Thanks to Katie Couric's interview of Sarah Palin last Fall, we know that the former Vice-Presidential nominee is no History genius. When asked if there was any US Supreme Court decision she disagreed with, she couldn't come up with any.
I have a political history question for the Governor. In America's political history, how many former Vice-Presidential nominees have gone on to be elected President?
How many? If so, can you name them?
Well, the answer is, there was only one. That was Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was James M. Cox' running mate in 1920, and he was elected President in 1932.
Governor Palin proudly brags that she can see the coastline of Russia from her home in Alaska. The only thing FDR could see from his majestic home in Hyde Park was the beautiful Hudson River. But, he did more for this country, and, indeed, the world, than any modern president in history. All from the confines of a wheelchair, I might add.
While Sarah Palin had a designer's wardrobe worth thousands of dollars provided to her by the GOP, all FDR had was his sheer nerve and genuine concern for his fellow Americans. And who could forget his jaunty chin and famous cigarette holder clenched in his teeth? He led us out of the Great Depression and served as our beacon of hope during the dark days of World War II.
In closing, I would like to paraphrase a famous line from the 1988 campaign. Senator Lloyd Bentsen, in addressing his opponent Dan Quayle, said: "...Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy."
Well, Governor, you can take your now tarnished beauty pageant crown, of long ago, and your borrowed designer clothes and kindly walk off the American stage, because you are no Franklin D. Roosevelt.