Religion & Law

You know, although I find much to admire in and like about Sarah Palin (I grew up in Alaska), I agree with almost everything Rob says in his "Problem with Palin" post, except for (what I take to be) his premise that the "willing to engage the world, subordinate ideological formulae to actual experience, capable of revising views in light of facts, not prone to demonize those who disagree, yet clear-eyed about the importance of fundamental moral norms" criterion, when applied to the political choice facing us next month, cuts in favor of voting for an Obama administration rather than a McCain administration.  As I see it (and, to be sure, there's probably no point in elaborating -- at this point, we all think what we all think), misplaced populism, uncritical sloganeering, hostility toward questions directed at factual predicates, and ugly hostility toward those who come to different judgments about policy vehicles are (at least) at present, bigger problems on the political left than on the political right (which is not to say that anyone is innocent).  Oh well.  St. Thomas More, pray for us.