Sarah Palin — The Republican Scapegoat?

How pathetic it is for the McCain camp to lay the blame for its slaughter on Tuesday at the feet of Gov. Palin.

The Republican brand has been suffering over the last few years, and the consistent scandals within its own ranks have only made matters worse. Gov. Palin did not lobby the McCain campaign to be his running mate. The party went to Alaska and sought her out in desperation of a running mate at the last hour.

It was all well and good when this fresh face and high-spirited voice spoke at the Republican National Convention and brought the supporters and the party’s base to their feet. Before the economic tsunami hit, many thought that the party had a decent chance of winning the White House. Now that McCain has conceded the presidency to Barack Obama, the blame herein lies with Sarah Palin.

Oh, but does it? There are strong rumors that this absurdity is coming from Mitt Romney supporters, who are threatened by the credibility and name value that the governor has established over the past several months.

If this party were smart, it would further expand and build the base with the Palin momentum, not destroy it. This is a time for the party to unite within itself and solidly behind the president-elect of the United States to show the American people that it cares more about the progress of the country than its own hidden agenda. It would be wise to give Mr. Obama the honeymoon he deserves and be prepared to seize the moment when his proposals and ideas flatly fail and cause more turmoil in our domestic and global economy.

In 2006, the Democrats took control of both the House and the Senate, and since that time the party has continued to spin out of control with no consistent message that everyday Americans could embrace and support. Too many good and honorable Republicans in the House and Senate have suffered unnecessary defeat because of the party’s woes.

The selection of Sarah Palin as John McCain’s running mate became the star attraction of the Republican ticket when she drew far larger crowds than McCain. Many of her gaffes made during broadcast interviews raised serious questions about her competence and readiness. But make no mistake: This governor is a Republican star on the move, and we definitely have not seen or heard the last of Sarah Palin.

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