That would seem totally in character for Sarah Palin to me (and even more so for Ann Coulter), but then I’m French, so my mental model of Palin may be a bit off.
I don’t see it as low class, and I consider “solving” disagreements by betting better than appeals to authority or agreeing to disagree. However it would seem a bit unseemly for someone already in a position of authority (like Thatcher or Merkel), I’m not totally sure why … maybe because we want to know what they do, not what they think and say, and once they’re in power they shouldn’t have anything to prove any more. Offering to bet is a way to prove your thinking is correct, which is important for pundits and candidates, but not for those in power.
That would seem totally in character for Sarah Palin to me (and even more so for Ann Coulter), but then I’m French, so my mental model of Palin may be a bit off.
I don’t see it as low class, and I consider “solving” disagreements by betting better than appeals to authority or agreeing to disagree. However it would seem a bit unseemly for someone already in a position of authority (like Thatcher or Merkel), I’m not totally sure why … maybe because we want to know what they do, not what they think and say, and once they’re in power they shouldn’t have anything to prove any more. Offering to bet is a way to prove your thinking is correct, which is important for pundits and candidates, but not for those in power.