Sarah Palin and Princess Diana
Even though Charles was the one who was descended from William the Conqueror and all the rest, even though he was the future king regnant, she was the one who drew the crowds -- a fresh new figure on the royal scene, young, pretty and personable.
When the royal couple arrived for a ''walkabout'' in some town and split up the street -- Charles heading to one side, Diana to the other -- people on Charles' side of the street would groan audibly: they had wanted HER and got stuck with HIM. A quarter-century on, Sarah Palin is drawing larger crowds than John McCain ever did alone.
And now, with Palin's interview with Charles Gibson, the resemblance is even more striking.
First, Diana. From her days in boarding school, Diana had wanted to be, she told a classmate, ``a dancer -- or Princess of Wales.'' During the courtship, even some of those closest to her worried that she was in love with the title, not the man, or at the least was confusing the two.
Now, Palin. She told Gibson that she didn't hesitate when McCain popped the political question. ``I answered him yes because I have the confidence in that readiness and knowing that you can't blink, you have to be wired in a way of being so committed to the mission, the mission that we're on, reform of this country and victory in the war, you can't blink. So I didn't blink then even when asked to run as his running mate."
Flashback to Diana and Charles, describing their popping-the-question-moment to Time magazine: Charles proposed before Diana went off to Australia, in order to give her ''a chance to think about it -- to think if it was going to be too awful. If she didn't like the idea, she could say she didn't.'' But Diana interrupted ``Yes, quite promptly. I never had any doubts about it.''
We all know how that pairing turned out.
Diana's youth and inexperience, everyone believed, made her perfect for the job -- she could be molded to grow into it. The more Diana revealed about her personal problems -- the bulimia, the shopping mania, even the affairs -- the more, paradoxically, her admirers fervently proclaimed their love. Palin, a quarter-century older than Diana was when she said ''yes'' to Charles, likewise has admirers who proclaim that her very inexperience makes her perfect for the vice presidency, who say that her personal and family troubles make them love her all the more.
The old saying goes, ``Marry in haste, repent at leisure.'' Will the new saying go, ''Vote in haste, repent at leisure''?
Diana loved his husband?
Does Palin's husband has a lover affair?
Did Diana run a company,a town, or a County in UK?
Had Diana been voted to be the princess?
The "inexperienced" Palin run a state for two years
The top on the other ticket run for office his whole career
Who is in love with the title?
Posted by: funny | September 12, 2008 at 10:50 AM
Palin draws crowds, McCain doesn't.
For the same reasons that Obama draws crowds, and Joe Bidden doesn't.
People are excited by the "new and different": Obama for his race -- the first black President!. Palin for her gender -- the first woman Vice President.
Unfortunately, inexperience seems to be the fashion of the political day, no matter what party you belong to.
Posted by: JP Seabury | September 12, 2008 at 11:09 AM
I hope the left continues to pound Palin. The more they go after her, the less we har about Obama. He and, who is it he has as his running mate, have all but been banished from the media. My hope is the guy ( who is it?) that Obama picked will quit and then we can all rejoice when Hillary rides to the rescue of Obama. If that happens and if Obama is elected, maybe Bill and Hillary will let him go the funerals of third world despots.
Posted by: Jeff in Orlando | September 12, 2008 at 11:11 AM
I appreciate this comparison -- it's spot-on and one I had not considered. The sobering thought is how much more critical Palin's position would be than Diana's was. There was no chance Diana would ever inherit the prime minister's job. Having Palin a heartbeat away from the presidency should give us all pause, particularly since that heart beats in the chest of a 72-year-old man who has had his health severly compromised in the past.
Posted by: Mary | September 12, 2008 at 11:16 AM
"Marry in haste, repent at leisure". Apt analogy, except that we would be repenting in agony, perhaps gnashing our teeth and wailing pathetically to the God who delivered Sarah Palin onto our national election.
This is far too serious an issue about which to be flippant, so I will dispense with the fantastic speculation of future regret.
