Palindroning; or the Fine Art of Quitting

Whenever I hear Sarah Palin speak (especially without a script), I'm reminded of John Kennedy's quote at a White House function in which the creme de la creme of Washington society was invited:

I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered at the White House--with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.

How far this country has come since Jefferson. To think that Sarah Palin, as well as Republican pundits, may consider herself a viable candidate for the Office of President of the United States begs for some kind of deconstruction especially when one considers her addiction to quitting.

Regardless of the Palinesque rhetoric that quitting is not really quitting just a change in an agenda of "higher calling," her knack for quitting didn't start with quitting as governor of Alaska, but began a long time ago. How long ago? Well, let's begin with college to see where potential President Palin's quitting all started. Though Jefferson only went to one institution (William and Mary), Palin enrolled in 4 different institutions between 1982-1987 before finally graduating with a BA degree in Journalism from the University of Idaho, Moscow in 1987.

Her first stop on this academic voyage began in Hilo at the University of Hawaii (first school) in 1982. According to some sources, Sarah didn't like the "rainy weather" in Hilo so she quit (first quit) attending school there and moved on to Hawaii Pacific College (second school, second quit) in Honolulu where she was enrolled for a semester, school spokeswoman Crystale Lopez said. One can only speculate on whether Jefferson, in between reading Homer in Greek and Euclid in Latin, was thinking about the weather in Williamsburg, Virginia or, perhaps, thinking of a higher calling. Apparently, HPC didn't work for our potential President Palin either since she quit again (second quit) and moved on to North Idaho College (third school), a community college in Coeur d'Alene, near Sandpoint, Idaho where Palin was born. Diligent is as diligent does, in 1983 our future President-Elect studied two semesters (that would be an entire year!) at NIC majoring in general studies (aka "I have no idea what I want to study so I'll study something"). Grades are not forthcoming, and, apparently, Alene's Heart didn't work for her either before she quit (third quit) NIC.

In 1984, Palin enrolled at the University of Idaho (fourth school) for one semester. Presumably, Palin took courses in news writing, the history of mass communication, interviewing (whatever course that is), psychology, political science and communications ethics which is probably where she learned how to slander opposing political candidates. Perhaps, it was the weather that potential President Sarah didn't like since she quit studying at UI (fourth quit) and moved on in the fall, 1985 to Matanuska-Susitna Community College in Palmer, Alaska (fifth school).

"It looks like she may have taken a few classes there,'' Palin spokeswoman Maria Comella has gone on record as saying. So, the jury's out as to whether she took classes or didn't take classes. If she did, then, in fact, she quit (fifth quit) going to school at MSCC to return to UI (sixth school).

One doesn't need to scrutinize the individual college catalogs to see what Palin may or may not have taken at those six schools. It's irrelevant. What is relevant is that she quit five of them which might mean that she really wasn't cut out for the academic life and, by extension, for a life dependent on, well, close readings and the rigor of analytic study. For the past century and a half no other Republican President has or had the academic track record of Sarah Palin. Regardless of what one might think of his academic acumen, George W. Bush enrolled in and graduated from Yale; George H.W. Bush enrolled in and graduated from Yale; Ronald Reagan enrolled in and graduated from Eureka College; Gerald Ford enrolled in and graduated from Michigan; Richard Nixon enrolled in and graduated from Whittier College; Dwight Eisenhower enrolled in and graduate from West Point; Herbert Hoover enrolled in and graduated from Stanford; Calvin Coolidge enrolled in and graduated from Amherst; Warren Harding enrolled in and graduated from Ohio Central College; enrolled in and graduated from Ohio Northern University; Theodore Roosevelt enrolled in and graduated from Harvard College; Benjamin Harrison enrolled in and graduated from Miami University (Ohio); Chester Arthur enrolled in and graduated from Union College; James Garfield enrolled in and graduated from Williams College; Rutherford Hayes enrolled in and graduated from Kenyon College; and Ulysses Grant enrolled in and graduated from West Point.

Of the last two Republicans who didn't win the White House, John McCain and Bob Dole, the former enrolled in and graduated from the United States Naval Academy and the latter enrolled in Kansas University and left because of World War II (Palin didn't take that route) only to return and finish his degree at the University of Arizona.

One has to go back to William McKinley to last find a Republican president who dropped out of university after one term (and that was allegedly due to illness) and go back to this Lincoln guy to find a Republican president who never went to college. I guess one could attempt to draw an analogy between Lincoln's lack of academic credentials and Palin's lack of academic rigor or the fact their last names have two syllables, but I won't go there. Where I will go is to introduce the fact that just on the sheer merits of education, Palin is pitifully lacking in relation to any of these other Republicans. But beyond that, Palin did what none of these other people did regardless of the difficulties, apparent or contrived, they had encountered in public office: quit.

