Friday, July 3, 2009

Sarah Palin in vanityfair.com

Todd S. Purdum on Sarah Palin | vanityfair.com

This article was the talk of the week until Gov. Palin upstaged it with her resignation announcement today.

Long, but interesting look at Palin and the GOP splits.

12 comments:

  1. How (Former?) Governor Palin seems to intrigue so many and be amongst the front runners for the GOP in 2012 will forever be a mystery to me. I like the idea of having someone fresh and new who isn't tainted by politics, but I also like the idea of someone who doesn't at least come off as being completely naive to politics- international policy specifically. There was an article posted on madpol towards the bottom of the page (I think...) that talked about the future of the GOP. I feel like this summed up the problems of putting someone like Palin as the potential front runner for the GOP in the next election. Though she may be extremely popular with a certain crowd, say the far right, she seems so undesirable by anyone else that it would be impossible for her to ever win an election. On top of that, it seems to be a bad decision to quit being governor, especially since she has only been in office since '06. Now that I look at it, it feels like I am somewhat ranting about this, but she just really puzzles me. The way she will say one thing in the media the one day and then have a clever come back for it another. The way she will be picked on by the media and how she will not ever let it go. I realize that some jokes have gone to far, but what celebrity isn't joked about on SNL and other late night shows?? Learn to laugh a little bit and stop taking it to heart. As posted earlier on Madpol about Obama speaking at Notre Dame- People like President Obama because he doesn't get razzed. He plays it cool all the time while people like Palin seem to constantly be at war with random people in the media. Though I would not consider myself a supporter of the GOP (as they are now at least), I feel that putting all bets on Sarah Palin for 2012 would be catastrophic. What does everyone else think? What is so intriguing about her? What does resigning from office really give her/ how does it benefit her?

    Happy Fourth Everyone.

    - Luke D

    ReplyDelete
  2. I agree with Luke D. that it was not a good political move for Sarah Palin to resign since she has only been in office since '06. Maybe she's not necessarily trying to be President in 2012, but the Politico article that was e-mailed to us pointed out that the rhetoric she used in her resignation speech hinted that she was definitely looking on to bigger things, perhaps a position as U.S. Senator like the Vanity Fair article alluded to. The fact that she resigned without even finishing her first full term though doesn't speak well for trying to be elected or appointed to a bigger position since it could be viewed that she couldn't even stick it out and bailed on her responsibilities. I also agree that she makes several people uncomfortable because she seems so naive about politics, especially foreign relations. She seems to like to maintain her ignorance though, but don't we want informed, politically savvy people in office? What is also concerning is the fact that, based on the Vanity Fair article, she doesn't take advice from anyone (except Divine power or her husband) and she plays back-stabbing, cut-throat politics. Also, she has made questionable decisions about picking her cabinet and appointments, and seems to keep most of her activity extremely private and behind closed doors (what's with the separate e-mail account? what do you have to hide?). It's also weird that McCain himself won't even support her, let alone comment about her. I also agree that she comes over as very confusing in the media, with her use of awkward metaphors and awkward conceptions of truth, not only confusing her audience as to what exactly she is saying but by coming out and giving different answers to the same questions. Also, wouldn't it be extremely hard for her to run for office in 2012 when she's busy being a grandmother and raising her own family, including what will then be a preschooler with down syndrome? I also agree with Luke D. that it would be difficult to win a national election since she appeals to such a specific group of voters. Sorry I know all this sounds really harsh! But if the GOP is trying to give itself a makeover, it needs someone who is more appealing to America and its voters, and not just physically...

