I like Sarah Palin.... yes, that is the reason I do not want her to run as a candidate for President in 2012. I like her.I like how she always smiles and laughs. She is happy and it shines. She is unafraid of taking on politicians when they spew idiocy, whether they are Republican or Democrat. Palin can generate more chatter about any given subject by simply taking to her Facebook page and slamming out a piece on any given topic, than major newspapers can.
Those same major newspapers and conservative and liberal blogs shine even more light on her subject of the moment by hanging on her every word, reporting on her latest comments.
What is not to be happy about for Sarah? Her two books are best sellers, her show on Alaska a success, she is making money hand over fist from speaking engagements and book sales and she endorsed more winners than losers in the 2010 elections.
Moderate Republicans fear her, liberal Democrats are obsessed with her and terrified of her, and liberal feminists are outraged that she has re-branded feminism and taken it back from those who have hijacked the movement.
I genuinely like Sarah Palin. She is having fun, in fact it seems like she is having a blast.
When has a President taken to Facebook or any social media outlet and let loose on a pet peeve or an outrage? When is the last time you can think of where you saw a President, any president, having fun and looking happy as hell?
Does it look like Obama is having fun? Did it look like George Bush (either of them) were having fun? What about Bill Clinton, yeah, loads of fun dealing with Ken Starr and impeachment huh?
Hillary Clinton recently said "Every president, if you watch what they look like when they come into office, you can see their hair turn white because it's such a hard job."
Not just the job itself and responsibilities, but the politics of being the president, having to compromise principles in order to get legislation passed. Having to fight your own party in order to negotiate with the other party, being accused of turning your back on your party's principles every time you make a decision your "base" doesn't approve of?
Loads of fun huh?
French President Nicolas Sarkozy's wife Carla Bruni wrote that Michelle Obama told her that being America’s First Lady is 'hell", something the White House via Michelle's spokesperson denied, but if true, I have no doubt it is hell being the First Lady.
Watching the press criticize neverendingly, (yes I made that word up, but screw it) your spouse's base turning against your spouse with every compromise made, seeing the opposite side's party tear them apart in the press regularly, has to be hell if you love said spouse.
Barack Obama was hailed as a wonderful speech giver on his campaign trail, people fainted, compared him to Jesus, simply fawned over ever word he uttered, but once he became President...meh, not so much!
Now he shows up on a campaign trail and they don't even fill the seats.
Face it, becoming the President of the United States of America takes the fun out of the political journey.
I like Sarah Palin. I like her too much to ask her to put herself into a position where she has to give up most of her personality. I like her too much to ask her to open herself up to more unfounded attacks against her and her children.
I agree with Grover G. Norquist & Christopher Barron when they say Sarah Palin has earned the right to run as President.
She has.
In fact, I would go so far as to say that she has run a state, been a Governor, the type of decision making experience, but on a smaller scale (for a state instead of a country), that a President needs. Far more experienced in that type of decision making than Barack Obama was when he was elected having been a Senator for a short time.
My obvious question here, believing as I do, is "why would Sarah Palin want to be President"?
Why give up the Independent thinking, the freedom to speak her mind without censoring herself and the honesty of calling out idiocy where she sees in the name of "bipartisanship'? Why give up that laughter, that enjoyment in what she is doing?
Why box yourself into a hole, called the "Presidency" when you have the world at your feet?
I know Sarah Palin fans would love to see her run and possibly become President of the United States of America, but I am one Sarah Palin fan that doesn't want that.
I do not want to see her smile fade, her laughter muted. I do not want to see her voice drowned out because she has become the "establishment". I do not want to see her political power dimmed. I do not want to see her silenced.
I like Sarah Palin too much, as is, to ask her to give up what she is and what she could be.
I am an unapologetic Sarah Palin fan. I think she would make a good President. I would vote for her.
But I do not want her to run for President in 2012 because I like her exactly as and who she is.
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