Issues Shmissues

I do not think it matters that Sarah Palin does not know what the Bush Doctrine is. That is a point in her favor, as far as I can tell. Do not try to pretend at this late date that issues matter. If the fact that Ms. Palin's state's proximity to Russia confers upon her international experience, then I am the foremost expert on NAFTA and Canada due to my schooling in Canada and my living there for a while, my proximity to Canada through much of my life, and so on. Experience comes by osmosis, as it were. I breath the sweet, northern Canadian air and go off to slap Steven Harper on the back and have a biere with Stefan Dion. And do not think that I am criticizing Ms. Palin. If the campaign were to be based on a discussion of issues, the Republican Party would be in a world of hurt. Every issue is one of their wounds: the economy, the lying invasion of Iraq, the failure to secure Afghanistan at the beginning in 2001, torture, suspending habeas corpus, the list is long. The more ghastly the economic and world situations become, the more we seem to withdraw from reality into a world of nonsense and appearances, a secret garden where we may all conspire and put on a pantomime show. Sort of like James M. Barrie and the children. See the white-haired old man caper about like a playful animal, tossing bouquets into the young lady's lap. Precious memories, indeed!