Sarah Palin Revealed -- Part 2

Assuming you caught any one of the recent, more friendly interviews with Sarah Palin last week, you may have noticed a different woman. That's because she's now "having that coffee" I talked about in yesterday's post. Sitting down and having a conversation with someone is far more enlightening than trying to figure her out in a five-minute segment while she's being talked down to by the media elite who think she's a fool.

Remember: I'm not arguing for or against Sarah Palin as a politician. I'm still making up my mind on that one, as there's no question she'll be running for some sort of office eventually. I'm simply pointing out the insane amount of attacks this women has endured. If I were a liberal, I would think twice about my party affiliation after witnessing the Sarah Palin fiasco.

Here's what you can be sure of, though: The more attention a person commands, whether the attention is positive or negative, the more the person has something going for her. If a person were a complete joke, no one would pay her any attention. Sarah Palin is so appealing that her appearance on Oprah and Hannity caused an enormous boost in their ratings.

My personal take on Palin is that she's purposefully (and, who knows, perhaps wisely) presenting herself as just a regular person. In this way the media elite can hammer her b/c she's not from the Beltway and she didn't graduate from an elite school. But Palin's banking on the fact that most Americans are not elitist and would rather have a regular Joe (or Joanne) in office.

Liberals also get their backs up over the fact that Palin "talks funny." Well, Jimmy Carter talks funny, too. So does George W. Bush. It is precisely -- in my opinion -- because Sarah Palin is a regular person like you and me that people are warming up to her. Looking at Palin alongside Obama -- an Ivy Leaguer who talks beautifully but is nevertheless a disaster -- makes Palin that much more appealing. Indeed, as Obama's ratings are going down, hers are going up. Add that fact to the right political philosophy (assuming you agree with it), and I believe Palin can only go up from there.

Sarah Palin still has a lot to learn, but she has plenty of time. And if she surrounds herself with the right people, she'll make it eventually.

MONDAY: Thoughts on Gay Marriage

Take a Look at America's First Female Evening News Anchor

Dear Ms. Couric: You're looking downright foolish next to Palin now. What do YOU read? Penthouse? And, pardon me, but is that a CHILD looking on? Good grief, woman.

Sarah Palin Revealed -- Part 1

All in all, Oprah conducted a fair interview with Sarah Palin – and certainly helped to sell Palin’s book. Oprah may be liberal, but she's fair. I truly believe she wants to understand people when she talks to them, regardless of their political persuasion. There was one part, however, that struck me: when she asked Palin, “So you really believe Katie Couric had an agenda…a political agenda?"

Oprah doesn't realize that she revealed her ignorance here. Not only is the question itself akin to asking, "So you really think lemons are yellow?", it was the way Oprah asked it – as though the idea of such a thing borders on stupidity, or is just an attempt to explain Palin’s poor performance during the Palin/Couric interview. I could tell Palin wanted to open her eyes wide and say something to the effect of, “You’re kidding, right?” Naturally, she couldn’t do this as a guest. Instead she politely suggested this might be the case.

The truth is, no matter how friendly an interview might be, the interviewer always has the advantage over the person being interviewed. While Oprah was honest, respectful, and certainly not “out to get” Palin the way Couric and Gibson were (and clearly doesn’t believe her contemporaries are capable of such behavior), her ignorance about the existence of media bias demonstrates a bias in and of itself.

Here’s what Oprah and most Americans don’t know because they’ve never personally been on the receiving end of media bias: When you’re a liberal Democrat and in the limelight – whether you’re an actress, a politician, a talk show host, an author, or just receiving your five minutes of fame – being interviewed by the mainstream media is like having coffee with a friend. It’s enjoyable, fun, and easy. When you’re conservative and being interviewed by the mainstream media, it’s an awful experience. There’s nothing fun, enjoyable, or easy about it. It’s like going into the den with a pack of wolves and you have to be ready with the perfect quip for every charge that’s hurled your way throughout the entire interview. That’s a whole different scenario, one I’m certain few Democrats could handle if the shoe were on the other foot.

Perhaps Sarah Palin doesn’t think well on her feet – or perhaps we just don’t know because we’ve never watched Palin in a true conversational exchange, the way we have whenever Oprah has Hollywood starlets visit her set. I don’t know whether or not Sarah Palin would make a good candidate for anything, quite frankly; but as someone who’s been on the receiving end of media bias, I have never questioned Palin’s intelligence based upon her performance during an interview. When my first book (about the importance of the traditional family) was published, my first introduction to the insidiousness of media bias was when Glamour magazine told its readers not to read my book. From there it was a steady stream of vitriol. CNN ambushed me in what was supposed to be a straight, friendly interview and instead brought on the program the CEO of Working Mother magazine to try and make me look like a fool – which I would have welcomed (not the fool part, but the debate) had I had the same heads-up the CEO did. Instead, anchor Carol Lin told me right before we went on the air that my book “stirred up all the women at CNN.”

