The new hubbub about Sarah Palin only proves that there are very many stupid people in America who love to hear someone also really stupid stand up and shoot her mouth off. Fortunately, there does not appear to be enough of them to elect her to national office. I think she knows that, and is just cynically selling her book.

In today’s dialectic every screwball minority can have a very loud spokesperson. Even here on the North Coast we have Mr. E. Robert Nassikis, who speaks so eloquently for all the Tea Partyites, Beckites, Luddites, stalactites and meteorites. I do think visitors must think us strange, though, when they see we have a big red building with a sign on it proclaiming it to be “The Red Building.”

JOSEPH WEBB

Astoria