I suggest the reason she quit and they didn't was simply because her history of quitting is contingent on her inability to endure difficulties. The fact she could not stay at one academic institution long enough to finish the studies she began, regardless of the institution, says a lot about her character. Were studies so difficult at Matanuska-Susitna Community College that she couldn't quite finish? From Lincoln to McCain, none of these people quit on their studies whether those studies were part of an academic institution or not. Nor did any of them quit or think about quitting for contrived reasons. What's also ironic is that of the Republican Presidents I've listed all of them graduated from institutions of academic distinction (either then or now) which belies the Republican mantra that only Democrats are "egg heads" and not in touch with the "aw shucks" sensibilities of the American people. If there is any comparison to be made, it is that Palin has more in common with Limbaugh than Lincoln; namely, the fact that he, too, quit college, Southeast Missouri State, after two semesters and one summer; and according to Wikipedia and Limbaugh's mother, "he flunked everything." Great minds gravitate to each other.

Comments

[NHpeakbagger]

One of the things I find interesting is how two Presidents who were born in pretty modest circumstances but managed to secure the opportunity for a first-class education and make the best of that opportunity are sandwiched around a President who had every opportunity fed to him with a silver spoon and basically pissed that opportunity away.
Palin is simply a female version of GWB without GWB's advantages of birth. I don't blame her for not being all that smart, and to some extent I don't blame GWB for not being smart enough to know that he wasn't smart enough to be President. Both of them got promoted far above their ability levels by folks who thought they'd be useful to their agendas. It isn't so much that SP is dumb, it's that she got pushed into a league where you have to be a lot smarter than she is.
A few years ago the Yankees were short on pitching and called up a guy who had just been promoted from "A" ball to "AA" to start a game against the Red Sox. He became the second pitcher in major league history to give up home runs to four consecutive batters. That's the way I look at GWB and SP. You can't blame that underqualified pitcher because he took the ball when it was handed to him. You blame the people who put him in a position where he couldn't succeed.

[northernwoman]

She quit the Alask Oil and Gas Conservation Commission after serving only one year also. (too)

[diahni]

Don't bother preaching to the choir, Mark. The people who love Palin, and they truly do, love her because she opposes the effete intellectual snobs, a group comprised of people who can speak in whole sentences. Palin lovers actually like the fact she is inarticulate. Same goes for the flaky academic record, which probably resembles the academic records of her fans, assuming they went to college at all.

[clamperken]

As far as I'm concerned Palin can't take the heat of criticism or the possibility of failure. Apparently her built in defense mechanism kicks in whenever failure seems imminent. Fight or flight? For Sarah flight seems to be the best option. Hardly the characteristics of a "pitbull", let alone a nations leader. When the going gets tough Palin's true nature comes shining through, drop everything and run for cover. Too bad she is too proud or too stupid to realize her own shortcomings. America needs leaders not quitters.

[hischagal]

Great blog, but we need more of these. Can you do another in depth piece on Palin? Please make it soon. I just can't get enough.

[farrell123]

Classic liberal elitist Professor-one can imagine the height and mechanism of his nostrils that such a common creature should deign to appear on the public stage. Firstly,as has been commented,this is old hat stuff-it might have created some amusement about a year ago.Secondly,his analysis is restricted to Republican Presidents for good reasons (why spoil a poor story).Truman not only did not go to University but he was a failed hat salesman and a ward heeler-by any standard Palin is more successful in business (fishing) and educated than Truman .But since he was a Dem then that is o.k. no doubt .Al Smith-another uneducated ward heeler b.t.w.

[hischagal]

Farrell123,

Yours is a typical right -wing response--­-irreleven­t.

[hischagal]

Farrell123,

Unfortunately there have been perhaps two republican presidents who were any good, and Reagan is not one of them. One was Lincoln and you can fill in the second if you could figure it out. Our greatest presidents have always been Democrats. Gee, I wonder why?

[dgh01]

And Lincoln would be ostracized from the current Republican party for many reasons.

[sarrab]

give up already with palin, other issues more important.

[NotStarvingArtist]

We will when she and those who support her do. Until then, she is dangerous and should be watched closely.

[frozenfeathers]

Lincoln may have been self-educated, but he practiced law and was an avid reader, as opposed to Ms. Quitty, whom we know can't name anything that she reads; just that whatever it is might be available in Alaska for her possible perusal. How reassuring.
What I find so stunning about our president is that education was a very early goal in his life, claimed by himself and instilled by his mother. He took every advantage given to him to further his education, and he used that advantage to its fullest. He speaks beautifully and with great inspiration and with nary an English error. It is a joy to listen to him, always. His use of language to express the complexity of ideas and thoughts is exceptional and his delivery is often very moving. I personally appreciate his lack of grammatical mistakes.
Ms, Quitty, however, shows her lack of concentration, ideas, and acquity of language every time she speaks, whatever form that may take. She is the freshman who doesn't know how to punctuate her sentences, hardly anyone to represent our country. She is a discourageing representative of anything of excellence of our country, seemingly vindictive and unforgiving in her behavior. Her recent financial success is not surprising, but it is somewhat depressing.
Sometimes I wonder about this democracy of ours. This brilliant man is being belittled in his own country, while other hate-mongers are rewarded here. It just is, I guess, but I don't like it.

[S1m0n]

Eureka college is an "institution of academic distinction"?

I note that it's Wikipedia page boasts only of 1. Reagan, and 2. it's many frats.

[Hammerofthor]

When did Sarah develop the fine art of attracting millions of devoted fans, followers, and supporters? Just recently...or, long ago?