Sarah Palin is not Hillary; She's Like Bill Clinton

"Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!" in the words of that famous American Legend, Gomer Pyle, "Golly! Gee Whiz!" I was expectin' to meet Annie Oakley and instead I met Grace Kelly. Two beloved female American icons, with two very different endearing styles. Television, newspapers and magazines provide the public images of celebrities and political candidates. But, when you actually meet them in person you find them, more often than not, to be unlike the persona presented by the media. This was my experience in meeting Sarah Palin. Tina Fey's imitation does not do justice to her beauty nor to her brains.

As someone from a large Irish Catholic family where discussing politics is part of every meal, I learned early on that looking someone in the eye face to face is the best way to determine your opinion of a candidate. I fondly remember meeting J.F.K. when he was campaigning in California in 1959, and although I was very young, when he shook my hand, smiled at me and winked his eye, I was hooked. He had charisma. My encounter with Sarah Palin, the Governor of Alaska and the first Republican female nominee for Vice President was another enlightening and memorable experience.

She may be folksy while in her charming hometown of Wasilla, but when she is on the road, in San Francisco, Sarah Palin is also a very sophisticated, elegant and articulate politician. I brought my 27 year-old daughter Shannon, who is a third year law student, with me to meet America's most recent "talked about" role model.

We were preparing to be introduced to the Governor of Alaska when she took the lead and walked across the room, in a dark business suit and knee high boots, with her arms stretched out to greet us. She then put both her hands in mine and then in my daughter's to shake them warmly, telling us how happy she was to make our acquaintance. We then spoke about China and the importance of our relationship with this powerful country and how tourism from China to America was vital to our nation's economy.

Earlier in the year, I had heard from friends in the Chinese government that they had visited Alaska and met the Governor and they were very impressed with her shared desire to bring more Chinese visitors to her state and to the U.S. to help offset the balance of trade. We discussed that Chinese travelers spend more money than any other international traveler and that tourism was a key "people to people" form of diplomacy. I let the Governor know that Madame Ma, the Vice Minister of Commerce for China, was looking forward to meeting her in Beijing and I would be happy to make the introduction of these two dynamic women leaders, both committed to strengthening the friendship between America and China for economic stability and peace in our world.

On our drive home, my daughter and I spoke about our experience of meeting Sarah Palin. I asked her who did she remind her of that she had personally met. She immediately replied, "Margaret Thatcher and Arianna Huffington, she's fearless like them!" then she continued, "Sarah Palin will be a disarming 'iron lady' in her own way, when dealing with foreign leaders." But, my impression surprised us both the most. I thought about it, dipping into my memory bank of other politicians I had met over the years and it suddenly hit me. I exclaimed, "She's not Hillary, Sarah Palin is like Bill Clinton!" Not only because they share comparable CEO experience as governors. She has a similar unique "people to people" skill, reminiscent to Bill Clinton.

When she met with us, it was as though we were the only people she was paying attention to in the room. Her focused "caring" magnetism reminded me of another memorable encounter. In 1994 while taking a group of 69 inner city kids from South Central Los Angeles and Oakland to the White House with John Mack of the Urban League, we met President Clinton and told him we brought these kids to D.C. stopping enroute in Hope, Arkansas. He turned to us holding both my hands, gazing into my eyes and said, "Bless you." Fast-forward to October 5th, 2008, Sarah Palin has the same engaging approach. When we were saying goodbye to Governor Palin, like President Clinton, she stared into my eyes for a good 10 seconds and said, "Bless you." My daughter responded, "Mom, now that's what you call charisma." I knew she was hooked!

 

Comments

[clarity101]

CEO experience!?? No, I'm sorry you are uninformed. She has spent most of her time in office, before the campaign, at home. Most of that time, was consumed with, trying to get a trooper fired and popping out a kid. Phony projects like the natural gas pipeline that has to cross Indian land in Canada,and is not popular with them, filled the rest of her time. Being governor of a tiny population which consists of many military does not qualify a person to to be the president. I think there was a little girl-girl thing going on here, it was your first time, you'll get over it.

Clinton, a Rhodes scholar, who was one of the most effective presidents ever, um no. You have to think about what you just said. We are talking Sarah Palin here, aspiring beauty queen, right? She is the epitome of why we need to rethink the states rights issue. Their state Alaska gets to send two senators to Washington, their puny population can cancel out the population of a huge metropolis.

[lakat]

Wow, someone is easily impressed. You and your daughter wouldn't be the first people to gush in the presence of celebrity, regardless of how you felt about them before. How she has comported herself on the campaign trail is enough for me and there is no amount of charm that would turn me from the sour impression she has made on me. If she stopped lying and renounced her behavior and speech, I might give her a chance.

I once was "in love" with Bill Clinton but he betrayed me (the American people) not only by his egregious behavior in private but by his very Republican policies that he put through, such as NAFTA, welfare reform and deregulation (precursor to our economic ruin) to name a few. My husband met him on Saturday in Beverly Hills and I thought I would not be so charmed if I met him today, no matter how smooth he would be. Also I would never shake hands with Bush, never, no matter how schmoozy he would be with me. I have standards. Hear that, Lance Armstrong?

