Sarah Palin has recently been orchestrating a return to dominance in the Republican Party. Hundreds of thousands of her books are flying off the shelves, she has been hitting up the media circuit, and her Republican competition is in disarray. This is not a good thing for the GOP.
While one would hope that the disaster of her 2008 campaign would make people think twice, Palin’s populist conservatism and perceived authenticity continue to make her very popular with a large part of the Republican base. They see her as one of them — someone who isn’t a creature of Washington.
She uses this connection to hammer one key theme over and over: that she, like her supporters, is persecuted and mocked by the mainstream media. The mainstream media, in her world, have been against her from day one and have done everything in their power to destroy her.
Like any successful propaganda tactic, it is based on a grain of truth. Many elements of the media that pretend to be impartial have a liberal slant on cultural issues.
The populist theme of an out-of-touch and condescending elite abusing their power over the rest of the country plays particularly well in a time of financial crisis and debate about health care. The anti-incumbent mood of the country is real, and Palin is a savvy politician who knows this.
Further helping Palin is that she has been treated less than kindly by the media. Attacks against her have been sexist and downright condescending. If she was liberal, she would have been treated better.
This is a reason that many conservatives, party elites and activists sympathize and come to her defense. This masks the real problem. Sarah Palin is not, and will never be, a legitimate presidential candidate.
There is a reason a recent Gallup poll shows that 62 percent of the country finds her unqualified to be president. A majority of the country simply doesn’t see her as someone who should be the leader of the free world.
This is a vice presidential candidate who performed so poorly in a Katie Couric interview that my political science professor legitimately thought it was a “Saturday Night Live” skit the first time he watched it. Regardless, in her book she places much of the blame on the McCain staff, a trend of blaming others that is not encouraging.
Her constant family issues and scandals in Alaska further weaken her ability to compete on the national stage. Her policy beliefs seem to be nothing more than catchy slogans and “authentic American ideas.” She is certainly a skilled performer and a talented politician. She is just not a future president.
While she has a place in the Republican Party, it is best if she is not leading it. The 2012 election is a long way off, and there are many other politicians who can run. We have given Palin her 15 minutes of fame. Let’s move on.
