Sarah Palin, What's Next

The media is certainly having fun with Sarah Palin. After being plucked out of relative political obscurity by the bland and uninspiring Senator from Arizona to be his 2008 Vice Presidential running mate she is still drawing national headlines. Granted, the headlines given her recently by the liberal media, David Letterman in particular, are certainly not the kind one would hope for. Combined with Governor Palin's recent announcement she is stepping down as governor of Alaska at the end of July has the media and political analysts buzzing.

Sarah Palin was picked by Senator John McCain for two primary reasons, both political. Senator McCain was running a lackluster and uninspiring campaign that was in dire need of a shot of adrenalin, and Sarah Palin was an attractive, vibrant political maverick that creates her own playbook. Since it is questionable the Republican Party power structure ever really intended to run a winning campaign against the popular socialist Barrack Obama, it is plausible they were looking more towards 2012. Sarah Palin, with her popularity in Alaska and her outspoken maverick status, appeared to be a good bet for the 2012 race.

The one flaw in the strategy was that Governor Palin at 45 years of age was relatively young politically and still lacked the maturity required, indeed demanded, of a candidate for national office. Her lack of political maturity and her limited scope of knowledge both nationally and internationally came to be a legitimate distraction during the campaign and continues to be fodder for certain elements in the media.

Sarah Palin, this aside can be an inspiring speaker, as was the case during her speech at the 2008 Republican National Convention. She can also be prone to ramblings that some think almost incoherent at times. She shows glimpses of brightness as well as a tendency to be bland and boring at times.

So what's next for this attractive young political maverick.? The talking heads on all the national syndicates have pontificated ad naseum on all the possibilities, liabilities, most likely paths etc. Anything anyone says is, at best, just a best guess. A few of the important things we do know are these;

1) She is a modern Conservative

2) She believes in limited government

3) She believes the individual is better able to discern what is the best for them rather than big brother government

4) She, like Ronald Wilson Reagan before her, is a fierce individualist

5) She believes in self reliance and self sufficiency

6) She believes in using all our nations energy alternatives

7) She believes in maintaining a strong defense force and international supremacy

8) She believes in open market competitive capitalism

9) She believes in a judiciary that interprets the law, not a judiciary that makes law

10) She believes in traditional American family values

Sarah Palin has her shortcomings, as we all do. Yes, even as the young President Barrack Obama has his. Given these considerations it is this man's opinion that she is looking to 2016 for a run at the White House. This gives her seven years to grow in political maturity, build a clear , cohesive, and consistent political strategy, build a national grass roots organization, build the support required within her party, and build the war chest necessary to wage a successful national presidential campaign.

One thing is for sure, we have not seen nor heard the last of this breath of fresh political air. Time will show us her course, whatever she decides. History will record her sucess or failure.

Les Carpenter III

Rational Nation USA