Tone-deaf Republicans

Preparing for the debate tonight, I read the following at 'The Corner' -- a blog at the conservative periodical National Review. To me, it epitomizes the failure of Republicans to read the waves in the water and see the reality before them:

Anti-Intellectualism and Palin [Ramesh Ponnuru]

I keep reading—most recently in an email Kathryn posted—that Palin is anti-intellectual. Now I can readily see that Palin is not an intellectual herself, as most people are not, and is not interested in the type of things that intellectuals are. But why do people say she is anti-intellectual? Has she given a speech belittling book-larnin'?

Does this guy really not get why Gov. Palin is considered "anti-intellectual"? It's true, I think Gov. Palin is smarter than she is given credit for. But come on, her performances are what they are.

Is Ramesh Ponnuru the only person in the country who didn't see or hear about the Gibson interview? The Couric interview? Or is Mr. Ponnuru's ability to analyze reality severely undercut by his personal need to see his party remain in power? More often than not, partisanship undermines any ethic of responsible analysis.

The real loser in this is Gov. Palin. She has real political talent. But she needs to improve in certain areas to realize this potential. More than anything, she needs to get more informed. But if she is stuck with oblivious handlers like Ramesh Ponnuru, Gov. Palin will have no chance to get where she wants to go.

Here is the Ponnuru source.