Sarah Palin the Person

As with anyone who receives a ton of publicity, people wonder who Sarah Palin really is. Having just had the opportunity to meet her, I can tell you she is the real deal. Genuine, articulate, humble, smart, sincere — not a taint of arrogance. What people find appealing about Sarah Palin is they love what they see — and they are right on the money.

As Governor Palin emerged from behind the curtain Friday night, the enormous crowd erupted in cheers and applause — rock star style. Yet, the audience, young and old, was hardly composed of rock concert fanatics. They just love Sarah Palin. And, she delivered. From honoring veterans, to asking for a moment of silence for those killed or injured at Fr. Hood, to the personal account of learning she was carrying an unborn child with Down syndrome, Palin had the audience mesmerized. She spoke passionately of the truth of holding right-to-life views. Best of all, she told us that when we were told to shut up — Wisconsin went rogue!

Another Palin phenomenon is that people want to instinctively protect her. The vicious, brutal, degrading pictures and comments found about her on the Internet, and smears uttered by smarmy pundits as what they think are more “polite,” make people love her more. It will be interesting to see whether the Palin star rises or falls in the coming years. If Friday night was any indication, that star will soar.

Read Journal Sentinel Community Columnist Kathy Banaszak’s article on the event here.

Barbara Lyons