*After a bizarre and rambling speech at the Iowa Freedom Summit, it seems Republicans are finally realizing Sarah Palin is toxic. They are waking up to a fact that Democrats and most Americans have known for a long time — Sarah Palin is not ready for prime time.
FOX News commentator Bill O’Reilly compared her alleged presidential candidacy as being similar to a run by Donald Trump. He said it would be nothing but a reality show. Even Weekly Standard writer Bill Kristol, who was largely responsible for Palin’s ascendancy in 2008, has abandoned her. Speaking to The Washington Post, Kristol said, “Maybe the speech Saturday was just a confirmation of her no longer being a major player, at least in these circles.”
It’s hard to believe some Republicans have supported Palin this long. Her performance in the 2008 presidential election should have shown she was not presidential material. She revealed a shocking lack of knowledge about basic history and foreign affairs. And her tortured interview with Katie Couric, where she dodged softball questions, was glaring evidence she couldn’t handle a high-level national position.
The 2008 presidential election showed Palin’s scandal-prone family would only generate tabloid headlines and they haven’t failed to disappoint. Their latest stunt was a drunken brawl at a party, which involved Bristol Palin flashing her thong.
However, after failing in 2008, Palin stayed on the national stage. She became one of a new breed of politicians, who fails to win the nomination but sticks around. There are a host of political losers, like Rick Santorum, Herman Cain and Mike Huckabee, who have failed to win a presidential nomination, but happily stay in the media. Actually, running and failing to win a presidential nomination has proven to be a lucrative business. There is really no downside to it. You get plenty of media attention, get to pimp your book and garner enough clout to negotiate a cushy TV or radio show deal. Cain may have embarrassed himself on national TV, but he became a household name. I’m sure his speaking fees and book sales went up.
Palin has emulated these losers. She has sold books, garnered a few TV shows and is a regular commentator on FOX News. She also rakes in big bucks on the speaking circuit. Palin regularly makes comments about running for higher office, which keeps her rabid followers salivating. If you don’t believe me, check out her Facebook page and you’ll find plenty of Palinites begging her to run for president. Some even think God has called her to be president. Even Cain still has his standard bearers, who believe the man who has never won an political race in his life, could be president.
Evidently, there are some people who know nothing about presidential politics. The people who backed no hopers like Palin and Cain for president, are the same people who are now backing political neophyte Dr. Ben Carson.
I never took any of Palin’s comments about running for president seriously. It was glaringly obvious that she was unqualified. Apart from that, if she was serious about running she would have terminated her relationship with FOX News. FOX News has ended contracts with commentators like former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, when he ran for president. A network can’t have a political figure on their staff while they are running for office, and give them free publicity. Palin’s flirtations with running were never serious, as long as she was still on the FOX payroll.
I find Sarah Palin somewhat of a mystery. I watched her fumblings during the 2008 presidential campaign and the HBO movie, “Gamechanger,” which offered a behind-the-scenes look at the McCain-Palin campaign. I wondered how she ever got to being a heartbeat away from the presidency. She doesn’t have the best educational background and before her vice presidential nod, her resume reads mayor of Wasilla, population 7,800, and governor of Alaska. However, Alaska only has about 730,000 people. And since half of the electorate doesn’t vote, Palin would have only needed about about 150,000 votes to win.
To be blunt, Sarah Palin benefited from affirmative action. Sen. John McCain nominated her because he hoped she would appeal to female voters and the conservative wing of the party, who viewed him with suspicion. Palin also benefited from the fact she is attractive. If she looked like Kathy Bates no one would give her the time of day. Political blogger Andrew Sullivan once said Republican men liked Palin because they saw her as the perfect woman. She was attractive, conservative and could hunt. Porn star Lisa Ann, who starred as Palin in the porn parody “Who’s Nailin’ Paylin,” once remarked she was shocked at how many Palin supporters she ran into in while touring the country. When Lisa Ann asked Republicans why they liked Palin, they replied simply because she was cute! Palin also benefits from being white. If she was from an ethnic minority, the Republican party would not have overlooked her lack of experience and qualifications.
But now it seems the GOP is finally done with Palin. She might have a future as a speaker and political commentator, but she will never be president. People on the left have been saying this for about six years. Why did it take Republicans so long to figure it out?
Clavell Jackson is the CEO of URoast, a company that produces personalized online roasts. For more information email [email protected] or go to www.facebook.com/uroast
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
