ROSS DOUTHAT IS COMPLETELY WRONG: The NY Times columnist says that it was a mistake for Palin to enter the 2008 Presidential race at McCain’s side, and that her time on that national stage has been “dispiriting for American democracy.” I disagree. When one thinks of government by the people, for the people, who in recent memory has better exemplified that than the sitting governor of Alaska? She has the college pedigree of most people (Ivy League types are a very small fraction of our overall population). Her experience is limited, like that of other prominent politicians we could name, but what matters, as Victor Davis Hanson writes, is how rapidly she educates herself on all the issues (foreign policy as well as domestic):
In other words, it doesn’t matter that much what critics say, but — should she pursue politics — only what she does with her newfound time, especially if she travels widely, studies foreign policy, and helps galvanize the party base.
I’m glad she stepped in to the fray. So many said she should not, saying that she wasn’t ready enough or even good enough, like most Americans. Are we as a country always to look to a ruling elite to “care for us”? Can’t we govern ourselves? I have no illusions – governing is extremely hard work, requiring significant preparation (see Hanson above). But I’m glad Palin took that bold step. She paid the price for it, crucified by the feminist elite among others, and watching her family take shots that she may have never imagined. As for those who say she and McCain would never have won, I recall that McCain was on a significant uptick (he needed her base to win, remember?), with momentum to pass the Democratic Party ticket in the polls, when the financial system began to falter in September. Had the financial system not done all that, I think we would be talking about President McCain and Vice President Palin in the national media.
MICHAEL JACKSON FUNERAL: We might watch the Michael Jackson funeral over at the Urban Beanery coffee shop. They’ve got a nice back room that’s comfortable, has some relaxing seats, and TV. This thing is going to be a spectacle.
CHEGG: We Rent Movies, Why Not College Textbooks? :
“The textbook business was wildly inefficient,” said Mike Maples Jr., managing partner at Maples Investments…
Ya think?
AMERICA’S SECRET INNOVATION WEAPON: “When I was 8 years old, my father explained to me the secret to American prosperity,” starts Mike Speiser, who makes this noteworthy statement:
Smart immigration policies will do more for American innovation and productivity than better math and science education, more spending on basic research and additional venture capital combined.
IT HIRING AND SALARIES ARE DOWN: Toni Bowers writes that (a) layoffs have focused on middle management and IT support staff, (b) many mid-sized enterprises have stopped hiring all together, and (c) there’s a surplus of IT pros available. This stuff might seem obvious to you, but she adds some helpful detail to these scenarios.
ADAPTIVE PAYMENTS: Paypal looks to crush Amazon’s fledgeling payment service with a new, secret API. Pay for items from several merchants with one payment, stuff like that.