Cunning? Seriously? Don’t get me wrong–I get what Rich is trying to say. But really, how much can Palin do with even the 1/3 of Americans Rich says like her? Hell, even52% of REPUBLICANS think she’s unqualified to be president! She can back loony right-wingers like Rubio, sure, but what good does that do? AskDoug Hoffman. They still have to close the deal, no matter how much Sarah brings to the table.
Here’s the thing about Palin for me. I know her. I’ve known her since sixth grade. She’s the girl who pulled down the sleeves of my elastic-topped peasant blouse in the middle of the lunchroom to show everyone I wasn’t wearing a bra yet. She’s the girl who stole my best friend’s boyfriend just because she could, not because she really wanted him. She’s the girl who all the teachers (especially the male ones) seemed to adore, even though every girl in school knew she was Satan in jellies and Jordache. (I feel strangely old suddenly…)
There’s a great book calledOdd Girl Out by Rachel Simmons. A good friend gave it to me, and I highly recommend it if you ever experienced a moment in your teen years where a mean girl took you out at the knees with a cutting comment or a cold shoulder. It won’t help you deal with it when it happens now (and yes, they still do that as adults, trust me–it’s just one of the many reasons I’ve been MIA lately), but at least it’ll make you feel less alone. But I digress…
Non-Teabagging women know Palin far too well to really like her (which is one reason I think Rich’s 1/3 of Americans assessment is way off). We know that girls* like Palin have a major Achilles’ heel: they can only stay Queen Bee as long as theylook like they can stay Queen Bee. The moment they show vulnerability, the sycophants will turn on them. It’s only a matter of time before Ann Coulter gets tired of Sarah being the right-wing female flavah-of-the-month and starts to recognize that there are enough disenchanted Sarah fans that she can go after Palin. I think the bloom is already off the rose for Palin, as witnessAthenae’s riff on Digby’s post. The bemused guy quoted in the C&L article as saying, “I just wasn’t motivated,” may not know why he isn’t motivated by her any more, but I do. The Mean Girl is starting to feel the pressure of staying on top, and being the object of David Broder’s “affection” can only be fun for…no…no, wait, sorry, that just wouldn’t be fun, not even for a millisecond. Ick.
*I use the term “girl” deliberately–this kind of woman is trapped in teenage behavior.