Sarah Palin is not a maverick reformer

I’ve seen several letters recently that say liberals do not like her as they fear her and I would say that is actually true and for good reason as it appears she would if ever elected govern from a “religious right wing perspective,” which includes a kind of “belligerent nationalism” that God is on our side and anything we do is simply doing his will.

With that mind set comes a philosophy of anti-science, anti-intellectualism and knowing things is not important and decisions are made not with critical thinking but by dogma, holding hands and praying. I was astounded when she was being interviewed by Charlie Gibson that she did not even know what the “Bush Doctrine” was. The conservative movement in this country has been filled with people who were highly intelligent and actually knew things, the likes of William Buckley, Barry Goldwater and so on but Sarah, while being a gifted speaker, attractive and charismatic, does not begin to have the knowledge it would take to run this country. She knows how to pander to the right and demagogue an issue but a “wink” and a “you betcha” will not suffice for knowledge or character.

Her claims when you look closely do not ring true like she is a maverick fiscal reformer, which she is not. For example: Palin campaigned on getting the “Bridge to Nowhere” as governor then when it became a national embarrassment she started saying: “I said thanks but no thanks to that bridge” but keeps the earmark money and continues building roads for millions that would tie into the bridge. Brags about cutting property taxes and her salary $3,000 as mayor of Wasilla and then hires a city manager to do her job for $55,000 and adds a 2-percent sales tax. Wasilla had no debt until Sarah Palin came into office when she was through they were $20 million in debt from building a new sports arena and the same people who were awarded the contract became Todd Palin’s good buddies and who, out of the kindness of their hearts, help him build their new $500,000 home?

DENNIS SHELLHORN

Sandpoint