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In just one week, Sara Palin has changed the entire political landscape in this country. Don't kid yourself. Her "story" is the story. Her "record" in Alaska is the story. Her five children, including her 5- month old son Trig, who has Down Syndrome, is the story. Her seventeen- year old daughter Bristol, who is five months pregnant and will give birth right before Inauguration Day, is the story. The daughter's boyfriend and soon-to-be husband Levi Johnston (whose embarrassing Facebook information was immediately deleted as soon as the story surfaced) is the story. What Sarah Palin did or did not do to try to get her sister's ex- husband, an Alaskan state trooper, fired by using political influence, is the story.
When it comes to the American media, we latch on to compelling, interesting and new figures such as Sarah Palin like bees to honey. We live for the Sarah Palin's of the world. Not only is her story compelling, but she's made for television. For a politician, she's extremely attractive. She looks great on camera, and this past Wednesday delivered an exceptional speech at the Republican National Convention. It doesn't matter that it was written by someone else. She did it in prime time in front of over 37 million Americans and did it with her own brand of wit, grace, and a strong dose of sarcasm. She went after Barack Obama. She had great lines that she delivered exceedingly well, like when she said; "the only difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull is…lipstick."
But here's the deal. So far, Sarah Palin has survived the media onslaught. She argues that the coverage of her has been unfair and over the top. Many Republicans and conservatives argue the same thing. But she's entered a new arena, far beyond the relatively somewhat safe landscape of Alaskan politics. She's a star there, with an 86% approval rating. On the national political stage, everything is fair game.
I doesn't matter that I believe that her 17- year old daughter's pregnancy is private and shouldn't be media fodder. Sarah Palin may or may not be ready for what she's going to face, especially when she is asked direct questions about world affairs and geography. Her wit, sarcasm, and good looks on TV aren't going to help her much then. She better know who the world leaders are in strategic places around the globe. She better know the difference between the Shia and Sunni in Iraq— John McCain. And when she gets pressed on tough, hypothetical questions on abortion, like what if the baby if giving birth presents a direct threat to the health or life of the mother— we're going to find out how good she is under the hot media glare.
No doubt, she's going to make mistakes, even the most seasoned politician does in a Presidential campaign. But my sense is, Palin's entire family has the potential— including her future son-in-law— to become huge media stories and "distractions" over the next two months. She says all the right things about oil drilling, patriotism, and the fact that John McCain is a true American hero. But let's see how she handles questions about Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran, and how we can truly protect ourselves from terrorists. Her snarky comments about Barack Obama being a "community organizer" may have gone over well in Minnesota, but there are a lot of community organizers (who make a difference by helping poor and working class people) that are pretty peeved at her right now. She has to explain why being a community organizer is such a joke. After all, as a "hockey mom," isn't she proud of being an "organizer" of a community activity for kids?
Bottom line, when Sarah Palin moves beyond the teleprompter and into the grind of a daily campaign, including impromptu press briefings and what's sure to be a fascinating set of debates with Joe Biden, the bar will be set again. Only then will we find out what Sarah Palin is really made of, and whether John McCain has made a brilliant choice which balances his weaknesses, or one of the biggest politcal blunders in Presidential politics in recent history. But make no mistake, Barack Obama potentially becoming the first black president is a huge story, yet Sarah Palin's story is right there with his. This promises to be one of the most interesting, contentious, nasty, and (dare I say) fun political campaigns to cover in years, a lot better than Gore and Bush, or Bush and Kerry. For much of that, we can thank newcomer Sarah Palin.
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