Will she or won't she?

There is some nervousness about Sarah's interview with Greta last night, especially at Conservatives4Palin. Again, I want to emphasize what I said yesterday: Sarah Palin is not conventional. There are several things that should be mentioned in connection with what seemed her hesitations last evening.

First, as I have written earlier, I think she may not want to be president and would prefer to let someone else carry the torch. She has said, however, that she would step in if she didn't see a candidate likely to beat Obama. With all due respect to Hermann Cain, I don't think he is that candidate. He has lots of expertise as a businessman, but none in government, a different beast. Sarah knows this as well: she has actually run for office and won.

Second, as far as not needing a title, Greta very wisely challenged Sarah. There is a difference between having dinner with the prime minister of Israel and telling him that the American people love his country and sitting down at the table as president of the U.S. with all the actors and players, thus in a position to further Israel's interests. Sarah is not so innocent and naive as not to know this herself.

Third, her secrecy regarding her intentions is a good sign: it means her opponents do not know where she stands. She keeps her cards close to her chest. That is an excellent operating position when you consider the opponents she will face as president of the U.S. Obama gave away everything from the get-go, telling our enemies what he would do. And guess what? We are weaker now not only as a nation but also as an international player. Sarah Palin will not telegraph and certainly not proclaim loudly in advance what America's game plan is.

Fourth, RichardNC mentioned something very important in a comment on Conservatives4Palin: Sarah has to have all her ducks lined up perfectly. Otherwise, her enemies will exploit any "technical" mistake she makes by filing suits with the FEC.

Finally, I would say that she has never said she would not run. If she decides, she will be whole-hearted. And because she will be whole-hearted, she will win. Thus, her answer to Greta: Of course, she can beat Obama.

Keep the faith!

The pundits and Sarah Palin

Last evening I listened to Steve Bannon's interview with Shoshanna Walsh. She had the good fortune to travel around with Sarah during the McCain-Palin run, and wrote a book with Scott Conroy, Sarah from Alaska. Bannon treated her quite respectfully, raving about her book. I read it standing up at a local Borders when it came out. It seemed to me rather thin, but, since Sarah Palin remains a phenomenon, Shoshanna Walsh has a job, with a specialty reporting on Sarah Palin.

Listening to Walsh, however, I was struck by how inarticulate she was. Well, she is young and is at the start of a career as a pundit. What was clear is that she really knew very little about Sarah Palin. For starters, she was puzzled that Sarah is threatening to sue Joe McGinnis and his publisher. In Walsh's view, this will only give McGinniss publicity and help his book sales. So, Walsh takes a conventional, cautious position. But Sarah is not conventional, and, when necessary, she doesn't do caution.

What I am trying to say is that, despite having spent a lot of time with Sarah Palin and written a book about her, Walsh really has no more understanding of her than any other person in the LSM. I am not singling out Shoshanna Walsh in order to beat up on her, but what she reveals is that the LSM does not get Sarah Palin. Thus, today's piece in The Washington Post, concerning Sarah's "second tier status." The Post is judging her by conventional standards, which is exactly the way that the more articulate pundits evaluate her and her chances, for instance, Charles Krauthammer or George Will. They are all so used to being in an echo chamber, repeating variations of the same pieties, that the only difference between them is the smoothness with which they express themselves. Shoshanna Walsh still has a long way to go, but she is on the right track to being a conventional, mediocre pundit. For the rest of us: Keep the faith.

Presidential candidate Sarah Palin in South Korea; addendum

I woke up at 4 a.m. with a brilliant scenario dancing in my head. It caused me to rethink some of the my recent reflections on when/how/whether Sarah Palin will announce for president.

For a long time I have thought that she really does NOT want to run. Yet, she has always said that if there is not a good candidate, she would jump in. It is becoming clear that there is no such candidate. She also indicated (I think it was to Greta) that, if she announces, no one will miss the announcement. Recently she has said that the coming election will be different from anything before.

Until last night I thought she would not announce before her trip to Korea, as doing so would upstage the other speakers -- and she is too much of a modest person to do that. In the wee hours of the morning, however, it struck me that there could be no better way to position herself for 2012 than to go to Korea as an announced candidate for president of the U.S. The South Koreans -- and the Japanese and Taiwanese and so on -- would take this as a sign of the importance of East Asia to America. The media coverage would be immense, more so than if she goes as "former governor of Alaska and Republican vice-presidential candidate." Her speech would be broadcast all over the world, and it would absolutely knock the socks off of everyone in the U.S.

As Sarah has said, no one will miss her announcement, perhaps on the Bob & Mark show, after which she boards the plane and flies over the Arctic Circle to Korea.

ADDENDUM: And how priceless won't it be to watch the flat-footed LSM trying to get a flight to South Korea!

Sarah in Korea

I thought this was a very cool picture, though I've no idea what the quote is about. It concerns her October visit to South Korea to participate in the World Knowledge Forum. More details later.

For those who have wondered where I have been, well, I am back! I had always planned to wait until Sarah puts herself in contention for the Republican nomination for president before I started posting, but earlier in the summer I had a few things on my mind that got me started.

I visit a couple of Palin websites, principally Conservatives4Palin, but recently the constant complaints among Palinistas along the lines of "when is she going to announce" have got me down. Hey, folks! She is waiting for the present field to shoot itself in the foot. Stay cool and be patient. You will be rewarded. Sarah never undertakes anything unless she knows she will win. She is a hunter. She is a barracuda. She wants to position herself in the best possible way before she leaps in. Let the others tear themselves to shreds first.