Published 7 months ago
In a moment of introspection and candor in his best-selling book "The Audacity of Hope", President Obama wrote, “I serve as a blank screen on which people of vastly different political stripes project their own views.” As his freshman Summer of Discontent gives way to what may well be a Fall of Frustration, his words seem profoundly prophetic.
In a demonstration of keen political acumen, the President's campaign deftly transformed him into the embodiment of two of the most powerful and raw forces coursing through the electorate last year - hope and change. With Shepard Fairey's iconic "Hope" poster reinforced by images of throngs of adulating voters inspired by his oratory prowess, the dreams and aspirations of millions played across the "screen" that is Obama like a panoramic Cecil B. DeMille epic. Indeed, one can easily imagine Obama leading the faithful off on their journey to the promised land of milk and honey ala Charlton Heston in "The Ten Commandments".
In stark contrast to his ardent supporters, the President's detractors saw him in equally vivid and evocative terms - disingenuous, cynical and dangerous. Damning him as duplicitous, they feverishly decried his failure to be candid on the extent of the change he truly sought. With great wailing and gnashing of teeth, the Conservative Cassandras warned the change he brought was not to Washington, but rather to the nation beyond the Beltway. Once ensconced at the pinnacle of political power, he would use it to bend the nation to the will of the rising Liberal leviathan he would preside over. In their view, an Obama presidency was a clear and present danger to our very way of life.
Though reality certainly lies somewhere in the middle, seven months into his term with the election receding into history, the President has done little to dispel either view of him. Being demonized by as many as beatify him, the question is what is the reality behind the images projected on the presidential "screen"?
Referring to a pragmatism that teetered on vacillation, James Carville once drew a dot in an empty circle and asked of Bill Clinton, what's at the center? What did he truly believe in? In light of the President's comment, the same could just as readily be asked of Obama.
What principals underpin and inform his policies? What positions are sacrosanct and non-negotiable? Having waged a crusade for the White House, what political ground does he consider holy and inviolable? To date, there is passingly little one can base any reasonable answer on.
Pardon me, but was that the faint refrain of The Who's "The Real Me" I hear in the distance? "Can you see the real me, can you, can you?"
Having farmed out the stimulus package, cap and trade and health reform to Speaker Pelosi and the House Democratic leadership, the President has displayed an uncanny ability to delegate policy while appearing to be engaged. Essentially, Obama has become the Cheerleader-In-Chief for an agenda that plays to the loftiest hopes of his most ardent supporters while reinforcing the worst fears of his timorous detractors. The result, though, is a lack of substantive leadership from the White House.
That being the case, one wonders what set of circumstances would be of such import to compel the President to step forward, lay his principals and beliefs bare to the world and unequivocally lead the nation down the path he and not others has chosen to take. Until such time he will remain a soulless political mirror and a two dimensional caricature.
Then again, perhaps that's nothing more than the image I'm projecting on the screen, faithful readers.
Stay tuned for further updates as events warrant and we see what the next feature is in the President's political matinee.
Published 8 months ago
Despite the cacophony and chaos that has become the hallmark of congressional town hall health care reform meetings as of late, the President has nonetheless elected to embark on a series of his own.
Filled with pride, his supporters dutifully tout his bravery in the face of flagging poll numbers and dogged opposition. They swoon at the sight of their champion riding off to battle the forces of fear and hysteria with his cool demeanor, soft-spoken logic and zen-like rationality. They point to the subdued and respectful tone of his audiences as evidence that the fury over health care has reached it's zenith and will soon subside. Logic and reason will win the day and their knight in shining armor will deliver peace to the land and health care to it's weary people.
However, a closer, more objective look reveals something distinctly different from the fairy tale the President's supporters so eagerly espouse with starry-eyed devotion.
Are the President's forums more civil and placid in comparison to their raucous congressional counterparts? Clearly, but one should remain mindful of a few facts.
