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Can Palin Come Back if She Doesn’t Go Away?

January 14, 2009 12:01 PM

Abc_rick_klein_081203_mainABC News’ Rick Klein Reports: When Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., lost the election, the advice for Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was close to universal: Go away for a while, to prime yourself for a comeback down the road.

Palin had the perfect place to disappear: home. She could go back to running a state, maybe run for re-election in 2010. Up in Alaska, she’d be safely out of the media glare while she prepped for a presidential run in 2012, or whatever other plans she has for the future.

But she has hit a detour on her way to silence: herself. Palin is everywhere, fighting and refighting the battles that dogged her during the campaign.

Last week came word of an interview in which she sounded off anew about her handlers in the McCain campaign, Caroline Kennedy and media bias, with particularly harsh words for Katie Couric. (“Katie,” she said, “you’re not the center of everybody’s universe.”)

Now comes Palin in a "What I've Learned" piece in the Esquire, where she takes on the media, again:

“Bored, anonymous, pathetic bloggers who lie annoy me,” she says. “I'll tell you, yesterday the Anchorage Daily News, they called again to ask -- double-, triple-, quadruple-check -- who is Trig's real mom. And I said, 'Come on, are you kidding me? We're gonna answer this? Do you not believe me or my doctor?' And they said, 'No, it's been quite cryptic the way that my son's birth has been discussed.' And I thought, 'OK, more indication of continued problems in the world of journalism.'”

The latest round of Palin comments prompted this from James Rainey, the Los Angeles Times’ media critic:

“Sarah Palin said she'd prove all her doubters wrong," Rainey writes. "She'd stick to her job running Alaska, she said after the election. She'd do top-notch work. And she'd steer clear of those nasty national politics.”

“It just might work one day, if the good governor can get a grip on her other self, the one that can't resist pontificating, ducking responsibility for her own stumbling statements and taking off after that Great Satan, the media.”

Americans love comeback stories. But can you have a comeback if you don’t ever really go away?

ABC’s Imtiyaz Delawala points out that Palin is also playing media critic in a fight with the most influential newspaper in her home state. She recently engaged in a fiery e-mail spat with the editors of the Anchorage Daily News.

This is from an e-mail message the governor sent the newspaper’s editors:

“Hello Mr. Doyle and Mr. Dougherty!

“Please, say it aint so: did you really allow a story to run in your paper today claiming Levi Johnston is a high school drop out? Did I read that right?

“And did you really print a story last week suggesting I had any connection with Sherry Johnston's activities in the past six months or so and you won't correct the story? Did I read that right?

“And is your paper really still pursuing the sensational lie that I am not Trig's mother? Is it true you have a reporter still bothering my state office, my very busy doctor (who's already set the record straight for you), and the school district, in pursuit of your ridiculous conspiracy?

“And, oh, I could go on . . .

“Come on Mr. Doyle and Mr. Dougherty, I so desperately want to have even a tiny bit of faith in the ADN. You're stripping me of even a shred of faith in your reporting if any of the recent aforementioned strange and untrue reports were taken seriously by the ADN. Would you shed some light on what you're thinking regarding these false reports you've pursued and/or printed?”

January 14, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (269)

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Kevin, perhaps you should check out teamsarah.org. Governor Palin does not need to be in a blog to defend herself. She has a growing army of dedicated avocates who will do that for her.

Posted by: James | Jan 14, 2009 12:44:37 PM

James...

...drugs.

Posted by: bco | Jan 14, 2009 12:44:40 PM

James Posted:

Governor Palin will run and win the presidential election in 2012. Her record of accomplishment will be compared to Obama's failure over the next four years.

In four years, the change mantra will belong to anyone except Obama. Change will finally come to Washington in the form of a true reformer, a tireless advocate of smaller government, and a person who is intelligent enough to understand why our founding fathers granted favored strong states over a strong federal government.

To James: Good Post! Obama is the most unqualified President elected in history!

Posted by: Jackie | Jan 14, 2009 12:44:50 PM

Sarah Palin’s handlers could yank out her cheap dangling earrings, string some chunky pearls around her neck, put her in a tailored jacket, and give her a new hairdo to go along with her speech, but they couldn’t take the Pamela Smart out of her. No matter how long she would rehearse those lines, she would still curl up her lip and snarl whenever she wanted to make a point. And someone forgot to tell her anything about diction and lowering her voice.

The Witch of Wasilla is pathetic and self defeating. Nothing could be better for the Democratic party. I say BRING HER ON!

