First consider the source: 'Matthew Continetti is opinion editor of the Weekly Standard and the author of "The Persecution of Sarah Palin: How the Elite Media Tried to Bring Down a Rising Star."'
Are they myths?
1. Palin cost McCain the 2008 election. Only partly. I agree with this as it is the same reason democrats and incumbents will now lose. Voters memories are short and their knowledge not very deep. For republicans and independents Bush was pure tragedy and McCain more of the same. But I do know several republicans who didn't vote as they couldn't vote for a ticket with Palin on it.
2. Resigning as governor was rash. Hell no, it wasn't rash, as dumb as Palin is she realized the lonely state of Alaska wasn't going to bring in the dough but her fifteen minutes, her smiling face, and empty rhetoric would. Smart move when your values are not work but easy money. Her business account abuse points to her real character.
3. Palin and the tea party are destroying the GOP. Still iffy, America, like all nations, goes through stupid stages in which the foe is the other guy, change, or some abstraction. The Social security medicare whiners are like most contented people, selfish. When the economy improves this too shall pass.
4. Palin is extreme. I consider anyone who brings in witch doctors to church extreme. Her unrehearsed comments are extreme and off the wall. Maybe extreme is the wrong word, but we don't use nuts or stupid today, so extreme works for her.
5. Palin is unelectable. In a nation in which corporate propaganda controls so many minds, she could be electable. The problem is her words in the past and if her handlers don't strictly control the message. Consider only the elections of Reagan and Bush Jr and it isn't hard to imagine another republican myth as president.
Anne Kilkenny, the homemaker who wrote of Sarah Palin, is overwhelmed by attention
About Sarah Palin: an e-mail from Wasilla || Crosscut.com
However, there are a lot of people who have underestimated her and are regretting it.
Claim vs. Fact
* "Hockey mom": True for a few years
* "PTA mom": True years ago when her first-born was in elementary school, not since
* "NRA supporter": Absolutely true
* Social conservative: mixed. Opposes gay marriage, but vetoed a bill that would have denied benefits to employees in same-sex relationships (said she did this because it was unconsitutional).
* Pro-creationism: Mixed. Supports it, but did nothing as governor to promote it.
* "Pro-life": Mixed. Knowingly gave birth to a Down's syndrome baby but declined to call a special legislative session on some pro-life legislation.
* "Experienced": Some high schools have more students than Wasilla has residents. Many cities have more residents than the state of Alaska. No legislative experience other than City Council. Little hands-on supervisory or managerial experience; needed help of a city administrator to run town of about 5,000.
* Political maverick: Not at all.
* Gutsy: Absolutely!
* Open and transparent: ??? Good at keeping secrets. Not good at explaining actions.
* Has a developed philosophy of public policy: No.
* "A Greenie": No. Turned Wasilla into a wasteland of big box stores and disconnected parking lots. Is pro-drilling off-shore and in ANWR.
* Fiscal conservative: Not by my definition!
* Pro-infrastructure: No. Promoted a sports complex and park in a city without a sewage treatment plant or storm drainage system. Built streets to early 20th century standards.
* Pro-tax relief: Lowered taxes for businesses, increased tax burden on residents
* Pro-small government: No. Oversaw greatest expansion of city government in Wasilla's history.
* Pro-labor/pro-union: No. Just because her husband works union doesn't make her pro-labor. I have seen nothing to support any claim that she is pro-labor/pro-union.
