Rick Raw: Wicked Sexy Witch of Alaska Flies Solo into the Unknown–Sarah Palin is Off the Reservation

By Rick Grant Commentary rickgrant01@comcast.net www.rickatnight.com

"I hate Sarah Palin, but I’d fuck her!" said lesbian comic, Margaret Cho in her HBO stand up special.

Cho’s ironic comedic line poignantly states what many men and women think.–Palin is sexy and strangely charismatic. In her cover shot for this week’s edition of Time Magazine, Palin posed in tight corduroy jeans and a black long-sleeve blouse with her hands stuck halfway into her pockets.

It’s a woman-of-the-people shot that identifies Palin with all the conservative moms struggling to raise their kids. It’s a pose that makes men (and some women) want to have sex with her and soccer-moms identify with her every-women look.

Suddenly, without warning, Palin quit her job as Governor of Alaska–a move that dumbfounded her supporters and critics alike. In her rambling resignation speech, she hovered on the brink of hysteria.

Indeed, something has happened to this woman that she is keeping to herself. "Only dead fish go with the flow," she said. With such hokey remarks, Palin flies off the reservation and into the unknown. Every political talking head was baffled by her capricious move. Why would she give up her governorship in mid-term? It made her look like a quitter.

But wait. In the long run, Palin could emerge as a pioneering independent thinker who uses her time off to write a book and go on the lucrative lecture circuit. Clearly, she needs the money. A series of ethics investigations has put Palin in debt to the tune of $500,000 in legal bills. But, her off the wall remarks justifying her leaving the governorship only enforced the criticism that Palin is a nut job.

Palin’s rhetoric during her VP campaign with John McCain was scripted by McCain’s staff. They dreaded her making off the cuff remarks that would reveal her shocking lack of intellectual prowess. Her dumb bloopers during TV interviews came back to bite her on the ass. " I can see Russia..." And, not knowing that Africa was a continent not a country became fodder for late night comedians.

Nevertheless, Palin has millions of fans who see her as the great white hope for ultra-conservative movement. By quitting the governorship, Palin is free to travel the lower 48 states on speaking engagements to define her goals and vision for America.

Many political pundits agree that when Palin quit, she forfeited any credibility she had gained during the McCain for President campaign. Still, Palin gained celebrity status as a new American feminist model, a desperate conservative housewife who grabbed the reins of power and flew with it.

Palin pandered to the ultra-conservative middle class who were looking for a symbol of their beliefs. Catholic moms with 5 or more kids see her as a modern archetype for their movement. Her shocking move may make Palin a hero of the right, without a political machine calling her shots. She’s Joan of Arc in a minivan on a mission to save America.

Laura Chase, who managed Palin’s first campaign for Mayor of Wasilla, wrote, "She’s like a bloodhound–once she gets the scent, she’s never going to let go." Her other close confidants all say that Palin wants to be President of the United States. Besides, she has the power of household name recognition and good looks, which will take her far. If she fails to win the Republican nomination for president, Palin will be in demand as a political player and consultant.

As much as I loathe Palin, I’m reminded of Huey Long who went a long way with his charisma, preaching to the common man, despite the fact that everyone knew he was a crook. Like Long, Palin has captured the imagination of every-day folks.

One should never underestimate Sarah Palin. She’s a wicked sexy witch who can cast a spell over a crowd. Like a coiled cobra, she’ll be out there waiting to strike just when everyone has written her off.