And Now, A Word From Sarah Palin…
by Ruth Ann Harnisch on 07/03/09 at 4:35 pm
ruthannharnisch.com
When I heard that Sarah Palin was turning over the keys to the Alaska governor’s office to her lieutenant, I couldn’t help wondering what she was seeing from that famous front porch.
Health crisis? Another out-of-wedlock pregnancy in the family? Burgeoning scandal about to hit the fan? Time will tell, but if I were to bet money today, it would be on this: Fox News has made the sassy superstar of Republican politics an offer she can’t refuse. If I were in her mukluks, I’d be all over that like white on snow.
I posted my guess on Twitter, saying that I thought the Murdoch machine had dangled Oprah-type money, plus the promise of a 24/7 platform from which she can energize the base for a few years. I suggested that the Fox GOP cheerleading squad could rah-rah-rah around the clock until she resigns to run for president. (OK, I didn’t say exactly that, given the 140 character limit, but you get the idea.)
On Fox, she would have a happy home from which to develop her policy skills, bone up on the basics of the Constitution, capitalize on her people skills, while enjoying the perks of celebrity with nobody complaining about the cost of her wardrobe.
Instant pundits are saying it’s a stupid move if she wants to be president, but I think it’s smart.
Given her capabilities and her flaws, it’s smart to get out of public office right now. While she’s a servant of the people, she is held to a standard of accountability which has been a challenge for her to meet. And she is constrained from attacking her attackers - a governor’s standard of conduct is different from that of a talk-show host.
Palin has been vocal about being attentive to the doors that God opens for her, and this could be a big ‘un. Rush Limbaugh is the most powerful spokesperson for the GOP, and she knows she’s at least that credible, has at least that much charisma, and is a whole lot more attractive and likeable.
It’s much harder to be a good public official than it is to be a good “personality.”
She can probably make tens of millions of dollars in appearance fees, book deals, television deals, radio deals, licensing deals (the Official Sarah Palin Doll! Pull the string and it says “You Betcha” and winks!), and let’s face it: she does have a lot of mouths to feed.
She can have a full-time promotional machine at Fox, paid for by others, without having to make a single fundraising call (except possibly to her agent). She can build her fan club, champion her causes, and become an even bigger cult figure than she already is. Heck, even if there IS a scandal brewing, a television home would be a wonderful place to fight it out - she’ll be in the public eye anyway. Might as well have a cable network on her side.
It shouldn’t take long for the real reason behind her resignation to be known. What’s YOUR best guess? Earliest timestamp on the most accurate explanation for Sarah Palin’s early exit gets a $500 Amazon gift certificate. If you agree with me and we’re right, guess the date her Fox contract will be announced. Earliest timestamp on the correct date wins.
The old newshound in me is so curious - what does Sarah see from that front porch of hers? |
