Tim_Skubick's Blog

Walked into the bookstore literally two hours after Sarah Palin had been introduced to the nation and there was the book, “Sarah.”

“Wow. How did they get that out so fast?”

The smiling book lady noted, “They didn’t. We were going to send it back to the publisher when we found out she was the V.P. candidate for John McCain!”

Well twenty dollars and two hours later, the brief 145 page book was completed with one rather unbelievable conclusion: Gov. Palin and Gov. Granholm have a lot in common.

In this puff piece of a book, author Kaylene Johnson describes Palin as being able to connect with people, has a fierce tenacity, a strong religious faith which includes quoting Bible verses, is highly competitive, a tireless campaigner and has been questioned about having kids and being a high ranking official at the same time.

Now be honest, is that not Jennifer Granholm to a “T?”
And there is more. Johnson writes, “Once she (Palin) reaches a cadence, she expects everyone to keep up.” Ask Granholm handlers about running to keep up with the driven and focused chief executive who waits for no one.

Palin’s sister Molly recalls going shopping and seeing Palin being treated like a movie star. Granholm devotees are fond of referring to her as a rock star.
Palin is a runner. So is Granholm. Palin was a TV star. Granholm tried to go Hollywood. Palin has a First Dude who watches the kids. Granholm has her First Gentleman doing the same thing.

And on that point, when the governor first ran for attorney general she ran into the same “family/career” issue that Ms. Palin has also used to her advantage.

During one TV appearance Ms. Granholm was asked about being a mom and A.G. and she grinned saying, “You’d never ask John Engler that question.”
The career women in the audience applauded and Palin has benefited from the same line of questioning. What’s the word: Sexism?

The two also share a game changing moment that unfolded during debates.
Both went into a critical TV show with the feeling that neither was up to the job and couldn’t stand up to their two male opponents.

Granholm got in a dogfight with Jim Blanchard and David Bonior. And at the right moment, she turned to the camera and said, “Here’s what’s going on here…The polling reflects that I am doing very well and so the object here is to try to take apart the persons in first place.”

It was a rehearsed line but a good one nonetheless and she emerged with a new persona i.e. as somebody who could take it and dish it out. Her handlers believe the debate changed the race.

Palin did the same thing when she lectured her two debate-arguing opponents by saying, “We owe Alaskans a better discourse than this.”

There’s a lesson here for a man named Biden. The rules of engagement when running against female opponents are different. And if the democratic V.P. candidate Joe Biden is too aggressive or too patronizing, she may take him to the cleaners.

Democrat Granholm, who has done that to male opponents, is hoping that she and Palin have nothing in common on that front.