Several readers have implored me to write about Sarah Palin. I told them that I had not sorted through all the information that has been swirling around the media and the blogosphere. I still have not read or digested everything. What one person possibly could? But if I keep silent much longer, the election will be over.
First, if you are expecting some diatribe condemning – or paean extolling – Ms. Palin, I must disappoint you.
My aim is to present “A Balanced Point of View,” as my nom de plume states. It is presumptuous to state such, but that is always my goal and I always hope to be fair even as I fight my way towards some position or conclusion.
Let’s face it. As someone very dear to me said, “most employers would not pull Sarah Palin’s resume out of the pile.” I say that not to be cruel, but to acknowledge that her credentials are not stellar, eye-catching, or particularly attractive, especially when competing for position of Demi-Leader-of-the-Free-World.
Of course, being a sitting Governor is not insignificant. Just as Barack Obama has accomplished much by simply securing his Party’s nomination for Presidency, so, too, Sarah Palin’s ought to be recognized for her feat. Please do not complain that there are more moose in Alaska than voters. That is irrelevant. Politicians, like athletes, can compete only in those arenas and against those competitors that exist at their prescribed moment in history.
If you must find someone to blame, his name is John McCain. He chose her. She did not choose him. Vote against McCain. That is your best defense and protest.
It is difficult to comprehend the depth of disgust and seeming hatred that some people have towards Sarah Palin. No one really knows her. She has been labeled, perhaps correctly, as right-wing, anti-abortion, pro-gun, and Lord knows what else. Clearly, a segment of our society disagrees with these views. But why is there such a vitriolic reaction? Can’t someone view the world differently than you? Does that make a person a miscreant?
In Palin’s case, jealousy jumps to mind. Regarding her as a traitor to the female gender pops up as well. How can a mother of five pursue such ambitious political ambitions? Maybe her support system allows for this, but many other women’s doesn’t.
McCain’s campaign has been criticized for protecting her from the glare and expected hostility of the Mainstream Media. Yet Sarah is not helping her own cause. In her paucity of recent interviews, she has not acquitted herself well. She is either: 1) woefully under qualified for and incapable of higher political office or, 2) she is being grossly overmanaged.
I am unable to assess the first point because I have not observed how she handles political meetings and circumstances, which she will be doing if elected Vice President, but I can easily envision how the second one could play out given the initial media reaction to her pick as Vice President. Sarah is taken aside by “the professional handlers” and advised: “Don’t say this,” “Don’t say that,” and “Never go there.”
Of course, Sarah is accountable for her own political and leadership instincts. If she feels badly advised, she must demonstrate the courage of her convictions, be herself, expose her character, and allow the process of leader-follower to evolve. If she has true leadership qualities, folks will follow. But if she is perceived as more interested in personal stature and standing, voters will send her packing back to Alaska.
We should be able during this Thursday’s Vice Presidential debate with Joe Biden to glean a better, less obstructed view of the real Sarah Palin.
Another reason this article has been long in coming is due to the unabating partisanship, downright wrath, and unabashed, raw emotions directed against Sarah Palin. If one feels that a candidate is weak and unworthy, that’s what the voting booth is for. Why so vehemently attack a person? Where is our civility and decency? Must one denigrate a person to justify choosing another?
In conclusion, if there can a conclusion to this even after we vote on November 4th, Sarah Palin is simply Sarah Palin -- a woman, mother, governor, an individual who sees the world in a particular manner. I, for one, would like to hear her uncensored and unadvised (or at least not overly-advised). Based on that, I can determine whether she, warts and all, is worthy to stand at the top of our government.
Without giving her that platform, we diminish ourselves – and her.
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Fred W. Apelquist, III, M.Ed.
Approximately 755 words.
© September 30, 2008
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YETMO: “You’re Entitled To My Opinion,” A Balanced Point of View
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