(h/t pourmecoffee blog for the idea)
TW: I chose out of respect to our national holiday to not post on Ms. Palin yesterday. And the blogosphere is crammed with takes on Ms. Palin. Yet I have decided to give it one more comment then I will move on (until of course the next great twist in the drama).
Last fall when she was first thrust cynically onto the national scene I called her Sarah "Dave" Palin after the charming Kevin Kline character from the film of the same name. "Dave" was an innocent, normal yet imminently unqualified person thrust into the role of POTUS due to convoluted circumstances. Dave's handlers did their best to disguise his true identity by filling him with just enough facts to make him seem real. I thought the title relevant for Palin last fall and still do.
My net net on her latest evolution:
1) I could care less about all of possible reasons for her move, the speculation is tedious and ultimately irrelevant (note should it develop that she has a tragic family or health issue then obviously that would change things but her "speech" was not consistent with that reason but given the below anything is possible).
2) She is corrosive to the Republican party. She is just viable enough as a national figure that the more rational elements of her party (i.e. David Frum, Mike Murphy, Peggy Noonan, George Will etc.) feel obligated to react to her respectively and seriously if tepidly. She cannot be dismissed as a crackpot. Concurrently the fire-breathers (i.e. Bill Kristol, hard-core wrongy bloggers, National Review, Fox News, Rush etc.) are sucked into actually rationalizing her behaviors which only diminish their already seriously strained credibilty.
The Dems on the other hand have a free-fire zone because...
3) She is batshit insane.
4) To quote Mr. John Mellencamp:
"Well I was born in a small town
And I live in a small town
Prob'ly die in a small town
Oh, those small communities
All my friends are so small town
My parents live in the same small town
My job is so small town
Provides little opportunity
Educated in a small town
Taught the fear of Jesus in a small town
Used to daydream in that small town
Another boring romantic that's me..."
I like small towns and had plenty of exposure to them growing up. Small towns are great. One can lead a wonderful life in a small town, become a great parent, a good leader etc. But one could also, if never moving beyond that town; think if one were the class valedictorian for instance, that you were the smartest person ever; or the town's top business person that you were the smartest business person ever; or the fastest athlete that you were pretty fast etc.
But of course there is a big world out there with folks with an incredible realm of diversity operating at extraordinary levels of accomplishment. To never gain exposure to those environments risks warping one's ego.
Ms. Palin epitomizes the "big fish in a small pond". She has spent her entire life personally, educationally, and professionally in small venues. She actually thinks her life perspectives to be broad, her talents extraordinary and her ambition to be POTUS sane. She combines these attributes with indomitable will, this is a potent and destructive combination.
She exhibits the worst attribute of a potential leader, she is so immature and isolated that she does not know what she does not know. She thinks she is running for POTUS but instead risks plunging into insanity. For her sake she should take a big step back and reflect on her status.
She will not because she has tasted the nectar of vociferous adulation and hero worship and it was intoxicating. Like Gloria Swanson, she will be back for more until, of course, the lights go out.
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