To the dismay of her critics, Sarah Palin has done anything but disappear from public and political life. Since her resignation as the Governor of Alaska, Palin continues to remain relevant. Her moves are are still closely followed as she shares her views on everything from “death panels” to more mundane thoughts on Facebook and Twitter. Meanwhile, the media continues to speculate about her political future.
Let the speculation continue, because on Wednesday Sarah Palin gave her first speech overseas and made her first formal public appearance since July. She was the keynote speaker to an audience of about one thousand at the CLSA Investors’ Forum in Hong Kong.
Because the event was closed to the press, reports about the content and tone of her speech have varied. What we do know is that she said her remarks were coming as “someone from Main Street U.S.A.” The speech reportedly covered issues such as health care reform, the financial troubles of the U.S., and the War in Afghanistan.
The Huffington Post reports that in the speech Palin criticized government spending and attacked President Obama, causing two delegates from the U.S. to leave early. Palin had to have been expecting some amount of push back at the speech given the intensity of her critics, but The D.C. Writeup has to wonder why those delegates even showed up? The speaker and speech topic were anything but secret, so it seems more likely the two dissenters weren’t displaying real outrage over her comments as much as wanting to cause a stir.
At the same time, however, Doug A. Coulter, the head of private equity in the Asia-Pacific region for LGT Capital Partners praised Palin saying that her speech was “wide-ranging, very balanced, and she beat all expectations. She didn’t sound at all like a far-right-wing conservative.”
What exactly are Palin’s motivations? She could be laying the foundation for future political aspirations, or she could be in it for the six figures she was reportedly paid for the appearance.
While Palin is trying to keep life in the Republican Party and ignite populist conservatism, we would caution her on ambitions for higher office. Without more experience, it’s almost guaranteed that a run in 2012 would be the equivalent of taking those six figures and tossing them out the back of her plane into the Pacific Ocean.
Bide your time Gov. Palin and build your resume.
Loading ...