A Bruce Challenge

I'm going to visit your site in the mornings, because when I don't do something in the a.m. I end up doing it not at all. I have a long piece about Sarah today, and I'm going to reprint some of ElephantMan's (he's palinforvp) pitch tomorrow and continue on until I run out of things to say. My arms (arthritis in the right shoulder, something or other in my left hand) begin to fall off -- and my brain hits ground zero -- but I love the chance to say something and have people read it!

The fact that Sarah is from ALASKA creates a strange situation, as you observe. Alaska is a state in the U.S., but it is so different. It's sure not center-left Hawaii. Immigrants? Well, almost all of them are (including Sarah), and they seem to like having people come up there just fine. The oil deposits give the place an "old Texas"-like feel. There's a lot of corruption in the state -- somebody from Rochester, NY, where I was born, mentioned that in an e-mail to me. But Sarah is not part of that culture of corruption. She's a reformer and has nothing against putting corrupt Republicans and Democrats in jail.

As you suggest, there's a real flavor of American normality about this woman. Yeah, she played basketball. Yes, she married the fisherman, an occupation that gives him and her a real link to states like Maine, Mass., NH, FL, LA, and the Pacific Northwest, where fishing is either significant or very significant.

She has four kids, rather than the almost-mandatory two. The kids all have slightly odd (very modern) names, which should be fine with everybody, including those of us from the Jim, Bob, Steve, Mary, Sue, Patty era of traditionalist names.

Will she get the vice-presidency? I have this belief that she may do that -- and more.

As always, a very good piece, Sanity. Someday I get to learn your first name, okay?

"been governor for less than a year and that she "won" it from a very unpopular man"

Answer: Won three-way prmary over both Frank Murkowski AND John Binkley. Then beat a former governor in the general...even with a right-leaning independent taking a large vote share.

"fact that her husband is a fisherman (not even a professional!)"

Answer: Actually, Todd Palin only fishes part-time. He actually works on the North Slope for an oil company, though he has since taken leave o his blue-collar job to do vollunteer work for his labor union (let's see the Dems try to attack that). Todd Palin would be a great ASSET to the campaign.

"They will call her a "dizzy blonde" and someone that wasn't even a lawyer"

Palin has a degree in Journalism from the U. of Idaho, and has been in gov't for well over a decade....she was so ffective and hard nosed as mayor of Wasilla that she earned the nickname "Sarah Barracuda".

ah but you miss the point...unlike Romney who has to "explain" his religion or Edwards who has to put the price tag of his hair in some kind of reasonable context (I know...losing battle)...Palin doesn't have to defend what and who she is.

People give attractive people a pass...they WANT to believe they are special. People don't watch t.v. or a movie just to watch...they imagine themselves the star or the character with interesting, charmed, and heroic lives...truth, how many guys thought of themselves as Luke Skywalker?

I know how I would go after Palin if that was my job...I also know that to destroy her, I'd have to overcome people's attraction to glitz and glamour.

And if I had to defend Queen Hil against Palin, I'd cry...Hil embodies all the women libers who made men feel guilty and women angry.

I had never heard of her until you brought her up. If not now, maybe later...However, I guess a VP doesn't necessarily have to have name recognition.

I never heard of her either, but I like what I hear (and see).

I'm writing up a storm about Sarah Palin. Don't let Sanity Tory friend dissuade you (or her). There's an old saying in Alaska, "You can take the girl out of Wasilla (Sarah's hometown and where she was Mayor), but you can't take Wasilla out of the girl." Actually, I just made it up, but there's truth to it. Hey, if people will leave Wyoming or Montana or South Dakota to come to DC (remember, they have off in the summer, just like teachers), we can get her to leave Juneau (where the state capital is). There's a great novel about the people who lives "north of Fairbanks" (than which there's not a lot farther north on the planet), and I don't blame them for not leaving. For Sarah to run against the strongest politician in the state (Murkowski, who appointed his daughter Senator) was an audacious act. She has a couple more such acts in her, I believe.

There's an old saying in Texas: "Some are wise, and some are SANDRA Wise."

I signed up one more blogger today!

Her kids will be "all growed up" (well, at least 12 or so) by the time she gets to the White House. It will be the most improbable development in the history of American politics, and we, of course, will love every minute of it.

steve . . . plotting away in Ambridge, PA

I hadn't heard that saying! It has a good ring to it, though.

How come all the great women (except of course my wife Pat) have names that begin with "S"? Sanity, Sanity, Sheila -- three of the best.

Steve (also begins with "S")