Palin? Don't bet against her
November 11, 2008 - 7:00am.
Whatever Sarah Palin's future in politics outside Alaska, she will go down as one of the most trashed and controversial vice presidential candidates in American history, a victim of some bad journalism, a negative atmosphere she helped create, her shallow qualifications and sabotage by those who chose her as an improbable running mate for John McCain.
Even after it became clear long before Election Day that she would not reach the second spot in succession to the presidency she was still being derided seemingly by those who would drive a stake through any ambition she might have for a return to the national spotlight four years from now, perhaps as a senator when her term as governor officially ends, if not sooner.
The latter time frame might depend on whether Republican Sen. Ted Stevens manages ultimately to be declared the winner in his reelection bid and is later forced to resign because of a federal ethics conviction. Although history has frowned on governors who appoint themselves to the Senate, it would be her choice to fill the vacancy one way or the other or even to call for a special election in which she would be a candidate.
In the post-election analysis the effort to paint Palin as a profligate spending, moose shooting wilderness "whack job" who helped cost McCain the election was still underway. But this time the attacks did not come from her Democratic opponents but from anonymous Republican aides helped along by the mainstream media who allowed them to get away with titillating tattling without responsibility, an absolute violation of journalistic ethics and fairness.
Her immediate disclaimers about the clothes she bought or were bought for her and other reported incidents including greeting top campaign advisers in nothing more than a towel having just climbed out of the shower obviously won't catch up with the initial reports. The towel report has been categorically denied by one of the advisers.
Palin's qualifications, or lack thereof, for the potential role of president had McCain won is neither here nor there in what has been occurring in the aftermath of the defeat. She was chosen for her appeal to small town working class people and those for whom right to life, guns and a variety of other social issues are extremely important. She did what she was told to do and it was not an easy task. When she achieved some independence, she did better.
Throughout all the turmoil and assaults on her personally, she managed to stay calm and to respond, even on Saturday Night Live, with humor and good will. She did not think it appropriate to perform the rap piece that ended her appearance and that was the right decision.
It is a sign of the times that the basest motives are ascribed to those seeking public office and that the way to end a political career is to destroy a candidate personally rather than merely challenge his or her ideas. Unfortunately, she and McCain were guilty of some of this themselves.
The prospect of facing an onslaught of smears about their backgrounds, including their education, their families, and whatever else can be found, is the most discouraging aspect of trying to enlist qualified individuals for elected office. The McCain campaign should out those who whispered the stories about Palin and make sure they are no longer welcome in politics. A similar fate should befall those "journalists" and bloggers willing to repeat such allegations without identifying the source or vetting them for the truth.
Palin says she is now anticipating tackling the problems of her state with renewed energy. Her horizons obviously have been expanded by this experience. She has learned first hand the pain of negativism. If she puts that lesson to good use she may have a bright political future. Don't bet against Caribou Barbie.
(E-mail Dan K. Thomasson, former editor of the Scripps Howard News Service, at thomassondan(at)aol.com.)
Technorati Tags: - Login or register to post comments
- Printer friendly version
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Magnoliacom
Newsvine
Furl
Google
Yahoo
Technorati
I am quite willing to bet
I am quite willing to bet against Caribou Barbie. The notion that this woman, who will never shed the negative image she has engendered among the majority of voters, will end up being the new face of the Republican Party is ridiculous. While the so-called 'base' continues to get all hot and bothered over this extremist lightweight, most of the rest of the country sees her as a joke.
I'd love to see her offered up by the GOP as their front-runner in 2012.
Ambitious? Yes. Smart? No.
Ambitious? Yes. Smart? No. Ideas? None. "A victim of some bad journalism"? Ha!
I truly hope that after the next four years of civility, America will have no use for her style of politicking.
For the sake of this nation
For the sake of this nation and the world, I hope Sarah Palin is offered, and jumps on a career in television. I don't give a rats fanny about the clothes issue, but I do care that she is not intelligent..we're just getting rid of a president who was too much like her in so many ways.
She has charisma, good looks and more nerve than Dick Tracy. However, due to her lack of intellect, once she opens her mouth all I see & hear is trouble. I realize that there are many who think she is "just like them" "a regular person" "thats's what we need in the white house" etc..and what scares the bejeezes out of me, is that unfortunately, these same people can and would vote for her IF she would or could get nominated AGAIN. Do I think we will hear the end of Palin?...NO, because in my opinion, she isn't smart enough to realize she has no business on the big stage of national politics where she would be living under constant scrutiny allowing the press reason to chew her up and spit her out daily. That said, I suspect the next thing we hear about her, is that she will be running for a senate seat.
Yes indeed, a bright
Yes indeed, a bright political future as a lying running dog for the RNC.
She can be sent out to whip crowds into maniacal lynch mob frenzy with the patented Fear Card of, he's a terrorist, she's the mother of one.
Voters will be so happy that someone as dense and incompetent as they will be at the helm of our country again.We as a nation can then resume our plunge back to the dark ages of witch hunts and demon purging.
Jesus H Christ, start the campaign now, time is of the essence if the lies and innuendo are to be set in stone as truth before 2012. Spies, we need more spies to watch the 75% who don't support us, more drugs in our food and water to dumb down the masses, get control of the goddamn media. HACK !
ECT. Sarah Palin is Bush in
ECT.
Sarah Palin is Bush in disguise.
Sarah has now said..she will be on the scene in 2012.
It is hopeful that the American citizens have learnt their lesson..by the likes of voting for Bush twice. And they will say a loud NO to any of Sarah Palin's future dreams of running for President of USA.
You're right about one
You're right about one thing: The morons who bought the Palin package are not going to die before 2012. Natural selection generally takes a while to work it's magic. I don't think the Christian crazies or Jewish thugs who loved the GOP are going to become rational people any time soon, either. So unfortunately, she's neither gone nor forgotten and probably won't be any time soon.
"Jewish thugs who loved the
"Jewish thugs who loved the GOP"
Hunh? You're kidding, aren't you?
Last night on Hardball,
Last night on Hardball, Chris Matthews mentioned Governor Palin's comments on her asking God to open the doors for her personal success in politics. The impression that God is a republican was too much for Chris. He reminds his viewers that this is exactly what President Bush told us all and pulled in the religous right to put him in office.
Governor Palin has not yet discovered that America is not a Theocracy but a Constitutional Republic. I am bored with the subject of Governor Palin and her ignorance regarding the Bill of Rights. My wife believes that she has set the women's movement back 200 years.
This morning MSNBC could not get off the subject of Gov. Palin and wasted an intellectual discussion with Thomas Friedman.
Governor Palin is a threat to American values and certainly not a promise!
Malcolm