Text extracted via OCR from the original document. May contain errors from the scanning process.
140 Teaching Minds
So we have a Palin supporter who has no idea why she supports Palin
and asks for help. The “helper” says fairness and realness, which apart
from being ungrammatical is also nonsense. Neither supporter seems
to know much about Palin, but they are eager to meet her and they be-
lieve in her. (This is not a comment about Sarah Palin, at least not by
me. Supporters of most political candidates have difficulty explaining
why they like whomever they like. Or, alternatively, they can explain
it and those explanations leave you wondering.)
I will never forget attending a JFK campaign visit to Brooklyn
when I was 14. The woman next to me exclaimed that she would vote
for JFK because he was so gorgeous. | was appalled. I knew the woman.
She was not a deep thinker, but, really-people vote for someone be-
cause of their looks? Yes, people do, political scientists have pointed
this out consistently.
Is this intelligent behavior? Of course not.
The question is: Can we do something about it? Is this an aspect
of intelligence that is not genetic and that therefore can be changed?
If you know and believe that what you have just said makes no
sense, you can try to learn how to make sense. Do these people know
that are they are not making sense? Here is another person from that
same Columbus event:
Young man in Ohio State jacket: She’s the epitome of
conservativeness and I’m telling you if the Republican Party
doesn’t back her, it doesn’t matter because she’s going to get
the presidency.
Interviewer: What would you like to see her do with foreign
policy?
Young man in Ohio State jacket: To be honest with you I don’t
know anything about her foreign policy.
Interviewer: What are some of the problems you have with cap
and trade proposed by Democrats in office?
Young man in Ohio State jacket: You want to give away your own
money, it’s fine, but don’t tell me to give away my money. It’s
socialism.
Young man in Ohio State jacket: The state that she did govern
was right across the street from Russia. You know so I’m not
saying that she ever had to deal with Russia but I’m sure she
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_023886