The father (grandfather) of neo-conservatism, Norman Podhoretz, defends Sarah Palin by reminding his conservative friends that before Ronald Reagan was RONALD REAGAN, he too was considered a light-weight air-head.

Podhoretz is careful to say this doesn't mean that Palin should be President of the United States but I certainly agree with him that based on his performance so far, he would prefer Palin in the Oval Office than its current resident.

What Palin understands that Obama seems not to is that America has been a force for good in the world and is not a nation that needs to be led on an apology tour of the galaxy.

Too many people are mesmerized by those with oratorical gifts. They confuse erudition with competence and I.Q. with wisdom. There have been many very smart men who have been utter failures as political leaders. Jimmy Carter to name one. While there have been others, like Reagan, who wasn't so intellectually gifted but understood the big things in politics and life.

Nice to have both brains and wisdom (like Lincoln). But better wisdom without brains (Truman, Washington) than brains without wisdom (Wilson, Obama).