Sarah Palin - Ad Nauseam

Soooooo, since the whole of the world is focused on Sarah Palin, I thought I would jump in here and give my little ol' opinion (check the title of my blog).

First, I point to the definition of ad nauseam - 'to a disgusting or ridiculous degree; to the point of nausea'. Yep, that is EXACTLY where I am. Why, you ask? Thanks for asking, here's why (with a little background).

I remember when John McCain inflicted announced he was choosing Sarah Palin as his vice-presidential pick. I was watching it live while I was at my Mom's house. It was an interesting confluence for me, in large part because I was just coming back into my own political voice. I had spent the last 7 years moving multiple times, getting married, having 2 children, and completing my doctoral training. It wasn't a time that I spent thinking about politics. Sure, I followed it, but not with the consistency I had had before & not with the passion that I have now.

I remember the sense of shock in the crowd, mixed with some excitement. I listened to her speech and I immediately had two reactions:

1. I see why McCain picked her and I'm a little worried.
   
2. Please don't let ANYONE be fooled by this charade.

The early press on her was all about her being an outsider, a maverick, a fresh voice, blah blah blah. I understood the politics behind the choice: a woman, an anti-abortion candidate, an unknown (and therefore hard to attack at first), etc.  But there was also, instantly, a controversy surrounding the pick. I held out hope that others were responding the same way, especially those without much interest in politics.

Fast forward a bit to the campaign trail. She was rumored to be outdrawing McCain at some rallies. This was troublesome to me, especially considering how racist and hate-filled her audiences were turning out to be. Granted, VP picks are supposed to be attack dogs. But her thinly-veiled anti-anything but white Americans born in this country "real Americans" talk was really disgusting to me. Did she take some hits during the campaign? Sure, she did. NOT ONCE did I feel sorry for her. I believed then and I believe now that she is an impulsive and naive woman. She got thrown into the national spotlight, ill-prepared, ill-informed, and ill-mannered. The Couric & Gibson interviews revealed that.  But seriously, put on your big girl panties, Sarah. After all, you are Sarah Barracuda, right?

I could go on and on, but let's fast forward to the present day. Now Palin, or more precisely, her ghostwriter (who has a *ahem* shady background, FYI, see here and here) has blessed cursed us with her new book Going Rogue. Cue ad nauseam. I know, I know. I am contributing to my own aversion, but here's my opinion. If we look at Sarah then and Sarah now, what do we notice?

For me, several things stand out. One, her seeming obsession with branding herself a 'maverick' has only grown more obnoxious. You know what would be maverick-y Sarah? Taking R-E-S-P-O-N-S-I-B-L-I-T-Y.  I know how terribly hard that is for many folks, especially politicians. But seriously, if you are going to go all over this country of ours touting 'real American values' and spouting off about being 'a normal mom', then how about do all your minions a favor and teach them responsibility.  YOU are responsible for your actions.  Lots of people/women get thrown into situations they are ill-prepared to handle.  Said people often flounder around and screw up some decisions.  But, in the end, we must take responsibility or we lose credibility to those are allegedly trying to lead.  Hell, even if you aren't going to lead, it is basic lesson of adulthood: take responsibility for your decisions.  My parents made sure I understood that.

Secondly, I notice that she does not seem to have learned a lot from her experience (other than reinforcing her standard position of 'blame, duck, & run').  She still does not appear to have focused on learning more about policy, foreign affairs, or even basic tact.  I won't pretend that I wait anxiously for every new statement Sarah Palin makes and then voraciously read through it looking for evidence of her stupidity or her newfound growth.  But let's be honest.  When you come out with a book with the sole purpose of trying to whine and blame marketed under the guise of 'setting the story straight', you AGAIN lose credibility as a worthy political leader on the national level.

My point here is that I am fine (albeit nauseated) with the media Palinpalooza; I am okay with it.  It seems obvious to me that NOTHING will change because of this book.  Those that worship her will continue to do so; those of us who despise everything she stands for will likewise continue to feel the same way.  Homeostasis ... political style.

Finally, I would be remiss to not have a snicker-worthy moment. See below for the definition of rogue:

1.	a dishonest, knavish person; scoundrel.

2.	a playfully mischievous person; scamp.

3.	a tramp or vagabond.

4.	a rogue elephant or other animal of similar disposition.

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