Palin evokes the specter of Richard Nixon. Both figures seem driven by an insatiable appetite for perceived slights. Nixon, at least, mixed self-pity with political substance; for Palin, getting her dander up constitutes pretty much the entire act.
Beneath the surface of Palin's wrath a troubling contradiction lurks: the more entrenched she becomes as a celebrity, the more her outrage appears manufactured. Even her fan club may find reason to wonder if Palin's anger is genuine or mere political posturing. After all, how angry can anyone be who has hit the great American jackpot of instant fame and fortune? What can Sarah Palin possibly have in common with Tea Party regulars whose very identity hinges on their sense of disenfranchisement, when obviously she suffers from no such deficit?
May not be next wk., but it's a long way to 2012. (Look if you must, but you've already read the best part.)
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