Sarah Palin: Barracuda … Or Bait?

The boom to bust – or “Barracuda to Bait” – cycle of Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin played out on the national stage both painfully and poignantly at different intervals over the last two months.

There were triumphant times – like her whirlwind romance with die hard Republicans skeptical of Sen. John McCain and a solid performance in the Vice-Presidential debate, but there were plenty more tumultuous times – like her $150,000 wardrobe (PR) malfunction, a disastrous interview with Katie Couric, and of course the petty infighting between her staffers and McCain’s senior advisors that spilled out into the open just days prior to the election.

So what’s the deal with Sarah Palin?

Obviously, early exit polling from the presidential race suggests she didn’t do a whole lot to help the GOP ticket, but what does the future hold for her?

Is she the Republican Party’s ticket out of the Wilderness in 2012? Or has she already punched her own ticket to political irrelevancy?

We decided to pose that question to two people who should know – the nationally-syndicated columnist who broke the seal on Palin’s “unpreparedness” and the GOP chairman of South Carolina, the reddest (and earliest voting) Republican state in the country.

“My sense is that Palin has a political future, assuming she’s prepared to hit the books,” says Kathleen Parker, the opinion diva who sparked a firestorm by poking some of the first credible holes in Palin’s carefully-managed, on-stage persona. “But she can’t be the party’s centerpiece. If she is, the Republicans are doomed.”

“The (Republican) party needs to expand, not tighten its base,” Parker adds. “And Palin appeals to a very narrow section of that alleged Big Tent.”

Katon Dawson, the SCGOP Chairman looking to take his game to the national level, sees Palin as “one of our party’s bright and inspiring leaders moving forward.”

“Sarah Palin’s historic candidacy motivated conservatives across the country,” Dawson says, adding that “she’ll continue to be a strong voice for conservatives nationally.”

How effective her voice is, however, depends on several variables.

First, will she “hit the books,” as Parker says? And in so doing elevate her core competency to the level required to be a serious player at the national level?

Obviously, the mainstream media was much harsher on Palin than they were on previous VP candidates, but you had to expect that … and she did invite criticism with asinine comments like saying she was prepared to deal with foreign policy issues simply because Alaska borders Russia.

Second, will she have a forum over the next few years to position herself as a legitimate presidential contender? Alaska is a tough place from which to build a national base, and while Palin’s celebrity will no doubt present her with ample opportunities to draw a spotlight, she’ll have to choose carefully and perform capably when it comes to issues and venues if she wants that spotlight to stay on her.

Third – and this is probably the biggest question – what’s going to become of the party Palin wants to lead?

Republicans flat out got their asses handed to them this election, getting tossed not only from the Oval Office, but from dozens of Congressional seats as well (again).

Obviously, 2006 wasn’t a “wake-up call” for the (former) party of Reagan at all, as the big-spending Bush RINOs continued to advance left-of-center fiscal policies that not only pushed our nation deeper into an economic hole, but negated the bread-and-butter distinction they’ve always been able to draw in the past between themselves and Democrats come election time.

It is the economy, stupid(s). And the GOP once again failed miserably to make a compelling case for how to grow it.

Simply put, if Republicans can’t locate the principles their party was founded on – and fast – then whoever is at the head of the party is destined to encounter the same sort of electoral ass-cutting we’ve seen the last two cycles.

Even if that person – like Palin – has amazing legs and limitless populist potential.

Obviously, it’s early in the speculative process … but as always we’re looking forward to your thoughts …

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