Poor, poor Sarah.
She can't help it that she was thrust into the national limelight (against her will, apparently), is barely intelligible politically, has to live up to a ridiculous whack-fringe standard, whose family life is a sideshow, creates stupid math names for her babies, and who is suspected of abusing her power and authority in both of her public servant positions to date.
She can't help it if she's felt the need to go after her sister's ex-husband, and she got caught firing state employees because they wouldn't help her make his life a living hell.
She can't help it that she needed to look her best for the cameras during the run for VP, and misused funds to that end. She can't help it that she got caught as a VP candidate not knowing how to articulate her views on national and international politics in a lucid way. She can't help it that she doesn't read, and doesn't know what she needs to know to be 2nd in command of an empire.
She can't help it if pulling her daughter out of public school 5 months before a baby was born into the family, and her own lack of any evidence of pregnancy up to the last day, caused people to wonder whose kid it was.
She can't help it if her house was built by the same contractors who built a ridiculous, money-wasting sports complex, with the same materials, who just happened to donate to her campaign.
Poor, poor Sarah.
And how DARE we question her, her actions, apparent lies, and motives! Don't we know that it is pure audacity to scrutinize her? That her intellect (or lack thereof) is out of bounds? Don't we know that it's for the "real" Americans (i.e., only those who approve of her exclusively) to make that judgment? And don't you know, that list is shrinking exponentially by the day... as all the while, our new media-favorite meglomaniac screams "foul" at real ethics concerns and questions of ability/integrity.
As a woman, I see a ton of evidence that our society diminishes, ridicules, minimizes and attempts to strip powerful women in politics of their power. This is usally done through objectification (Nancy Pelosi's facelifts, Sotomayor's weight, Cynthia McKinney's hair) or by throwing out the old standby for all women - "crazy," "shrill," "erratic," "nonsensical." This is a very real issue for women in a post-feminist society which needs to be addressed overall; however, Palin has falsely used this dynamic into an unearned victim status.
Yes, she has conveniently, and almost successfully, made herself into the grand victim. Any real vetting, any real critical look at her as a politician, or as a person, is somehow off limits and has been from the beginning. She has put out her children as human shields more than once, always feigning outrage. Always the victim. Always the wounded one.
I know people who are like Sarah - I think we all do. They're frighteningly damaging in a type of sociopathic way. They never take responsibility for their own actions; they always have an excuse and reason, and always find a scapegoat. They have no doubt about how special and unique they are; and they have no ability to see anyone else to be as valuable as themselves. They demand preferential treatment; and usually get it, because others don't want the conflict. They trample on whoever gets in their way, and spend all their time worrying about who they need to trample on next. I take Sarah Palin at her word - there's no way she has time to run the Alaska governorship, not with the ever-growing list of people she needs to exact revenge on. I have no doubt she has been spending her days, as she says, "defending myself." Terror runs through the veins wondering what that "defense" consists of. How would Walter Monegan describe what methods that "defense" might take, for example?
Poor, poor Sarah. I don't think she is anywhere close to gone from the public sphere, and as long as she's ridiculed, she'll have a real following. But it is up to all of us to make sure poor Sarah has to answer for herself, regardless of her protestations; that she needs to prove, like everyone else, that she is a credible contender for a public office who deserves national attention for something other than being a spectacle; and she needs to demonstrate that she understands the bounds of the law when she has power. So far, she's been a pretty good example of what the abuse of power looks like ... along with all of the lying and spinning that's necessary to keep afloat. We might have said that we didn't know GWB enough to evaluate him; but we will have no excuse if Palin gets anywhere close to the WH without the scrutiny that is imperative for the American people to make a well-informed decision. Sarah Palin hopes that we are all as ignorant, and all remain as ignorant, as she has demonstrated herself to be. All joking and belittling of Palin aside, it is our responsibility to make sure she doesn't get away with the "poor Sarah" persona, anymore.