Jack Kelly: Looking Down on Palin.
What do Janet Napolitano, Kathleen Sebelius and Jon Huntsman have in common? All were governors who resigned this year to pursue other opportunities, and did so without a peep of criticism from journalists or their fellow pols for “quitting” on the peoples of Arizona, Kansas and Utah, respectively.
I write not to belabor the news media’s double standards with regard to Democrats and Republicans, or between other politicians and Sarah Palin. I want to highlight an observation made by Princeton Professor Angelo Codevilla:
“The distinctions between Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, are being overshadowed by that between what we might call the ‘Court Party’ — made up of the well-connected … who see themselves as potters of the great American clay — and the ‘Country Party’ — the many more who are tired of being treated as clay,” Mr. Codevilla wrote in National Review Online.
Ms. Napolitano, Ms. Sebelius and Mr. Huntsman weren’t criticized for resigning to pursue other opportunities because the other opportunities they’re pursuing are in government — as secretary of homeland security, secretary of health and human services, and ambassador to China, respectively.
In the Court Party, the only thing more important than holding public office is seeking a higher one. Barack Obama in effect quit his day job as a U.S. senator (while still drawing his paycheck) for two years in order to seek the presidency. Mr. Obama drew little criticism for this, mostly because what he did was so commonplace. Sens. Hillary Clinton and John McCain did much the same thing.
And in the Court Party, the only place to be is at Court.