Posted by: Toby2957 | Jan 14, 2009 12:45:16 PM

??????????

Posted by: Jami17 | Jan 14, 2009 12:45:35 PM

This woman speaks like Bush. I spend an extra 2 minutes re-reading her sentences wondering how she could find ways to screw up such simple sentences.

She's a lightweight and has no business on the national stage. But if conservatives want to put all their eggs in her basket I wont stand in their way.

Posted by: bubba | Jan 14, 2009 12:47:04 PM

i wish she would just jump in the artic and get eaten by a bunch of sea lions.

Posted by: rebecca | Jan 14, 2009 12:47:22 PM

The liberal press and the libs on this blog are scared to death of palin and i find it very amusing. This article is so biased it is almost funny if it wasn't so pathetic. Why are you Libs so scared of her????

Posted by: billy bob | Jan 14, 2009 12:49:22 PM

Jeez, I just want to spit, cough and puke. make this go awaaaaaayyyyyy

Posted by: moeb | Jan 14, 2009 12:50:32 PM

You Palin supporters are hysterical! The ignorance is laughable! Thank you!

Posted by: Val | Jan 14, 2009 12:50:34 PM

I hope she does comeback. It will give Tina Fey more time in SNL! I could use the comic relief by then. lol. Palin really needs to get a life.

Posted by: chairish | Jan 14, 2009 12:51:19 PM

The more I hear from Palin the more she sounds like a broken record career politician. Certian politicians like Bush and now Palin make a career out of laying problems at anyone's feet other then their own. How refreshing would it be if people and the politicians themselves expected personal responsibility and accountability, a concept that Palin has obviously not even considered. Anyone who talks in absolutes and is constantly blaming other should be nowhere near power, as Bush has shown.

Posted by: Ordermonger | Jan 14, 2009 12:51:37 PM

My greatest hope is for the Repubs to run Sarah in 2012! PLEASEEE nominate Sarah!!! That will pretty much seal the deal on Obama winning 4 more years. Sarah's already provided enough bloopers to give the world millions of laughs, so just think how many more she will have made in 4 more years! She makes Dan Quayle look like FDR! Long live Tina Fey!!

Posted by: Davemoses | Jan 14, 2009 12:51:44 PM

blo -" The good-lookin', sharp-shootin', self-made gal with the experience, the know-how and the common touch is going to put this country back on track in 2012." I assume these are the "real Americans" and the "patriotic Americans" she referred to in several of hatefilled rhetoric filled speeches? No way. Community organizers have a very long memory and we will not let anyone forget how we were dismissed as useless and unqualified for anything by this pig with lipstick.

Posted by: Jenny Rome Georgia | Jan 14, 2009 12:52:05 PM

Val Why are you scared of her???? If someone is not a threat than you just ignore them but you libs cant let her go, why???

Posted by: billy bob | Jan 14, 2009 12:52:21 PM

Trying to talk conservatives out of Palin is like trying to tell a drunk to get to AA. The message is just not going to get through. They need to hit rock bottom and decide for themselves.

Posted by: Jim | Jan 14, 2009 12:53:25 PM

Governor Palin is a breath of fresh air in the political world. She didn't get elected because of her name. She didn't have a rich family that could buy her way into elected office. She simply worked hard, perservered, and in the end succeeded where many other failed. As a governor, she is one of 50 people selected to lead out of a pool of 300 million. And the liberals want you to believe that she lacks intelligence? Anyone with the record of accomplishment that governor Palin has should be an inspiration to us all. Who out there doesn't hope their own child works hard and SUCCEEDS like Governor Palin?

If she were a Democrat she would be lauded for these successes. As a Republican, she will be forced to defend herself against sophmoric attacks. Thankfully Governor Palin is stronger than her mean spirited detractors.

Posted by: Nikki | Jan 14, 2009 12:54:11 PM

Please, God. Please. Let the Republiecans nominate Bride of Bullwinkle in 2012! Talk about a slam dunk for Obama's re-election! Palin's ignorance of issues, world leaders,and even basic world geography is supefying. She is a mental midget and a complete lightweight.

Posted by: William J. LePetomane | Jan 14, 2009 12:55:03 PM

It sounds the Anchorage Daily News has some serious explaining to do.

Posted by: john raccoon | Jan 14, 2009 12:55:52 PM

Palin or pelosi??? Which one would you rather have as president? If you chose pelosi you need help.

Posted by: billy bob | Jan 14, 2009 12:55:56 PM

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