Why Everyone Likes Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin has enjoyed immense public appeal since John McCain chose her as his running mate, and since she emerged from obscurity to take the national stage and deliver a rousing speech at the Republican convention. Her appeal has astonished even the most jaundiced political observers, and notwithstanding some sniping and attempted smearing from her critics, her appeal is spreading. What is it about Sarah Palin that resonates with the American public?

One thing that strikes a chord in many is Sarah Palin’s straightforward approach to politics. She is frank and open, and she does not shy away from the truth. That is a rare and refreshing public persona for any politician. Because of her forthrightness on the issues, she differentiates herself from the great mass of slick politicians that speak well and make glib promises, but that no one really believes. For this reason, voters consider Sarah Palin to indeed represent a change from Washington’s ways. In short, Sarah Palin has authenticity and a personality that few politicians have had since Ronald Reagan.

Another prominent feature of Sarah Palin’s public persona is her character. Because she speaks plainly and forthrightly about the challenges facing the country, she builds credibility with the electorate. Most politicians lie by commission or omission – they say for example that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are fine, that social security is a great program that works for the elderly, that Medicare is a necessary security blanket for those without insurance, etc. Those are all lies by omission – Fan and Fred are and were insolvent (and just taken over by the government), social security is bankrupt and in need of major changes, and Medicare is also bankrupt and in need of a major overhaul. Most politicians do not have the character to tell the truth, but people believe that Sarah Palin does have such character.

Another engrossing aspect of Sarah Palin’s personality is her regularity. She is a mother of five children, a wife of over 17 years to her husband, a runner, a former beauty pageant queen, and a graduate of a regular college. Many voters are jaded by years of corruption in Washington and in their own statehouses; Sarah Palin’s regular gal demeanor holds out hope that she will be the reformer that shines some light on the shady political practices of which everyone is so sick and tired. People realize that Washington’s business as usual has ruined not only the country but its character, and Sarah Palin represents a return to regular America, and with it a hope for honesty and integrity, rather than more politics as usual.