No Runny Eggs

Is there anyone getting more press coverage in the past 10 days or so than Sarah Palin?  Ever since she began her publicity tour for her book, right, left and every ideology in between has been writing or reporting (even if they have to make stuff up) on Sarah Palin.  Just today, there was this interview by Newsmax.com and this article about an interview Palin had with Barbara Walters.

With her history and now the attention that Palin has received, comes the natural question; what do you think of Sarah Palin?  I’ll bet I’ve been asked this very question no less than a dozen times since this past weekend.

First, what I observed in the two articles I referenced.

It’s clear that Sarah Palin has a good temperament for media and, more importantly, has learned from her past experiences.  When asked about Obama’s Nobel Peace prize, rather than snarking about how stupid it was, she gave a response that left and right alike can agree on.  She didn’t say he shouldn’t have gotten it or hadn’t done anything, at least not in those words.  She commented that, while the prize may be warranted someday, it was “premature”. 

In another incident, when asked about the hatchet job Newsweek did on her, she didn’t strike out or complain about the “biased” media.  Rather, she talked about feeling a need to apologize to her family for the cruddy work that Newsweek had done.  Again, she has learned that whining about what she can’t control doesn’t get her any credit.  There are other ways to drive home her point without making it sound like a grade school playground incident.

Another thing I observed in these articles and that I’ve heard in live interviews, is her ability to accept levels of reality that other politicians seem incapable of.  A good example is in the Walters interview when she was asked if they could have won the election had she been allowed to “be Sarah” throught the Presidential campaign.  Her response was “no”, that the economy was a bigger issue than they could overcome. 

So, what DO I think of Sarah Palin?

 She has a unique ability to connect with the conservative ethos.  Also, by not holding an office, she doesn’t have the issue of having to be “politically correct” in her answers.  The policy issues she has addressed have been done hitting on key issues and again, with answers that immediately resonate with those who find her appealing.

I don’t know that Sarah Palin will ever become a nominee for President.  That said, it seems clearer and clearer that she has the ability to be a national leader.  I believe the Republican establishment ignores or in some cases, makes fun of her, at their own risk.  While Palin may only resonate with 15% or so of the Republican voters, that’s 15% that no Republican nominee can afford to lose.  Don’t believe me?  Ask John McCain what his campaign looked like before he named Palin as his running mate!

In her interview with Walters, Palin is asked whether she will play a major role.  Her reply was:

“If people will have me, I will.”

If it were up to me, I’d respond with the favorite line from the Price is Right; Sarah Palin, come on down!