Now here's a "real American." You betcha!
For the sake of full disclosure, I’m not a Sarah Palin fan. It has nothing to do with her gender. It has nothing to do with her looks. It has nothing to do with her “folksy charm,” which, to me, comes across as contrived. It’s all about her ideologies, her politics, her philosophies.
In what many consider a surprise move, Palin announced on July 3rd that, as of July 26th, she is resigning her post as governor of Alaska even though she has two years left on her term. She hasn’t fully disclosed why she made this decision, and many speculate it is to position herself for a run for the White House in 2012.
Of course, in a demonstration of the full glory of her “folksy charm,” which so many seem to consider endearing, Palin noted that she asked her kids this question: “Hey, you want me to make a positive difference and fight for all our children’s future from outside the governor’s office?” According to Palin, she received four yeses and one “Hell, yeah!” It was, she said, the “Hell, yeah” that sealed the deal. Doesn’t that make you just want to huddle up and hug Sarah and her four little darlings. “You betcha!”
Being a governor is a tough job these days. Most states are on the verge of bankruptcy; some are already insolvent. Governors are faced with having to make tough choices, such as raising taxes or scaling back on vital services. I don’t know the specifics of the financial status of Alaska at the moment, but I can’t imagine that it is immune from the woes of the economy that most other states are facing.
So it’s a good time to bail.
Also, there is speculation that Palin is resigning because of a pending federal embezzlement indictment so she can “get ahead” of expected U.S. criminal charges for embezzling federal funds during her term as mayor of Wasalla.
These charges stem from federal investigators discovering that the Wasilla Sports Complex and Palin’s house in Wasilla feature the “same windows, same wood, same products,” all installed by the same construction crews.
So it’s a good time to bail.
Of course, Palin hasn’t fared too well in the public spotlight. During last year’s campaign, she was considered by many to be a political lightweight. With comments suggesting that she had foreign policy experience due to being geographically close to Russia, where she can keep an eye on them Ruskies, to flying over Canada to get from Alaska to the lower 48, she became an easy target for late night comics Leno, Letterman, Stewart, and Colbert.
Her family situation is also a bit bizarre, ranging from her strangely named children, to the out-of-wedlock baby of her oldest daughter and the on-again, off-again nuptials of Bristol and Levi Johnston. Her decisions to parade her Down’s syndrome baby, the pregnant Bristol, and baby-daddy Levi as props during the Republican convention and throughout the campaign raised media eyebrows. Her statements and behaviors served as fodder for comic and media ridicule that she can’t seem to elude even to this day (e.g., her latest feud with David Letterman).
So it’s a good time to bail.
What will become of Sarah Palin? She’s not saying, but I am speculating. Sarah is not exactly flush these days. Some say that she’s heavily in debt and that defending herself against the potential federal indictment will cause her and her family to sink deeper into debt. Remaining as governor of Alaska is not exactly a lucrative vocation.
Savvy if not smart
I don’t know how smart Sarah Palin is, but she is most definitely a savvy person. I believe that she can take advantage of who she is because, well, she is who she is. She has a lot of options that will enable her to make a “positive change outside government,” which is one of the hinted-at reasons she gave for her sudden resignation. And I believe that she’s also in an excellent position to leverage her notoriety, enabling her to make boatloads of money. <sigh>
So what is it that Sarah will be doing?
- She can go on the speaker circuit. She’s very popular with a relatively large segment of the population…you know, those “real” Americans…and I believe she can garner big bucks for making speaker appearances. You have to grant that she is a decent speaker and has a magnetic personality. Hell, if Bill Clinton can get $100k a pop, Sarah is probably somewhere in the $25-$50k range.
- She can start her own nationally syndicated radio (and maybe TV) broadcast. Just look at the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, Glenn Beck, Ann Coulter, and Laura Graham. They’re all making fortunes espousing the same politics and ideology that Sarah espouses. No question that Sarah will attract a large listening audience on a syndicated radio show. And with a huge financial contract, which no doubt she could negotiate, she could afford to hire writers to tell her what to say.
- She can become a political commentator for FOX News. FOX News already has Carl Rove and Mike Huckabee. Oh, don’t forget Geraldo Rivera!
- She could do all three, go on the speaker circuit, get her own nationally syndicated radio program, and become a member of the FOX News team.
So Sarah has plenty of options that will be less stressful and significantly more lucrative than being governor of Alaska. Rather than fighting the media, she can join it and make her “positive change outside government,” while raking in a fortune.
Of course, this assumes that she doesn’t wind up in prison due to the possible federal indictment.
So it’s a good time to bail
