Nextel supports Sarah Palin for President

Here's the subtext of Nextel's advertising: You don't need brains or training to be President. In fact, people would be better off if Congress studied the issues less.

Nextel is running an ad called, "What if firefighters ran the world?" In this ad, a soot-stained firefighter runs a Congress-like meeting by consensus. "You want clean water, guys?" Of course we do.

The firefighter mocks the paperwork of the bill they're supposed to vote on. Who cares about details? Firefighters will do what's right.

This could be a Palin-for-President ad -- it's essentially her political program ("We're going to get to Washington and fix it up, you betcha!") -- but it's very clever of Nextel to choose firefighters as her stand-in. Everybody likes firefighters.

Let me state that I also like firefighters. They're heroes.

So imagine the ad without firefighters in it -- imagine factory workers instead (nothing wrong with factory workers, but that's a less emotionally-charged image). Who needs a bunch of pointy-headed policy wonks to tell us about pollution and alternative energy? We can all just agree that we support clean water as well as puppies, good quality chocolate and sleeping late on Sundays. All in favor? Aye.

Unfortunately, this is NOT how good government works. But it IS what the Republican party has been telling red-state America, at least since George W. Bush's first campaign in 2000, and arguably for about six years before that. You don't need experts or discussion of issues. You need real likable people who you'd like to watch football with. Or, in the case of this ad, that you'd like to have on your side when your house is burning. Don't vote for the smart guy, vote for your buddy-to-be.

In financial political contributions, Nextel plays CYA, donating to Congressional incumbents on both sides with only a slight 55-45 Republican lean.

But in intellectual political contributions, this ad is the most pro-Bush, pro-Palin, pro-"good ole boy" ad on the air today.