First, despite our partisan passions and philosophical differences, the vast majority of Americans remain respectful of the institution and office of the presidency. Regardless of the individual, there is a level of decorum and propriety that is inherent to the office. He is The President of the United States, a title of unrivaled weight and distinction in both our political system and national history.
Furthermore, beyond these intangible elements and social customs, there is the very real and tangible presence of the highly-trained, well-armed and psychologically-intimidating Secret Service. Should someone be so bold and dim-witted as to attempt to get in the President's face and shout him down, they would quickly find themselves forcefully removed from the venue and facing potential federal charges. The combination of these elements create an imposing atmosphere that discourages the catcalls and confrontations that have greeted Representatives and Senators in the dog days of their August break.
Indeed, despite the earnest hopes of the President's supporters, the fury over health care reform rages unabated. Moreover, in spite of his best efforts, the President's attempts to extinguish the populist wildfire have been for naught. Neither prime time White House press conferences nor intimate town hall meetings have had any impact whatsoever on public opinion towards the overhaul of the nation's health care system or their understanding of the details and components of the competing proposals.
Why is that, you ask? Because the President, much like the nation itself, knows dangerously little of the proposals' specifics. Nor, as demonstrated by his erroneous assertion of an AARP endorsement, does he know who supports what.
How can that be, you ask? Because the President is following and not leading.
Despite the President's references to "his proposals", the White House has failed to produce any bill whatsoever. Indeed, the confusing and contentious proposals at the heart of the conflagration are products of the House and Senate. Adding to the disoriented discourse is the fact the Senate bill remains a work in progress, still in the hands of negotiators in no less than three committees.
In light of the President's deference to the leadership of the House and Senate in drafting the proposals for health care reform, perhaps he and the nation would be better served if the authors of the bills, the committee chairs, Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid would take point in leading us through this steamy legislative jungle. Put the Speaker of the "People's House" in front of the people themselves, place the Majority Leader in front of the majority of Americans.
Pelosi and Reid are the elected leaders of the Democratic Party in Congress. They should embrace the principal enshrined in their party's name and eagerly engage in the discourse of our democracy. Allow them to unequivocally demonstrate that the courage of their convictions is equal to their desire for the speedy passage of their proposals. Indeed, if they wish to be the architects of the Republic's future, let them be as forthright as those who laid it's foundation in the past. That dialogue, between the people and their elected representatives is at the very heart of American democracy, after all.
Then again, perhaps that is nothing more than a quaint fable from the fairy tales of yore.
Once upon a time, faithful readers. Once upon a time in America.......
Stay tuned for further updates as events warrant and we see if there is indeed a happy ending to this story.
Published 8 months ago
With Sarah Palin having bid adieu to the Governor's Office in the Land of the Midnight Sun, speculation runs rampant about the erstwhile beauty queen's future. In addition to the standard cadre of rancorous reporters and polemic pundits, political pachyderms from the Republican National Committee (RNC) on down have been unable to resist the almost siren-like allure that the moose-hunting matriarch of the Palin clan commands. From book contracts and speaking tours to a television talk show, the centerfold of Playboy and a possible run for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, the plethora of possibilities presented Palin fascinate throngs across the political spectrum. The problem for Republicans, though, is saucy Sarah has become a distraction from the real and pressing work at hand - preparing for the 2010 midterm election.
Speculating about who will be a major party's presidential nominee is natural enough in political and media circles - particularly for a party wandering in the political wilderness, looking for a leader to challenge a president whose personal popularity remains enviably high. The problem, however, is focusing on the '12 presidential race overlooks the importance of the '10 midterm election. Next year's election is critical for the Grand Old Party for a number of reasons. Among them are.........
- 0 and 2 in the last two election cycles, the Republicans desperately need a win. Not only have the Republicans lost the last two cycles, the Democrats have won in convincing fashion. The fact is neither '06 nor '08 were even close. This in turn has lent credibility to questions over the Party's national viability. Pundits ponderously debate whether or not it has become intellectually bankrupt and teeters on the verge of being relegated to a declining regional force. Another loss would only add fuel to the fire and greatly impede it's ability to attract new voters, recruit credible candidates and raise campaign and party contributions.
