Ken Berwitz
Yesterday I made light – very light – of Sarah Palin endorsing Donald Trump for President.
There are a number of reasons I feel this way…but let me show you just one, which I doubt anyone, regardless of his or her feelings about Ms. Palin, will dispute.
George Pataki was a three term Governor of New York. By most accounts, a pretty successful one. If he had run for President immediately after his time as Governor, he would have been a major player.
But it has been 9 years since he held that office. And when he declared for the presidency, almost no one cared. He got virtually no support, and eventually dropped out.
This did not diminish Mr. Pataki\’s record as Governor of New York. All it did was show that, politically, his time had passed.
Sarah Palin was the Governor of Alaska for part of one term (she resigned before her full term ended…and, given the circumstances, I don\’t blame her).
When she was selected as John McCain\’s running mate in 2008, she was subjected to nonstop ridicule, which pleased her detractors and hardened positive feelings for most of her supporters (a fact that is often forgotten).
As a Governor, Until mainstream media got its claws into her, Ms. Palin was exceedingly popular…at one time receiving, believe it or not, a 93% approval rating. Even after all the attacks, when she resigned, in July of 2009, her approval rating in Alaska was 54% – a level Barack Obama has not seen in years.
After her time as Governor, Palin has been in and out of the public eye – mostly out – and has not held elective office of any kind. Now she has come out of her relative obscurity to endorse Donald Trump\’s presidential run.
But, like the much more accomplished George Pataki, Sarah Palin\’s time has passed. Others have taken her place. The endorsement, therefore, does not mean a thing…other than reminding us that Ms. Palin is still around and that we think of her what we do (which, other than in Alaska, wound up heavily negative.
That is why I see a parallel between George Pataki and Sarah Palin…and why I make nothing of Ms. Palin\’s endorsement.
Feel free to agree or disagree as you wish.
