"Garden Variety Schizophrenic's After Sarah Palin

Talents of Sarah Palin: Like Her or Not, She’s A Natural Warrior Woman
September 3rd, 2008
By DR. CLARISSA PINKOLA ESTÉS, Assistant Editor, TMV Columnist



1. She can deliver natural and biting satire in a funny way: parfum of The Simpsons, paraphrasing her speech here: ‘When they haul the Styrofoam pillars off Obama’s stage…. what is left that is real?’

2. She hired a writer who is an original rather than a ’speech-writery’ one… one who apparently enhances how/who she is, rather than trying to make her say lofty things. That’s not her style. (The speech writers of this election cycle, from ALL sides, often sound like the writers tacked together aphorisms from quote books they thought were deep, just changing the words around a bit.)

3. She has a huge talent for mimicking others, for observation of human traits, for memorization, as well as the knack for delivery that appears sincere; her gestures are absolutely cohesive.

4. She is fiercely feminine.

5. She is ace-smart

6. She is an outsider who tonight, consistently says disarming things ‘insiders’ would never say, hardly even think to say.

7. She has a good voice, not a whiny one. It’s slightly, as I said, to the satiric side, but also warm, clear, articulate.

8. She is bold and common-sensical regarding her own milieu, political and familial.

9. She is completely comfortable and gives the appearance of realness, as opposed to some of the thick personas slabbed on by some Washingtonians.

10. She is not afraid, not self effacing, not woman-only identified. She is a protectoress, a woman who guards the perimeters.

Later, I’ll offer some thoughts on the potential danger areas of some of her strongest traits.

For now, her standards and values and beliefs will no doubt be supported and quarreled with, slammed around, uplifted, condemned.

But, her innate gifts that she has honed and turned toward leadership, toward being a running mate now, her talents will continue to make her a formidable opponent. For anyone.