While many GOP diehards take solace in the historical trend of the party controlling the White House loosing seats in Congress during midterms, they would be well-advised to remain cognizant of the 2007 meeting of lowly Appalachian State verses the mythical might of Michigan. Overlooking the Division I Mountaineers for more formidable foes later in the season, the Top 25 Wolverines were dealt a humiliating upset that still leaves the maize and blue clad faithful shaking their heads in disbelief.
The lesson - don't take anything for granted; focus on the game - or election - at hand, not the one farther down the schedule.
- On the state level, the legislators and governors elected next year will draw the district lines for not only the '12 election cycle, but the next decade. Political ground warfare is fought in the trenches of legislative and congressional districts. Having the ability to draw the lines of those districts to favor your party is, as Mastercard likes to say, priceless. This power literally allows a party to lay the foundation for future electoral success. Accordingly, one of the concrete steps both the RNC and Mrs. Palin can take to increase the Party's prospects for success in '12 is to assiduously support Republican candidates on the state level next year. Successfully planted seeds in '10 will be the roots that bear electoral fruits for years to come.
- The results of next year's election will greatly influence the makeup of the '12 Republican presidential field. If Obama repeats George W. Bush's freshman midterm success of not only defending, but adding seats in Congress next year, the resulting political momentum may well deter candidates who might have otherwise run if they had the base of a Republican victory from which to launch their quest for the White House.
In '08, Obama raised unprecedented amounts of money for both the primary and general election campaigns. After four years in the White House, his constituencies will see their futures as being inextricably vested in returning him to the Oval Office. Accordingly, they will seek to provide him with a more than ample war chest to easily repel his eventual Republican challenger. If the Democrats succeed in putting the Republicans down 0 for 3 next year, the momentum propelling Obama into '12 will create a sense of inevitability to the defense of his incumbency. The end result will be a bandwagon effect that magnetically attracts both voters and campaign contributions. Should the Republicans face this daunting set of circumstances in '12, many potential contenders for the Party's nomination may well choose to forgo being the sacrificial lamb and bide their time till '16.
Conversely, should '10 turnout to be a ballot box bloodbath for Democrats, some Republicans who might otherwise have remained in the stands will jump into the center ring. Accordingly, to attempt to seriously handicap the horse race for the Party's nomination before anyone has even ponied up to the starting gate is the height of folly. Not only that, it is a distraction Republicans can ill-afford at this point.
Nonetheless, for those fearless political gamblers out there, the inside track clearly belongs to.....
Focus, faithful readers. Focus, discipline and good ole fashioned political elbow grease - integral elements to electoral success.
Stay tuned for further updates as events warrant and we see if Republicans have 20/20 political vision or are in critical need of corrective lenses to address a crippling case of hyperopia.
Published 9 months ago
With the recent hand-wringing and flurry of activity over health care reform, including the President's fourth primetime news conference, it would be perfectly understandable if one found themselves quoting Bugs Bunny and asking, "What's all the hubbub, Bub?" The answer, the President's assurances to the contrary notwithstanding, is simplicity itself.
Wait for it....Wait for it......
Politics.
Yes, despite the jubilant choruses of kumbayah that rang from sea to shining sea on Inaugural Day, Washington is yet again in the steely grip of.....wait for it.....politics. Moreover....gasp....partisan politics.
"Hold on", you say. "Didn't the President promise us change? Didn't he assure us that, yes, we could?"
Indeed, he did. The problem, however, is there is one thing neither the President nor Congress can change no matter how much they'd like - time.
Time waits for no man, however historical or profound they may ultimately be. This rule applies to the President as much as it does you and I. And when it comes to the President and health care reform, time is most definitely not on his side. Why is that, you ask?
