Two Democratic Women Dramatically Defect to McCain/Palin and Tell Why

MSs BUTTON AND LAFFERTY NOW SINGING A DIFFERENT SONG

If you don't read anything else today, take time to read this piece by long-time Democrat and former speech writer to Barack Obama, John Edwards AND Hillary Clinton on her recent defection to McCain/Palin. Her name is Wendy Button. More than worth the time. I'll be back to say more later. Meanwhile, a tidbit of Wendy's piece below:

"This drift started on a personal level with the fall of former Senator John Edwards. It got stronger during the Democratic National Convention when I counted the substantive mentions of poverty on one hand and a whole bunch of bad canned partisan lines against Senator John McCain. Some faith was lifted after Senator Hillary Clinton’s grace during a difficult hour. But that faith was dashed when I saw that someone had raided the Caligula set and planted the old columns at Invesco Field.

"The final straw came the other week when Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher (a.k.a Joe the Plumber) asked a question about higher taxes for small businesses. Instead of celebrating his aspirations, they were mocked. He wasn’t “a real plumber,” and “They’re fighting for Joe the Hedge-Fund manager,” and the patronizing, “I’ve got nothing but love for Joe the Plumber.”

"Having worked in politics, I know that absolutely none of this is on the level. This back and forth is posturing, a charade, and a political game. These lines are what I refer to as “hooker lines”—a sure thing to get applause and the press to scribble as if they’re reporting meaningful news.

"As the nation slouches toward disaster, the level of political discourse is unworthy of this moment in history. We have Republicans raising Ayers and Democrats fostering ageism with “erratic” and jokes about Depends. Sexism. Racism. Ageism and maybe some Socialism have all made their ugly cameos in election 2008. It’s not inspiring. Perhaps this is why I found the initial mocking of Joe so offensive and I realized an old line applied: “I didn’t leave the Democratic Party; the Democratic Party left me.”

THEN OVER at Greg Cotham's blog, he's posted another stunning Democratic woman's defection to the McCain/Palin camp. This time it's Elaine Lafferty, a former liberal, feminist elite who was once editor-in-chief of Ms. Magazine (!). It's really true. Read about Elaine's 'Palin conversion' on the campaign trail here. And you'll know why Elaine now thinks Palin is one very smart dame who's more than qualified for the job she's seeking and the one that she hopes she won't have anytime soon during a McCain administration. Actually Laffery calls Palin a 'brainiac."

"It's difficult not to froth when one reads, as I did again and again this week, doubts about Sarah Palin's “intelligence,” coming especially from women such as PBS's Bonnie Erbe, who, as near as I recall, has not herself heretofore been burdened with the Susan Sontag of Journalism moniker.

"As Fred Barnes—God help me, I'm agreeing with Fred Barnes—suggests in the Weekly Standard, these high toned and authoritative dismissals come from people who have never met or spoken with Sarah Palin. Those who know her, love her or hate her, offer no such criticism. They know what I know, and I learned it from spending just a little time traveling on the cramped campaign plane this week: Sarah Palin is very smart.

Neither of these women were predisposed, indisposed or otherwise disposed to being exposed to the real dirty truths in this campaign---and about Palin's huge capabilities--- which each of them happened onto by mistake. An open mind can be a shocking thing to experience. Right Wendy and Elaine? I know it once was for me.

UPDATE: Pans for Bam's informerical.