I kinda like Sarah Palin.
I kept my mouth shut on the 2log, lest our disproportionate influence accidentally throw the election to McCoot. More importantly, I was enjoying SWZ's prolific, amazing rants against her and was afraid that she may stop if I spoke up. But at the risk of SWZ knocking gazillions of points off me, I really don't think she's as bad as the caricature.
Is she stupid? Hardly. She's got an impressive resume, from getting her way onto town council at the age of 28 to her impressive and popular record of reform as governor of Alaska, she's shown grit and smarts. Is she an expert on foreign policy or even national politics? Certainly not. But that's because her pattern shows her becoming an expert and capable leader only on the subjects within her immediate purview. If you don't believe me, read the Wikipedia entry on her impressive stint as mayor of Wasilla... hardly the record of a ditz.
I think she was wholly unready for the national stage. Given adequate time to prepare, she might have been an effective veep choice. But McCoot was so laser-focused on winning the news cycle that he shoved her onstage without any time to prepare. Given some time to study, she could have been an asset to McCoot. Instead, she proved to be a PR debacle who barely managed to eke through until the end. The slapdash way in which McCain handled one of the major decisions of his campaign proved to me that he would be a terrible leader. Worse, the fact that he thought any ole' pair of ovaries would sway women to vote for him was downright offensive. But these are negatives that got tacked onto McCain, not Palin.
Throughout her months in the spotlight, my views of her have tended more towards Camille Paglia's than Andrew Sullivan. In her must-read columns, Paglia has memorably described her as "an explosion of a brand new style of muscular American feminism," stay-at-home Todd as "a huge step forward in American sexual symbolism," and correctly opined that "liberal Democrats are going to wake up from their sadomasochistic, anti-Palin orgy with a very big hangover." That being said, I have to roll my eyes and laugh out loud at Paglia's fawning description of Palin's speech impediment... "she uses language with the jumps, breaks and rippling momentum of a be-bop saxophonist." No. Just no. Stuttering her way through unfamiliar talking points is not a virtue. In four years, if she's well studied enough on national policy to remove that stutter, she could be a powerful opponent and dangerous opponent.
Also, did I mention, she's hawt?
Of course, it's hard to imagine a situation in which I'd vote for her. A talented rising star though she may be, elections are about issues. As long as I suspect she'll work against the issues I believe in and appoint total jerks to the government, I'll vote against her early and often. Further, I've seen the damage that's been wrought by officeholders who are beholden to the rabid Christianist base. Thanks but no thanks on the bridge to divisive, hate-mongering, insanity.
I think Lorne Michaels encapsulated it perfectly: "I think Palin will continue to be underestimated for a while... Her politics aren't my politics. But you can see that she's a very powerful, very disciplined, incredibly gracious woman."
Go ahead and subtract points, SWZ.
