Standing tall at the heart of last week’s crushing Democratic defeat in the American mid-term elections is the controversial figure of ex-Governor and ex-Republican Vice President candidate Sarah Palin. She was literally written off only 24 months ago when Barack Obama charged to victory in the American presidential elections of 2008 but has now hit the ground running, inflicting severe damage on the Democratic Party while rocking her own party with the dissentious establishment of the Tea Party movement.
Last week’s American mid-term elections produced a result last seen 62 years ago. Political pundits have gone as far as describing this result as a political tsunami. The Democrats lost 60 seats, hence ceding control of the House of Representatives to the Republicans. They have also lost nine state governorships and control of 25 state legislatures. This has not happened since 1928.
Furthermore, the results have reduced the Democratic lead in the Senate, which, although still enjoying a slim majority, will create endless problems for President Obama when it comes to enacting effective legislation. Several long-standing Democratic governors and senators were unceremoniously booted out in a political campaign effectively led by a group of disillusioned grass roots and the enigmatic figure of Sarah Palin looming large at every headline event.
The 46-year-old mother of five, author, public speaker and political commentator, Palin has in the last two years achieved a political comeback worthy of the most intensive political plot. Palin, considered by her detractors as politically shallow and exhibiting glamorous female charm coupled with a limited understanding of foreign policy (surely not as much as that of ex-President George W. Bush!), has taken on the almost institutionally consecrated Obama. Barack Obama has undeniably had his fair share of challenges in his term so far, both domestically and abroad. Plagued by a continued recession and plummeting employment figures, Barack Obama has found it intensely difficult to push through his reforms in health and welfare. Palin and ‘her’ Tea Party movement rode on a wave of incredible discontent felt by a middle America besieged by uncertainty and a financial crisis of biblical proportions.
Palin, who originally trained as a sports writer, will now have to be considered as a front runner for Republican presidential candidate in the 6th November elections of 2012. Leading political journalists are now likening her stance to that of another popular Republican President, Ronald Reagan. Reagan remains synonymous with his particularly easy style, charm and populist approach to politics.
Things become even more complicated when one understands the Palin effect. Many are considering this an electoral victory for Sarah Palin rather than a Republican Party victory. Evidently, it was mainly Palin’s backed candidates that wrought most havoc on the Democratic Party dominance since 2008. Palin has been described as the “star of the anti-Obama backlash”. This new set of political appointees are now seen to be in debt to Sarah Palin’s energetic efforts during this political campaign both on the ground and in the media.
Although Palin shys away from what she calls “lamestream” media, she has used her ABC network airtime to destructive advantage. Palin does not excuse herself and refuses to play down her success. Following Tuesday’s results she went on record as saying, “This is our movement, this is our moment, this is our morning in America.” These words were clearly lifted from a Ronald Reagan electoral campaign speech in the mid-eighties.
Of course, as in all political plots, the game is far from over for Barack Obama. Neither does Palin’s success offer any binding guarantees. Obama is still President and any political analyst will confirm the vicious nature of in-party politics with its backstabbing and unwritten alliances. President Obama will surely have to slow down and employ a more reconciliatory tone with his Republican adversaries. In this sense he has little choice unless he wishes to lose the next election deliberately. Sarah Palin will remain in the public eye. Of course she will lap up all the attention and collect her financial rewards through her literary and commercial work since she will have published two books in the space of a year or so.
The story is still to be played out as events at home and abroad will determine Barack Obama’s future. The question remains, what is Sarah Palin’s next move?
[email protected]