(Psst! Yes, I know the title is sort of lame. She’s much more than a beauty queen now, etc., etc. But it sounded good and it is original. So just revel in my creativity... and don't analyze the title).
I am undecided on what I think of Sarah Palin (I’ll talk more about this in a latter post). Perhaps I am tainted by the biased reporting of secular media, but to me she seems a surprising, puzzling and unpredictable character. Now whether or not these are virtues or vices depends on how you look at it. Most would agree, however, that her recent decision to resign from governor of Alaska was both shocking and unexpected.
I admit to being slightly irked by this news, thinking to myself “Palin, Palin, why must you always be so out-spoken and untactful? Don’t you realize that you are just feeding the media another sensationalist headline with your name on it?” It seemed that by solidifying her image as a babbling, inexperienced diva that just did whatever popped into her head, this once-promising politician was only further decreasing her credibility and potential. That is kind of what I thought at first. Today, however, I came across an intriguing article on Yahoo! that explored the subject of Palin’s resignation with a different perspective. Here are some excerpts.
Sarah Palin is a sinner. She has violated several commandments and thoroughly deserves the savage beating that she is now getting from political mandarins and media elites.
…Let us list just some of the political commandments she has recently violated: Thou shalt not surprise the media.
Palin announces she is quitting her job as governor of Alaska, and she catches everybody by surprise. What is up with that?
Where were the leaks and the trial balloons? Why weren’t the media alerted so they could have predicted it?
When you do what the media have predicted, you are “savvy.” You are a “skilled” and “adept” politician.
If you surprise the media, however, you are “out of control” and “bizarre” and even “egotistical.” (Though I have always believed that accusing politicians of being egotistical is like accusing ballerinas of dancing on their toes.)
How badly do some in the media take to surprise? Here is CNN’s Rick Sanchez on Palin’s announcement that she was leaving office prematurely. “Is there anything going on with her that perhaps may lead her to want to make this decision, and the one thing that’s still left out there is, hey, could she be pregnant again?” Sanchez asked.
Could be, Rick. Or maybe it was just her time of month, because, hey, that’s why woman politicians make the decisions they do, right?
But you can see why some in the media were shocked and dismayed. Imagine abandoning your office! Imagine quitting and deserting the voters who elected you!
Though this is what Bob Dole did in 1996, didn’t he? Dole resigned his Senate seat to run for president. I remember it. I was standing right there when he did it. And I don’t recall anybody accusing him of being a quitter. Or of being pregnant.
…She is a dumb hick, a nobody from nowhere. She hunts moose with a chainsaw from the back of a snowmobile or something. Just listen to her resignation speech. It was not slick or polished or written by somebody else. She appeared to deliver it off the top of her head as if she were a real person. What a doofus!
Doesn’t she know that the highest form of political communication today is to exactly regurgitate a speech written for you by a speechwriter who has crafted, vetted and polled every phrase, line and word?
But listen to Palin. Listen to how “rambling” and “disjointed” she is. Once upon a time in American politics, this was known as being “plain-spoken,” but that time has gone. An entire industry of political consultants has grown up to make sure politicians are never plain-spoken. Sarah Palin does not get this. Which is to say she is not very bright. (Or else she is pregnant, in which case, I apologize.) …
I thought this sarcastic, witty article provided a unique angle that I had not considered before. There is also a lot of truth in it.
Only time will tell what the hockey-mom-turned-politician has up her sleeve next. I for one, am eager to see what her future holds.
Photo source can be found by clicking on image.
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