Missing The Importance of Sarah Palin

It's unusual for a woman to be a misogynist but I must admit that I much prefer the company of men to that of chattering females with interests I don't share. I found the lives of the women portrayed in "Sex and the City" to be incredibly trite and downright silly and although as a young woman I loved wearing flimsy spikes, I certainly wouldn't have paid so much for the laughable designer footwear swooned over by these nitwits. Having said that, I do admire Sarah Palin whom a scribe at Salon.com dubbed the Annie Oakley of American politics. It's an excellent description of the former governor of Alaska.

The producer-director of the PBS documentary film of "Annie Oakley," Riva Freifeld, described her subject as "part of the rugged individualism that was very American." She could have been talking about Mrs. Palin herself and why she's so popular. I guarantee that those silly "Sex" women voted for the über-liberal ticket instead of the sensible one.

There's something about Sarah that ticks off even conservative female columnists. Peggy Noonan wrote a critical piece about Mrs. Palin during the presidential campaign that cost Ms. Noonan part of her fan base, which closely identified with the Alaska governor. They accused Ms. Noonan of elitism and snobbery because Mrs. Palin's background was far from Ivy League. Indeed, it's possible that much of the hostility to the self-made plainspoken upstart from America's last frontier is just flat out jealousy.

Mrs. Palin is proof positive that a woman can have it all without sacrificing her core principles and moral integrity. She's a beautiful person with a dreamy supportive husband and the mother of five who refused to abort her Down Syndrome child, unlike so many of her female critics. All in all, that makes her a dangerous post-feminist example.

This disconnect from Middle America is what drives the insane misreading of Mrs. Palin by a fanatically ignorant liberal elite. Everything that she's done makes perfect sense to anyone not blinded by intense resentment. It's most interesting reading the comments on articles in leftwing blogs such as Salon.com that surprisingly dare to defend her. Disappointed readers make a point of calling Mrs. Palin a coward for leaving her term as governor midstream, but they're off-target. They choose to ignore that Alaska was being inundated with frivolous lawsuits against her.

They also dismiss the dire state of our country, which has been going downhill ever since Barack Obama was elected, and that the only way to stop our slide into socialism is for people to get their facts outside the mainstream media. There's no way Mrs. Palin could have used her growing political influence effectively while remaining in office. Freed from the restrictions of public service, she's been able to tour the country and support causes and candidates that reflect her principles.

Other critical comments charge that Mrs. Palin is in it for the money, promoting her book from state to state, but they too miss the mark. Gee, isn't that how Bill and Hillary Clinton attained their multi-millionaire status? Al Gore became the first climate-change billionaire, thanks to his discredited film, "An Inconvenient Truth," but no one on the left's complaining.

Although there've been comparisons made that the media assault on Mrs. Palin is similar to what the Clintons endured, they're wildly inaccurate. In the many decades that I've lived through, I've never seen such vitriol leveled against a candidate's family. Bloggers openly suggested that baby Trig was the result of incest involving Mrs. Palin's daughter Bristol and Bristol's father. This obscenity was compounded and spread by a mere mention in a Saturday Night Live parody. Even though the sketch mocked New York Times reporters dredging dirt on Mrs. Palin, that topic would never have been associated with any other politician.

I haven't yet bought a copy of "Going Rogue" and may not get a chance to read it through, but I wholeheartedly support Mrs. Palin's mission to tell the truth as she sees it. Above all, I hope she's learned to avoid taped interviews on network television. Live is the only way to go. Most of the fatal Katie Couric concoction, which was almost 4 hours long, landed on the cutting room floor.

Last year, I went to D.C. to tape a Good Morning America show on ABC and discuss my bio of Cindy McCain, which is available on Amazon Kindle. My half-hour interview was slashed to 3 minutes and my answers were cut short at pivotal points, distorting their meaning. A subsequent appearance on Fox and Friends was much more respectful and their makeup artist a true expert.

How sad that ABC hasn't changed its tactics. Mrs. Palin's interview with Barbara Walters was a prime example of liberal sabotage. Ms. Walters's cameos were soft focus, but when the camera was on Mrs. Palin, it was a tight close-up with her face filling the screen to magnify every flaw. This would have had a devastating effect but for the fact that Mrs. Palin is so singularly attractive with a flawless complexion.

Thousands are lining up to buy her book and there's speculation that she's at the forefront of a new political movement. I sincerely hope so and wish her Godspeed. "Going Rogue" sold 300,000 copies on the day of its release. This should send a message to Congress that its members' days are numbered.

Millions of concerned citizens are calling and writing to let them know that we can't afford so-called health-care reform or cap-and-trade. We need real jobs not fraudulent stimulus packages that swell government payrolls and line the pockets of career bureaucrats, political cronies, and loyal party donors. Too bad they're not listening and still pushing legislation that could destroy our economic future. Mrs. Palin understands what's at stake and is using her clout to wake the sleeping giant - lying dormant in every American - that can take back our country.

Annie Oakley, dubbed "Little Sure Shot" by Chief Sitting Bull, was probably the best marksman in the land. She could shoot the hearts out of a playing card flung in the air and drill a dime tossed up from 90 feet. She performed unparalleled feats as she wowed audiences across America, not just with her phenomenal ability but also with her iconic personality. Come 2010, members of Congress seeking re-election need to watch their backs because, for many reasons, Sarah Palin has that same Annie Oakley appeal. You betcha.

Alicia Colon lives in New York City and can be reached at aliciav.colon@gmail.com and at www.aliciacolon.com