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Sarah Barracuda

Sarah Palin quit. She just left. It's like if you were a contractor who hired someone to work on the roof of a house and at the halfway point he said, "Hey, find another roofer. I gotta go, but don't call me a quitter, 'cause I'm not."

A part of me says, "Don't let the door hit you in the ass." But another part of me says, "You really got the short end of it, Sarah. You were analyzed up, down, sideways and with about 10 different standards." And a big part of that was because she was a woman. Look at Mitt Romney. Don't you think if he were a woman, the press would have worked like mad to figure out what-the-heck kind of name "Mitt" is? Quick: how many kids does John McCain have? I know he has Megan and a kid in Iraq, but other than that, I'm at a loss, and this guy was running for president!

So as I watch Keith (Olbermann) and Rachel (Maddow) castigate Palin, I have misgivings. I don't like Sarah as a leader or mother...I wouldn't vote for her, nor would I let her babysit my grandkids because I know she'd delegate that job to Peyton (Yes, not only do I know how many kids Sarah has, but I also know their names.) But I do feel her desperation. I feel her frustration as she tries to fit into the mold into which she isn't built to conform, despite her rugged interests like basketball, skinning moose, and shooting wolves.

I think a good part of Sarah's problem is that she's too used to doing it all herself. She doesn't have the entourage she needs to clear her path. And even then, she doesn't trust others to have her best interest at heart. I hate to sound cliche, but when you're used to doing it all yourself and being "supermom," it's hard to delegate, except to your kids. Did you notice how the "first dude" gets a free ride when it comes to the kids? Occasionally he'll put a protective hand on a shoulder, but you know the first dad's really doing a mental calculation..."How soon before I can rev up the old snowmobile?"

My opinion: Sarah's really torn between two worlds, and she hasn't made peace with either. She wants it all, but doesn't seem to know quite how to do it; nor is she comfortable asking the right people. As a matter of fact, she herself would likely tell you: "It's a woman-thing, y'all, now watch me as I wade into that river and wrestle a salmon."

My other opinion: The press needs to cut it out, and maybe we need to call them out.


POST-SCRIPT UPDATE: When I said Peyton (above), I meant Piper, the 10ish year-old. So maybe I really don't know all the names of Ms. Palin's kids. My thanks to my own daughter, Ellen, for notifying me of my mistake.

Comments

  1. Peyton? Last time I checked it was Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper, and Trig. Then there's the grandson Tripp. Peyton Palin would be intense even for her.

    ReplyDelete
  2. OMG - you're right! I guess I don't know the Palin pack. (I meant Piper, the little one who had Trig in her arms the other day.)

    ReplyDelete

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