Doug, proof that you see only that which serves your narrow purpose lies in the first two sentences of your diatribe above. I believe I am a liberal, and that I indicated great respect for my friend and fellow Beef Brother, as well as respect for his opinions.

As to those that choose to label this woman as "stupid" or a "dummy", be reminded that arrogance of that kind is what gave us Dubya. It is the same arrogance on behalf of management types that I took advantage of in union organizing drives, yet I was guilty of it as well. As you may recall, I was running the Gore campaign in Michigan during the Republican Primaries of 2000. I remember sitting with a young staffer of mine and making the comment that I sure hoped that GWB got the nomination. The staffer asked me why. I told him something like, "..because we will whip him like a rented mule. He is nothing more than a Daddy's boy in a suit, and not very bright". He may, on reflection, be the worst President in US history, but he beat us twice. Before you start all the "he stole the election" stuff, just remember that if we had won any of the small States, including Gore's own Tennessee, then Florida wouldn't have mattered.

Never underestimate someone's intelligence. It takes smarts to take advantage of the unavoidable enough to win an election. With the unknowable events which will shape the next four years, Palin will be smart enough to school herself in her weaknesses, and the conservatives will surround her with Cheney like folks that will polish up the warts, or hide them from view.

Our young President-elect is making all the right moves, assembling a world class team, and has the vision and smarts to maneuver in a very unstable world. But smarter people have been tripped up by unknowable and unforeseen actions in countries where we have little or no input or decent intelligence sources. He will require all of his skills, and all of our embracing of his agenda in a very real and activist way, to be successful. The Palins of our nation are certainly out there waiting to take advantage of any slip up. The worst thing you could do would be not be aware of that.

Mick