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Dianne Hardisty: 'Sarah Barracuda' dishes it out to Democrats
| Thursday, Sep 4 2008 6:03 PM
Last Updated: Friday, Sep 5 2008 8:01 AM
It's hard to portray Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin "the victim" after the tough, rousing speech she delivered at the Republican National Convention Wednesday night.
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Writers to this newspaper, as well as Republican Party operatives, have lashed out at the scrutiny Palin has received since Republican presidential candidate John McCain announced her selection as his vice presidential pick last week.
Sarah Palin? Who's that? Heck, how do you even say her name? Palin's selection was a surprise, even to some in the McCain camp.
So do we really expect no questions will be asked about this former small-town (about 6,000 residents) mayor who became the governor of one of the least populous states in the union less than two years ago?
Maine's Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe said it best when she told a television reporter after Palin's speech that the public vetting of vice presidential candidate has begun. The scrutiny is justified given the importance of the job.
The other candidates already in the race are well known after months of primary campaigning. The Democrats' presidential candidate, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, his vice presidential pick, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, and Republican McCain have been clawing their way to their parties' nominations since early last year.
While mentioned and mostly dismissed as a possible running mate for McCain, Palin is an unknown to the majority of Americans. Before asking her to join his ticket last week, McCain reportedly had only met Palin once, at a conference earlier this year.
The popular Alaska governor has a compelling story: the mother of five children; an oil worker husband, who also happens to be a snowmobile champion; a rugged individualist who has taken on special interests and corruption in her state.
But it seemed to take only a nanosecond for the "back stories" to unfold: troopergate; her 17-year-old daughter's pregnancy; her husband's membership in a separatist party. I can't remember all the revelations. My head started spinning from stories that rivaled "Desperate Housewives" for drama. (I stole that line from a Californian letter writer.)
Top Republicans, including former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, struck back, saying the "liberal media" should back off. He suggested the coverage, which he called "attack," was sexist. Like gallant knights, they rushed to defend the "little woman."
Whoa, wait a darn minute. This little woman, whose nickname in Alaska is "Sarah Barracuda," can take care of herself. She's tough, smart and not afraid of a fight. She's a self-described "hockey mom."
What's the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick. That's the joke Palin delivered Wednesday night as she fired up the Republican Convention crowd.
She is a pit bull. In one of many body slams she delivered to Obama, she noted folks in her small town don't know what to make of a candidate who speaks nicely to them to their face, but talks trash about them behind closed doors. Palin was referring to Obama's description of small-town Americans as bitterly clinging to their guns and religion.
The gloves are off. Palin came out swinging at Obama and even his wife. It was a good start to what will be a rock 'em, sock 'em two months on the stump as voters decide who will lead us in the next four years.
Some Americans wring their hands over the "brutality" of political campaigns. Yeah, right. But their concerns seem to surface only when "their" candidate is "brutalized."
There's something Darwinian survival of the fittest in elections. How a candidate conducts his or her campaign, responds to public scrutiny and is viewed by voters are critical elements in the "hiring process."
Wednesday night, Palin showed she can dish it out. Reportedly she also can take it. She's no "victim" requiring shelter from the media or Democrats.
In November, Americans will elect either Obama or McCain to be their president. But Palin and Biden will be just a heartbeat away from sitting in the Oval Office. Are they qualified to become president? Can they handle the job? Do their public records and private lives match their claims?
Americans are entitled to know. Game on.
E-mail Dianne Hardisty at dhardisty@bakersfield.com.