Again, the answer is....wait for it......politics.
The President, keenly aware of time's inexorable march, eagerly longs for a vote on the health care overhaul sooner rather than later - with Senate Majority leader Harry Reid's announcement that the upper house would not take up the bill prior to the August recess, it appears that vote will indeed be later. Nonetheless, among the political concerns that compel the President to anxiously watch the clock and calendar are....
- Fear of the ides of August. Though a soothsayer bade Julius Caesar to beware the ides of March, it is their August counterpart that haunts the Obama administration. By the month's midpoint, members of Congress will have been on their recess for two weeks. The White House dreads the probability that not only those first two weeks, but the whole month will be dominated by non-stop haranguing over the Byzantine reform bill at the hands of cantankerous constituents. With Democratic Blue Dogs in the House and fiscal Conservatives in the Senate already balking at the gargantuan costs and projected deficits the overhaul would trigger, the administration fears the weak-willed and faint of heart in both houses may succumb to the incessant barrage of criticism and consternation over the coming month. Contrary to what Speaker Pelosi has assured the White House, they believe not only does she not have the votes to pass it now, but come the end of the August recess, she may well have even fewer still.
- Mid-Term Mania and Re-Election Ramp Up. Learning from his previous experience in the Clinton administration, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel insists that the first year of an administration is critical in terms of passing it's policy agenda. He could not be more correct. Passing health care reform is a part of Obama's lofty agenda as well as a tangible and substantial accomplishment he can tout during the '12 campaign. Failing to do so will disappoint millions and leave a considerable chink in his political armor, but will most likely fail to be the political Waterloo that South Carolina Senator and would-be political oracle Jim DeMint prophesized. Nonetheless, for all intents and purposes, the end of the calendar year is the deadline for a comprehensive health care package till 2011, if not 2013.
Once Congress returns from it's end of the year holiday break in January, the focus will be on the upcoming mid-term election on November 2nd next year. Accordingly, raising campaign money and avoiding the ire of constituents will be the order of the day. Therefore, the odds of any significant legislation passing, much less one that impacts a sixth of the nation's economy, are exceedingly slim to say the least.
Moreover, there is mounting concern both on Capitol Hill and in the White House that the economy may continue to languish and remain stubbornly mired in recession. If that's the case, the focus will be on staving off a massacre of Congressional Democrats at the polls. Though many activists will insist that passing health reform is a vital part of the Party's defense, the more pragmatic and politically palatable course will be extending unemployment benefits in conjunction with a possible second stimulus package. Even this may face internal party opposition from the Blue Dog Coalition, leery of facing deficit-enraged voters in the fall.
A growing fear within the White House is that 21 months into his term on Election Day next year, the public will no longer be inclined to give the President and his party the benefit of the doubt at the polls. Should we remain in the grip of the economic doldrums, voters will view it as Obama's recession. That being the case, the odds are exceedingly high the electorate will vent their spleen and punish Obama and his fellow political travelers at the ballot box in the process. Not only does this have the potential to weaken the Democratic majority and empower the Republicans and their fiscally conservative Blue Dog allies in the House, there is the possibility of a political tsunami large enough to sweep the Grand Old Party back into power in Congress's lower house.
Even should the mid-term fail to return the Republicans to power in the House, the remainder of the President's term will be focused on shoring up his position for and conducting his 2012 re-election campaign. If the political waters run red with blood in the wake of next year's election, visions of Jimmy Carter and 1980 will dance like sugarplums in Republican heads. The problem with this, however, is two-fold.
First, Barack Obama is no Jimmy Carter. Obama is energetic, articulate and possessed of an almost zen-like political intuition. He is an ardent campaigner whose political legs remain strong and in running shape. Additionally, he will not reprise Carter's political impersonation of Mr. Rogers - no sweaters by the fireside and monotone monologues on malaise for this President.
