Political Hotsheet
By

Prerana Swami /

CBS News/ June 30, 2009, 6:04 PM

The Past and Future Of Sarah Palin

(AP)
Sarah Palin burst onto the national political scene last year as John McCain's vice-presidential candidate. But since she rose to prominence it's been a sometimes bumpy road for the Alaskan governor. In an article for Vanity Fair, Todd S. Purdum examines what went wrong with the 2008 campaign and what the future holds for the "sexiest and riskiest brand in the Republican Party."

Although McCain and his aides stood by Palin during the campaign, the honeymoon was over soon after she was picked. Aides began calling her a "diva" and a "whack job," according to the story. Some even referred to her as "Little Shop of Horrors." When asked in April who he thought were prominent leaders in the GOP, Palin failed to make McCain's cut, although he said in November that he didn't blame her for losing the election.

Palin's lack of national experience, her unnerving ambition, and signs of her erratic nature should have been spotted by McCain in Palin's vetting process, Purdum asserts.

Purdum writes that Palin regarded Alaska as the "microcosm" of the United States despite the fact that " Alaskans of every age and station, of every race and political stripe, unself-consciously refer to every other place on earth with a single word: Outside."

During the McCain campaign, the article alleges, Palin told staffers that she and her husband had not had any type of insurance during the early years of their marriage. But a quick check with Todd Palin revealed that they had catastrophic insurance, which Palin quickly said didn't count.

"This sort of slipperiness," Purdum writes, "about both what the truth was and whether the truth even mattered…persisted on questions great and small."

Yet after two hours with her, McCain had decided on his vice presidential pick.

Palin's unwillingness to prepare for interviews caused frustration within the McCain camp, according to the story.

"By late September, when the time came to coach Palin for her second major interview, this time with Katie Couric, there were severe tensions between Palin and the campaign," writes Purdum.

Even with a committed Palin and a team preparing for days, her debate with Vice President Joe Biden was only deemed "adequate."

The massive national spotlight may have cost Palin her future at home. According to the article, 80 percent of Alaskans favored Palin last year, but only 55 percent have a positive opinion of the governor after the election.

There is speculation, Purdum wrotes, that she will not run for re-election next year, opting instead to run for Senate. (A spokeswoman for Palin told Purdum that she has no intention of challenging the incumbent senator Lisa Murkowski.)

Palin is likely also considering a 2012 presidential bid.

"Palin has shown herself to have remarkable gut instincts about raw politics, and she has seen openings where others did not," writes Purdum. "And she has the good fortune to have traction within a political party that is bereft of strong leadership, and whose rank and file often demands qualities other than knowledge, experience, and an understanding that facts are, as John Adams said, stubborn things."
© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
27 Comments Add a Comment
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comfortmd1 says:
heh heh ... someone actually said "sucking brains"
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mattcat25 says:
Sarah Palin would (is for Alaaaaaskah) be the "Ted Baxter" fronting the Republican Party's Corporate (OIL) constituency.
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jedi0849 says:
Go figure, another lib writing a story with nobody going on the record. Give me a break. Your all obsessed with Palin because your scared of her. Get over it. If you can't name one source in your hit piece on her then you shouldn't put out the article.
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cs4466 says:
Scary Sarah's economic plan involves the casting out of those financial demons and a little faith healing of the economy. Oh yea, the Witch of Wasilla is a piece of work - I do hope she doesn't become completely irrelevant by 2012. She, more than any other, has the nearly perfect opportunity to completely nullify the republican hope of replacing President Obama before his second term. Go Sarah! Just be yourself, and that will be enough!
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ralpherus replies:
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Any AMERICAN being theirself would be better than no birth certificate anyone. Take the best democrat you can find. Know what you have? A cheap scum thieving fascist traitor murder pig.
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adt13t says:
A residue of train wreck trailer wherever she ?
like a snail lost with out it's shell
G/reedy
O/ld
P/arasites
of course don't lika da brain
step ford trophy wife
just like mcstain
trailer park burka
for the speakin in meth mouth
stuperstitious
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ralpherus replies:
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look who is calling whom parasite! What a bunch of stupid lazy worthless pieces of crap you democrats are!
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theninjasarecoming says:
I genuinely hope she runs in 2012 I will not be able to stop laughing....
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malkittens says:
itjustathought is either a troll or should change name to devoidofthought
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stn_sage says:
Sarah Palin defined:

past- vacuous, mindless, RepubliNazi!
future- vacuous, mindless, RepubliNazi!

As the article states, she does have one BIG advantage, there is a HUGE lack of talent in the Republican party because all real republicans have left it and turned it over to the National Socialists!

SO, she HAS a real chance to get the Republican nomination in 2012!
Ob course, if she does, she'll probably experience the biggest political defeat in American presidential election history!
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libscrytoo replies:
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I would be willing to bet a million dollars on that lie.
cranialnerves replies:
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Except it's not a lie. She is political herpes.
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daffy64 says:
Nobody could have a future political career who was taped "boogeying" with a guy in a moose suit.
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daffy64 replies:
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Honestly. If anybody thinks this airhead has a snowball's chance in hell of becoming anything other than a small town mayor, or perhaps a "spokesperson" for neocons, they're in denial.

Palin/Quayle 2012!
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oshea43 says:
Can't bear to read one more thing about this person-the most ill-qualified of all those mentioned to be even considered to be a serious candidate for the Presidency of the most powerful country in the world. She opens her mouth and out comes garbage. She is cluless about this country's history; this country's policies. I thought it was disgusting how she and that husband of hers went around when campaigning-signing autographs. What a joke!
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sophie315 replies:
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The only thing that is unbearable is continually reading silly comments like this. Your manufactured disgust is a joke. Why do those like you insist on perpetuating divide in this country with senseless attacks? One on the other side can easily say that when obama opens his mouth out comes garbage, he is clueless about this country's history and this countries policies and so on. We see & hear want we want to see & hear....
cs4466 replies:
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Totally agreed! The Witch of Wasilla is a continual source of macabre amusement for us, however.
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