Posted on 09/29/2011 7:51:00 AM PDT by Brices Crossroads
In her recent interview, Sarah Palin has raised a bit of a kerfuffle among her supporters by referring once again to the "title" thing, as I call it. All she did was pose the question, "Is a title worth it?", and "Will a campaign shackle someone like me from effecting positive change?"
She never answered the questions. She articulated some of the arguments against running. She also said she could make a difference without a title. Once again, nothing but a proven historical fact, based upon her ability thus far to drive the political debate and to influence, in a major way, the outcome of the 2010 elections...all without a title.
Not one jot or tittle of this now well worn soliloquy of hers will have to be "walked back" when she announces. Everything she said about holding a title and the shackles of a campaign are accurate. The same arguments had equal, if not greater, resonance when she ran for Mayor, Lieutenant Governor and Governor. In each case, her calculus led her to the conclusion that, in spite of the shackles, the power that went with the title made the endeavor worthwhile. And the stakes for her city and state were nowhere near as high as they are for the United States in 2012.
She did, however, choose not to emphasize the much stronger arguments in favor of running, that is: with the title, comes enormous power which, held in the hands of a resolute executive like Reagan in the 1980s and Palin herself in Alaska, can achieve enormous, unprecedented good. Without the title and the power that accompanies it, the ability to make a difference will not disappear entirely, but it will be intermittent and sporadic. In the perilous four years that lie ahead of us, "intermittent and sporadic" won't cut the mustard, and she knows it.
Palin's constant harping on the "title" thing (as I call it) may be a diversion. She will allow her enemies to hear what they want to hear from her comments and if it causes them to miscalculate, oh well... However, I do not believe her repeated, almost pejorative, allusions to title are designed principally to mislead her enemies. I believe she is throwing down a marker to separate herself from every GOP candidate since Reagan, in effect calling them out for trying to BE President, rather than to USE the Presidency (as did Reagan) to effect positive change. Both Bushes sought the Presidency principally in order to be President, that is: to HOLD the title. Dole and McCain similarly sought it because it was their turn, and they too craved the title. None of the four, card carrying members of the Establishment one and all, had any real agenda or plans to use the power that goes with the title to "make a real difference". They were willing to "go with the flow" in order to hold the title. Similarly, her two principal Establishment challengers--Romney and Perry-- are bereft of any real convictions. One of these two will almost certainly be the nominee should Palin not run. Their records bespeak politicians HUNGRY for a title who are willing to "go with the flow" to get it, whether that flow takes them in the direction of statism (Romney) or crony capitalism (Perry). Palin is unwilling to "go with the flow" to hold a title or for any other reason. Rather, she sees the title as an instrument to CHANGE the flow. Period.
In sum, Palin will not be running for President to hold a title. I think her deep personal humility, as well as her political orientation as a conservative populist, recoils from titles, especially those which are purely honorary. But she has never recoiled from power when there was a crying need that it be held in the hands of a resolute and principled leader. That time, like never before, is now.
To paraphrase the words of an old 1980 campaign commercial, linked below, "The time is now for Palin. Palin for President."
Palin is making herself irrelevant.
I have no idea why. But she is.
Get back in the race, or stand aside Palin.
hold
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