Sarah Palin is an Inspiration

Once upon a time,I really believed that politics were for "other people".  Old men, in particular.  But, more specifically, people who have been in politics for a long time.  Careerists.  Not for the regular people.  As importantly, politicians and political issues seemed far away; something that I had little ability to impact. 

Blogging has given me some outlet to express opinions and share ideas with others, but impact or effect on actual political issues is unmeasurable.  So, even having become somewhat of a political junky, I still did not imagine that your average citizen had real capability to change things or have a voice besides the ballot box. 

What changed my opinion about my place in politics?  Sarah Palin. 

It isn't just because she's a woman and so am I.  Really, Hillary's long fight through a primary election as the first viable female candidate, going all the way to the end, should be an inspiration to women in politics.  However, she did have a lot of history and connections with a major party.  Hillary did show something to women, though.  Whatever one thinks of Hillary, she was able to play ball with the big boys, raise money and, however much I disagree ideologically, she was a thinker on foreign and domestic policy.  She had chops, as they say.  But, Hillary, in the long run, was "one of them."  She has decades in politics and political relationships.  So, while it was exciting to have a woman competing so strongly in the elections, her inside politics did not inspire me.

Did Obama inspire me in anyway?  Yes.  He's young and he's black.  I know, it isn't politically correct to note Obama's color.  Some of the inspiration comes from the idea that, yes, we have come a long way.  No, I do not agree with his policies.  I also believe that his political background is not one of an outsider, but an insider that has had and built many political relationships that he now owes.  Of course, that is how most politicians that make it to the national scene get a leg up.  I would say that he is also an inspiration because he set a course for this destination because of his beliefs.  Again, I don't agree with his politics or ideology, but you can admire someone for their drive in reaching it.  But, as someone who has all the trappings and backers of big time, long time politicians, who does not share my ideas about individual liberty and responsibility not being burdens, but rightful possessions of the citizenry.  He is not "the" inspiration. 

I'm still voting for McCain.  McCain is an inspiration, too.  He is a war hero.  He has principles and honor.  When he makes a pledge, he sticks to it.  Not just as a prisoner of war, though that shows a strong character and belief system that is hard to find, not just in politics, but in society in general.  He pledged that he would not touch the Rev. Wrigth issue and he hasn't.  Many on the right think it was a bad idea and have urged him to ignore that pledge, particularly after Obama's unjustified attacks inferring racism on the McCain campaign's part.  But, McCain made a pledge and he is sticking to it.  McCain pledged not to take pork back to his state and he has stuck to it.  McCain supported the war in Iraq and refused to give up or believe we were defeated.  He insisted we would leave Iraq with victory and he has stuck to it.  People can say what they want about McCain, but he is an honorable man and he is a fighter with serious principles. 

Yes, he is one of the few politicians that I believe when they say that they only want what is good for the United States and wants to make sure it is strong and defended.  Still, McCain is as much an insider and long time politician, if not more so, than the others.  That does not inspire the desire to become more involved in politics, but his prinicples make it easy for me to support him.

But, I started out this post saying that Sarah Palin had inspired me personally.  It is her personal story along with her political views and the drive to "do something about it".  She started out in the PTA, went to the city council, became mayor, voted in as governor and now on the national stage as the VP candidate.  People can quibble about how and why she ended up on the national level, but I think she would have ended up there eventually.  That last part is just icing on the cake.  The important part of the story is that she was just a regular citizen with few political connections and little monetary backing who got into politics because she wanted to change things. 

And she did.  That inspires me.

Now, here she is, called out of near obscurity (accept for those of us on the blogs that had started talking about her almost six months before) to become the Vice Presidential Candidate.  That is pretty inspiring.  But, more than that, she has had every sort of terrible accusation thrown at her, challenges to her intelligence (though she has obviously been a capable administrator for a town and a state), attacks on her family, on her looks, on everything but her true beliefs and those only because all the other stories seemed to drown out any other conversation.  Having been attacked, she still goes out on the trail, has determined to change her image and speak more clearly on the things she believes in.  And, she seems happy and excited to be on the campaign trail talking to people about our elections and about ideas that seemed like they were old and dead.  That inspires me.

Like liberty and responsibilities are not burdens to be "relieved" by the government.  The idea that your average American citizen, someone who hasn't played politics for decades on end, who doesn't have the support of big money backers (like the $1 billion Obama juggernaut) or party insiders, who hasn't played the Washington game for decades, can actually become the vice president or president of the United States.  Can be part of our political process that seemed closed off from normal folks.  Something that, in fact, is a really terrible prospect in a Democatic Republic where the government is supposed to be "for the people, of the people and by the people."

People, including me, are cynical about our politics for a reason.  We have created the thing that our founders feared most: an aristocracy out of monied politicians with high powered backers.  As if those were the only people capable of leading our nation.  People have been feeling disconnected for quite sometime.  They feel like the government has been run by a limited number of people who have been happily raiding the bank for everybody but the general citizenry.  The bailout is just one more example.  That's why so many are willing to vote for somebody like Obama who is promising to give them what they suspect everybody else has been getting.

But, along comes Sarah and she actually speaks a near dead language: individual freedom and responsibility  is not a tragic burden, but something to celebrate.  Life is something to celebrate.  Citizen participation in our elections and political processes is not a dead concept.  The state does not owe us a lack of burdens and responsibilities anymore than we derive any of our freedoms from the power of the state.  To pretend otherwise is to admit the eventual destruction of a free and Democratic Republic and potential slavery.  Those beliefs inspire me.

Peggy Noonan referred to Palin as a "vulgarization" of our politics.  Multiple other elitist Conservative pundits followed suit along with a huge number of liberal opinionators.  I say "elitist" because their views are the very views that our nation rejected over 200 years ago.  The idea that only a certain kind of person with a certain education and background could possibly be capable of running our country.  They cannot comprehend why thousands of people would show up to see her.  Is it the novelty of a woman running for office?  That she is "good looking" as Parker ascerts?  Maybe its her overly happy, slightly jingoistic attitude towards the "serious" business of national elections?

Well, it is because Palin is a novelty.  She represents one of the first times in a long time that "We the People" actually have a candidate in any national slot who is from "We the People" as opposed to a candidate from "Some of the People".  That inspires me.

As a member of the "vulgar" hoi poloi, if Sarah Palin is the "vulgarization" of our politics, let me just say...I LIKE IT!   

Let that be a reminder to the Republicans talking about rebuilding the Republican party and brand.  It isn't about populist ideas, it is about involving the population in our politics.  It's a bizarre notion, I know, but it does seem to be how people get elected.

In closing, I am inspired to actually go out and do something about our politics.  This weekend, I'm helping out the Veterans For Freedom in their Missouri efforts and I plan to volunteer for McCain/Palin up to and including the day of elections.  We might not win, but it is just about the most animating election contest in a long time.  Finally, I want to be able to tell my nieces and nephews, to show them, that they, too, can be part of our political life, part of this grand "experiment" they call Democracy.

Sarah Palin might not get this message, but I want to say, "Thank you, Sarah Palin.  Whatever happens in the future, you've been a great inspiration.  And, dare I say, given me the audacity of hope for the future of our democratic principles."