By Neyaz Farooquee
Sarah Palin, the Republican’s 2008 Vice Presidential candidate, lost the elections quite convincingly, blamed largely for the defeat, bewildered, knowing nothing what to do, went into hiding for almost a year, and rightly so.
Nobody knew, when she resigned from Governership of Alaska, what’s in the store, till she came up abruptly with a book, Going Rogue. A great idea to remain in news, and may be to remain in Presidential fray, at least unofficially, as its clear John McCain is not going to be around in 2012. With this book, she tries to clear the air, using her trademark style of narrative, expecting electorates, at least Republicans, to acknowledge her esteemed presence.
To pile on her loss in elections, she resigned from Governership, giving ample reasons to her critic, especially McCain camp, whom she had deserted after the elections, to further question her integrity and suitability as a vice-presidential candidacy, let alone her future prospects as President.
While the spectators were busy analyzing, has she really gone rogue, Palin springs another surprise, joining Fox News, a right wing, Obama bashing news channel, as a Commentator. It is left to your guess as to why she joined Fox news. Will she use it as a training ground to dodge the media’s question in 2012, or it would be a propaganda tool?
But, for the time being, it seems a wise decision, as it is certainly going to help her remain in touch with her core electorate. And, in turn, electorate also would be benefitted in terms of knowing her better. It’s unquestionable that she gave every chance to media to mock her, but it is also imperative that, while media mocking her excessively, faltered in giving the Hockey mom a fair chance to present herself in her own way. May be a beauty queen’s way. Or may be a journalist’s way. It’s quite obvious she didn’t define her presence; media defined a mocking character called Sarah Palin, with her incessant involuntary help throughout the Presidential campaign.
Recently after her comeback, she complained about a question on ‘60 minutes’, "I think that these are the political establishment reporters who love to gin up controversy and spin up gossip. The rest of America doesn't care about that kind of crap." Obviously, she is better prepared now.
Last week, while announcing hand in glove, of her joining of Fox News as commentator, Bill O’ Reilly, in his Tuesday show, Reilly Factor, invited her to come on his show anytime, to ‘set the record straight’. It seems, she also has got some friends in media who can vouch for her publicly.
Amid all this, she is still seen as a doll. Time to time she still gives enough fodder for her critics to cheer about. Bloomberg’s Margaret Carlson, calling her populist, reportedly said on Countdown, “They… have actually been part of a fairly intellectual group of people. But she really doesn't know anything. And it's in God's plan apparently that she not learn anything."
Senior advisor to McCain, Jon Schmidt, still finds her stunningly inept and ill prepared. On 60 minutes show, he said, referring to an enquiry against her when she was Alaska Governor, “She went out and said that, you know, 'This report completely exonerates me.' And in fact, it didn't. You know, it's the equivalent of saying down is up and up is down. It was provably, demonstrably untrue.”
Commentators also doubt her stay at Fox News, given her tumultuous history of Going Rouge. Writing for Nation, Leslie Savan, “She could back out of the contract as she has so many speaking engagements.” If it happens, it would be quite comic. She can’t afford to risk Fox platform now.
Each comment she made while campaigning, she lost a bit in already diminished stature. But after comeback, while she is better by a whisker, she gave conservatives a choice to rally around. While criticising Obama, they needed a choice that they could portray as their better alternative, who truly believe in change, and who ‘can’.
On her Facebook page, a fan who claims to be a republican, writes, “I was really disappointed the way you left the scene, but I’m happier now as you have made a grand comeback. Now I can claim Palin is here for a real change.”
She is here, certainly, to dispel the doubts about her qualifications to lead the country. But question remains as how much one can remodel herself in span of 3-4 years? She didn’t know a year before, the difference between Koreas. Which enemy his son is going to fight? Who bombed WTC?
But she is morally upright, since McCain has publically come ih her support. He said, “I am so proud that Sarah Palin agreed to be my running mate.” He spoke to Palin and congratulated her for joining Fox News. “And she will be coming to Arizona, I’m sure,” he added.
It would be quite premature to forecast anything certain about Palin, there is no doubt Republicans are rallying around her. But it is to be seen how much she improves her geography, among other issues, to be a confident Presidential candidate who can face charismatic and tall Obama, who is certain to lead Democrats in 2012.
