Sarah Palin: A Winning Coach, Not League Commissioner

Sarah Palin is the reason I cast a vote in the 2008 election.  I am no fan of John McCain for many of the reasons most conservatives are not.  But when he chose Sarah Palin and she hit the stage delivering that mind blowing speech at the RNC Convention, my belief in the Republican party was resuscitated. 

Several weeks later I had the memorable experience of seeing Sarah Palin in person.  She came to speak in my town and I was not going to miss it.  I was less than 20 feet from the stage which meant I got there EARLY.  It was an incredibly long, hot day on a wide open dustbin of a field.  I was with my mom, my two eldest daughters and about 50 thousand of my closest conservative friends.  Granted, we stood thirsty and hungry for 6+ hours to hear a 20 minute speech but to this day, I still get inspired when I think about how energizing Sarah Palin was.  There is no doubt about the fact that Sarah Palin is electric.  Electricity can make things run and it can also cause destruction.

Our country is in tatters in many ways, but especially ideologically.  There are tiffs, rifts and mile wide chasms within the Democratic party.  The Leftist fringe is attempting to hold moderate and conservative Democrats hostage just long enough to re-elect Obama in 2012.  (Word to Manchin: jump ship now because all hostages will be executed December, 2012 if Obama takes a 2nd term). 

Following the recent election victories, the Republican party is riding the happy bus for the next two more minutes or so but already the ultimatums, backstabbing and name calling can be heard from the back of this bus tour. There are the predictable power struggles amongst Tea Party groups not to mention the obvious odds between the Republican establishment and conservative groups in general. 

Don't get me wrong, all this bickering is ultimately good for a flushing of ideas and message.  Now is the time solutions and tactics are being formed, adopted or pitched to the side.   At the end of the day our country can only succeed on the battleground of ideas.  Ultimately, the idea we choose must be one that most Americans can relate to and rally behind together while retaining distinct ideologies and beliefs.  This is the hallmark of the U.S.A. and what makes us the authentic, successful example of freedom.

Having said this, allow me to resort to a thoroughly American analogy, football.  For the game to exist, there must be opposing teams, each with a coach that understands the talents within that particular team and can stir up the passion, drive and ultimate execution needed for that team to be victorious.  Coach Mike Ditka and his Chicago Bears stirs the image of one sort of football team; a collection of raw talent, serious heft, grit and some limited finesse led by a loud and proud personification all these traits.  On the other end of the field is another sort of outfit, the Miami Dolphins headed by Don Shula, master strategist and tactical chameleon.  Both men have a personality taylor-made to focus their teams on the mission and bring home victory.  These men thrive on competition and shine brightest when opposition is greatest.

This is the description of Sarah Palin.  She is, in essence, a winning football coach.  She knows the strengths of her team's message. She will provide the tough love to those on the team who stray from the purpose.  She keeps the players stoked and the hometown crowd not only cheering but buying season tickets, a hot dog and a cold one to boot.  This is what the Republican Party needs.  This is the role Sarah Palin can and, in my opinion, the role she should play...a winning coach...not a league commissioner.

In the last Presidential election the American people made the grave mistake of hiring a first round draft pick as Commissioner of the League.  Obama barely played the game let alone being equipped to oversee the welfare of all players, coaches and fans!  Obama's allegiance is to his slime-ball agent, one Gyorgy Soros Schwartz and Soros alone.  Though I believe Coach Palin would make good decisions for the league (country), I know the fans of the opposition conference would never ever, ever hear her out long enough to consider her ideas. 

The President of the United States, like the Commissioner of the League, must make decisions for the good of all the teams of both conferences.  He or she must be able to articulate the rationale of policies so that most of the players, coaches and fans can at least relate to the cause if not whole heartily support it.  I believe the next President of the United States should be a committed conservative but this person must possess a demeanor of calm determination and confident clarity.  The conservative pick for president must be able to make the argument without the trademark red meat rhetoric that was so greatly needed in anemic conservative circles of the LAST two election cycles. 

Though the conservative team is now fortified with protein, there is no doubt we will always need a hard-nosed coach to direct and set up the touchdown.  Sarah Palin would be the "winning est" coach in the CFC ( Conservative Political Conference), no doubt.  But putting her up to be commissioner of the entire league?  No.  Not a winning strategy.

I have high hopes for a couple of her star players, Marco Rubio and Kristi Noem.  These are two individuals possessing the right temperament for our conflict-weary country.  Both believe, live and deliver the message without the vitriol.  2012 may be too soon for either of them to be considered but their personalities exemplify the calm clarity and reserved confidence a UNITED States of America could quiet down for, listen to, look at and finally recognize our shared goal of a successful, flourishing, land of freedom. 

Politics is a game of personality and timing.  After 8 years of Bush, the country was willing to believe in a fairytale and unfortunately, we did.  We've woken up and are ready for reality.  Palin may have good, common sense ideas but her delivery will always sound like a locker room speech to "Team Right Wing".  Conservatives have to put forth a candidate that doesn't compromise ideals while still being able to put the electorate at ease long enough to allow them to absorb the concepts and if not make these ideals their own at least see the logic behind them. 

A single team can win a single game by brute force however, the success of the league comes from all teams agreeing to the goals of the league together.  The conservative candidate for League Commissioner is yet to be found but it is clear our Head Coach position has been successfully filled.  I just hope Coach Palin has signed the long term contract and not the two year one.