In my recent editorial on Sarah Palin’s resignation, many readers seem to have assumed that because I spoke critically of Palin’s performance on the national stage, I must subscribe to a certain (liberal) political ideology. This is an assumption that gets lobbied at journalists a lot, actually, and with fairly good reason; a lot of people in the field do vote blue, and the claims of bias to which most media outlets are subjected carry a certain amount of weight. Unfortunately, however, these comments underscore one of my biggest problems with the governor of Alaska: that criticism of her has become viewed as synonymous with criticism of the GOP and conservative principles generally.

Regardless of what my own personal political beliefs may be, I remain convinced – and hopeful – that Sarah Palin does not speak for all conservatives in America. There are a lot of smart conservatives in this country. Palin is not one of them. When people rush to defend someone so dedicated to narrow-minded, foot-in-mouth, bridge-burning politics in the name of the movement, they’re equating those tactics with a philosophy that has storied American roots and speaks for millions of Americans whose views are often mischaracterized. Right now, it’s looking like that’s Palin’s legacy, and for the sake of her followers, I hope she cares enough to let them go.

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