What is Sarah Palin’s Higher Calling?

I’m dismayed . I hope you can help. Its about Sara Palin, the woman who just mysteriously abandoned her position as Governor of Alaska. “If I die [politically], I die” Sarah Palin told us today. What mystifies me is the word “if”.

I understand how she was catapulted into the national spotlight to start: A bull-headed politician with a history of rash decision-making throws all caution to the wind and chooses her as a running mate in a desperate attempt to spice-up his failed presidential bid. I get that.

A match made in ... haste

I can also understand why McCain’s plan backfired. Palin may have been the sexiest vice presidential candidate America had ever seen, but it was equally evident that she was also among the least qualified. Sarah Palin is, essentially, Dan Quayle with less experience and nicer legs.

Here is where it starts to get fuzzy for me. In interview after interview Palin has demonstrated her estrangement from the facts in every manner of domestic and foreign policy. The self-proclaimed “hockey mom” may have fielded questions with folksy charm, but her grasp of the issues was an insult to the mothers of young hockey players across America.

Then Obama is sworn in. McCain is quietly reabsorbed back into the Senate. And Palin becomes embroiled in legal battles over numerous violations of Alaska’s ethics code. (Ironically it was Governor Palin who fought to have the ethics bill signed into law. After it was disclosed that her own conduct was unethical, she marginalized the violations as “frivolous”. These violations were anything but frivolous when she championed them through her state’s legislature. It would seem the perspective gained while being hoisted with her own petard has changed the Governor’s view.)

Despite all this, Palin persists. Republican leaders, voters and pundits keep referring to her as the republican party’s shining star for the 2012 election. This is were I need your help.

Sarah Palin is, essentially, Dan Quayle with less experience and nicer legs.

Aside from celebrity and the MILF-factor, what does Sarah Palin have to offer that keep her in serious contention for the most intellectually and ethically demanding job in America?

Haven’t we seen enough over the past 10 months to ascertain that despite everything we may like about Sarah Palin, she’s just not up for that job?

And haven’t we seen enough in the eight preceding years to understand that it takes more than folksy homespun populist ineloquence to lead a nation?

Lastly, if we were not convinced a week ago, hasn’t her behavior over the past few days revoked her right to be taken seriously by anyone who cares about the preservation of our democracy?

First there is how she handled the announcement itself. Her decision to step down as governor was so rashly conceived that both politicians and friends were taken by surprise. Never a good idea in politics. In fact, the announcement of the press conference was handled in the same way one might announce a backyard keg party. “Palin hastily called a news conference Friday morning at her home in suburban Wasilla, giving such short notice that only a few reporters actually made it to the announcement.” (Rachael D’Oro, AP).

Second, there is the vague wording and cryptic reasoning she provided for her resignation. The people who voted her into office deserve a straight answer as to why she is abandoning their trust – sans the political double-talk and diversion tactics that plague “politics as usual”.

Third is the drama she is trying to stir up over her next move by dropping hints via Facebook and Twitter to a “higher calling”. Why not just tell people? If nothing else, she owes her constituents that much. This showboating is an insult to anyone who actually cares what she does. As for the higher calling, are we to assume she is about to enter the convent? (At least that way her legal fees would be subsidized by the Catholic Church.)

In any event, her 30-minute song and dance last Friday fell way short of the mark on every level. I interpret her inability to articulate why she is quitting the state’s highest office to mean:

• she doesn’t know
• she does know but it trying to conceal the truth
• she does know but is purposely using her position to create confusion and drama in the hope of furthering her career.

All of those alternatives are equally disturbing.

Palin the Rodeo Clown: Will the last laugh be on Sarah?

Given all this, can anyone seriously consider Sarah Palin as a candidate for President? Is celebrity and a certain MILF-factor the best credentials the republican party has to offer our political system? Or is that just the point? Perhaps the republican party is using Sarah Palin as some sort of political rodeo clown to keep us all distracted between elections so we don’t focus on the shambles that the party is in. Perhaps her job is to keep the party in the headlines until 2012 and keep the focus off people like Ensign and Sanford. Chances are she would self-destruct by the time the 2012 campaign started in earnest and then she could be sidelined so that people like Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee could take center stage.

My biggest concern is that Americans, and in particular republicans, will continue to take this woman seriously, no matter what. That hurts, because I want to believe that the days when being a plucky dolt with a homespun take on the world and marginal grip on the facts qualified you for president were over. I had hoped that was simply a phase we were going through in the 90‘s and that we, as a nation, had grown out of it with the retirement of George W. But the popularity of this plucky Alaskan dolt would seems to indicate that we never learn and that a significant percentage of our populous will always gravitate towards the dim and inarticulate for leadership.

Perhaps the real question with Palin is simply: How far can good looks and pluck take you in life? I’m hoping the answer to that question is Governor of Alaska, and no further.

The resignation speech of Sarah Palin: a deconstruction

In what can best be described as mildly coherent rambling, Sarah Palin, the Governor of Alaska, announced her resignation on July 3. During her speech, she alluded to a combination of factors that lead to her decision. Reading through the full text of her speech, I was able to extract 11 reasons that were buried deep amidst her wandering prose and tangled logic. They are paraphrased below (along with the relevant text from her speech in italics):

Gov. Sarah Palin (Photo: AP)

1. Defending myself against claims of ethics violations by political operatives is distracting me from doing my job as governor. Therefore, I resign.
“Political operatives descended on Alaska last August, digging for dirt. The ethics law I championed became their weapon of choice. Over the past nine months I’ve been accused of all sorts of frivolous ethics violations … Every one – all 15 of the ethics complaints have been dismissed. We’ve won! But it hasn’t been cheap – the State has wasted THOUSANDS of hours of YOUR time and shelled out some two million of YOUR dollars to respond to “opposition research” – that’s money NOT going to fund teachers or troopers – or safer roads.

