The Washington Post had Anchorage reporter Gregg Erickson on to chat about Sarah Palin's brief track record as governor of Alaska. We all know about troopergate and her far right stances on women's rights, creationism, and the environment, but what about her competence as governor? Surely her 65% approval rating indicates that she has been doing a heckuva job, no?
Gregg Erickson: Most Alaskans haven't watched her as closely as most reporters or legislators. If you took a poll of reporters and legislators I expect her approval rating would be down in the teens or twenties.
Now why might that be? Several questioners elicited a rather complete, and striking profile of Palin's personality.
What is Sarah Palin like personally? Is she a real Maverick who works across the aisle? Can she build governing coalitions and understand multiple sides of an issue?
Gregg Erickson: She tends to oversimplify complex issues, has had difficulty delegating authority, and clearly has difficulty distinguishing the line between her public responsibilities and private wishes. ...she seems to be of the view that politics shouild be all rather simple.
Oversimplify complex issues? Where have we heard this before, hmm... does she have at least a little nuance when it comes to serious matters? I mean, surely McCain would pick someone who can take a measured response to foreign policy situations?
Gregg Erickson: I expect her to stick with simple truths. When asked about continued American troop presence in Iraq she said she knows only one thing about that (I paraphrase): no one has attacked the American homeland since George Bush took the war to Iraq.
That sounds more than a little risky... but at least she's a proven reformer who fights corruption, right? A real Maverick outsider like John McCain! I mean, she claimed to have stopped the Bridge to Nowhere today!
Gregg Erickson: Contrary to her statement today in Dayton, OH, she didn't send the federal money back. It's available for use in other projects elsewhere.
Ahem. So, according to Gregg Erickson, Palin sees nothing but black and white, doesn't work well with others, and was dishonest about her track record today. Sounds like a real change from what we have in the Oval Office now to me! So what is his final verdict? This neutral, long-time Palin observer sounds like quite the Kossack:
Gregg Erickson: I have a hard time seeing how her qualifications stack up against the duties and responsibilities of being president.