Sarah Palin--Presidential Candidate (2008-2009)

I can only hope that my eulogy of Sarah Palin's Presidential aspirations mark a true end to the life of the notion that is "Sarah Palin--President of the United States of America".

What's truly remarkable, however, is the following:

a. How close we came to that reality.
b. That there are still 1 in 4 Americans who believe this is a good idea.

I think in some ways, the election (TWICE!) of President George W. Bush provided a control in the experiment of electing a "regular Joe" to the White House. Ya know? Someone you'd want to have a beer with? A regular "Joe Six-pack?" Someone who clears brush from his Texas Ranch, when he's not busy running oil companies, or professional baseball teams. A real Guy's guy!

We learned what electing an incurious, C-, underachiever, shallow thinker can lead to. And it isn't what Bush himself did that was so troubling. It was what he allowed to happen on his watch, with the people he trusted to make decisions that were really his to make.

I lay this out not just to jab at Bush, but to show what we would have had in store for us in a Palin administration. Another incurious, talking point memorizer who wanted the power to be "the decider", without having to actually study the issues, and take responsibility. Someone who would cloak themselves in the flag of "Ronald Reagan", while appealing to the hot button issue of the day (Abortion? Immigration? Whatever you got today...). A delegator of responsibility and blame, but a glory hog. We all know people like this.

And the more we have seen of Ms. Palin, the worse it gets. The rambling, incoherent speeches. The personal sense of greatness and destiny that comes from...just where exactly? This is a person who has capitalized on a sharp tongue, a good handle on pushing people's hot buttons, and adversaries underestimating her toughness. That can get people of determination a great distance. In Palin's case, it got her to the Governor's mansion in Alaska. However, there comes a time in all careers that there has to be some substance, or the house of cards will come crashing down. We saw this with George Bush. America isn't ready, at this point, to go for round two. Especially not with someone who lacks the pedigree of two generations of Leadership (Grandpa Bush was a Senator from CT, and daddy Bush was...well...just known as "forty one").

In this case, Palin's initial charm has worn out, and all that is left is a bitter shell of a person who has played offense for the first 44 years of her life in the political and social world, and has grown tired of a year of playing defense (defending her policy positions, defending her behavior, etc). In politics, even the best in the game don't always get to have the ball. Only talk radio hosts and bloggers get that right! The rest of them do have to be able to defend themselves, and have the deft touch, the knowledge and instincts to side step a few cow pies here and there.

I watched the soon to be former Alaskan Governor babble incoherently about how quitting her role was the only way to show that she wasn't a quitter, or perhaps the only way to justify drawing a salary, or something like that. There were references to dead fish, full court presses, and other such nonsense that was actually interrupted by the sound of...well...I think it may have been geese? When she finally finished her ramblings, there was the sound of about 10 people clapping. I could only think how sad the whole affair seemed. Sad, yet compelling to watch. After all, was I watching the death of Presidential aspirations here?

I can only hope so...