2011 Essays

Sarah Palin's Non-Candidacy Candidacy

Mitchell, Lincoln A.

Unburdened by the risk aversion which dominates the decision making of most politicians from both major parties, Palin faces no political consequences for saying and doing the outrageous. While other politicians have to be careful about saying something that could hurt them in a future election campaign, Palin has no such concern because she has already said so much that would have destroyed most politicians. While other people exploring a presidential campaign worry about getting their facts wrong or making a gaffe, Palin has created a situation where her ignorance has become her biggest strength and that all knowledge, particularly when derived from education, is suspect.