Palin, Pit Bulls, Lipstick and Pigs

If Sarah Palin were truly interested in campaigning honorably and solving the nation's problems rather than subjecting us to silly Clintonian-Rovian games, she would come out immediately and make a simple statement. She would say plainly that she did not take personal offense when Barack Obama described the Republicans' presentation of their economic plan as "putting lipstick on a pig." She would make it clear that in no way did she think the comment was directed at her personally, even though she disagrees strongly with his argument. She might further counter that argument with reasons why she and Senator McCain would be better economic stewards than would the Democratic ticket.  

But she hasn't. Instead she has permitted her campaign to intimate, with what Obama has rightly called "false outrage," that somehow he was putting her down personally, manufacturing an imbroglio where none should exist and instantly conjuring out of thin air a big news story that distracts voters from what really matters in this election. In fact, she hasn't taken questions from the media at all since becoming McCain's running mate nearly two weeks ago. Voters should expect more from someone who wants to hold the second-highest office in the land. Politicians work for us, not the other way around. That said, the national media should also be ashamed of itself for taking the bait on the "lipstick" non-story, and for not more aggressively hounding Palin for unscripted answers to the people's questions. 

To be fair, Obama should also stop intimating that McCain thinks that the definition of rich is someone who makes $5 million a year. It is obvious that McCain was joking when he said this at the Saddleback Church forum. It wasn't a very good joke, but that's beside the point. Obama has plenty of material with which to attack McCain on the economy without resorting to such distortions. 

This kind of childish behavior on the part of our leaders and the media prevents us from fully exercising our civic duty. Only when we demand better — and punish those who refuse to provide it — will we receive it.