Alaska Governor Palin's Contempt for America.

[ColbertWatcher]

CBS's Katie Couric asked her if she could name another Supreme Court case besides Roe v Wade. Word has spread that she had no answer. It is doubtful that her knowledge of the realities surrounding Roe v Wade would be any more substantial.

This reluctance to offer an answer to that fundamental question reveals a contempt for American history by the governor. MSNBC's Rachel Maddow rattled off at least 4 during her program. But, it isn't fair to compare the two: Maddow relishes information, Palin diminishes it.

How is it that Palin couldn't provide Couric any answer, even a wrong one? Is it enough to just say that Palin doesn't like information? What else about common American culture is she unaware?

Educator E. D. Hirsch, Jr. conceived of the idea of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._D._Hirsch_Jr.#Concern_for_cultural_literacy">"cultural literacy" in the late 1970's, early 1980's, surmising that there are basic "nuggets" of knowledge that people should know in order to understand the world in which they belong. Those "nuggets" are the sayings, the history and names of people, places and things that are specific to a people of a certain place and time. A person belonging to that culture might not know all of them, but they should know some of them. Culture-changing court cases, for instance.

Is Palin's non-answer indicative of the GOP's overall hatred for knowledge, or is it related to her religion's cloistered beliefs and something she has relied on all her life? Or does it stem from the belief that any knowledge diminishes a woman's femininity?

There is a school of thought in business that says it is reasonable for someone to accept a job despite not being qualified. "Fake it til you make it" says that as long as you get the job, you can make up for not being qualified by eventually learning enough to do the current job before the next opportunity comes along. Has Palin relied on this strategy all her life, jumping from college to college, office to office keeping one step ahead of her reputation? Or has she been lead about unwillingly (and possibly unknowingly) by a formidable political machine to be the face that sells the policies in exchange for the prestige and glory of the office?

Or is it both?

A narcissist reliant on her looks, charm and the kindness of strangers, Palin finds herself caught up in a mutually exploitative relationship with a political party that is known for celebrity and personality more than policy substance and the common tenets of democracy. Whether the name recognition is from the sports world, or Hollywood, the GOP has in recent years gone to the celebrity well many times for candidates. When celebrity is in short supply, the GOP digs deeper for pure personality and it is from here that Palin (and McCain for that matter) springs forth.

Palin is simply someone who fits the lowest superficial criteria for a position (desire and a sense of entitlement for it), but fails in every measure of competence (a lifetime of public service or intellectual curiosity in landmark court rulings). She is the perfect GOP candidate: a face and a name more than willing to get out of the way of the party operatives doing the real work behind the scenes. She is content with this situation such as this, so long as she is in the spotlight and there is the promise of a promotion and more attention later on.

In a country that believes hard work is the essential quality for getting ahead, ignorance of elemental history and a lifetime spent avoiding participatory democracy is the very definition of contempt.