What's Wrong with these (R) Women?

One of the frequent discussion topics on FOX News when talking about Sarah Palin is that liberals are scared of her because she's pro-life, pro-gun and conservative, as if liberals don't believe that women can hold these positions. Jon Stewart recently dealt head-on with this phenomenon and pretty much hit the nail on the head.

I dislike Sarah Palin because she's anti-intellectual and seems incapable of thoughtful, informed analysis.

"I believe that the Jewish settlements should be allowed to be expanded upon, because that population of Israel is, is going to grow. More and more Jewish people will be flocking to Israel in the days and weeks and months ahead." - Sarah Palin to Barbara Walters.

This is the most uninformed, superficial, shallow analysis of the complex issues that dominate the Israeli/Palestinian situation I've ever seen. Of course, it's likely informed by her "end-times" belief that Armageddon is coming and Jews are supposed to migrate to Israel before that happens. Which makes her view on these issues not just stupid, but dangerous if she ever got into power.

Then she said this:

“There’s been a lack of acknowledgment by our president in understanding what it is that the American military provides in terms of, obviously, the safety, the security of our country. I want him to acknowledge the sacrifices that these individual men and women — our sons, our daughters, our moms, our dads, our brothers and sisters — are providing this country to keep us safe. "

This bit of unreality, of course, flies in the face of this and this.

It should be noted that no President has met with remains coming into Dover for 18 years.

To round out her parade of ignorance, she was approached by a Canadian comedian on her book tour and asked if she had any words of encouragement to Canadian conservatives trying to get rid of the socialist health care system up there. Of course, the Canadian health care system is superior to ours by almost every measure.

“Keep the faith and that common-sense conservatism. It needs to be plugged into Canadian policies too. Keep the faith!”
. . .
Well, my answer was too keep the faith. My answer was to keep the faith. Cause that common sense conservatism can be plugged-in there in Canada too. In fact Canada needs to reform its health care system and let the private sector take over some of what the government has absorbed. So thank you, keep the faith."

Could it be any more clear that she's answering a question here without any knowledge whatsoever about Canadian health care? It's just verbal effluence with no substance whatsoever. The fact that her answer is complete BS doesn't seem to bother her.

And it's not just Sarah Palin among the conservative camp. Right-wing star, former Bush press secretary Dana Perino also seems affected by the know-nothing disease.

While calling for the President to declare the Fort Hood shootings a "terrorist attack" she said:

"We did not have a terrorist attack on our country during President Bush's term."

This is, of course, a HUGE relief as I've really been stressing about 9/11. I'm so glad that never happened! Or those anthrax attacks the following year.

I wish I lived in Parino's world.

While I applaud the Republicans for belatedly getting on the "women" bandwagon and featuring a few women candidates, I wish they'd pick some women with actual thoughts, intelligence and knowledge. That would be refreshing.