She has received extensive policy tutorials and been briefed on foreign policy almost daily. Aides say she has taken particular interest in Pakistan and Israel and in causes of Islamic extremism, which she has related to the economic despair that plagues parts of Alaska.
People loyal to her say Ms. Palin is well aware of the political job in front of her. One aide said she had “gotten on the offensive,” pushing to include more policy in her speeches. “It’s important for her personally, for how she’s perceived, to ensure that she gets to show her depth.”
Again, these are opportunities Palin has had, and qualities she’s had to build, in the course of her short candidacy. And it’s ultimately misleading to weave the two narratives—of 1) Palin’s increasing independence from the McCain campaign, and 2) her speculative political future—together. That’s not to say that both narratives don’t deserve discussion. But this type of theorization—she’s disagreeing with McCain… cranes neck, looks ahead… she’s ready to go it alone!—can easily snowball.
It also, unfortunately, jives with the general press meme that The Election Is (All But) Over, with polls suggesting that Palin won’t, in fact, make it to Washington. This has, perhaps more than other things, enabled accounts of the tension between McCain and Palin to simultaneously dabble in projections of the fabled Next Step for Palin.
Palin may have a bright future in politics. Or her reputation may be ineradicably damaged by this year’s vice presidential run. Or, hell, maybe she will in fact seek out television, as Mike Huckabee, to variable effect, has done. Conjecture stories will abound. But it’s melodramatic, and a bit hasty, to base these narrative projections on the Republican ticket’s beleaguered actions on the campaign trail in the last week before an election. In other words, focus.
Oh please. As if Palin's actions now have nothing to do with her future ambitions. Why not theorize? Mapping out the possible paths she might take will allow us to figure out which direction her actions are pointing towards.
Posted by Anonymous coward on Wed 29 Oct 2008 at 09:17 PM
Ah, another world weary, oh those silly reporters dispatch from the cjr solons. Much as I appreciate the advice not to look ahead and to try not to peer around corners, that's what good reporters do. And given the well-documented splits within the McCain-Palin campaign, and given Ms. Palin's career pattern of turning against her Republican mentors, it would take a sort of willful blindness not to examine the various agendas at play. Two smart reporters make the smart point that we typically do not see policy speeches in the last five days of campaigns. For better or worse, the die is cast on Ms. Palin's "image" for this campaign cycle. It is not cast, yet, for the next one.
As well, Ms. Palin is -- as are most politicians on this career stage -- a most ambitious woman, and it's natural to look at signs she might be positioning herself, just as reporters did with Edwards in 2004 and Lieberman in 2000.
One other thing: The so called "meme" (truly one of the ugliest and faux intellectual words to enter the English language of late) isn't. In our paper, the New York Times, we've run front page "If Elected ..." pieces on both candidates in the last day or two, looked at race in Pennsylvania and in Florida, and even ran a front page above the fold piece by Adam Nagourney explaining how McCain could still win.
Have we stated the obvious: McCain is down and Obama is up, albeit in a few cases by a slender margin? Sure. But we have pounded at reporting, not polls, day after day. The piece on Palin falls well within this intelligent pattern.
Posted by Michael Powell on Wed 29 Oct 2008 at 10:34 PM
Thanks for the comment. I agree with you that the Times has been covering a wide and commendable range of campaign issues. But I don't see it as an either/or proposition. I was just suggesting that speculations about Palin's political future run the risk of being misleading, because they compound two narratives (Palin as a rogue on the campaign trail and Palin as a future political contender) into one somewhat linear narrative, when it's not necessarily an 'A because of B' scenario. That said, I do agree on the general hideousness of the word meme.
Posted by Jane Kim on Thu 30 Oct 2008 at 12:09 PM
Except that the combining of these two narratives very much fit an established career pattern for the governor. She is lifted onto the next stage, as often turns on the person who lifted her there, and then uses that maverick celebrity to run for higher office. This is not, necessarily, as untrustworthy as it sounds; certainly she's stood up to some powerbrokering creeps in Alaska. And there are indications that the same forces are at play here. So its useful to explore whether two narratives are more usefully seen as one. I would argue that is the case.
Posted by Michael Powell on Thu 30 Oct 2008 at 11:31 PM
I heard that ever since her appearance on SNL, all she wants to be is a stand up comic. :p
Posted by AhmNee on Thu 6 Nov 2008 at 08:58 AM
Palin (Failin) is a disgrace to all American. Over 200,000 women joined WASP (Women Against Sarah Palin) to get her off the Republican ticket. Many then voted Democratic. She is uneducated, cares only for herself and not her country, immoral, two-faced,untrustworthy,and coniving. She should not be allowed to disgrace us ever again!!!
Posted by Educated White Woman on Sun 9 Nov 2008 at 01:05 PM