Palin Comes to Own Defense on Facebook

Sarah Palin sent out a message to her fans on Facebook. The title - "A Thanksgiving Message to All 57 States". Clever. The reason for the message was to stand up to the ribbing she has received for her slip of the tongue during a recent interview. She referred to North Korea instead of South Korea as our ally and the media snarks were off and running with vigor. Problem is, she immediately corrected her gaffe and that was the end of it. Or so she thought.

The message on Facebook refers to the long list of gaffes uttered during speeches and town hall meetings by President Obama. She backs them up with links to youtube videos. She mentions she didn't have the time to include the abundance of gaffes uttered by Joe Biden. Amusing. A part of me cheers her resolve to be her own biggest defender. Another part of me cringes. My instinct is to say, "Sarah. Please. Stop." The media is determined to stick with the usual path - conservatives are stupid and liberals are superior intellectuals. Palin is a prime target as she is always present.

The irony is that Palin supporters and Obama supporters are very much alike. Both politicians have people in their corner who will accept no criticism of their favorite. Both camps have those who are not open to anything negative or even perceived as negative to be written or said about their favorite. And, they both suffer from over-exposure. Not to mention thin-skinned.

Political strategist Mark McKinnon writes: Palin’s appeal completely befuddles metro-intellectuals. They scoff at her “experience,” holding the one-time city manager, mayor, oil and gas commission chair, governor, and vice presidential nominee to a different standard than candidate Obama. A marathon runner, mother of five, and grandmother to one, she has no qualms about smacking a slimy halibut—or an oil and gas company—upside the head. And don’t be fooled, underneath that “prom hair” is a brilliant populist. McKinnon coached Palin as she prepared for her debate with Joe Biden. He has a personal admiration for the woman as a person yet doesn't want her to run for President.

Obama fanboys write about Palin's self defense, too. POLITICO was among the news organizations that reported on Palin's gaffe.

Palin's Facebook statement served as both a warning shot to the media and to the White House. She has made it clear in the Past several weeks that she is considering running for president, telling ABC that she could defeat Obama.

The gist of Palin's memo was that the media should apply even standards to candidates and their slip-ups.

Novel idea, huh? Treat politicians in both parties with the same amount of scrutiny. In most of the media, that would be a different approach to reporting.

Palin has to face the fact that people are mean. Politics is a brutal business. She receives criticism over her jewelry - "how much flag jewelry can she buy?" was a comment I saw on a left wing blog - and her good looks, her independence, her career record, her experience level, her speaking fees and travel expenses, etc. Unfortunately, it goes with the territory and when you are competing at the top of the heap, it only gets more intense. The left despise her and a lot of it has to do with the fact that Palin and her family are happy and secure human beings. Conservative human beings. The left loves to be miserable.

If I were advising Palin, and I am only as an observant and concerned Republican activist, I would ask that she not run for the Presidency in 2012. I would advise her to continue on with the life she has now. In the long term, it is as good as it will get. She is making boatloads of money, she freely travels, she has a reality television show for outreach to millions each week, she writes, she has a gig with FOX News Channel as a contributor. It's all the freedom with little of the constraints of the highest office.

And, as others have concluded, I don't think she would beat Obama in 2012. I appreciate her self-confidence and positive self esteem as she tells interviewers that she thinks she could beat him. Both of them are strong competitors as sports players are. It would be a tough match-up but in the end she would lose. Her numbers are just as grave as his in many polls. She is just as polarizing as he is.

Palin can serve her country - her party - best as a fundraiser and cheerleader. She's a crowd pleaser who brings out huge audiences to listen to her message, a traditionally Republican message. She straddles the fence as a darling of the Tea Party movement, too. She's savvy and knows how to capitalize on her time in the spotlight. More power to her. She encourages conservative women to get out there in the process and get out the vote. She encourages women to run for office. For that alone, I thank her from the bottom of my heart.