---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Slate Magazine <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Mon, Oct 20, 2008 at 5:41 PM Subject: Politics: Speak Up! To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[image: Slate Magazine]<http://letters.slate.com/W0RH0049A842D770789C6299873CC0><http://letters.slate.com/W0RH0049A852C770789C6299873CC0><http://letters.slate.com/W0RH0049A822F770789C6299873CC0>Now playing: *Slate V*, a video-only site from the world's leading online magazine. Visit *Slate V* at slatev.test.slate.com<http://letters.slate.com/W0RH0049A832E770789C6299873CC0> .fighting words Speak Up! Stop covering Palin until she gives a press conference. By Christopher Hitchens Posted Monday, Oct. 20, 2008, at 11:07 AM ET [image: Sarah Palin and Katie Couric. Click image to expand.]<http://letters.slate.com/W0RH0049A8929770789C6299873CC0>The new line of the day, taken by many conservative intellectuals, is that criticism of Gov. Sarah Palin is essentially a blend of snobbery and sexism. This, I presume, is intended as a sort of strike against the considerable number of conservative commentators, from David Frum<http://letters.slate.com/W0RH0049A8028770789C6299873CC0>to Christopher Buckley <http://letters.slate.com/W0RH0049A862B770789C6299873CC0>, who have openly said that the woman is not qualified to be vice president. There is, of course, also the question of whether she is qualified to be governor of Alaska. Writing about her<http://letters.slate.com/W0RH0049A872A770789C6299873CC0>when she was first put forward by Sen. John McCain, I rather feebly took the line that one should give her the benefit of the doubt and not be condescending, but it does now begin to look as if most of what she claimed for herself, from the "bridge to nowhere" to the "troopergate<http://letters.slate.com/W0RH0049A8655770789C6299873CC0>" business, was very questionable at best, and much of what her critics said was essentially true. The emphasis on experience is in many ways the wrong one (rather as it has been when directed at Sen. Barack Obama). The problem with Gov. Palin is not that she lacks experience. It's that she quite plainly lacks intellectual curiosity. It is not snobbish to harbor grave doubts about somebody who seems uninterested in reading for pleasure or recreation and whose only interest in her local public library is sniffing round its shelves for books that ought to be removed for expressing impure ideas. *To continue reading, click here<http://letters.slate.com/W0RH0049A8754770789C6299873CC0> .* *Christopher Hitchens is a columnist for *Vanity Fair*.* Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE <http://letters.slate.com/W0RH0049A8457770789C6299873CC0> | READ MESSAGES <http://letters.slate.com/W0RH0049A8556770789C6299873CC0> *Also In Slate* ------------------------------ *Slate Fare *Introducing *Slate*'s Redesign<http://letters.slate.com/W0RH0049A8051770789C6299873CC0> *Business & Tech *The 18 Pieces of Software You Need on Your Computer<http://letters.slate.com/W0RH0049A8150770789C6299873CC0> *News & Politics *California Can Have Obama or Gay Marriage, but Not Both<http://letters.slate.com/W0RH0049A8853770789C6299873CC0> Advertisement <http://letters.slate.com/W0RH0049A8952770789C6299873CC0> Ideas on how to make something better? Send an e-mail to * [EMAIL PROTECTED] *Manage your newsletters on Slate* Unsubscribe <http://letters.slate.com/W0RH0049A8358770789C6299873CC0> | Newsletter Center <http://letters.slate.com/W0RH0049A895B770789C6299873CC0> | Advertising Information <http://letters.slate.com/W0RH0049A805A770789C6299873CC0> Please do not reply to this message since this is an unmonitored e-mail address. If you have questions about newsletters, please go here<http://letters.slate.com/W0RH0049A8945770789C6299873CC0> . Copyright 2008 Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive Co. LLC | Privacy Policy<http://letters.slate.com/W0RH0049A8044770789C6299873CC0> Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive | c/o E-mail Customer Care |1515 N. Courthouse Rd. | Arlington, VA 22201 -- Philip Jones --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Black Focus Inc." group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Black-Focus-Inc?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
