1 Corinthians 1:27
But the foolish things of the world hath God chosen, that he may confound the wise; and the weak things of the world hath God chosen, that he may confound the strong.
According to Peggy Noonan, Sarah Palin isn't smart enough, intellectual enough, experienced enough or good enough to have been chosen by John McCain as his running mate.
I think Ms. Noonan would be disappointed to find that I don't care a bit. The Republican base doesn't care a bit. And in the end the voters won't care a bit.
And have you notced that even with all the mounting criticisms against Sarah Palin, I have yet to hear a better candidate proposed.
If running for office were a matter of who had the highest marks in school, the most graduate degrees, and who read the must erudite works then maybe Ms. Noonan might have a point.
I've never seen a problem solved by an intellectual. They pose them, yes. But solve them? Never.
It is somewhat surprising for me to see Christians oppose the candidacy of Sarah Palin on the grounds that Peggy Noonan uses. Surely having read the Bible, understanding the Gospel and having read the lives of the Saints we have some understanding that God chooses the weak to do His Will. The mighty, the proud, the rich usually have better things to do and they certainly know better than God what must be done.
From the simple shepherd boy who became King David to the illiterate fishermen who transformed the world to the reclusive St Catherine of Siena who commanded the Pope, God's standards are in marked contrast to ours. We can wonder at them but dare we question them?
7 comments:
Yes, who would be better than Sarah? Romney? The media would've eaten him alive just for his Mormonism alone. Can you imagine him going up against Obama? Up until the 70s his religion taught that black people were accursed. Can you immagine Huckabee running for VP? No way.
I don't know what happened to Peggy Noonan but I'm glad of one thing: I'm glad the elites of the party are being plain about the comtempt they have for the rest of us. Come 2012 people are going to remember.
Some other thoughts on Palin and populism can be found here: http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/10/18/avoiding-easy-pseudo-populism/
Worth a read to broaden the debate beyond the usual suspects.
I read the article John and it has absolutely nothing to do with what I've written.
It seems to me that it is not by virtue of populism that Sarah Palin is derided but because she is popular. The reasons for her popularity- her opposition to abortion, the courage she showed by exposing and fighting corruption, her return of tax payer money to tax payers I do not see any discussion of. In fact it is her moral judgment, that resonates with people. Joe Fitzgerald wrote an article about this:
http://bostonherald.com/news/columnists/view/2008_10_20_Sarah_Palin_doesn_t_deserve_all_this_cattiness/srvc=home&position=1
If Colin Powell's endorsement has proven anything it's that this election has always been about one thing- abortion.
Sorry I meant to quote this article:
Straight from the populist pages of the Boston Herald:
http://bostonherald.com/news/columnists/view/2008_10_20_Sarah_Palin_doesn_t_deserve_all_this_cattiness/srvc=home&position=1
Mary,
Gov. Palin is not running for President. MacCain is.
And John McCain is NOT pro-life.
He's merely against Roe v. Wade.
He has openly stated that he has no problem with abortion legislation being left up to the States - can you imagine the veritable hydra that we would face if this issue went back to the States, now that its prominence has been so enlarged upon the political field?
And he's not so very against Roe v. Wade, as far as that goes.
As he said himself in the last debate, while in the Senate he voted to approve both Breyer and Ginsberg.
Seems like these righteous Republicans are batting pretty badly in this battle.
They talk the talk, but...
This issue will NOT be resolved politically.
Only fire and blood will cleanse this Republic of this atrocity.
We WILL be changed and punished. There's no going back to the "good ol' days."
Did you think that this political experiment was to be some sort of thousand year reich? Do you honestly believe that a post U.S. world would have no history left within it? That Our Lord has a residential zip code?
Are you like Gov. Palin, and a closet Evangelical?
Or do you subscribe to the William Bennett blasphemy that America is "the world's last, best hope"?
What is the song of the Three Children? "All that Thou hast done to us, O Lord, Thou hast done in justice."
Even so, COME LORD JESUS!
I am still one with you, however.
We may all go down together.
Let us hold until relieved, remembering that here "we have no lasting city" - especially not a "city upon a hill."
We have been gently and subtly preparing the children for the possibility of martyrdom.
It's not THAT outrageous or paranoid so to do. O Dianne and I will laugh about it, and keep the mood up and the humor high, but we do it all the same.
I suggest that you and Mr. Alexander begin to do the same.
Life truly is short.
The one to come is "forever, and ever..." as St. Teresa and her brother used to sit in their little hermitage and contemplate.
Forever, and ever, and ever...
-EDWARD
Mary,
You have a lovely blog. I am happy to see you speak your mind in an eloquent manner.
I must say that I am so very disappointed in MANY Catholics these days. They seem to have the attitude to either stay at home, vote 3rd party, or worse yet vote for Obama for other reasons. What happened to vote for the best candidate and pray diligently for their conversion? Those running for office are not Catholic. They do not have a properly formed conscience to make decisions as a true Catholic would. McCain and Palin are very close in many things. Closer than many Catholics I know. Who is closer that is on the ballot in all 50 states? NO ONE! Why can't people vote for the better and flood the candidates with prayers and green scapulars for their conversion and increase in their virtue? Do they not believe that these type actions offered sincerely would convert them? Is this not possible with God? I am tired of the pompous pride so many Catholics have regarding voting... an all or none approach. You have a man running for President who at one time was given great virtue to survive in a POW camp and a women for VP with a baby who can do more for the pro life movement by publically showing a nation how important life is just by being a mom to Trig. What more do people need?
My dear lillian,
If your comment was directed at me, then you are quite correct in assessing the pomposity of my very faulty character.
I must take exception with you on one thing, however.
I do not have an "all or nothing" approach to voting. Although I fear Obama less than McCain (as concerning the war and our place in the world), I will not pull the lever for one who is so blatantly pro-abortion.
If Obama were a 'blue dog' Democrat (as I am), and truly pro-life, I would support him whole-heartedly.
Yet I also do not subscribe to the 'lesser of two evils' proposition in this particular case, as I do not believe McCain to be truly pro-life.
To do nothing about an issue is worse than being on the wrong side of it.
McCain and Palin will merely maintain the status quo, whining and simpering about "changing hearts and minds", but not daring to willingly tip the oh so delicate apple cart, and make this issue NO. 1 in priority. With so fierce a challenge as Obama, perhaps there would be a great solidifacation of the movement in the face of it.
(By the way, are we not to pray more especially for his conversion? Would that not be more telling of God's infinite power and mercy? Is there not more joy in Heaven over the conversion of one grievous sinner than of a hundred righteous? Or are we only to pray for the 'lesser conversion' needed for those who are kinda, sorta close in a way to the way we think things ought to pan out.)
We've had a 'pro-life' President in office now for eight years, as we had from 1981 to 1989, and we are not one whit closer to making reparation as a nation for this sin.
So no, neither will I pull the lever for McCain, NOT because I am "comparing" him to Obama, but because I don't believe HE HIMSELF is worthy of authority.
Would you make your same "lesser" argument if all we had to choose from were between Stalin and Mao?
How on earth would THAT decision work out?
I take voting very seriously, and I will not vote against my conscience. It pains me that I have no one 'big' to vote for, but there it is. Hier stehe ich.
Perhaps I was too strong in my last coment.
I condemn no one for voting their conscience, and certainly McCain would not be an evil choice.
My God, these are frustrating days.
-EDWARD
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