Palin and Tancredo in "The Emperors New Clothes"

Tom Tancredo and Sarah Palin are blazing their way to the front & center of the new conservative movement. The Voice for the National Tea Party (NTP) Movement. However, it is not because they are the dynamic leaders that the GOP has been in desperate need of. Actually, it is because of the GOP's lack of leadership that enables Palin & Tancredo to run around unchecked and unchallenged.

Without this strong leadership, the GOP’s message has splintered and lost it’s focus. It still as the basic structure: Control spending, reduce taxes, and state rights. But it has lost definition and has become a conversation of bullet points & sound bites without any substance. The GOP has unintentionally unlocked their Pandora box. The diseases that are creeping out are based in irrational demonstrations of intolerance, hate, oxymoronic contradictions and hypocrisy.

They way this is playing out in the public forum, I am reminded of a childhood story about an Emperor and his new clothes. Tancredo suggested that people who cant spell the word ‘VOTE’ and / or who cant say VOTE in English, are responsible for electing a socialist into office. He went on to suggest that we should have literacy tests as a pre-qualifier for the right to vote. Just like the ones we used to keep black voters out of the voting process. These literacy tests had been used for more than 70 years until President Johnson ended these practices in 1965.

More surprising yet was the applause that he received for these statements. I am always the optimist, so I must assume that the audience doesn’t really share his views. The nation as a whole has a large number of people whocant or struggle with reading. I have seen signs at protest in DC, where English speaking people cant spell at a 3rd grade level. They must realize that they too would also be required to take “The Test”. Equalliy, I must believe that, as they applauded the speech, they weren't really supporting a practice that has been used as a racist tool to keep blacks out of voting booths. I am sure if someone would just speak out, they would that the Emperor is wearing no clothes.

Link to portions of his speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-7hlUgCIXo

Equally, Palin took center stage at this 1^st NTP convention. Once again she took shots at the president, which is expected. But almost each of her criticisms were either direct contradictions of her own behavior, or contradicted the behaviors of the Republican Party. Most noticeably were her comments on the teleprompter. While these were funny and endearing comments, they were delivered to her audience atthe same time as she herself was reading from her note cards and displaying he crib notes on her hand. Let’s not forget the comment about Obama speaking from a lectern, as she is holding tight to a podium. I think Chris Matthews has captured the single sound bite that can best sum up Sarah Palin: “She is an empty vessel.”

Link to her speech: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6182081n

Now, enter the child in our story, Megan McCain? That’s right. The GOP does have a voice of reason. Megan was captured on “The View” speaking out clearly against Tancredo. She was making it perfectly clear that the emperor has no clothes. As if she was tell the Republican Party: “There is still reason within the GOP, We Can disagree without losing ourselves and our values.

She also pointed out, the Republicans of the next generation do not,.. will not,.. participate in any type of irresponsible racism and hateful bantering.

She took no stand against Palin or even address she speech. And no one would expect her to. So far, Palin has spoken in such generalities that there isn’t much to work with. And of course that is the challenge with Palin. During a pre-screened interview at the NTP Convention, were Palin was staged and rehearsed, she was unable to memorize a script. This was not a impromptu speech. It has been on the calendar for months.

I continue to be hopeful that the NTP movement will eventually understand that “sound Bites” does not a policy make and the emperor is wearing no clothes.

Unfortunately for Megan is she is too young to be President, and too young to be taken seriously by the Good-Ol Boy structure that controls the GOP. But she is speaking out, and she is able to address issues with substance. Lets all hope that her of voice will be the voice that puts some details to the sound-bites and brings the Republican Party off the right of right