Another Self-Important Elitist Attacks Governor Palin; Updated

Yesterday Governor Palin posted a Facebook note in which she, correctly, noted with alarm the fact that the dollar is in danger of being replaced as the world's international reserve currency:

The British newspaper The Independent reported today that Gulf oil producers were negotiating with Russia, China, Japan and France to replace the dollar in pricing oil with a basket of currencies.[1] According to the Wall Street Journal, Arab oil officials have denied the story, but even the possibility of such a talk weakens the dollar and renews fears about its continued viability as an international reserve currency.[2] In fact, today a United Nations official called for a new global reserve currency to replace the dollar and end our “privilege” to run up huge deficits.[3] We can see the effect of this in the price of gold, which hit a record high today in response to fears about the weakened dollar.[4]

Apparently Governor Palin's timely entry into the debate offended the sensibilities of Norman Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute. In an article in the Financial Times, Ornstein was asked to comment:

“The dollar has always been a testosterone issue among America’s political classes,” says Norm Ornstein, a veteran analyst at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. “This time there may be a legitimate debate to be had over the dollar’s reserve status, but Sarah Palin is not qualified to participate in it.”

I am at a loss as to why Mr. Ornstein believes Governor Palin is "not qualified" to express her well-founded fear that Obama's disastrous economic policies are causing the dollar to collapse before our very eyes. The article in which Mr. Ornstein makes this utterly baseless pronouncement offers few if any insights into Ornstein's reasoning, if there is any. After giving Mr. Ornstein's head scratcher some thought, I can come up with only two possible explanations for his proclamation.

First, Mr. Ornstein, of the elite American Enterprise Institute, may simply be making another elitist argument against Governor Palin. Under this theory, Ornstein in effect declares that one must have a PhD in international finance from an Ivy League institution of higher learning, approved by Mr. Ornstein of course, in order to notice that the dollar is in grave danger. Lacking such academic credentials, one simply can't earn Mr. Ornstein's seal of approval to engage in discussion on this topic. It is pointless for Governor Palin to enter this debate unless the self-anointed arbiter of public debate, Mr. Ornstein presumably, has deemed one worthy of entering it.

Of course it is irrelevant that elitists (like Mr. Ornstein) are the very individuals who have been developing and implementing the public policies which have resulted in the current predicament the dollar finds itself in. But facts such as this are immaterial to Mr. Ornstein. Evidently he believes that since elitist's policies have devalued the dollar, only they are qualified to ponder policies to restore its value. Forget about common sense. That would be too easy. This issue can only be properly contemplated in the context of an overly elaborate debate engaged in by the very geniuses who created the problem. What could possibly go wrong? This kind of deep thinking by deeply thoughtful elites has worked so well up to now.

Elitism is not the only possible explanation for Ornstein's attack on Governor Palin. His use of the word "testosterone" to frame the debate about the dollar's slide is rather odd. Given the way the article divides the quote, it's difficult to say for sure what Mr. Ornstein's intentions were, but it certainly seems possible that he may believe the governor to be unqualified to participate in this debate because she is a woman. Imagine the gall of that woman to believe that she should have a voice at the table!

Does Mr. Ornstein mean to say that only those with "testosterone" meet his criteria to discuss manly topics like the dollar and it's affect on energy prices? After all, these issues can't possibly be understood by a lowly woman whose real place in life is to be home cooking and knitting socks. Never mind the fact that she is a former mayor and Governor of a huge energy producing state and has demonstrated that she has more testosterone than the entire Obama Administration combined.

At any rate, whether Ornstein is elitist, sexist, or temporarily insane, he is clearly wrong. He didn't even deign to offer any hint as to why he believes Governor Palin is unqualified. He, like many elites, seems to believe that no explanation is in order. His simple pronouncement on the subject is all that's needed (in his mind). Speaking of explanations, I wonder if he might provide us with one for his hand in shaping McCain-Feingold.

I wonder if he believes Obama is qualified to discuss the dollar's reserve status. If so, why? What criteria would he use in judging Obama's suitability to enter the discussion (he finds Obama qualified to discuss earmark reform, so I assume the criteria might be similar)? It certainly can't be the result of anything Obama has ever accomplished in his life. But then there is that testosterone thing...

Update: (H/T Joshua Livestro) When it comes to Governor Palin, Norman Ornstein has a history of sexist comments. From Palinsexismwatch.blogspot.com:

Fortier and other political scientists spoke Thursday at the think tank, where Ornstein observed that Palin gets his vote, at least in one respect. "Sarah Palin's choice did electrify the country," he said. "I believe she's the prettiest vice presidential choice since John Edwards."