Our fifth and final problem (there are more but space is limited) with Quin’s problem with Palin is the “you can be our cheerleader, sweetie, but don’t even think about running onto the field; that’s for the big boys” message. How it works is that bloggers like Quin will lavish praise on Palin for the “energy” she brings to the party and movement but at the same time argue that she can do more good from the sidelines waving the pom-poms. These writers can’t legitimately call her irrelevant because she regularly draws massive crowds to her events (over 10,000 in Tim Pawlenty’s state where even David Frum conceded she “utterly outshines Pawlenty.”), so instead they praise her “activism” while also making it clear that she can’t possibly be anything more. You see it in Quin’s suggestion that she continue to utilize her “ability to turn a pithy phrase to convey powerful messages”….on television while shelving any national political aspirations until 2024.
The purpose of this strategy is to demoralize her supporters and push away people who are inclined to support her in a prospective presidential run. What makes this narrative so effective is that Palin cannot challenge it in any substantive way as it would be irrational on her part to telegraph her intentions at this time considering that the 2010 midterms are still months away (according to the “Palin rules,” if she did make her intentions explicit, she’d be accused of being selfish and arrogant). In the same fashion as some of our country’s greatest leaders, she is someone who is reluctant to serve and not someone who spends every waking hour of her life thinking about how she can become President. She seems to recognize that serving as our country’s leader would require her to sacrifice more than she would get in return. Reluctance is a character trait that sets her apart from our current President and many Republicans.
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