Fight on the Right: Laura Ingraham vs Heather Mac Donald

In the last week there have been a string of prominent Conservative pundits airing strong reservation against the McCain/Palin candidacy with tacit endorsement of the Democratic nominee Barack Obama. The timing of these public objections prior to the final debate is notable as it serves to undermine any gains McCain might from the encounter and further deflates further his already sagging campaign.

Heather Mac Donald is one of a parade of conservative critics.

In a post for City Journal Heather writes:

Gettin’ All Mavericky by Heather Mac Donald
There was a time, however, when conservatives upheld adult standards—such as clarity of speech and thought—without apology, even in the face of the relentless downward pull of adolescent culture. But now, when a vice-presidential candidate talks like a teenager, mugs like an American Idol contestant, and traffics in syntactical dead-ends and non sequiturs, we are supposed to find her charming and authentic.

APF pundit Laura Ingraham invited Heather Mac Donald for a spirited debate and to explain her piece. Laura and Heather clearly have mutual respect for each other and they are pained by they're contradicting stances.
Listen and download the showdown between Laura Ingraham and Heather Mac Donald

Heather's appraisal of Sarah Palin

I think conservatives are just trying to beat liberals in their own game. When she was first nominated, she presented herself as the continuation of Hillary Clinton... "women are going to break the glass ceiling, we're not done yet"... since then we've had an expansion of the gender politics to lifestyle politics where she's being celebrated for being so normal... these are all fine traits... but they do not constitute qualification for the Presidency

Heather's tacit endorsement of Obama

I feel that Obama has the capacity to think through issues that makes me have confidence that he's going to be able to take on the hard issues of the economy and possibly foreign policy... I for one, I have not come out for Obama and it's not the issues alone. It's the capacity to make judgment under pressure...

Laura Ingraham is vigorous in her critique of Obama and comes to the defense of Sarah Palin

... whatever you say about Sarah Palin. I think what we know about her is that she has conservative impulses, that she thinks government has gotten too big. She thinks these institutions need to be reformed for the betterment of our country and our people and that framework I think is what people like about her Heather. Not the "golly gee", "Shucks", "say it ain't so Joe". I mean that's not why I like Palin, not because of the down home stuff. I like Palin because she's closer to my political philosophy than Barack Obama could ever hope to be

Read the disucssion from HotAir - Audio: Laura Ingraham versus Heather MacDonald on Palin and identity politics