Broder sees qualities in Palin that the rest of us can't see.

Sarah Palin and the tea party protesters love to portray her as a common sense mum fighting against elitism, whether it be the Washington elites she was so fond of complaining about during the election or simply the "elite media" which her supporters are so fond of blaming for reporting on her supposed shortcomings.

In an extraordinary piece in the Washington Post, David S. Broder says this:

Take Sarah Palin seriously.

And one of the reasons that he thinks she should be taken seriously is because her appearance at the Tea Party Convention was so impressive:

Blessed with an enthusiastic audience of conservative activists, Palin used the Tea Party gathering and coverage on the cable networks to display the full repertoire she possesses, touching on national security, economics, fiscal and social policy, and every other area where she could draw a contrast with Barack Obama and point up what Republicans see as vulnerabilities in Washington.

Her invocation of "conservative principles and common-sense solutions" was perfectly conventional. What stood out in the eyes of TV-watching pols of both parties was the skill with which she drew a self-portrait that fit not just the wishes of the immediate audience but the mood of a significant slice of the broader electorate.

I can only assume that this passage of her speech greatly impressed Broder, as he made a point of quoting it in full, where she talks of fighting the "elites":

"First and foremost, I want to be a good mom, and I want to raise happy, healthy, independent children. And I want them to be good citizens of this great country.

"And then I do want to be a voice for some common-sense solutions. I'm never going to pretend like I know more than the next person. I'm not going to pretend to be an elitist. In fact, I'm going to fight the elitist, because for too often and for too long now, I think the elitists have tried to make people like me and people in the heartland of America feel like we just don't get it, and big government's just going to have to take care of us.

So just who is actually being elitist here?

Let's start with a dictionary definition of elitism:

e⋅lit⋅ism   [i-lee-tiz-uhm, ey-lee-] –noun
1. practice of or belief in rule by an elite.
2. consciousness of or pride in belonging to a select or favored group.

And then lets look at whether other people, you know the ordinary Joe's which Palin and Broder claim to be speaking on behalf of, share Broder's view:

Although Palin is a tea party favorite, her potential as a presidential hopeful takes a severe hit in the survey. Fifty-five percent of Americans have unfavorable views of her, while the percentage holding favorable views has dipped to 37, a new low in Post-ABC polling.

There is a growing sense that the former Alaska governor is not qualified to serve as president, with more than seven in 10 Americans now saying she is unqualified, up from 60 percent in a November survey. Even among Republicans, a majority now say Palin lacks the qualifications necessary for the White House.

So, Broder now finds himself in a select group who see qualities in Palin which, sadly, the rest of the US. - certainly those living outside of "the Washington elite" - simply don't see.

Ironic isn't it? As Palin herself complained about "the elites": why is David Broder trying to make "people in the heartland of America feel like we just don't get it"?

Click here for Broder's article.

Tags: David S Broder, Sarah Palin, elites, elitism