I’m about as Republican as they come, but Sarah Palin excels at getting on my nerves. When she first burst onto the political scene in 2008, she was viewed as a sort of hayseed, salt o’ the earth soccer mom cum VP contender. It became immediately obvious that despite her spunk, Sarah Palin didn’t really have a handle on larger issues like international policy or government spending.
And so when McCain-Palin sputtered and died in Election ’08, Sarah Palin now had before her a vast ocean of opportunity. She had fame – she was the pitbull from Wasilla, the soccer mom with political conviction! – and the ear of the media, who followed her every move; the world really was her oyster. She could have gone on diplomatic missions, tagged along with senators or ambassadors, taken courses at universities, and overall, just showed that if she didn’t have the experience going into it, she sure as heck would get it in the process.
But instead, what did she choose to do? Reality TV. A bus tour. History revision. And in doing so, effectively torpedoed whatever semblance of a political career she may have had. Where once she was the fiery upstart she now became the Fox News pundit, the butt of bad jokes and subject of what we hope will be more Tina Fey impressions.
And that she would now come out and blast a legitimate Republican candidate puzzles the mind. I don’t see Sarah Palin as being an astute reader of the economy, nor do I see her as having the breadth or length of experience that Mitt Romney had running Massachusetts. I think – humbly, and please feel free to comment – that Sarah Palin’s negative opinions about other Republican candidates are best left to herself. The GOP faces an uphill battle as it is – there’s no reason to cast stones.
Silicon Spatula 