Posted by
cmodonnell on Sunday, October 05, 2008 10:00:00 PM
I was the first of my friends to read Kathleen Parker's recent column that asked, somewhat impolitely, for Sarah Palin to remove herself from the McCain/Palin ticket.
While my friends immediately objected to Parker's criticisms, I have to confess to being sympathetic to Ms. Parker's observations. I too, have sat uncomfortably with the mute button in reach while watching Sarah Palin bumbling through two interviews: the first with Charlie Gibson and the now notorious interview with Katie Couric. And even before those (may I say disasterous) interviews, I held my finger on the pause button while watching Sarah Palin's speech during the Republic Convention.
My apprehension at these Palin "media" moments was not unlike Parker's: I wanted Sarah to do well. I feared an embarrasing moment, or worse an insurmountable gaffe. It is the same impulse that makes me leave the room when the Eagles are down 28-26 with 20 seconds left in the 4th quarter and David Ackers is setting up for a 45 yard field goal. I cannot watch, not because the Eagles should lose, not because the Eagles are a bad team, and not because they are out of their league; rather I cannot watch because I have a vested interest in the team. I have personalized my home town football team. And noticing that I have a similar reaction to Sarah Palin, leads me to a far different conclusion than Katheleen Parker.
The conclusion I have drawn, is that there is something unique about a woman who has managed to engender such affection in such a short amount of time. Like much of the country I did not know a lot about Sarah Palin pre-Republican Convention. What I have learned since the convention has been mixed. I don't expect Sarah Palin to be perfect. I imagine that she has made both personal and political mistakes. But what I have managed to surmised over the last five weeks is that Sarah Palin is a women of remarkable character. Whether it is taking on her own Republican party in Alaska, or blowing the whistle on corrupt oil contracts, Sarah Palin has shown that she has guts, and principles.
Her future in national politics may require her to compromise on occasion, but I trust her to tell us when and why she must make those compromises. She may speak a little funny, and Lord knows I am not a hockey fan, but I trust that she would be willing to explain hockey to me and root along side me during a football game. More importantly, she has managed to inspire me--despite my natural tendency towards cynicism. For those reasons I would submit to Ms. Parker that Sarah Palin is not out of her league; rather the league needs a few rule changes and better referees.