Palin on Today: Not Goin' Anywhere
There a lot of things one can say about Sarah Palin, but this one cannot be disputed: by one measure, at least, she is true to her word. Sarah Palin is not going anywhere.
That, you'll recall, is what the Alaska governor and former vice presidential candidate told ABC's Elizabeth Vargas on the day before Halloween, "I think that if I were to give up and wave a white flag of surrender against some of the political shots that we've taken, that -- that would bring this whole -- I'm -- I'm not doing this for naught."
When her remarks were widely interpreted as indication of a likely 2012 presidential, she artfully dialed back. The day after the Vargas interview, she told me, "I'll be campaigning for John McCain's re-election in 2012."
That commitment now wiped off the slate by reality's eraser, Palin has set off on a charm offensive that will serve her well should she choose to toss her hat back into the ring of national politics. In this morning's Today show interview with NBC's Matt Lauer, Palin came off as endearingly combative, calling the unnamed leakers quoted in Newsweek "cowards", and cooking a halibut and salmon casserole for Lauer -- while being interviewed.
For the sit-down portion of the interview, which took place in the governor's office, she wore a jacket more reminiscent -- in color, if not cut -- of those she began the campaign with. Her hair was pulled up in a relaxed manner that suggested she did it herself. She denied all the talk about her alleged extravagance in the purchase of her campaign wardrobe, telling Lauer that her campaign duds were being purchased by the Republican National Committee before she ever even arrived in St. Paul for the Republican National Convention. Of Neiman Marcus, the high-end retailer that an unnamed McCain adviser claimed had been "looted" by "Wasilla hillbillies," Palin said, "I've never even been in those stores..."
Far more interesting than her denials, however, was her failure to deny Lauer's suggestion that it was the decision of McCain's people to keep her from the press, and her assertion that she would have liked to talk more to the media (which she once famously derided). "You can't just assume that the voters are going to be able to guess what's going on," she said, and that means talking to the media.
Which she's doing with a vengeance. Literally. Just ask those "cowards" who leaked the allegation about Palin not knowing that Africa is a continent, or that she greeted male campaign staffers while wearing nothing but a towel.
More important, though, than Palin's own self-redemption crusade is the national media's continued interest in her. And who can blame them? Like Barack Obama, Palin is a bundle of contradictions and seeming non sequiturs -- a bundle that represents the tensions in play in the lives of many Americans. In Obama, the tensions of race, culture and the structure of the modern, blended family were all brought into play. In Palin, as Katha Pollitt has sagely written, is the irony of the ambitious and talented woman who embraces a conservative, truly right-wing, worldview. As Lauer interviewed her in her Wasilla kitchen, it may have been the governor herself who made the casserole, but her hunky, blue-collar husband held the baby with utter comfort, patting him nonchalantly as if this is something he does every day (because it is).
I've heard liberals say that Palin's the one they want their president to face in 2012. And given her performance with Katie Couric and Charlie Gibson, I can understand why.
But Sarah Palin is not stupid. She's no Barack Obama, but she's not dumb. Needs a little schooling, but I suspect she's a quick study. And who knows what the president-elect will face in the next four years? Absent a credible ideology on the real problems facing America -- the economy, international relations, health care -- the Republicans have little left to run on but the culture wars. While that may seem so yesterday, the passage of anti-gay ballot measures in a handful of states on Tuesday proves the wars have not yet ended. And Sarah Palin could prove to be a great warrior icon -- Alaska's own Athena, goddess of hearth and war.
In the Wasilla segment of Lauer's interview, the adorable grade-schooler, Piper Palin, was asked how she would feel if, when she's 11 years old in 2012, her mom came to her and said, we're going run again. (Lauer was not specific as to which office.) Piper turned up her palms and said, with a little laugh, "I don't know."
Her mom didn't miss a beat. "Would you want to do it again, sister?" asked Sarah Palin as she stirred the casserole.
Piper suddenly knew the right answer. "Yeah," she replied.
After all, she hadn't done it for naught.
Follow Adele Stan on Twitter: www.twitter.com/addiestan
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Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Without life, there is no use for the others.
A country that won't defend its most defenseless, is not worthy of liberty...
The president of the United States is one of the most difficult, complicated positions on the planet requiring decisions to be made constantly that have consequences around the globe that effect our very existence. The president should be extremely intelligent, well-educated, and decent. Sarah Palin, like George Bush, is none of these things. If she even has a chance of becoming president in 2012, it will simply show that we haven't really evolved all that much.
The author writes: "Absent a credible ideology on the real problems facing America -- the economy, international relations, health care -- the Republicans have little left to run on but the culture wars."
You don't, however, solve problems with "ideology.
Wow, talk about spin and turning logic on its head! Reagan "was there to pick up..." Reagan and Republican IDEOLOGY is a big part of the reason we are in the current mess. It was Reagan who sold the "deficits don't matter" and "borrow and spend" Republican philosophy. It was Reagan who pushed for the largest deregulation in history. Since Reagan, massive failures in the economy have become routine. Reagan was totally IDEOLOGICALLY driven. And it was a failed IDEOLOGY.
Bush is the heir to Reagan. And the end result of Republican IDEOLOGY is failure. That's why the Democrats must be there to pick up the pieces. Like Clinton did, like FDR did, and like Obama is going to do.