Second, though Obama may emerge wounded from next year's mid-terms, Republicans still can't beat something with nothing. They need look back no farther than 1996 to see how a Democratic president can turn a mid-term massacre into a re-election victory. If they hope to regain the hallowed political ground of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, they must put up a worthy and credible candidate and not reprise the folly of Bob Dole's sacrificial candidacy. Obama and his political guru David Axelrod know this and will be prepared accordingly; Republicans would be well advised to do likewise. If not, they may find the tables have turned with an incumbent Obama slyly whistling the Rolling Stones' classic, "Time Is On My Side".
You're searching for good times, faithful readers. But just wait and see. You'll come running back.
Stay tuned for further updates as events warrant and we see if indeed the President won't have to worry no more.
Published 9 months ago
In light of recent polling data, reports of Sarah Palin's political death appear to have been a tad premature.
Released Tuesday, Palin's numbers in a USA Today/Gallop poll indicate she retains a significant base of public support despite the abrupt announcement of her impending resignation as Governor of Alaska this past Friday. Taken Monday, the poll found that 43% of respondents were at least somewhat likely to vote for Palin were she to run for president in 2012, including 19% who indicated they were very likely to vote for the former Republican vice presidential nominee.
While the poll identifies a solid base from which Palin might potentially launch her next foray into the national political scene, it also highlights a significant hurdle with 54% of respondents indicating they are not likely to vote for her. Of that group, 41% said they were not at all likely to do so. Significant as that is, Palin may find fertile ground for improving her standing in the 13% identifying themselves as not too likely to vote for her.
Though purveyors of conventional wisdom in the punditocracy have issued their obituaries for Palin's political career, 39% of Americans said they would like to see her take on a major role on the national political stage. Again, belying the conventional political wisdom that the mavericky Conservative firebrand's appeal was isolated solely to her fellow political travelers, 34% of Independents supported a prominent role for Palin in the future. As one might naturally expect, Democrats were least supportive with 18%, while Republicans rewarded the charismatic mother of five and grandmother of one with 67%.
Further demonstrating the inability of the punditocracy to accurately gauge the impact of Palin's enigmatic announcement, 70% of Americans said her decision to resign with 18 months remaining in her term had no affect on their view of her, be it positive or negative. This was followed by 17% who viewed her less favorably and 9% who were subsequently more inclined towards her.
Not only does the data suggest the punditocracy's pronouncement of Palin's political death were premature, it also appears that they are increasingly out of touch with the electorate as a whole. Supporting their standard talking points, 70% of Democrats said they were not at all likely to vote for Palin for president in 2012. Given the tack of many pundits and their insistence on Palin's polarizing effect, one would expect a similar number of Republicans would be very likely to vote for her. This is not the case, though, with only 35% of Republicans indicating they were very likely to do so.Further evidence of the disconnect between the pundits and the public can be seen in Independent voters. Contrary to popular belief among talking heads, Independents are not repulsed en mass by Palin. Indeed, they track closely with overall public sentiment with 44% being at least somewhat likely and 54% at least somewhat unlikely to vote for her for president. While there is clearly Palin polarization, it appears to be firmly rooted in Democrat voters.
Comparatively, Palin's current numbers trail those of Hillary Clinton in 2005. At the time, 52% of voters indicated they were likely to vote for her for president in 2008, with 28% saying they were very likely to do so. This illustrates the fact that front runner status early on is far from a guarantee of being their party's standard bearer at the end of the nominating race. Indeed, not only did Clinton lose to Obama- a first term US Senator who literally came out of nowhere over the course of four years - early Republican front runner Rudy Guliani failed to mount any semblance of a credible national campaign at all, much less seriously contend for the Grand Old Party's nomination. Palin and her die-hard supporters would be well advised to take this lesson to heart.
