Palin was difficult to debate, Halcro added, because while she didn’t know the issues well, she was masterful at tap-dancing around questions and offering “glittering generalities” or populist “happy talk.” [bold mine-DL] Halcro told The Los Angeles Times that in a private conversation after a debate in Fairbanks, Palin questioned her opponent’s heavy focus on issue positions. “I look out over the audience, and I wonder: Is that really important?” Halcro recalled Palin saying. “Those of us who are policy wonks would say, ‘Hell yes.'” ~The New Republic

We now have legions of conservatives who are adopting Palin’s “is that really important?” standard when it comes to policy knowledge, and they then have the gall to claim that she understands the issues better than others.  This habit of relying on generalities and “happy talk” is something to watch for in the debate with Biden next month.