By Kathleen Parker
Sarah Palin the ubiquitous enchantress of the disenchanted may not have been ready to lead the free world back when John McCain anointed her as his running mate. But shes left rubber on the road that leads to fame fortune and a new feminine mystique that drives certain men and women wild -- in very different ways.
For what its worth I get a kick out of Sarah. May I call her Sarah?
She and I apparently share a certain genetic predisposition to annoy all the right people. These would be the folks who take themselves and their ideologies a tad too seriously. Thus when I was promoting my book Save the Males I wore an aggressively feminine suit -- pink with a bow in back -- just to irritate hard-line feminists who without bothering to read the book would hate it on sight.
I happen to hate bows but it was worth it.
Likewise Sarah knows just what drives us all nuts and instead of changing her tune she turns up the volume -- and triples down. Dont like her little red shoes? Shell add a red leather jacket. Got gloss?
This woman is not to be feared or loathed. She is to be taken with a grain of humor and a dash of admiration. A different version of Madonna shes a public relations machine who manipulates public perception with well-timed and recently sophisticated messaging.
In the nearly two years since she became the first female Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah has morphed from a pit bull with lipstick to a mama grizzly. Grrrrrrrr.
Her newest YouTube hit recently released by her political action committee SarahPAC is a montage of video clips from various speeches. Jaw-juttingly patriotic and estrogen-rich not to mention cute as a button Sarah rallies her fellow grizzlettes to show Washington a thing or three come November.
The genius of Sarahs message whatever it is is that it doesnt matter what it is. Of course Americans want their country back. Wed prefer that China not own us. Most dont like unfunded federal mandates takeovers or bailouts. Except when it benefits us directly.
These are not uniquely Sarahs or Republicans thoughts. More than a few Democrats are equally concerned about deficit spending and a health-care plan without cost controls.
No the genius isnt the message but the messenger. Sarah has positioned herself as the spokesperson for The Good Woman (i.e. conservatives) and thus has inoculated herself and her message from criticism. To criticize Sarah now is to impugn Womankind. Worse it is anti-Mom.
One never tires of Mom I suppose. Im a mom. Youre a mom. We all had a mom. Why even some Democratic women are moms. Dont they love their little darlings just as much as conservative women do?
The Mom Movement is hardly new. Soccer moms long ago identified as a voting bloc are nearly passe iced from the zeitgeist by hockey moms and now mama bears. Womanhood has become a zoo. And we thought men were the beasts.
This year will be remembered as a year when common-sense conservative women get things done for our country Sarah says in her new video. These policies coming out of D.C. right now this fundamental transformation of America well a lot of women who are very concerned about their kids futures are saying We dont like this fundamental transformation and were gonna do something about it.
As described by Sarah the Mom Awakening can be visualized as mama grizzlies on their hind legs ready to maul anyone who tries to do something adverse toward their cubs.
So mixed-metaphor alert: Look out Washington because theres a whole stampede of pink elephants crossing the line and the ETA stampeding through is November 2 2010. Lotta women comin together.
Well whos to argue with a lotta women comin together? Its the sisterhood baby. Wear pink and put a bow on it.
Sarahs long-term plans are anybodys guess. Anyone who thinks she wont run for president because shes making too much money on the celebrity circuit is missing a big point. You make money as a presidential candidate too. If you win youre president. If you lose youre rich.
And dont tell her she cant. If you do shes just gonna get feistier and cuter. Next thing you know shell be a dadgum lioness givin heck to those media hyenas just the way they cant stand it.
Look outcha!
kathleenparker@washpost.com
