Just read an opinion piece by The Wall Street Journal’s Bret Stephens. It’s apparent he contacted the brain fart disease in a big way:

If nothing else, the media meltdown over Sarah Palin’s candidacy for the vice presidency has exposed the not-unsuspected truth that, when it comes to historical ignorance and political amnesia, our cultural panjandrums are in a class by themselves.

On the Charlie Gibson - Sarah Palin interview, Mr. Stephens offered this:

Gibson: “Do you agree with the Bush doctrine?”

Palin: “In what respect, Charlie?”

Which was a sensible answer, given that no higher authority than Jacob Weisberg of Slate has counted six versions of the thing (including “absence of any functioning doctrine at all”). Further pressed on the subject, Gov. Palin explained that “what President Bush has attempted to do is rid this world of Islamic extremism,” which better sums up the gist of Bush policy than Mr. Gibson’s cramped definition of the doctrine as “anticipatory self-defense.”

Bret goes on to equate Palin’s experience to that of Calvin Coolidge, Teddy Roosevelt and Harry Truman. (I know, Jesus H. Christ!) Then, by rubbing his palms together vigorously, Mr Stephens rolls this tiny ball of snot up tightly like so:

Maybe. But as a man who knows whereof he speaks recently observed, “You can argue that nobody is ready to be president. You can argue that even if you’ve been vice president for eight years, that no one can be fully ready for the pressures of the office.”

Wise words, and historically true. If even Bill Clinton can offer such a benediction to an inexperienced candidate, surely Mrs. Palin’s critics can do so as well.

It should be noted that Wall Street Journalists, (much like Limbaugh, Hannity, O’Reilly and other FOX personalities), aren’t paid for honesty. They’re paid by spinning lies to resemble truths. If it’s wrapped up into neat little packages, below-average intelligence Americans are more likely not only to buy it, but to also pass that info on along to family and friends as truths. Just look back over the last two presidential elections at how well that as worked!

The only panjandrum I see in this room is Bret Stephens.