Global Economic Crisis

The last time members of the political establishment and media commentators seriously grappled with the question posed by my title occurred in the weeks following Senator John McCain’s seemingly mercurial and impulsive selection of Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate. Many would say that doubts about the intellectual and leadership fortitude of Ms. Palin as a possible successor to an elderly and illness-prone Senator McCain, had he prevailed in the 2008 U.S. presidential election, was a leading factor in persuading many independent voters, and even some Republicans, to cast their votes for Barack Obama.

Despite the continued doubts about her intellectual acumen among many powerbrokers within the Republican Party, echoed by the intuitive feeling among Democrats that if the GOP selected Sarah Palin as their 2012 presidential nominee this would be the best guarantor of a second term in office for President Obama, an objective assessment of Palin’s political viability leads to a different conclusion. No doubt, Sarah Palin (along with many other figures within America’s political establishment) is profoundly ignorant  in matters of foreign policy and macroeconomics. However, as the election of George W. Bush to the presidency demonstrated, the intellectual capacity of the commander-in-chief is not a priority among the majority of the American electorate. In a national edifice dominated by corporate media and ten-second sound bites, Palin has demonstrated that she is highly accomplished in the attributes that tend to attract interest and support among the electorate. With Sarah Palin having emerged from the midterm elections as the most visible and potent political brand in the GOP, and likely to further enhance her political rock-star status with her recent television series, <em>Sarah Palin’s Alaska</em> and forthcoming promotional tour in connection with her new book, <em>America By Heart</em>, there is little doubt that should she enter the race for the Republican presidential nomination, Palin would prove to be a formidable competitor.

If Sarah Palin were to be the GOP’s standard bearer in 2012, those who might be praying for such an outcome within the leadership circles of the Democratic National Committee better be careful what they wish for. If the economy were to miraculously recover and the current calamitous joblessness rate significantly recede, the power of incumbency would normally be sufficient to assure Obama would prevail over any Republican challenger in 2012. However, what if the American heartland remains devastated by an unrelenting Great Recession? In a time of economic crisis compounded by never-ending wars abroad against an elusive and ill-defined enemy, Americans like other peoples throughout history may clutch at the charismatic alternative with easy answers and inspiring patriotic slogans. In addition, there is the Tea Party movement, already anointing Sarah Palin as its principle icon, which may prove to be a decisive force in mobilizing alienated Americans on behalf of Palin in a presidential contest with Obama.

The possibility of a Palin presidency cannot be dismissed as logically impossible under the circumstances I have described, and it behooves serious thinkers to reflect on the implications for America and the world if in fact Sarah Palin were to run for president, and prevail over Barack Obama on November 6, 2012. I have <a href=”http://www.eSarahPalin.com” target=”_hplink”>done so</a> in my novel, <em>Sarah Palin Apocalypse Americana</em>, which presents a scenario for the first few months in office of a hypothetical Palin presidential administration. There are elements in Palin’s background, past statements on the public record and demonstrated proclivities that offer much to speculate on.

In her role as the toastmaster of the Tea Party movement and most right-wing corner of the Republican Party, Ms. Palin has demonstrated an intolerance of Americans who harbor views that are contrary to those of Palin and her followers. She has frequently used extreme rhetoric in describing those who do not follow her brand of conservatism as not being merely “liberal,” but “socialists” as well, the implication being that they are somehow un-American. On domestic policy, it is highly likely that Sarah Palin in the White House would contribute to further polarization among the American people.

It is in the arena of foreign policy, however, where I believe a Palin presidency would prove to be a nightmare for America and the world. As far back as the 2008 presidential campaign, then vice presidential candidate Palin told reporters that she supported the Republic of Georgia acceding to full NATO membership while the South Ossetia war was raging between that country and Russia (a war instigated by Georgia) even if that meant an eventual military conflict between Russia and the United States. Palin may lack in-depth knowledge on the Northern Caucasus, but that did not inhibit her from supporting policy prescriptions that could very well lead to global war between the two leading nuclear powers. The impulsive naivete Palin demonstrated at that time is a clear marker of the potential dangers that lurk for world peace, if such an individual were to become America’s next commander-in-chief. The neoconservatives who advise her on foreign policy cannot be expected to be a restraining influence; on the contrary, the neocons are likely to exploit a President Palin to further advance their theories on employing American military power on behalf of their desire to impose “American values” on other countries through force.

Rather than ridicule and seek to belittle Sarah Palin, who continues to advance her political brand despite the arrows of skepticism that have been thrown at her since 2008, those who recognize the acute dangers that would flow from a future Palin presidency should find ways of clearly articulating those dangers so that the electorate will be informed, before it is too late. (information on “Sarah Palin Apocalypse Americana” at http://www.eSarahPalin.com )

What if Sarah Palin was elected the 45th president of the United States?

