Alaska is her tedious, petty, hectoring husband. The world is her glamorous, adoring suitor. Which would you choose? Today, Palin announces she needs to “effect change” on “another scale.” Translation: get the hell out of Alaska. And who can blame her? Back in what used to be home, she’s got Troopergate, piles of ethics complaint, enemies behind every snowdrift, and a growing entourage of petty thieves and OxyContin addicts . (Not to mention the car seat complaint . How small-fry can you get!) The minute she leaves that frozen wasteland she has cheering crowds, photo shoots, free clothes, and foreign ministers winking from every stateroom.
By that calculus, her choice is easy. Time to set her sights on the larger stage. But there’s one problem. To be a plausible presidential candidate, you need a convincing personal narrative. Palin used to have a great one: small town mayor of Wasilla battles the big meanies and saves her beloved state. With today’s announcement, the story has taken a turn. Now it’s: small town mayor of Wasilla gets tired of all the losers in Wasilla and dumps them so she can live her life on “another scale.” Not quite as endearing.