    Happy Fourth!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I still see bumper stickers, saying “Hockey moms for Palin,” and I continue to fail in understanding why people supported Sarah Palin because she was “just like us.” People nationwide envisioned her as a leader of our country, one who would be more in touch with the people. But, why would people want a leader who is as simple and as uninformed as they are? Shouldn’t people want a leader who is smarter, and can actually “lead” our nation? After reading this Vanity Fair article, it seems as though Palin isn’t just like the average American. Rather, her drama-filled life, with a pregnant daughter and the troubles of her extended family, are most likely much worse than the average American. If she decides to run for the presidency in 2012, I don’t think resigning as governor will be beneficial; people will see her as someone who quits something that she should have finished once she started. (If she does run for the presidency, though, we are all in for a real treat from Tina Fey!) If, however, she resigned to work on her book and make money by going on a lecture tour or something, she made the right choice in giving herself more time for the “important” things. - Sarah K.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Taking into account all the turmoil and problems that have followed her since the convention last year and have not gone away following the election, Sarah Palin's political career seems all but dead at this point. Between the ethics inquiries, family issues, and now a resignation from the governorship, gaining support and getting back into office is going to be no easy task for this Alaskan.

    Strip Palin of all the family issues and personality pecularities, and her stances on many of the issues facing America today are far too conservative for her to realistically consider a run for the Presidency. She already lacked experience; and now she can't even finish a term as governor? What if she is elected President, and decides to quit two years in because she has to prepare for her next transition in life? Some have said that Palin is the new face of the GOP in America, but with this resignation I think the party might seek to distance itself from an individual as temperamental and conservative as the former Gov.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Above comment under the username "Alex" was actually made by Eric Maloney.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I agree with everybody that Sarah Palin made a bad decision to resign from her position as governor of Alaska. I don't really understand her motives behind resigning I guess. If it was to run for president, and to focus more on doing this, then that's an even worse decision. There's no way Sarah Palin will ever become president (in my opinion). She only appeals to a handful of people in the United States: the far, far right. I also agree with people when they say she lets everything that happens get to her and upset her. If somebody makes a negative comment about her she seems to cut herself off from society and pouts. We cannot let somebody run our country that takes everything to heart. The GOP made a lot of comments about President Obama's inexperience, but then they decided to approve of Sarah Palin...and that's something I will never understand. If the GOP wants to start attracting more people and rebuilding their army, then allowing Sarah Palin to be a part of their team cannot be an option. She will only hurt, not help.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sarah Palin resigned because why? I understand that she loves money, especially towards groups that support her only to be backstabbed by her. This is one anonymous event that triggered a bridge to nowhere. She is taking her favorite bridge... to... Anyway, it seems to me that she wants a clean record to run for president... is there anything wrong with that approach? No, not if presidents are drug tested and monitored, but to prepare for a run at the presidency, I feel that she did Alaska a favor. The government has been done a favor, by learning about people like Sarah Palin; giving them a leash and watching them fail.
    As far as a person goes, I forgive her for resigning so oddly, but I have to seriously congratulate her for accepting the fact that she is not a good governor. Whether or not she says it, these types of events, where candidates opt out so abruptly, usually revolve around corruptoion and notion of getting caught with so much at risk. Kind of like Elle M said, she is cutting herself out of society, and someone who does that in preparation to come back, like Newt Gingrich, is flawed, mentally and logically.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I attended the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Febuary of this year and there can be no mistaking it - Palin certainly has a very dedicated and quite large group of followers. As noted in the article, the straw poll results were stunning to me as she managed to capture 13 percent of the vote and tied herself with prominent, veteran Republicans such as Ron Paul. I take what the article said about her personality and ideocycracies with a grain of salt (although I had heard from difference sources that she was a source of frustration for the campaign). If Sarah Palin is serious about running for office, my guess is she will begin to listen more closely to aides and will start to play the game on the terms of those who know what they are doing. What I am concerned about is the reputation of the GOP. If Palin is a front runner nominee, this could mean very bad news for the party. As John McCain was quoted saying in the article, there are many very qualified candidates to run against Obama in 2012. Palin, from what this article notes and from what much of the election showed us, is not one of them. I see her as a thorn in the side of the party. She truly seems to be a maverick by opening up yet another governor's seat and establishing her own agenda. From what I have seen and from the comments listed above me, many people believe she would be an ineffective leader. Yet, when I was in the convention hall at CPAC, I was amazed by the 'Palin '12' stickers, posters, material to work on her campaign. She already has an army working out there. She plans to continue to ride the reputation of being a positive, down to earth, typical American that is ready to run America like a household. I am fearful for how much support she will take away from other GOP candidates and as a result, how much she will hurt an already ailing party.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I think the most interesting part of Purdum's Vanity Fair article was his depiction of life in Alaska. This is one point I failed to consider throughout the entire 2008 presidential campaign. Newsweek had an article during election season titled "She is one of the folks (and that is the problem)". Palin herself also kept claiming throughout the campaign that she was just like every other American, and after reading this article I cannot agree with that statement (sorry Newsweek). With that being said, what is left of Sarah Palin's credibility? Nothing. Her only appeal was to the "Joe 6-Pack's" of the world, and if Wasilla doesn't represent mainstream America, that leaves Sarah Palin as just an out of touch Christian Right conservative who is too thickheaded to even study for a political debate.