My new book, “Sarah Palin Apocalypse Americana,” now available:
http://www.createspace.com/3479028

Rush Limbaugh, the unofficial, corpulent and titular leader of what passes as the contemporary Republican Party, has made his decision early about the GOP standard bearer for 2012. Making full use of his electronic platform, Limbaugh has anointed Alaska governor Sarah Palin as his preferred presidential nominee of the Republican Party.

Raised up from the obscurity of Alaska politics, Ms. Palin was vaulted onto the national stage by 2008 GOP presidential nominee, Senator John McCain, as his Vice Presidential pick. Despite the obvious deficiencies in her resume for national office, she has not let go of that delivered prominence. There is no doubt about her intentions to run in the primaries for the GOP’s 2012 presidential nomination and credibility as a serious contender.

However, the doubts that surfaced about her intellectual acumen and global comprehension in 2008 do remain, and will prove a potentially insurmountable barrier if she is destined to engage in gladiatorial combat with President Barack Obama directly, instead of sparring with Joe Biden as she did in 2008. Writing off her critics as incorrigible “liberals” will not suffice to close the electoral gap, even if the economy remains in recession. Her chances of defeating Obama in 2012 appear meager at best, unless Sarah Palin were to confound not only her critics but also the entire political establishment by doing something bold and dramatic. And I have just the suggestion.

Governor Sarah Palin should seriously consider posing nude for me. “Surely you jest,” I can hear echoing among my skeptical readers. However, I offer this suggestion to Palin in all seriousness, and here is why. Let us assume that Palin’s decision to run for President in 2012 is predicated on her firm belief that the governor has the exceptional intellect and leadership skills required to make the case that she would be a superior commander in chief in comparison with President Obama. Factor in the conviction that conservative Republicans have that there is a built-in liberal bias by mainstream media that inhibits her ability to communicate that innate and sparkling brilliance to a large segment of the voting American public. Does Sarah Palin really believe that round two with the likes of Katie Couric on foreign policy will prove more successful in showing her up as a superior geopolitical thinker to Obama? I say to Palin, skip the intellectual media duel with Barack Obama, and beat him on aesthetics.

What I propose for the 2012 GOP presidential frontrunner is a full-course nude art study. This is distinct from a Playboy photo spread, which would simply portray her as another naked female celebrity. A fine art nude exploration of the physicality of Sarah Palin would bring out the complexity and spiritual essence, as well as external beauty of Sarah Palin, in a manner that is both intriguing yet substantive. More substantive than another appearance on Saturday Night Live, and not nearly as tortured as one-on-one media interviews. She would not have to speak a line, play “name that foreign leader” or otherwise expose herself to ridicule about her knowledge deficit. Yet, by posing for a nude art study, she would actually be saying much about herself that even those deemed by her supporters as iconoclast liberals would admire. Sarah Palin as a subject for my photography would be demonstrating courage, boldness, and an appreciation for the value of art in American culture that would shatter most of the stereotypes that exist about her. By allowing herself to be the subject of a nude art study, Sarah Palin would also be making a statement to the American electorate that would be unprecedented; here is a politician who is comfortable in her own skin, and willing to reveal everything about herself. Symbolically, Sarah Palin as a nude Venus would be an aesthetic affirmation of her intention never to conceal anything from the American people.

Sarah Palin as nude art would not only establish her dominance and feminine power in the tough world of male-dominated American politics; it would give her an advantage over President Obama that would be unassailable. Despite all his other political gifts, there is no possibility that Barack Obama would pose nude, nor would there be equal interest in his doing do.

So here I offer Sarah Palin most excellent advice for creating momentum for her 2012 presidential run. Best of all, this advice is offered free, unlike the torturous reinvention of her persona being fabricated by highly priced political consultants. As the Alaska governor considers this unique political opportunity, she may be curious of what posing nude for me is actually like. Her staff can do the research by checking the testimonials of several women who have posed for me, posted on my website, FemmeNudes.com, http://www.femmenudes.com.

Is the Alaska Governor, who believes she is destined by history to defy political trends by defeating a popular incumbent president and becoming America’s first woman president, bold and courageous enough to do something so unconventional and unanticipated? Only if she is the truly exceptional and gifted politician she claims to be. Do I think she will actually take up my creative offer? Well, I’ll put it this way. Unlike Janis Joplin, I won’t be sitting around waiting each day until 3.00 PM. However, in the unpredictable world of America’s media-based politics, you never know.