Thomas would approve of Palin. Trust me.

The great Dahlia Lithwick has an article in Slate today about what Clarence Thomas thinks of Sarah Palin's VP nomination...

Based on Thomas' judicial philosophy, Lithwick seems to suggest, Thomas would disapprove of a Palin Vice Presidency as a sop to bringing diversity on the ticket. (Although, in true Slatey fashion, Lithwick never comes out and says anything decisive like, "Thomas would disapprove...".)

I'm going to have to go ahead and disagree with that premise.

Few people are as fascinating to me (as full of contradiction, self hatred, anger and all the other dramatic elements) as Clarence Thomas. Unlike my fellow liberal snobs, I do not for a moment doubt Justice Thomas' intellect. The people who say that Thomas votes the straight Scalia line quite frankly don't know what they're talking about. Believe me, Thomas knows exactly what he thinks. And it is radically conservative -- probably more so than Antonin Scalia. (I have not read Thomas' memoir, My Grandfather's Son, but I highly recommend Jeffrey Toobin's great book, The Nine, for further discussion.)

Nor have I ever thought that Thomas was unqualified to sit on the bench. (When George H. W. Bush called him the "most qualified" man for the job, that was clearly not true. But he was no Harriet Miers. And much more qualified than some hack appointments over the years.)

My problem with Thomas is that his philosophy is insane.

A long time ago, Thomas made a decision that the right wing of the Republican Party was going to be his home and hearth, and that he would defend home and hearth with everything he has. Is there a philosophy that goes along with this? Sure. It's one of radical suspicion of the federal government and an all encompassing trust of local government. But Thomas is a smart enough guy to bend the philosophy to the law that suits the Republican Party every time (like, say, in national security matters).

What I think drew Thomas to the GOP was a true disgust with liberal snobs like me. (It's the same thing that ignited Richard Nixon's raging hatred of Democrats -- which Rick Perlstein details really well in Nixonland.)

For this reason, I have no doubt whatsoever that Thomas probably thought Sarah Palin was a brilliant pick. Like other arch-conservatives, Thomas favors the wisdom of the "common people." I'm sure that if Thomas ever met and had a discussion with Palin he would walk away thinking that she wasn't the brightest bulb in the world (I doubt any smart person could walk away with confidence in her) but that would not disqualify her, in his mind, from the presidency.

Conservatives have talked themselves into a very perverse position: Intelligence really doesn't matter for an executive. (The really weird part -- in my view -- is that this idea was mostly formed by conservative intellectuals.

I guess that this opinion was formed in part because everyone knew that Ronald Reagan wasn't the smartest guy in the world -- and conservatives view his presidency as a triumph. Moreover, the bar only got lower over the years with the arrival of Dan Quayle and George W. Bush on the national scene. (Of course, if you ask me, these guys look like Klemens freakin' Metternich in comparison to Sarah Palin.)

I think that Thomas would rush to her defense; the small town, common sense woman, beset by the jackals of the elite, who condescend to her because she is a woman. (Lithwick rightly points out that even though Thomas is fervently against affirmative action, he has never been shy about saying that racism has been a part of the reaction on behalf of his enemies.)

Sorry Dahlia -- I'm just not buying.

ImPalined

Not that most of this stuff wasn't floating around the internet and papers for those who were looking for it, but the Times has a great piece on the "new boys" network (or, maybe, "new girls" network) since Sarah Palin became governor. Definitely worth a look.

Also, Andrew Sullivan gives his take.

Alaskans for FSTS!

My friend Robert George says this of Sarah Palin's new son-in-law:

"Levi Johnston is now -- next to Seth Rogen -- the most famous guy to knock up a chick."

I never realized that... but it's true!

Does this mean a new market for From Schlub to Stud...? The backwoods Alaskan rednecks? (For the record, Levi Johnston is not a schlub... but I'm sort of curious as to how Johnston would view his schlubby Jewish counterpart, Rogen.)

Robert's post is worth reading in full. I wasn't quite so disgusted by seeing Mr. Johnston on the stage with the GOPers. I was more revolted by the way the Palin's Down syndrome child was passed from family member to family member in front of the cable news cameras. (One friend described it like "passing a bong around.")

Even in my Gross insensitivity, I couldn't quite believe that they would use a severely disabled infant as a political prop. But, then, I don't know why I continue to be surprised by Republican antics.

The great advantage of low expectations

On my way into work today, something a little frightening occurred to me...

Sarah Palin's disasterous first week might really redound to her credit in the debates against Joe Biden.

Let me explain: Back in 2000, everyone thought that George W. Bush was a sitting duck in the debates against Al Gore. There was no way that such a callow yutz as Bush was going to outshine a sitting vice president who had a sterling career as a senator and a vast reservoir of policy knowledge.

And then what happened? Bush walked away with it! For three debates!

Some said that Al Gore lost it because he came off as arrogant. (Which I think has a lot of merit. Watching it at home I winced after every sigh.) But I think Bush won it primarily because the media had set him up to fail. Because he didn't come off like a complete moron, those accusations of stupidity seemed thin. (Some, like the great James Fallows, insist that Bush is not a bad debater. But I'm not convinced.)

