Sarah Palin is not such a small-town girl after all

UK Telegraph ^ | September 09 2008 | James Bennett

[knighthawk]

It is clear that few in America, let alone Britain, have any idea what to make of Sarah Palin. The Republicans' vice-presidential candidate confounds the commentators because they don't understand the forces that shaped her in the remote state of Alaska.

Thus, most coverage dwells on exotica - the moose shooting, her Eskimo husband - combined with befuddlement at how a woman can go from being mayor of a town of 9,000, to governor, to prospective VP within the space of a few years.

But, having worked with Alaskans, I know something of the challenge she has faced, and why - contrary to what Democrats think - it could make her a powerful figure in the White House.

[knighthawk]

Ping

[squidly]

It is clear that few in America..... have any idea what to make of Sarah Palin.

With the very first sentence, another media member shows how out of touch with normal folks that he/she is (sorry, didn't notice author's name). It is news to me that I don't know what to make of her.

[Dead Dog]

Is she a bit of a curiosity in Netherlands?

[BigEdLB]

Focusing on the exotic trappings of Alaskan culture may make Palin seem a quaint and inexplicable choice. But understanding the real background of her steady rise in politics suggests that Barack Obama and Joe Biden are underestimating her badly.

[ken21]

lol!

netherlanders are freaks.

[pgkdan]

The surprise is not that she has been in office for such a short time but that she has succeeded in each of her objectives. She has exposed corruption; given the state a bigger share in Alaska's energy wealth; and negotiated a deal involving big corporate players, the US and Canadian governments, Canadian provincial governments, and native tribes - the result of which was a £13 billion deal to launch the pipeline and increase the amount of domestic energy available to consumers. This deal makes the charge of having "no international experience" particularly absurd.

Funny how this Brit picked this up but tenured American 'journalists' can't seem to grasp the point. Sarah Palin is a force to be reckoned with...much to the dem's everlasting dismay!

[xcamel]

the sh*t doesn’t spread so easily in the US, but glides smoothly all over the UK..

[pgkdan]

No...read the article. This guy has a very good idea of who Governor Palin is.

[xcamel]

We need a moose with obamallamadingdongs face on it...

[pgkdan]

This is a very pro-Sarah article. It doesn’t focus at all on her personality or family it’s all about what she’s accomplished in Alaska...which is more than even alot of Freepers appreciate. As I said in a previous post, this woman is a Force to be reckoned with.

[xcamel]

I had to read the original a couple of times to get more of the ‘pro” out of it.. Brits are weird.

[MichiganMan]

Funny how this Brit picked this up but tenured American 'journalists' can't seem to grasp the point. Sarah Palin is a force to be reckoned with...much to the dem's everlasting dismay!

I don't think they're to that point yet.  Oh, its coming.  But I think they're still hyperventilating that Obama/Biden won't be running against two old white guys and starting to regret that they took the mom-vote as a birthright of the Democratic party. 

They're just starting to move into the stage of realizing that its not just a pretty face that is going to be going toe to toe against Biden on national TV. The panic is beginning, and I hear them getting shrill on the urban radio stations.   McCain seriously pants'ed the dems with this choice. 

[tentmaker]

bookmark

[StormEye]

"...let alone Britain, have any idea what to make of Sarah Palin."

Why is it the UK's business who Sarah Palin is?

[RightWingTeen]

Mr Bennett has a great article!! Sarah did some battles and McCain picked a great lady who’ll be a GREAT VP!!

[chris_bdba]

Great article about her. I sure hope that Obama and Biden both keep underestimating her that way she gets to steam roll them both. After Obama’s comments today about “putting lipstick on a pig” he should pay dearly for calling her a pig! That is very sexist.

[GitmoSailor]

Use this one!!!!!!...

[xcamel]

Eh?

[Forward the Light Brigade]

This Brit gets it. Sarah is a force that will change Washington DC. McCain was smart to pick her.