"Let's Be Honest, Shall We..."

Newsweek magazine has stirred up a hornet's next this week by commandeering a previously published photograph of Sarah Palin that originally appeared in Runner's World, which, unless you are attempting to read this post in braille, shows her in a pair of black runner's shorts from which her very shapely and tanned legs are prominently displayed. Ms. Palin, upon viewing the re-published photo, declared it to be sexist. From a purely political point of view, I concur.

Mrs. Palin has been a lightening rod for relentless liberal media criticism since she first appeared on the national stage with then Republican Presidential hopeful John McCain as his fresh-faced Vice-President running mate. Sarah's propensity from the outset for being plainly spoken didn't then and doesn't now play well with the self-proclaimed intellectually elite who currently populate the progressive, socialist Democratic party, nor with liberal mass media outlets, such as Newsweek, who unabashedly kowtow to and promote this conceited brand of consolidate power by the few over the masses. Mrs. Palin doesn't play well with these types of people, and her willingness to recognize a pig adorned with lipstick when she sees one rubs these arrogant snobs raw. In a word, "Good."

Except for the other easily identifiable fellow travelers in the liberal media, it is obvious that Newsweek, in spite of its attempt at clarification to the contrary, deliberately selected this particular photograph in a thinly veiled attempt to depict Ms. Palin as processing a minuscule few recommending attributes other than an empty, albeit attractive, head attached to a very fit and trim body. Well, Newsweek, you got part of the equation correct. Mrs. Palin is indeed a very, very attractive lady. But to suggest that her appeal to the mass of newly rejuvenated conservative followers is based solely on the fact that she looks good in a pair of running shorts is, to coin one of Sarah's favorite epithets, ""Bull crap!" It's not that the liberal media doesn't "get" Sarah. They do, and her continuing plan spoken assault on their ivory towers of elitism scares, yes, the "bull crap" out of them. They know that she is and will continue to be a force to be reckoned with, even more so now that she has begun the much anticipated national tour promoting her number one best seller book, Going Rouge.

Whether or not Mrs. Palin will be able to sustain her present popularity with the conservative segment of the nation's populace and also attract a significant increase in the number of disenchanted Democrats and independents between now and the run up to the 2012 presidential election can only be speculation at this early juncture. Should she elect to toss her future ambitions toward a run for the nation's highest office will require that she make a deliberate and concerted effort to become more astute in the intricate nuances of national and international affairs. Given that Sarah is indeed easy on the eyes for those (me included) who recognize feminine beauty when it appears before us, the false portrayal that she is little else belies the fact that genuine gravitas is also among her appealing attributes, easily recognizable for those who would strive to be as serious in that pursuit as her equal rather than merely producing more paper good fodder that serves no other beneficial purpose than to line the bottom of a bird cage. Newsweek, you've found your calling.