Western Courier

Issue date: 12/2/09 Section: Opinion

Skylar Patridge/cartoonist

Sarah Palin has not avoided headlines since she announced that she would relinquish her spot as the governor of Alaska.

Why has Palin been so active you might ask?

We believe she is preparing to run for president of the United States in 2012. She is making a splash wherever she can, whether it is writing and promoting a book or posing for magazines in questionable attire.

She is everywhere, and quite frankly we are getting sick of the media hype. She has denied running for the highest seat in the country on previous occasions, but there is no other reasonable explanation for her recent actions.

What do candidates need more than support from voters to run for president? Money. What do politicians do to create revenue? Write books. Every politician writes memoirs or biographies in order to raise money for political purposes. We believe this is just the first step in the eventual Palin campaign.

In her book "Going Rogue," Palin criticizes the typical political issues such as health care, foreign policy and reliable energy. However, her book also heavily criticizes Sen. John McCain's campaign and what could have been done better. This is only more evidence that she has plans to correct mistakes on McCain's campaign with her own.

Although President Barack Obama and Palin are worlds apart, they had a similar rise to prominence in America. Obama came out of nowhere at the Democratic National Convention in 2005. He followed his emergence at the convention by writing a memoir of his own. Much like Obama, Palin came out of left field as well, as the chosen running mate of McCain.

Obama also denied running for president until he raised enough money and it was inevitable. Palin has taken the same steps with the publishing of her book, and the promotion and circulation she has in the media is only building her rapport with potential voters.

Obama began the early stages of his campaign three years before the election year, and Palin has done the same. It is history rewriting itself with a different face. It is evident that she is preparing to run with no other Republican even creating a minimal buzz.

Some will say that the media has been largely negative about Palin, but this only increases her popularity in the long run. Despite political issues, presidential races are merely a popularity contest on a much grander scale.

Will she win the spot in the oval office? We don't think so. Her common, everyday appeal can only work on so many people before voters wake up and realize we are talking about a woman who couldn't name any publication she supposedly reads.

Don't be fooled by the useless gossip. Palin will indeed attempt to become our next president.

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