On Going Native in DC

Over at The Corner, a reader e-mails John Derbyshire:

You wrote in your February Diary that Sarah Palin broke your heart by endorsing John McCain. I keep hearing this kind of thing from conservatives, and it really puzzles me. I’m no fan of McCain, believe me; I had to pull the lever for him with my elbow because both hands were occupied holding my nose. But shouldn’t we cut Palin some slack on this particular endorsement because of special circumstances? I mean, if she had endorsed Charlie Crist over Marco Rubio, I could see getting bent out of shape. But can’t we explain the McCain endorsement simply out of loyalty to the man who plucked her from obscurity onto the national stage? Anyway, I don’t see how this case, with its unique circumstances, can be viewed as an indicator that she would “go native” in D.C.

Perhaps this helps to explain why I am so skeptical of “Sarah Palin as outsider” compared to her supporters. Upon hearing that a politician has gone native in Washington DC, I presume that they’ve put loyalty to folks who advance their careers above principle or the interests of the American people. But apparently this reader, and presumably others, think differently.

I’d be curious to know just what it is that they mean.