Just go away, Mrs. Palin

A year and a half ago, Sarah Palin walked across a stage and her image scrolled across my news site. She was the Republican candidate for vice president.

I was curious. I’d never heard of her and I didn’t even know how to pronounce her name until my J-200 professor said it was ‘Pay-lin,’ not ‘Paa-lin.’

Her clothes were catchy, she was new on the scene and she was more interesting than Joe Biden — or anyone else in the campaign. Soon, she was getting more media attention than her running mate.

And then came the jokes. Tina Fey did a perfect impression of her on “Saturday Night Live,” coming back for a special intro just to play her. But it wasn’t just SNL — as Palin said more stupid things, more people made fun of her.

I heard a lot of people worry that John McCain, if elected president, would die in office, and then we’d be stuck with her (not that I don’t live in fear of being stuck with Biden).

This woman never seemed to know what she was talking about. Scandal followed her everywhere, from her pregnant daughter to her expensive wardrobe, though at least she didn’t knock up a campaign worker and have her assistant take the fall. Yes, John Edwards, I’m looking at you.

And then came my overwhelming relief that the Republicans had lost the election and that she would go back to Alaska and be forgotten.

Wrong.

Despite the fact that McCain was obviously glad to be rid of her and that her time in the spotlight appeared to be finished, she kept coming back.

First it was giving up the governorship of Alaska in the middle of her term (and ditching her responsibilities — how professional). Then it was her book, “Going Rogue.”

Now it’s her TV deals — a gig on Fox News Channel, the quarterly star of “Real American Stories” and a new series called “Sarah Palin’s Alaska.”

Why won’t this woman go away?

I don’t understand what’s appealing about her. Yes, she’s a strong woman, not afraid to go out into the nasty world of politics and show America that men aren’t the only players — but so was Hillary Clinton, who was criticized for not being feminine enough. And...well, that’s it.

What does Palin really bring to the table? She was a woman who ran for high office — so was Hillary. She’s not afraid to give her opinion on issues — the IDS would be scrambling to fill the opinion page five days a week if she were that unique.

She looks good in red — so do my friends. I understand what isn’t appealing about her. She was against teaching sex ed in school and her teenage daughter was pregnant. She gave up on her responsibility to see her term as governor through.

She walked away when it stopped being something she wanted. I’d say something about her political views and world knowledge — or lack thereof — but I think anyone who watched her interviews with Katie Couric and Charlie Gibson remembers.

After all, she can see Russia from her house.


E-mail: hanns@indiana.edu