Posted by
Bob Siegel on Saturday, July 04, 2009 12:50:18 PM
Perhaps to avoid listening to one talking head after another, Sarah Palin chose 4th of July weekend to announce that she's stepping down as Governor of Alaska. Even talking heads will be busy stuffing their mouths with hot dogs today. Not that some aren't commenting. Speculators wonder if Palin will use this time to launch a pre-campaign as our next president. Others say a half term governor wouldn't stand a chance.
Because her plans and reasons for the decision are so unclear, I will not pretend to know something I don't know. Therefore, instead of commenting on Sarah's future, allow me to take just a moment to clarify something about her past.
Just last week, some former McCain campaigners trashed Palin, blaming her for McCain's failure to win the 2008 election. Leave it to our wise Republican Party to shoot their own wounded. I have news for you loyal hacks, so quick to throw somebody under the bus in the hopes of saving your own miserable political futures: John McCain's campaign was dead in the water before Palin came on board. She breathed new life and rejuvenated the Republican ticket like no one before had ever done. She gave an electrifying speech at the convention (even when the teleprompter failed) and had Barack Obama running so scared and punch drunk, he began making stupid comments about pigs with lipstick.
True, Palin didn't do too well with Katie Couric, but that was only because McCain's brilliant handlers wouldn't allow her to be herself. Sarah's genuineness was part of her charm at the convention, but prior to Couric's interview, the poor woman was stuffed with useless information as if she were cramming for an exam. And what genius approved a pre-recorded interview that CBS could edit?
Despite this McCain imposed handicap, the Republican ticket was leading by double digits before the economy began to collapse. Then, Obama, lying through his teeth, managed to convince people that the bank failures were all the fault of George Bush and that McCain would be four more years of Bush. Republicans still may have recovered if McCain had allowed Palin to talk about Obama's past connections such as the racist, Jew hating, America hating Rev.Wright. Honestly, one wonders if McCain wasn't taken aside during those last weeks of the election by some incredible strategist: "Look, John, do you want to go down in history as a maverick or as a white man who defeated the first major African-American president?"'
Toward the end of the election, McCain seemed to be making about as much effort as the tortoise racing the hair. I realize that's an unfair analogy. The tortoise did a better job.
Naturally, I will never be able to prove what motives or efforts McCain was juggling. But I do know this: John McCain lost the election because of John McCain, not because of Sarah Palin.
Also by Bob Siegel:
England May Have Censored Curriculum, But It Does Serve to Educate Us After All