Via Sullivan, Ross Douthat writes today:

Sarah Palin is beloved by millions because her rise suggested, however temporarily, that the old American aphorism about how anyone can grow up to be president might actually be true.

I, for one, am glad that this aphorism is being put out to pasture. We are no longer a diffuse agrarian republic, but rather one of the most dynamic and complex societies to have sprung up in the history of humanity. Governing the United States today requires far more than mere horse sense, charm and an ability to tell right from wrong. The tragedy of the Bush years has less to do with the pernicious advice of his advisors and more to do with Dubya being uninterested in grappling with complexity. Some people have learned their lesson from having been led by a mediocrity for the past 8 years. Others clearly have not.