Sarah Palin's Problem

That's the title of my Townhall column, posted here. In my view, as I explain in the piece, it was an unforced error for Sarah Palin to allow her daughter, Bristol, to offer an interview to Greta van Susteren last week.

Certainly, Bristol Palin is 18 and therefore, in many ways, legally an adult. But she is living with her parents and accepting their help. It's hard for me to believe that, had Governor Palin asked her not to do the interview, she would have insisted on going ahead against her mother's expressed wishes.

As I took pains to make clear, I like Sarah Palin. I think much of the criticism leveled against her during the campaign was both snobbish and unfair. But she won't do herself -- or the conservative movement -- any good by exhibiting errors in judgment and courting needless controversy.

The reaction to my piece, as reflected in some of the comments, has been interesting. It's remarkable, and a little sad, that many readers interpret any criticism of Sarah Palin -- however gentle or well-intentioned -- as tantamount to betrayal of the conservative movement. It reminds me a bit of the howls of outrage one can expect on the left after violating a sacred canon of political correctness. Surely we on the right can do better than imposing such strictures on each other.