What's the mystery about Sarah Palin? There isn't any. What you see is largely what you get. Republicans connect with her because she relates to them. She's a grizzly mom, a soccer mom, and a "moose-shootin' mamma." Her children aren't perfect. You never know when she might say something like: "How's that hopey-changey stuff workin' out for ya?"
Sarah Palin's material and delivery don't appear polished or premeditated -- though for sure they often are exactly that -- but they are funny and memorable to the millions of people who like her even if they might at times seem mean to the rest of us.
Where have Obama's spirit and spunk gone? Where are his memorable messages? Indeed, where's the whole Democratic Party's spirit and spunk? They have let the shady front group 'bankruptamerica.org' run its deceptive "When you're in a hole, stop digging" advertisement time and time again on TV and radio with no memorable comeback.
Not even a humorous one about the pinstriped, preppy-tied Republican digging the hole. What are they trying to do, rise above it? The ad is a lie!
They should label it the "A" hole -- the first hole dug after Bill Clinton built up the surplus mound. That's the Republican hole. By comparison, the Democratic "B" hole is miniscule -- mostly dug to tunnel out of the deep pit the Bush Administration left us in. All it takes is a flip chart, a microphone, a marker, an arrow or two and a Democrat with imagination and guts to draw this picture. No need for millions of dollars. But no, with few exceptions we get silence as a response from Democrats.
If you believe The New York Times Magazine, the President seems to wander around the White House at times waiting for Lincoln to speak to him. On the front cover, he's thinking hard. And that's fine. He's a bright guy.
But it's time for more spunk and spontaneity from the president, not in place of explanation but accompanying it. He's made himself predictable, which inevitably gives the opposition a huge advantage. They can outmaneuver him because they know he'll never surprise them.
To which Sarah Palin would probably add, "You betcha!"
Dr. Reardon's newest book COMEBACKS AT WORK was published Oct. 12. She also blogs at bardscove.
P.S. In my years of studying persuasion, especially in politics, I've found it important to study the people we admire and the ones we don't, the ones on our side and the opposition. It's always good in politics to know what the other side is thinking and doing and unwise to underestimate their power no matter how much you might rightfully denigrate their tactics. As Maureen Dowd points out, like her or not Palin is "a fascinating figure in the history of politics." Whether the task is intriguing or unpleasant, we'd be wise to watch and discover why.
Since this essay is obviously a book plug for Comebacks at Work (as yet not reviewed on Amazon) a basic tenet of book marketing is to say something intelligent that will spur readers to want to buy your book.
she know better?):
Maybe one could put it this way- what can Palin learn from the President? She would have
to study hard for a very long time and take private lessons in decency in debate, that's for sure.
Obama has the affect that comes from prep schools and ivy league colleges that coddle and train the leftists of the future.
Obama hasn't released his college transcripts, and has NO intellectual accomplishments to speak of.
Maybe he is really a dumb guy who got favored for his looks, and never had to try hard or develop his mind.
He just had to parrot the leftist line, and the leadership groomed him for a front role.
After all, "identity" is more important than wisdom for the liberals.
He is so unoriginal and derivative and looking backwards, that to compare him to Palin's original and creative mind is to criticize her.
Here's what Palin said when asked by Bill O'Reilly if she is intellectual enough to be president.
"I believe that I am because I have common sense and I have -- I believe the values that are reflective of so many other American values. And I believe that what Americans are seeking is not the elitism, the kind of a spineless -- a spinelessness that perhaps is made up for that with some kind of elite Ivy League education and a fat resume that's based on anything but hard work and private sector, free enterprise principles. Americans are -- could be seeking something like that in positive change in their leadership. I'm not saying that that has to be me."
And there you have it . Another 102 words of completely meaningless tossed word-salad gibberish from the Great White Hope of the GOP.
I would prefer to put my faith in someone who reads, endeavours to understand the issues and works hard for ALL the people he leads.
Leading the United States is a really big job.Your little princess is not up to the task.
Anyone who tries to make it fashionable to be uneducated should be watched very carefully.
Your article gives way to frustration of seeing our President and Sarah Palin in the same sentence, which to me is the narrative her camp wants, a Presidential stature of Palin. I am frustrated with a media that insists on writing the myth of Sarah Palin. She is not a “soccer mom, or a moose shooting women”, she has never even had a hunting license until most recently and the imagine of her being a” mamma grizzly” is far from the truth when it looks like her own children are starving for a little good mothering. She has a worldview the press has not even covered – she is a media star because of the myth her camp branded which is perpetuated by a complicit press.
I do agree with the lessons learned in observing what works and doesn’t and why it’s a lesson our President and the communications people he surrounds himself can learn from – as I do think the President needs to be shown much more in unscripted multi-faceted personality that he is and he and the democrats would benefit greatly if they showed he in his very down to earth, warm and funny guy way – because we can ALL relate to him better when we see him in that light.
There is nothing wrong with his personna. He is a target because of his colour. No other reason. And that makes him a great scapegoat for the mess the Republicans left.
He is to appear on Myth Busters to promote Science and Math, on the View to show he ralates well to womenn the Daily Show to show his very wonderful sense of humor.
He is a great man and I think you will be singing a different tune at the end of his eight years.
If you can't razzle them with the Truth????? Than dazzle them with ( B,S,) and this is what you get from Palin
Next week: The valuable lessons Obama could learn from Mussolini.
But, I would rather have a professor running the country than someone who claims to be such a great mother, but whose kids can't stay out of trouble or stay in school.
He can only be who he is. He can't pretend to be Sarah or anyone else for that matter. And while Sarah has a loyal following, her negative ratings are sky-high, so not sure if it would actually be beneficial even if he could channel the mama grizzly.