This might be exactly what happens with Sarah Palin.

A lot of people on the Democratic side are worried that Joe Biden might say or do something condescending to her in the debate that will endear her to female voters (think Rick Lazio). But I don't think so. First off, the Obama campaign is too smart not to have anticipated that. Biden will no doubt treat her with great respect. (And, besides, her debate is going to matter a lot less than the Obama versus McCain debate, anyway.) But if she can show some spunk and a basic mastery of detail, people will score it as a win.

Oy....

VP rejects sounding off...

Wouldn't you be pissed off if you got passed over for a pistol packin' hottie who has no qualifications, plenty of glaring flaws, and looks so much better in a swimsuit?

God, all the possible VP picks look so schlubby in retrospect...

Who?

McCain takes a stab at the Hillary vote by tapping Sarah Palin as his VP pick.

My first reaction was, "Who?"

Well... I have no idea how this pick is going to go down. But I have the feeling that she'll get a lot more scrutiny than Joe Biden -- given the fact that McCain is so old.

It was a pretty brazen political gimmick. But a smarter gimmick than I expected. Not that Palin is a particularly good candidate. But she's a hell of a lot better choice than Joe Lieberman, Mitt Romney or Bobby Jindal.

But here's something to hope for: Wouldn't it be great if McCain and Palin got entangled in an affair? Not that would be a presidential first...

Mirror, mirror on the wall...

Is he the schlubbiest of them all?

Maybe.

Obviously, readers of this blog know that I've been pulling for Obama to select Joe Biden for veep, in part because I think he's the schlubbiest man for the job. But Tim Kaine gets off a crack in this CNN piece that I have to respect (at least schlub-wise): "My mom in Kansas City loves it when someone will talk about me as VP."

Wowzers. I sense a real kindred spirit.

Plus, I have to admit, the fact that David Brooks is pulling for Biden makes him a slightly less attractive candidate in my eyes. I know that that's not fair to Joe. And, truthfully, despite Kaine's latest pronouncement of maternal devotion, I still think Joe probably trumps him on most schlub issues.

But let's just say this schlub wouldn't be at all unhappy if it's Tim Kaine tomorrow.

Biden for VP!

And the schlub endorsement for VP goes to...

Joe Biden.

Frankly, I really don't care who gets the VP slot. I want whomever will most help Obama get to the White House. (In that sense, my other instinct would be to root for Tim Kaine of Virginia, a state which I think will really be in play this year.)

But Jonathan Cohn's post in The New Republic seals the deal for me -- if only for the first youtube clip when Biden is asked about Giuliani (and this isn't a clip I had seen before). The expression on Biden's face is absolutely brilliant -- that of a man with a sense of humor, but one who will not suffer fools lightly.

Plus, two other things:

I think that as we get closer to the election, there will be more hay made over racial politics and "playing the race card." The fact that Biden's campaign stumbled so badly out of the gate when he called Obama "clean" and "articulate" will make a lot of working class whites feel that Obama isn't a vindictive person in that he picked Biden. That he clearly sees a harmless gaffe for what it is, and isn't interested in playing racial politics. (And that he wants, instead, the best man for the job.)

Second, having watched Biden for many years, I have to say, he's... well, a bit of a schlub. Perfect for a vice president. I'm convinced.

Mitt Romney for veep?

Oh please!... Please dear lord make it be true!

The political blogosphere has been speculating for the last couple of days that Mitt Romney will be John McCain's choice for veep -- and this speculation has finally spilled into the paper of record.

Frankly, I think this would be great!

While there's one big asset Romney brings to the ticket (a huge checkbook, and the willingness to spend like a drunken sailor) there's very little else he brings. Massachusetts won't be in play. And given the fact that Romney repositioned himself as the right wing's favorite son, he won't bring any moderates on board. (He might have something more going for him now that the economy is in the tank. Maybe.)

But more than that: Mitt Romney is widely hated.

Personally, none of the Republican presidential candidates inspired the kind of unapologetic loathing I felt for Mitt Romney. (Not Mike Huckabee, not Fred Thompson -- not even Rudy!) While I generally think it's a mistake to rely on one's personal feelings when picking a candidate (you're voting for a president -- not a buddy) there was something about Romney's entitled manner that I could not bear. He was so plastic; so phony; so condescending; and so patently dishonest! There was something so offensive about the fact that he didn't seem to have any qualms about buying the election.

And, in this sense, Max Gross tapped into the popular feeling about Mitt Romney. He could throw as much money at the campaign as he wanted. And still nobody was going to vote for him!

Frankly, I can't imagine McCain doing it. But here's hoping!

(Incidentally, one of the best moments of the Republican primary -- in which, for a brief, fleeting second I really loved John McCain -- was when Romney put up a press release on his web site attacking McCain for all his cussing. My favorite is when McCain said to Pete Domenici, "I wouldn't call you an asshole unless you really were an asshole.")