2. Life is short. Time is too precious to waste. I am wasting my time as governor. Therefore, I resign to make better use of my time.
“Life is too short to compromise time and resources… Productive, fulfilled people determine where to put their efforts, choosing to wisely utilize precious time… to BUILD UP.”

3. I am expected to serve out the term I was elected for. But that would make me a quitter. Therefore, I am quitting because I don’t want to be a quitter.
“… it may be tempting and more comfortable to just keep your head down, plod along, and appease those who demand: “Sit down and shut up”, but that’s the worthless, easy path; that’s a quitter’s way out. And a problem in our country today is apathy. It would be apathetic to just hunker down and “go with the flow. Nah, only dead fish “go with the flow”.”

4. I want to help people. I now realize that I don’t need the title of Governor to do that. Therefore I will do away with my superfluous title of Governor.
“I’ve never believed that I, nor anyone else, needs a title to do this – to make a difference… to HELP people. So I choose, for my State and my family, more “freedom” to progress, all the way around… so that Alaska may progress… I will not seek re-election as Governor.”

5. I have decided not to seek reelection. Lame duck governors milk the system by traveling around and neglecting their state’s politics. That is wrong. The best option once one decides not to run for reelection is to desert one’s post. Therefore, I quit.
“And so as I thought about this announcement that I wouldn’t run for re-election and what it means for Alaska, I thought about how much fun some governors have as lame ducks… travel around the state, to the Lower 48 (maybe), overseas on international trade – as so many politicians do. And then I thought – that’s what’s wrong – many just accept that lame duck status, hit the road, draw the paycheck, and “milk it”. I’m not putting Alaska through that – I promised efficiencies and effectiveness! ? That’s not how I am wired. I am not wired to operate under the same old “politics as usual.” I promised that four years ago – and I meant it. It’s not what is best for Alaska.”

6. The political environment in Alaska has turned on me. I want to take a stand. Therefore, I am resigning to take a stand against those who wish me out of office.
“My choice is to take a stand and effect change – not hit our heads against the wall and watch valuable state time and money, millions of your dollars, go down the drain in this new environment.“

7. I want to pursue my priorities for Alaska and America on a bigger scale. Being Governor is holding me back. Therefore I will quit so that I might better serve as a citizen.
” Rather, we know we can effect positive change outside government at this moment in time, on another scale, and actually make a difference for our priorities – and so we will, for Alaskans and for Americans.”

8. I am Alaska’s governor in title only. This is wasting taxpayer’s time and money. While some may endorse my charade, I oppose it. Therefore, I resign.
“Some Alaskans don’t mind wasting public dollars and state time. I do. I cannot stand here as your Governor and allow millions upon millions of our dollars go to waste just so I can hold the title of Governor.”

9. My children told me to resign, primarily because an adult said something nasty about their handicapped brother Trig. An emphatic cuss-word used by one of my kids convinced me that they were right.
“In fact, this decision comes after much consideration, and finally polling the most important people in my life – my children (where the count was unanimous… well, in response to asking: “Want me to make a positive difference and fight for ALL our children’s future from OUTSIDE the Governor’s office?” It was four “yes’s” and one “hell yeah!” The “hell yeah” sealed it – and someday I’ll talk about the details of that… I think much of it had to do with the kids seeing their baby brother Trig mocked by some pretty mean-spirited adults recently.)”

10. Even though I am opposed to governors milking the state for unnecessary travel, a recent trip I took to visit wounded soldiers in Kosovo and Landstuhl showed me that their work is of national importance and real while my work as Governor is local and superficial. Therefore I will quit because I want to do something national and real.
“My decision was also fortified during this most recent trip to Kosovo and Landstuhl, to visit our wounded soldiers overseas, those who sacrifice themselves in war for OUR freedom and security… we can ALL learn from our selfless Troops… they’re bold, they don’t give up, they take a stand and know that LIFE is short so they choose to NOT waste time. They choose to be productive and to serve something greater than SELF… and to build up their families, their states, our country. These Troops and their important missions – those are truly the worthy causes in this world and should be the public priority with time and resources and NOT this local / superficial wasteful political bloodsport.”

11. I believe “no more politics as usual” is good. Deserting my post is highly unusual. Therefore deserting my post is good. So I quit.
“I have given my reasons… no more “politics as usual” and I am taking my fight for what’s right – for Alaska – in a new direction.”

There was a twelfth reason. It was not stated explicitly by Palin the politician, but stated clearly between the lines by Palin the hockey mom. That voice said:

“The pressure of publicity brought to bear on me and my family since last August are beyond my ability to cope, no less govern. Therefore, I resign.”

Saying this would have confirmed Governor Palin’s limitations as a politician but redeemed her integrity as a human being. Had Sarah Palin the courage to make that 27-word speech then she would have been living up to her credo of “no more politics as usual”. Lacking that courage she couched her resignation waste-deep in 2,571 words of empty political rhetoric, transparent positioning and populist prattle. Politics as usual. Her constituents deserved better from her.

Video here