Why do I hold Sarah Palin to a more exacting standard than I do David Frum? Simple: because Palin and Frum fulfill different roles in the conservative movement. Palin is a political leader; Frum an intellectual leader. As an intellectual leader, Frum has much greater leeway — and an obligation really — to challenge conservative orthodoxy. Palin, by contrast, is abandoning conservative policy positions that she does not yet fully understand and has not yet fully thought through.
Sarah Palin’s California Senate Endorsement Underscores Her Need for Gravitas
May 9, 2010 By 2 Comments
Critics or my recent NewsReal Blog post miss my point. My point is not to disparage either Sarah Palin or Carly Fiorina, both of whom I like, respect and admire. My point is to be candid about Palin’s shortcomings so that she can change. Because America needs the Sarah Palin that can be, not the Sarah Palin that now is.