Nonetheless, two things are striking in the current discussion over the perpetually perky pol's future. First is the fact that in less than a year she has roared from literal political obscurity in America's Great White North to center stage.This time last year, Palin was a relative unknown even among Republican activists and Conservative pundits. I myself listed her in the second tier of potential McCain running mates, particularly in light of the recent birth of son Trig. Though I believed she might well become a prominent player in national Republican politics, I didn't see it occurring any earlier than the 2010-2012 window. To be sure, her meteoric rise is surpassed only by that of the current occupant of the Oval Office.The next point that stands out is the media's recurrent inability to accurately analyze the unconventional.
The week following the 2006 midterm election, the media summarily crowned Hillary Clinton the 2008 Democratic presidential nominee. Though they diligently covered Barack Obama's campaign announcement in February, 2007, it was treated primarily as a novelty. While his candidacy had historical and emotional resonance, Obama's odds were better of winning the multi-state Powerball lottery than bringing out of the pack of the Democratic Seven Dwarfs to even begin to conside seriously challenging the media-annointed Hillary. Not till Obama successfully repelled Clinton's dogged Super Tuesday counteroffensive did the media begin to grasp the force of the undercurrent that was swirling beneath the surface of the political waters. The same holds true for Palin.
Initial coverage of Palin's selection as McCain's running mate varied from the historical significance of the first female on a Republican presidential ticket to amused novelty to open disbelief and condescension. The stories of unprecedented gender progress in the Republican Party were quickly replaced with attacks on her pregnant teenage daughter and self-righteous calls of hypocrisy. These were then replaced with guffaws at the candidate's interview and debate performances, her homespun style and colloquialisms eliciting disdainful smirks from her detractors. Add to this the recent Letterman saga and there's little wonder why 53% of Americans consider the media's coverage of Palin to be "unfairly negative". While the media may not understand her, her ability to identify with significant segments of the electorate or be able to recognized their own polarized caricaturization of her, it appears a significant number of voters can. And do.
To some she is a dream, to others a nightmare, faithful readers.
Stay tuned for further updates as events warrant and we see if Palin begins doing warm up laps around the country in preparation for the 2012 presidential marathon.
Published 9 months ago
To paraphrase the old Oldsmobile commercial, Sarah Palin ain't your daddy's politician.
If there were any doubts about the credibility of Palin's claim to being an unconventional pol, they were laid to rest this past Friday. Surrounded by family and friends with a picturesque Alaskan lake as her backdrop, the self-styled maverick announced not only would she not seek re-election to a second term, she would resign as Governor of Alaska with 18 months left in her freshman one.
Catching the political world completely off-guard while turning in a classic Palinesque performance, the former beauty pageant queen-cum-mother of five-cum-Governor-cum-former Republican vice presidential nominee-cum-grandmother of one cheerfully interlaced sports metaphors with condemnations of her detractors and antagonists. In a meandering and disjointed statement, Palin assured supporters that while she was leaving public office, she would nonetheless continue to fight for the issues near and dear to her heart - energy independence, family values, minimal government and a strong national security. Serving not only as the foundation of her policy agenda, they were also the focal points of her stump speeches during her ultimately unsuccessful run for the vice presidency alongside Republican presidential hopeful John McCain.
Many view McCain's choice of Palin as his running mate as the political equivalent of raising Lazarus from the dead. Though many in the media and punditocracy dismissed the mother of five as an inarticulate rube and hapless hillbilly, her selection solidified the Republican base while reestablishing McCain's bona fides as an independent-minded maverick. In the process, the resulting media and internet frenzy sparked by McCain's unexpected choice temporarily put the Republican ticket back into the electoral game. A game that up until then had been dominated by Democratic nominee Barack Obama's political home runs accompanying what appeared to be a pitching shut out of his Republican rival. Having unified the conservative base, Palin then proceeded to electrify it with her magnetic personality, brilliant smile, gleeful combativeness and unapologetic defense of family, God and country. Proudly on display during her resignation announcement, these qualities have underpinned her ability to remain in the media spotlight and the hearts of Conservative activists since the November electoral loss.
