Sarah Palin as Bugs Bunny

I think the media and political figures are underestimating Sarah Palin. She is popular not because she is a great politician or political figure.

She is, essentially, very American.

The American archetype is not like our current President, or really like our last one, or even like what our media and academics would like us to think we want. He's not European or Asian in his mentality.

The American archetype is like Bugs Bunny, at least the Bugs in the Chuck Jones cartoons.



Chuck's version of Bugs is a guy who is wise cracking and always seems to say something that gets him in trouble with someone else, usually because Bugs is right in his observation, cheeky enough to say so, and the other little fellow doesn't like it. Bugs never really starts a fight, but once the fight is engaged he fights hard. "Of course you know, this means war" is one of his catch phrases.

Bugs is also smart. His fighting usually involves words or wordplay, outsmarting the opponent who is bigger, faster or more well armed.

I think Palin is very similar to Bugs in certain respects. She was the target of a smear campaign during the election that was pretty brutal. She seems to be saying, "Of course you know, this means war." Now she's hitting back against all the stuff that was said about her.

And while doing so, she is saying what many people feel about politics and politicians.

People are fed up with politicians that say one thing, do another, make excuses for why they couldn't do what they said and then tell you that you should support them anyway. People are fed up with both parties running around saying they are doing what is best for the country and then proffering legislation or ideas that do the opposite.

Palin is the highest profile person out there saying enough is enough and hitting back; she is a political figure but has the credibility to says she's not like what I outlined above. She is, in many senses, a maverick.

Her counterattack is swift, powerful and straightforward. It may not be nuanced, which I think is what most of the "fabrications" or "falshoods" in her book and comments really are, but it is finally an answer and counterattack to all the stuff said about her and about conservative thought in general. It's an answer to all the namby-pamby wishy-washy comments that most politicians give as answers to those who question them.

And she is correct about the large majority of what she says. She is pointing out the stupidity, on it's face, about many things that are passing for "intelligent" ideas these days.

Newsweek has her on the cover, saying she isn't good for the GOP. Damn straight! She's not good for either party. But she is good for the common sense, normal American who sees everything they hold dear crumbling around them. Here, finally, they see a political figure who says what they think and doesn't seem like she's doing it for political gain! Well, at least for bad political gain, because obviously, she gets something out of doing this.




Bugs Bunny could never run the country. But he can start the fight.

I don't think Palin would make a good President. But she doesn't need to be. She's the fight starter. She's getting the people to stand up, take a look, and demand that politicians be held accountable for what they do.

Now what we need are people to run for office who can truly think through issues, stand on principles that have firm foundations, and persuade others why those principles are solid and they should follow them.