Your post actually makes no sense. What you are saying is that in order for Obama to succeed he must listen to republicans. Jeez what do you think the public has said to that notion? Oh yeah we decided NOT to let another republicans in the White House..
Moving to the "center" simply means kow towing to republicans and WHY should he do that? We've already seen what THEIR policies are like. THAT is why we voted so many of them out. Their polices and this nonsense about moving to the "center" stink to high heaven.
This myth that he somehow has a "leftist" past is garbage and always has been. Unless you consider actually getting out and helping poor people in your community to a better life somehow "leftist".
Maybe while the "liberal" media is so busy puffing up the Wasilla wannabe, they might take a look at the financing on her house? Her house is a Ted Stevens/crony crook special.
Not goin' anywhere? Sounds like the perfect slogan for the Republican party. Not going to the White House either, Sarah.
I don't feel sorry for Palin. She chose to expose herself and her family to the National scene. Her ego, which is disturbingly large considering her lack of knowledge about the Country, the Constitution and the World is unfrotunately dangerous. Her social positions are dangerous and not in alignment with the vast majority of the American people and moreover other women. I suppose she could pull a Mitt Romney and say anything to get elected, however, we know her true stripes. I sincerely hope that we do not see her on the National stage again. I concur that the Republicans are grasping at twigs as they fall over the precipice.
Alaskan Athena? I beg your pardon but Athena was also a goddess of WISDOM. I do not see Mrs. Palin as Athina the Pallas. Perhaps, Bellona? Or one of the Furies?
I cannot imagine that the GOP will seriously rally around Palin. Yes, she is a beautiful woman and she is not completely dumb, but she is not completely bright either. She is tough but she lacks sense of discipline. It is one thing to be part of a campaign for 2 months but what about 2 years? And what do you do with her utter disloyalty trait? She stabbed in the back the prior governor of Alaska who was of the same party, she is stabbibg in the back McCain campaign. As I can see this, she cannot run on her own, she has to have some forces behind her back. Who will want to rally for her if she is not going to be either grateful or loyal? Name me such foolish big interests.
On her own she does not possess enough intellect, character, charisma, camaradery and across-the-lines appeal to pull off the election. So who is going to bet on her for 2012?
Athena was not a goddess of the home or the hearth. Those attributes were Hera's.
In addition to wisdom, Athena was a Goddess of War. But not the brutal, belligerent, mutually destructive warfare of Ares. While Ares loved warfare and sought to incite it where and whenever the opportunity presented itself, Athena fought only to win, and sought other means to achieve her goals when war was not the best option. Hence her association with Nike, "Victory". This is why the most famous statue of her from ancient times (the Athena Parthenos by Phidias) depicted her armed with a hoplite's helmet, shield, greaves, breastplate, and spear, along with a smaller deity, Nike, standing in her outstretched palm. Her panoply was extremely rich (her shield was the Aegis of Zeus!), like that of a strategos or greek general. A strategos was expected to fight and die if necessary in the most exposed and most important spot in the entire phalanx, the extreme right of the first rank. A strategos had to be brave, smart, and tough.
Athena was also associated with weaving, likely an allusion to Athens' textile industry but perhaps also an allusion to the Three Fates, who spun, measured, and cut the threads of individual lives. A wise actor who makes momentous decisions about whether or not to go to war and how to best to achieve political or military goals weaves the threads of many lives together, for good or ill.
Sarah Palin is nothing like Athena. And I certainly don't want her or anyone like her making the kinds of decisions a weaver of lives and history has to make.
will someone please tell my why this woman refuses to use pronouns? I can't believe I'm admitting this, but I watched her interview with Greta, and she never said "I". It's annoying and very hard to listen to someone who talks like this. But what is most upsetting is that she gets to address the "unfair' attacks on her, yet no one confronts her with the LIES she propogated against Barack Obama. She, a "Christian" woman, intentionally set out to attack this man's character and patriotism. I find her offensive on every level: as a woman (wink-wink), as an American, as an elected official, and as a native speaker of the English language.
I couldn't bring myself to listen to the clip, is she still dropping her g's?
Hestia, not Athena, was the Greek goddess of the hearth.
Well, at least both were virgins.
You are right. The conservatives in the Republican Party have little else but to regroup, recommit and rally around Sarah Palin in 2012 as part of a new conservative feminist movement. They will have fun doing this, and will probably lose to President Obama, unless the next four years are a disaster.
The venomous attacks against Palin only harden the support behind her. She may not get 50% of the vote but she will take command of the conservative base, I betcha.
By the way, I congratulate Barack Obama on becoming President. I'm actually happy for him and the country, and if he does a half-way decent job as President, proving my worst fears wrong, I will be glad to vote for him for the first time in 2012.
If Palin decides to run for re-election as Alaska's governor, defeating her ought be job one of the national Democratic Party. It also may behoove the GOP to come up with a moderate primary challenger for her, if they want to become a party of policy instead of one focused solely on God, guns & gays.
If, on the other hand, Ted Stevens is forced to resign and Palin is foolish enough to appoint herself to fill his seat, she'll have signed her own political death warrent . . .
Wishful thinking on both counts.
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