What now for Palin after the picnic farewells

Andrew Malcolm:

...

What she's got to do now without an elected position is live up to what her party's conservatives believe they see in her and live down the often self-inflicted soap-operay elements that many others see surrounding her life since McCain pulled her out of his pre-convention party hat last August.

Palin will have the freedom now to roam and pick and choose her topics/spots, hopefully with more staff savvy than she's shown so far this year. What will she do, besides make a fortune off her book due out next year? Do you think there'll be a publicity tour for that? Larry King? Sean Hannity? Greta? Oprah? Probably not CBS.

Will she use her steadily-growing SarahPAC funds to travel the country speaking for causes and like-minded candidates, a la ex-Gov. Mitt Romney? (See photo collection below.)

Hey, she's trained for TV. Will she take a media job that delivers a handsome salary, a regular national podium and a faithful broadcast audience? That route hasn't seemed to do all that much for guitar-playing ex-Gov Mike Huckabee. But he's taller and doesn't wear red heels. A combination of commentating and politicking?

Or how about signing on with a respected conservative foundation, try to build some credibility on a few issues for some image rehab while retaining a flexible schedule for travel, media, speaking and assaying of the political landscape leading up to 2012?

Or even 2016? Palin's only 45, after all. And Katie Couric will be reading in a retirement home by then.

Two things are certain about Palin's next career, however: It will be unconventional. And it won't be a picnic.


Malcolm is a talented writer who was one of the first to notice Palin's potential as a VP candidate before McCain made his move. While I agree with his analysis of what she needs to do to be a good candidate in 2012, it is not clear to me that she has made a decision that she wants to be a candidate then. She seems to be in a go with the flow mode right now looking for a sign that says she has a shot.

I do think she has put herself in a better position to get that shot than she would have been fighting frivolous ethics complaints against her actions as governor. She is not where George Bush was in 1997, but she could still get there before it is too late. She would be wise to also have a conversation with Karl Rove and others who have seen what it takes to win.

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