Sarah Palin 2012?

Many of Sarah Palin's supporters claim she is a viable presidential candidate in 2012. Turning down the hype, a 2012 run does not seem so far fetched. After all, Palin has proven herself to be more experienced and substantive than the incumbent, but that's tantamount to comparing two toddlers in the park, both cute but please don't expect them to walk on steady legs.

Sarah Palin resigning her post as governor of Alaska makes a 2012 run appear as an exercise in futility, some analysts may argue a Palin presidential run is futile regardless of recent events. This may be true, but again everything is relative and a Palin and anybody ticket may be better for the nation than an Obama-Bin-Lyin' ticket.

I digress, you see here is the rub, in our current society and culture, prevailing opinion is not shaped by facts but by media and fad, which more often than not the media determine the fad.

The Palin supporters are indicating that the multitude of detractors, bogus complaints and headhunters are occupying too much of the Alaska governor's attention and costing too much of state funds, therefore quitting the elected post is justified. Many analysts pro and con claim Palin's departure is a sign of weakness or simply self-serving; maybe they are all correct.

Perhaps, Palin quitting her post is indeed for valiant reasons and in the best interest of Alaska and dare I say the nation. Did not Barack Obama effectively remove himself from his senate post to run for president, in an effort to better the entire nation? By the way, Obama remained on the Illinois payroll during his 18-month run.

Quitting, however, in the face of adversity rubs Americans the wrong way. Valid arguments can be made that stepping down and handing the reigns over to a qualified lieutenant in the face of such chaos serves the public the best; the flip side is that a true leader will rise above it all and keep the ship on its proper course.

One thing for certain is that Sarah Palin inspires much emotion in both her supporters and detractors thus making her an attractive figure for the media to watch. Car wrecks, for bad or worse, also captures traffic-snarling attention. Palin's popularity and ability to garner media attention will afford her the viability she needs to seek high office, be it in 2012 or 2016.

Sarah Palin has recently said that if her resignation means that she is politically dead than so be it, her choice was made for the best interest of her family and the Alaskan public. Hopefully the folks will decide for themselves, recent significant American events indicate that the media will decide for the folks.

America has shown to have a short attention span and to be easily distracted by pretty lights. The master of those distracting lights is the Obama National Media. Regardless of which political aisle you stand, the truth should shape your opinions, merit and substance should determine viability.

For this voter, Sarah Palin does not represent the best the GOP has to offer, but the incumbent certainly is not the best the Democratic Party had to offer. It is a corrupt media that far too often determines the strength of a candidate. It is to our peril that we as a society refuse to muster the energy to think for ourselves. As a result, voting comes down to selecting the lesser of two evils; just remember that principle only leaves you with an evil victor.

"A Society of sheep must in time beget a government of wolves." - Bertrand de Jouvenal