Roger That: Two Thoughtful Editorials on Sarah Palin

The past two days, two well known political commentators and reporters have published thoughtful editorials regarding Sarah Palin's decision to resign the Governorship. Both essentially make the same point we at Kaw & Border do -- that Palin had to do what she did.

One is from famous moderate Republican Roger Stone, entitled "Palin's Plan"
http://stonezone.com/

Stone grills the media and fellow political analysts for their knee jerk reaction to Palin's decision:

Watching the Washington chattering class pan the Palin moves shows the moronic level of political analysis in the media today. Switch-hitter Dave Gergen, Ed Rollins who bolted his Party to go destroy the candidacy of Ross Perot and then trashed Perot, and Upper West Side reform Democrat Dick Morris who toiled for Ohio lefty, Howard Metzenbaum and Clinton but is today a born again Christian and right-winger, all panned the Palin move. Fools.

In fact, resignation as Governor was necessary to preserve any prospect that Palin could be nominated and elected in 2012 or beyond.

The second article is from Politico correspondent Roger Simon entitled The Sins of Sarah Palin:
http://www.politico.com/rogersimon/

Simon's piece explains why the elite conservative big wigs (the poobahs) and the media in general can't stand Sarah Palin -- she doesn't play by their rules. Here is a great excerpt:

The Republican Party likes to nominate the next guy in line. John McCain in 2008, George W. Bush in 2000 and Bob Dole in 1996 were all the next guys in line. They had “earned” their place in the party hierarchy. (Or, in the case of George W. Bush, his father had earned it for him.)

Today, it is hard to see who the next guy in line is, but the party mandarins, the pooh-bahs, are agreed on one thing: Sarah Palin ain’t it.

She is a dumb hick, a nobody from nowhere. She hunts moose with a chainsaw from the back of a snowmobile or something. Just listen to her resignation speech. It was not slick or polished or written by somebody else. She appeared to deliver it off the top of her head as if she were a real person. What a doofus!

Doesn’t she know that the highest form of political communication today is to exactly regurgitate a speech written for you by a speechwriter who has crafted, vetted and polled every phrase, line and word?

But listen to Palin. Listen to how “rambling” and “disjointed” she is. Once upon a time in American politics, this was known as being “plain-spoken,” but that time has gone. An entire industry of political consultants has grown up to make sure politicians are never plain-spoken.

Both Rogers -- Stone and Simon -- hit the nail on the head. The future is unclear for Palin -- but if she ever had a hope of being national and taking advantage of the huge base she has, she had to resign and get out of Alaska. She may fail in this national endeavor (whereever it leads her), but there is not one candidate for Congress, Governor, or anything else right now that wouldn't love to have Palin speak at their fundraiser, picnic, or reception.

One thing is also clear -- Palin is far from done. She also doesn't play by the media's rules. She is her own person, like her or not like her. She writes her own columns, tweets her own twitters, hunts her own moose, and captures her own salmon. Perhaps this unpolished Palin won't catch fire -- but judging by the reaction she draws -- both in support and against -- our guess is Palin will continue to be followed by an obessive press, hanging onto every word she says.

Palin now has three years to build an army, study up on issues, speak in front of more crowds in more cities and get more experience, all on her own terms rather than those of the McCain team. She can and will communicate directly with the public. She will publish a book which will make her a lot of money to pay off her debts. She can, despite what some say, win back voters who are only now listening to the ridiculous commentaries on TV by those who can't stand her. The public is fickle and the candidate they don't know that will yesterday can become their rallying point tomorrow. And, by the time 2012 rolls around, people won't care she left Alaska a bit early -- keep in mind by 2012, Romney and Huckabee won't have been Governor for over 5 years, and Newt Gingrich hasn't been in office for more than a decade. And let's not forget that Obama was a U.S Senator for less time than Palin was Governor before he decided to run for President in early 2007.

To us, it seems that those talking heads thinking Palin is done are protesting a bit too much. Perhaps they know that Palin's decision doesn't end her career, but rather it launches it. She is, they know, the number one force in politics today outside of Obama. She is now no longer relegated to Alaska by time or necessity, but can take her message, her charm, and her millions of supporters into a greater cause -- right when conservatives are looking for someone to rally around. Good timing, it seems. Perhaps it won't lead to a presidential bid, or perhaps it will.

Point is, Sarah Palin now has options and has, much like she did last year, the ability to turn the political world upside down like no one has on the Republican side in a generation. And that, no matter what you think of her, is a very good thing.