[Marco]

The difference is when Bill Clinton says, "Bless you," you get the feeling he sincerely wants your life to be a blessed one full of all that you desire with everything that you can bring to it.

When Sarah Palin says, "Bless you," you know the blessings are much more limited and conditional.

[peterg76]

You owe Bill Clinton an apology. And being a "disarming 'iron lady' " is not an asset for the reality-challenged.

[arizonastudent01]

Oh good God you must be kidding. Sounds like trivial stuff. Ask her some very real questions.

[NotMcCain]

Wasn't it Spencer Tracy who said, "The key is sincerity. And once you can fake that, you can do anything."

Phony charm is like mother's milk to politicians. When motivated enough, they ALL can do it.


If Palin wants us to see her Bill Clinton / Grace Kelly side, maybe she should do a press conference sometime. Or at least an interview with a real journalist (or 3 or 4).

Kennedy and Clinton held up under intense scrutiny. Let's see if Palin's "charm and intelligence" can do the same.....

[pipp]

If she is this disarmingly intelligent and articulate, and elegant and Grace Kelly like why are the campaign strategists falling all over themselves to keep us from seeing or hearing the real Sarah?

[oafishcad]

What does any of the post have to do with Ms. Palin being President? (since that is the job of he VP). I doubt she could even name the other states in the Union if they weren't labeled on a map. This is the most important job in the world. Excuse me if I want someone who's already ready and not someone who needs to cram for news conferences and debates.

[PKSSK]

I agree that Ms. Palin is no Hillary Clinton and is more like Bill Clinton without the education. Hillary is not a good snake oil saleswoman or salesman, but, like Arianna Huffington, she known to be a brilliant, authentic and articullate fighter for the people she represents and that is what both Palin and Bill lack. Palin and Bill both care more about getting the attention and power for themselves and not the people they care about or represent.

[Elizza]

"...articu­late politician" ?? You have got to be kidding! That must be why she's been keep away from the press throughout her short campaign to Washington (you know, that city that isn't Pro-American?). Comparing her with either Hillary and Bill Clinton or Magaret Thatcher has got to be one of the worst insults to the Clintons and Thatcher. They are, at the very least, intelligent. Puleeze, I hope you didn't come away from your conversation with her thinkin' about how great she would be dealin' with all those foreign folks. I don't even know why I'm commenting on this story; it's quite simply bizarre.

[Lee323]

Ms. Hentschel.­....Your piece makes a good case for Palin as Alaska's Public Relation and Travel Hostess, if such a post exists. Unfortunately, your piece also says more about you than Palin. You seem dazzled by superficialities and undermine your credibility by emphasizing charisma over substance. Doubly unfortunate is that you did not talk to your daughter about what it actually takes to become a woman of accomplish­ment.....l­ike A. Huffington, Hillary Clinton, or Margaret Thatcher. As for Bill Clinton...­.well, a Rhodes Scholar Ms. Palin is definitely NOT. I won't even go into your litmus test of gazing into politicians' eyes....to­o embarrassing.

[bdaved]

I've noticed that Governor Palin can be well-spoken when she is being ingenuous. That has led me to conclude that most of her mis-speaking comes when she is being disingenuous. And she is becoming quite well-known for her mis-speaking.

[emcd]

Here's what I would say in response to your impressions:

Normally, when a politician or anyone else in a power position gazes into your eyes, what they are NOT trying to do is connect with you. They are looking for signs of whether they have SOLD you on what they are shilling for and what else they might need to do if they haven't yet.

Secondly, if GovPalin is as astute and brainy and iron-willed as you contend, then why in the world would she allow herself to be manipulated and distorted into the caricature we see today?

The answer is she does not have any philosophical or political ambitions, she merely wants to everyone she meets on herself in order to gain power.

She is just as likely to resign her governorship after the election, in exchange for a role on Faux or some other network, in whatever capacity she can; as she is to run for higher office in the future.

THE GOAL IS TO MAKE SARAH FAMOUS NOT TO SERVE ANY HIGHER PURPOSE AT ALL.

[Kristen777]

Great observation emcd. That gazing is meant to "hook" you not connect too you - Ms. Hentschel's exact words.

[Freedoms Friend]

My Sarah Palin problem,
When a person makes a statement like "I have foreign policy experience, I can see Russia from Alaska!
O.K. I am prepared to put that down to exuberance, excitement , rushed thinking, now when that is repeated a second time, I think Oh she is nervous again.
When that line is thrown out for the third, fourth and fifth time I just say this person is either delusional,
lacking thought or repaired to say anything to obtain what she wants, I believe the latter.
Just think, if she lived near an international airport she could apply for the position of UN Secretary General.
This woman has a rustic charm, as does Bill Clinton but the Rhodes Scholarship is sorely missing

[BOM2007]

Interestingly, Ms. Hentschel does not share much of the content of the discussion that took place. Ms. Hentschel's personal, unconfirmed, observation that Ms. Palin was elegant and articulate is of no use to me. Show me the money! Ms. Palin had the opportunity herself to show me the money in her (very) few interviews. What I saw/heard.­....with my own ears and eyes......­was the real Ms. Palin. An inarticulate anti-intellectual. By the standard Ms. Palin has set, everybody in my neighborhood way, way exceeds the bar to be the next POTUS.