    A new Gallup poll revealed more than 7 out of 10 Republicans would vote for Sarah Palin in 2012. This shows how partisanship is not a good shortcut for decision making. In making decisions about our elected leaders the time consumption costs are worth it in the long run, as these are the people who are going to be running this country. This also says something about partisanship voting within congress. Elected officials should note how their party is voting on a particular issue, but also adhere to their own values and those of the constituency. Blind partisanship in any case is not a good substitute for information backed decision making.

    Jake V

    ReplyDelete
  10. I agree with Jake V that Sarah Palin is no longer just an ordinary American. Her life is full of drama, fame, and national media coverage. The Vanity Fair article does a great job of summing up Palin's "Hollywood" lifestyle. She is always in the spotlight. I cant say I was surprised when Vanity Fair mentioned there was talk of a reality show of Palin running Alaska. She is extremely under-qualified and the fact that she resigned as governor does not help her case. But people are fixated on her as a celebrity and her life has all the interesting twists of a true famous American-her resignation just another dramatic event added to the list.

    Mallory S.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I found this article to be an incredibly disturbing reminder of how uninformed we as the American public can be about our potential leaders. I think Jake V. made a very insightful comment about the partisanship involved in voting. I sincerely hope that the increased access to information will lead to less and less blind ballot casting.

    However, there is not denying that Sara Palin is incredibly talented in her instinct of reading the political environment. She keeps herself in the public eye and makes sure to keep promoting her anti-politician image. While in reality, she is more of the ultimate politician. She manages to stay afloat (well, more than afloat) despite the fact that looking back on her short career it is easy to find multiple contradictions and questionable decisions. For example, the comment she made in November about people wanting government to be less involved, yet her firing of the librarian in Wasilla, who opposed book censorship.

    Overall, Palin is an incredibly emotionally charged public figure, which is part of her draw but also quite worrisome. Unfortunately, in my opinion I don't think her political career is entirely dependent on her. In 2012, her downfalls are going to be much less subject than the downfalls of President Obama. It will be fascinating to see how this will all play out in the next four years.

    -Julie B.

    ReplyDelete
  12. My feelings regarding this article and the latest happenings of Sarah Palin's recent decision are mixed to say the least. It is beyond fascinating that this former running mate would ever, now that eyes have been on her for over a year now, choose to make such a dramatic exit from office. Her motives behind this are confusing, yes, but do I think there is strategy behind this?...yes. Just as I, and many others have not taken her seriously since her debut on the world stage last year, this simply adds to one more reason that I am baffled as to why she is still even associated with the GOP party. Although she has brought much needed publicity to the Replublican party, at first fairly positive now increasingly becoming more negative, she has also brought with her a pomp-and-circumstance that may not be in their (GOP's) favor. Although I believe that to "win big" in offices such as the presidency you must creative an image for yourself (such as Obama and the huge movement that swept college campuses, for example), I think this little publicity stunt has gone too far. If she does have reason because of too much publicity covering her every move and "spending tax payer dollars," alright, MAYBE that gives a slight incite into why she did what she did. Do I buy it, not so much. Afterall, what is this Vanity Fair article doing? Just perpetuating her fame on the world stage. I personally believe that this decision, the fact that this article was even written and the thousands of the like, are red flags for Americans. But one thing is for certain, just as Julie mentioned above, she will be catching the eye of the paparazzi for months/years to come, so it should be interesting what this image will bring her in terms of political success.

    ReplyDelete

Comments are moderated. Spam will be rejected so don't bother.