Covering a laundry list of reasons for her unexpected departure, Palin highlighted mounting legal and administrative expenses for both taxpayers and her family. Incurred in the defense of a series of seemingly unending ethics complaints against the first term Republican governor, the Palin family's legal bills are estimated at roughly $500,000. Many speculate that the economic and emotional costs of repeatedly fending off allegations of impropriety and corruption were major factors in Palin's decision to leave office 18 months before the completion of her term.
Prior to her announcement, Palin was considered to be among a rapidly dwindling pack of contenders for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. Subsequent to it, the media, blogosphere and punditocracy have been a buzz with speculation that the erstwhile beauty pageant queen was less than completely candid about the reasons for her abrupt resignation. With a firestorm and threats of legal action sparked by allegations that the motivating factor was an impending Federal indictment, the FBI took the unprecedented action of issuing a public denial of any investigation of the greatly maligned mother of five and recent grandmother of one.
Palin's unheralded exodus and sphinx-like reasoning adds to the frustration of her media critics and political detractors. Confounded by her Reaganesque political Teflon-coating and ability to seize the spotlight, their disdain and contempt are palpable as they smirk condescendingly at her conducting an interview in fishing waders. What they fail to see is that Palin's folksiness and common man colloquialism are part and parcel of her appeal. Her genuineness and candor befuddles those who speak through politically correct filters. When one changes their personality to suit the environment much like Palin does in choosing appropriate footwear, they find it near impossible to relate to her or understand her ability to inspire such fierce loyalty among her Conservative base.
Further complicating the ability of her critics to grasp the Palin phenomenon is the fact that she refuses to fit neatly into their preconceived notions of Conservative women. Among the perplexing peculiarities Palin confronts them with are...
-She is a successful woman that places her marriage and family as the centerpiece and foundation of her life. Standing in stark contrast to hard-nosed feminists that believe marriage is legalized slavery; Palin speaks glowingly of her high school sweetheart husband, saying “….two decades and five children later he’s still my guy.”The mother of three “strong and kindhearted” daughters, a son in the Army about to deploy to Iraq and a “perfectly beautiful baby boy” with Down’s syndrome, Palin’s life is a testimony to women’s ability to have a full home life while at the same time experiencing career success. Palin’s life boldly says to women, “You can have it all and not feel guilty or incomplete.”
-“Family values” are more than just a campaign slogan to Palin; they are a way of life. When prenatal testing disclosed that baby Trig had Down’s syndrome, Palin carried on with the pregnancy nonetheless. Informed by her strong religious convictions and anti-abortion beliefs, the Palin family celebrated the birth and the “unspeakable joy” that God had granted them.
-She destroys media and Liberal stereotypes of Conservative women as either shrill shrews or hapless hillbillies. Neither Ann Coulter nor Daisy Duke, Palin is confident without being boorish; intelligent without being arrogant; principled without being archaic and despite David Letterman's best attempts to portray her otherwise, sexy without being cheap tawdry or cartoonish. Palin’s style and image says, “Conservatives can be cool, sexy, intelligent and successful all at once.” She is the 21st Century version of the 70's "Charlie" perfume girl. In a word, she is dangerous. Still.
Regardless of where Palin ultimately lands, be it on the lecture circuit, behind the microphone of a syndicated radio show, the anchor desk at ESPN, hosting her own television talk show or news journal, in the glossy pages of Playboy, or the white oval walls of an office at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, a few things are certain. She will continue to beguile throngs of passionate Conservatives, confound and irritate legions of Liberals and will invariably surprise all of us in her own unique, unconventional, mavericky way just by being true to herself and who she is regardless of what anyone else may think.
What's that sound in the distance, faithful readers? Oh yes, that's the sound of Sarah marching to the beat of her own drum. You betcha!
Stay tuned for further updates as events warrant and we see what next accomplishment the moose-hunting mom from Wasilla eventually adds to her impressive and growing resume.
Loading
1 comment 
