs reading: "Country Club - First!"

Keyword: Book of Ruth, to read and comment on Daniel Ruth's blog. Or tune into WWBA, NewsTalk 1040, on Sundays from 1 to 3 p.m. to listen to his radio show.

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