Most Americans have no clue what goes on in the media behind the scenes – so they should reserve their judgment about Sarah Palin. If Palin were exactly the way she is – warts and all -- but were a Democrat, her 2008 media campaign would have been like one giant cocktail party. She would have been hailed as the ideal feminist specimen: strong, ambitious, and with a husband at home to boot! Instead she was thrown off guard at every possible moment. And the reality is, when people are trying to trip you up at every moment, most people are going to trip up.

I suspect Sarah Palin once thought as I did: I knew the media wouldn’t be on my side, but I couldn’t have imagined the extent to which they’d go. Once you realize the caliber of the people you’re dealing with, something happens inside you. You’re ready to fight back. In fact, you welcome the chance.

TOMORROW: Sarah Palin Revealed -- Part 2

What One Liberal Likes and Hates about Sarah Palin

Below is plucked from the Huffington Post, and I thought it'd be a good place to start this week, as I'm going to write several posts about Sarah Palin. This will be a short week, what with Thanksgiving and kids at home...Happy Turkey Day!

April Daniel Hussar is a committed liberal, but she wrote this honest -- though misguided -- piece last week. The lesson seems to be: being likeable sure doesn't hurt.

Like many people outside of Alaska, the first I heard of Sarah Palin was back in August 2008, when John McCain announced her as his running mate. My first reaction: Smooth move, John. We wanted a woman in the Oval Office, now you might be giving us one. My second reaction: How sexist and condescending can you get. We can't have Hillary, so any old female will do? And my third: Dear Lord, please don't let this woman end up in the White House.

So here's my confession: I was -- and still am -- an ardent Obama supporter. Politically speaking I'd say Sarah Palin and I are just about polar opposites. (You say, "Drill baby;" I say, "No blood for oil.") I shudder to imagine her holding a national political office. But, the thing is, well ... see, it's like this ... I kind of like her too.

Yep. As much as I hate to admit it, I can't help but find certain things about Sarah Palin admirable ... and, dare I say? ... almost role model-ish.

I roll my eyes at half the stuff she says; I wanted to strangle her when she kept winking during her debate with Joe Biden. Just the other day, I laughed out loud when she told Oprah it was not lucky but, rather, "providential" she kept all those journals as a kid (Yes, Sarah, God wanted you to write a bestseller)... but at the same time I admire her spirit, and her guts.

I don't agree with her pro-life stance (you say "Pro-life," I say "Anti-choice"), but I honestly commend Sarah Palin for living by her beliefs. She, as they say, doesn't just talk the talk, she walks the walk - in an area of life that is one of the hardest and most personal. And as a woman, and a mother, I take my hat off to her for that. It was brave and estimable of her to admit to wavering over her decision to carry her Down syndrome baby to term. And, while I'm thankful she actually got to MAKE a choice (oh the irony), I think the decision she made was full of courage. It couldn't have been an easy one.

I hate how she takes every opportunity to lambaste the "mainstream liberal media" (Sarah, I think it's called fact checking, not "opposition research."), but damned if I didn't applaud her mama bear approach to ripping into David Letterman for his nasty jokes about her daughter. Yeah, yeah I know David was talking about Bristol, not Bristol's younger sister, but either way I'd have wanted to scratch his eyes out, too. There's no such thing as below the belt when it comes to our babies.

And yes, I truly respect how she is able to accomplish so much and be a mother of five. Frankly, I'm a bit in awe.

It makes me tear my hair out when I hear Sarah spouting her "death panel" nonsense. But, at the same time, I can't help but admire how she is able to weather the continuous, venomous criticism that is directed her way. I have trepidations about putting my own name on this very article, knowing how rabid both lovers and haters of Sarah Palin get. Meanwhile, she takes hits all day and every day, and still she stays true to herself.

Which brings me, finally, to the thing I (begrudgingly) admire most about her. Sarah Palin believes in herself. To be sure -- I think a lot of the stuff she believes, and espouses, is, what's the word, whack -- but as a model of the power of ambition, self-confidence, and plain old dreams ... well, Sarah Palin sets an example.

Oh Sarah -- if only you weren't a creationist conservative zealot. You'd be my hero.

Would I vote for her?

No way in hell.

Would I like to take my daughter to meet her? You betcha.

TOMORROW: Sarah Palin Revealed -- Part 1