Weigel

Part of the dispute over Gawker's early excerpts of America by Heart involved Palin's digression on how American Idol demonstrates what's wrong about this country under Barack Obama. It really is a strange passage, beginning with Palin asking: "Did you ever wonder where the producers of American Idol come up with the seemingly endless supply of people who can't sing but are deluded enough to get up in front of a national television audience and screech out a song anyway?"

"Ha," says the liberal reader. "It sure is ironic that her daughter is now dancing on a reality show, and her mother is cheering her on despite her getting lower scores from judges.

But it continues!

Instead of eventually confronting the limits of their inflated egos when it comes to paying the rent and putting food on the table, Americans are increasingly being told not to worry about it. Someone else will provide them. I think a large part of the appeal of American Idol is the spectacle of Simon Cowell pouring cold water over the heads of these young people... unfortunately, Cowell is almost alone in his willingness to tell hard truths. Instead, a growing chorus of voices is trying to convince our kids that hard work isn't necessary anymore, that they're entitled to a lengthening list of benefits paid for by others, and that they don't have to accept the consequences of their actions when those consequences are bad.

Again: Strange. Barack Obama didn't follow up his criticism of African-American kids thinking they could be the next Ludacris or LeBron by forcing Sasha or Malia to get DefJam contracts or hit the courts.