Sarah Palin: The Invisible Woman

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Last updated on July 18th, 2023 at 11:16 am

In 1952, an American novel was published that would go on to earn not only great acclaim but a well-deserved place in the classic American “Canon,” taught to high school students and college scholars alike. The book, was “The Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison, and the reason it earned iconic status in American literature was because of its piercing theme, best summarized by this quote from the main character: “It was exhausting, for no matter what the scheme I conceived, there was one constant flaw—myself. There was no getting around it.”

In this light, Governor Sarah Palin has become the invisible woman. The governor needs to take a long, hard look at herself and determine if indeed, she is exhausted from schemes that prevent her from seeing her constant flaw–herself.” And it would behoove the McCain campaign to do the same.

Or perhaps they already have, and have hopelessly arrived at the inevitable yet sober conclusion that Palin is deeply flawed as a national candidate.

She may have delivered a rousing speech to the Republican National Convention, but having someone else pen your oratory, and then preaching it to the choir is hardly a daunting task. Facing the national press corp, who have done some investigation, with a free flow of ideas and an open exchange of challenging questions and comments, is the true test of readiness and qualification.

As an example, Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama confidently appeared on ABC’s “This Week;” Joe Biden had the qualifications and gravitas to “Meet The Press;” John McCain tried to “Face the Nation” while deflecting questions about his running mate, Sarah Palin. As the singular member of the four major candidates on the national tickets to not appear on a studious, hard-hitting, journalistic Sunday news program, her absence is not only conspicuous, but keenly telling.

McCain tried hard to downplay Palin’s magical disappearing act from the public press since she was introduced as the running mate a week and a half ago, on August 29, by joking, “within the next few days and I am strongly recommending that she come on Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer and that will be the first of her 65 appearances.” Nice try, Senator, but patently not enough.

What happened today, on this first Sunday where Palin could have, and should have “faced the press this week,” she was clearly and completely AWOL. No doubt, the McCain campaign knows the truth. Palin’s deliberate muting by her own handlers demonstrates that even they know she’s not qualified to do much more than toss sarcastic jokes to rabid supporters.

For all intents and purposes, this is the McCain campaign waving the white flag on Palin, all but acknowledging to the American votes, and the world at large, that she is indeed a liability to the ticket, a prisoner to her own party, a runaway fugitive to the press.

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Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

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Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association

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