The Idiot from Wasilla is Graded on a Curve

The punditocracy has declared (here, here and here) that Sarah Palin “passed” her big test in her debate with Joe Biden. By that they mean she didn’t sound like a blithering idiot the way she did talking to Katie Couric. True, she was not that bad.

But when the school dumbs the test down enough, anyone can pass, but there’s a catch. People know the standards are low so at the end of the day they don’t give much credit for meeting them. Besides, there were a few moron moments, such as when Gov. Palin was discussing the Constitution as it applies to the vice presidency, the office she seeks:

MODERATOR GWEN IFILL: Governor, you mentioned a moment ago the constitution might give the vice president more power than it has in the past. Do you believe as Vice President Cheney does, that the Executive Branch does not hold complete sway over the office of the vice presidency, that it it is also a member of the Legislative Branch?

PALIN: Well, our founding fathers were very wise there in allowing through the Constitution much flexibility there in the office of the vice president. And we will do what is best for the American people in tapping into that position and ushering in an agenda that is supportive and cooperative with the president's agenda in that position. Yeah, so I do agree with him that we have a lot of flexibility in there, and we'll do what we have to do to administer very appropriately the plans that are needed for this nation. And it is my executive experience that is partly to be attributed to my pick as V.P. with McCain, not only as a governor, but earlier on as a mayor, as an oil and gas regulator, as a business owner. It is those years of experience on an executive level that will be put to good use in the White House also. [See full transcript.]

Those founding fathers—God bless ‘em.

It’s the soft bigotry of low expectations applied to candidates for national office.