Balancing Healthcare, Public Policy and Politics with Linda de Seife
Since her vice presidential run, and with the recent publication of her autobiography, Sarah Palin has become even more of an American curiosity. In addition to her autobiography, our local library has no less than five other books about her. And, a 2009 year-end Gallup Poll found Sarah Palin to be the second most admired woman in the nation, only 1% behind Hillary Clinton; and first among Independents as well as Republicans. Yet, she remains a polarizing figure -- either loved or loathed. The goal here is to objectively analyze Sarah Palin as a political phenomenon.
After reading Lorenzo Benet’s book, Trailblazer, An Intimate Biography of Sarah Palin last fall, over the holidays, I read Palin’s book, Going Rogue, because I was interested to learn her side of her story; and now I have also read Sarah from Alaska by Scott Conroy and Shushannah Walshe. Let me tell you, after three books, my brain is overloaded with information on her. But, based on my experience working with politicians, there are enough consistencies among all three to provide a pretty good picture, though an outsider’s one.
The bottom line is that no one of any political stripe should underestimate Sarah Palin. In her there is part Ronald Reagan (one of her idols), part the young Newt Gingrich, and believe it or not, part Barack Obama.
Whatever else she may be, Sarah Palin is a great communicator; she instinctively knows how to connect with people on an emotional level – not unlike Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. Having studied journalism and gotten her start as a sports reporter in Alaska, she knows how to make headlines. She knows how to get your attention. How many phrases are now a part of the American vernacular as a result of Sarah Palin? Phrases like: “putting lipstick on a pig,” “hockey moms,” “only dead fish go with the flow,” to mention just a few. In addition, she has an excellent memory for the details of people’s lives and never ceases to amaze them with recollections of previous conversations – classic traits of a good politician. These talents, along with challenging the establishment, are what propelled her to the governorship of Alaska.
When it comes to the national arena, however, I believe that Sarah Palin was naïve in her expectations. Like Dorothy from Kansas, Sarah was not in Alaska any more. This is not meant to be a commentary on the 2008 campaign, but it does seem that the professional political operatives in the McCain campaign did not handle Sarah Palin well. (They should have talked to the Alaska supporter quoted by Conroy and Walshe below!) And, on the other hand, Palin did not realize the requirements of the national stage.
She is very capable of studying issues and getting to the heart of what is important. One of her Alaska commissioners commented, “I think she has an innate ability to cut to the chase (to determine) what is the primary issue she needs to be involved in for the topic at hand… she doesn’t get bogged down in extraneous issues.” On the other hand, when she “gets a bee in her bonnet,” she is capable of being very hands on. A supporter says, “She had remarkably good political instincts. She was her own campaign manager. You couldn’t micromanage her to say something.”
Sarah Palin is a much brighter, more complex person than her detractors and the mainstream media would lead us to believe. According to Conroy and Walshe, after meeting her at a Washington cocktail party, even Andrea Mitchell commented, “Boy, I’ve sure turned around on Sarah Palin. She is very smart and very nice.”
What makes Sarah Palin so intriguing and yet so frustrating is that she can be unpredictable and undisciplined. When she talks about challenging the establishment, one wants to say, “Go, Sarah.” Then there are other times when one thinks, “Oh no, how could she say or do this or that.”
Reading between the lines of her own explanation for leaving the governorship early and the comments of others, it sounds like it was difficult for her to return to Alaska from the national arena; she went back a different person from the one who left. As much as she loves Alaska, in many ways, she couldn’t go home again. Like the song says, “how you gonna keep ‘em down on the farm after they’ve seen Paree!” No matter who you are, that would be a hard adjustment.
My view is that Sarah Palin is in the process of maturing as a politician and a leader. Based on my experience working with politicians new to the national stage, she is experiencing some growing pains. She was thrust into the national spotlight even more dramatically than most. She needs to figure out what kind of public figure she wants to be, develop a strategy and a plan to become that, and not go “off-strategy.” Going rogue can become going nowhere, if it’s not part of a cohesive strategy!
Working on ‘The Hill’ when Newt Gingrich was a freshman Congressman, I remember how he was perceived as a radical; then he led his party out of more than forty years of minority status to become Speaker of the House; and then to seemingly self-destruct. Today, however, he is considered one of the most thoughtful and thought-provoking, innovative policy experts our country has. He is working with ideas to move our nation forward. He hasn’t strayed from his conservative principles, but he is perceived very differently today.
So, Sarah Palin needs to find her way too. I don’t know if she will run for President in 2012, or any other year. I believe that she has a future as a national spokesperson for her viewpoints; that she could become a powerbroker within the Republican party; and certainly she could make a lot of money as a conservative commentator. The one thing I’m sure of, after all my study, is that no one of any political stripe should underestimate Sarah Palin.
What it means and why it’s important: Foisting Sarah Palin onto the national stage was John McCain’s ultimate maverick move that could have repercussions long after he’s left that stage. The implications for the Republican party, and the nation, of Sarah Palin’s rise could be significant. Will she be a uniter or a divider? In her book, she calls herself a “Commonsense Conservative.” Will she develop her “brand” and how? (A future column will focus on politicians as brands.) Wherever she goes, she gets publicity, driving her opponents crazy. She will undoubtedly be a force to be reckoned with.
Quote of the month: “Sarah’s not retreating; she’s reloading!” – Chuck Heath, Sr. (Sarah Palin’s quoted in Going Rogue)
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