J.D. Gordon: Sarah has more brains than Barack

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J.D. Gordon, a senior fellow at the Center for Security Policy, makes the case in a Washington Times op-ed that Sarah Palin "is actually smarter than Mr. Obama":

First, Mrs. Palin understands that lofty campaign promises don't equate to good governance. Mr. Obama's presidential campaign, centered around "hope and change," has led to runaway spending in a roughly $800 billion stimulus bill, dramatically increased unemployment to roughly 10 percent - twice the rate of George W. Bush's administration - and ushered in Obamacare, which the majority of Americans oppose.

Mr. Obama's No. 1 priority, closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, as he mandated within hours of being sworn into office, went nowhere, as did outreach to Iran and now the Taliban fighting our troops in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, unilateral missile-defense cuts and world tours of apologies, complete with bowing to foreign leaders, have made the country less safe.

Given such factors, it should not be surprising that Mr. Obama's approval rating has plummeted from 68 percent at inauguration to a mere 44 percent less than 2 years later. Mrs. Palin campaigned in 2008 for balancing the budget, creating jobs, promoting energy independence and supporting the troops, issues that have remained crucial over the past two years.

Unlike Mr. Obama, Mrs. Palin can relate to Main Street. While the Obama family jetted to Martha's Vineyard, Maine and the Spanish Mediterranean coast last summer alone, the Palins have been connecting with the American public throughout the United States in dozens of speaking venues and other appearances, including "Dancing With the Stars." In a recent California speech, Mrs. Palin pointed to the plight of Central Valley farmers who can't get water for their crops while 37,000 jobs have been lost in the process - all to save a 2-inch fish (the delta smelt) which was rescued through an environmentalist lawsuit. "In Alaska, we call a 2-inch fish bait," she said wryly.

Last but not least, mainstream media and late night-comedy portrayals are deeply flawed when it comes to Mrs. Palin.

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Though the mainstream media and comedians can say what they will, Americans will have their say at the ballot box. When voters scratch below the surface of myths that have been constructed carefully around Mr. Obama and Mrs. Palin and compare the myths to the track records over the past two years, they just might reconsider who is smarter.

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- JP