We have an election to consider, and it appears incumbent on the deeper thinkers of this nation to get out to vote, and get out THE vote. We cannot sit back one more time and allow the single issue voters, the personality voters, the race voters, or the sound bite voters to outnumber us.
As honorable as John McCain's record may be, he is simply no longer equipped for the pressures of the presidency. As Dwight Eisenhower said , the office is not for anyone over 70. McCain may have earned a pass on his age, had he not selected an abysmally unqualified person as his vice president. As "Princess Dianalike" as Palin may be, she is not presidential material. Her interview with Charlie Gibson showed that beyond a doubt.
Posted by: Jerry/Orlando | September 12, 2008 at 11:22 AM
As a Britsh ex-pat (who adored Diana but finds Palin scary as hell) ... bloody well put!
Posted by: Vanessa Chapin | September 12, 2008 at 11:25 AM
HOW YOU THERE TO USE DIANA IN COMPARISON WITH SARAH PALIN...DIANA NOT ONLY WAS A GREAT LADY BUT COMPASIONED...YOU NEVER SAW HER WITH A RIFLE IN HER HANDS OR HAS NEVER BEEN AGAINST WOMAN'S RIGHT ETC....BITE YOUR TONGUE FOR SUCH BLASPHEMY
Posted by: mglory | September 12, 2008 at 11:29 AM
Please don't compare palin with Diana. No comparison at all. Palin, as someone recently remarked, comes across as a "cocky whaco" with her views and opinions and the way she talks.
Posted by: beevee | September 12, 2008 at 11:32 AM
LAME... Try harder.
You're not going to bring down the repub machine with incredibly LAME connections between Palin and Princess Diana. No one in the US gives a crap about Diana anyways.
Posted by: dave, san jose, ca | September 12, 2008 at 11:33 AM
Sarah Sarah Sarah.Mccain when you get the presidency would you have the courtesy to croak so that she can become commander in cheif without your sovereignity busting illegal immigrant Amnesty?
We don't want you we want her!
Posted by: steven c jackson | September 12, 2008 at 11:34 AM
Vote Obama in leisure, repent in haste.
Posted by: T. Rowen, Texas | September 12, 2008 at 11:34 AM
I have seen several of her interviews and three speechs... I'm not impressed..that she belives she can do the job; I understand she has been a mayor, now she is a govenor. She scares me too death..
I remmber Princess Diane as savy, fashionable as well as articulate and intlligent
Maybe Vice Presidential Candidate Palin is fashionable.
I am not impressed until recently I was leaning toward John Mc Cain now ..... well I don't now ...
Posted by: Dan Brown | September 12, 2008 at 11:35 AM
I guess my issue with this whole thing is that the same people who have berated Barrack Obama for his lack of experience are clamoring over Sarah Palin for her lack of experience. Never mind the fact that Barack has been in Washington DC for a few years and some foreign policy experience. Palin's supporters are trying to show she has "Executive Branch" experience.....that means nothing...who was the last President that had only a role of Governor as experience (Hint: He's still our current President).....look how that ended up. Of course, she's not trying to become President, but the Vice President is second in line. Should that transition have to happen, is she qualified? I would say "No".
Posted by: chris | September 12, 2008 at 11:39 AM
Little problem with your analogy. No one repented the choice of the Princess of Wales, she was loved all of her life, grieved mightily in death, and voted the greatest Briton of the 20th century.
So what might that suggest to you, using your logic?
Posted by: Catherine, Chicago | September 12, 2008 at 11:40 AM
little bit of a stretch isn't it
more like Griselda Blanco and Charles Cosby. Okay, maybe not that bad...
Posted by: Mike | September 12, 2008 at 11:41 AM
There is no comparison. Diana who was a beautiful lady of great grace, kindness, and humilty. You harm her memory by such comparison. How sad.
Posted by: lucy2008 | September 12, 2008 at 11:44 AM
Please, Sarah Palin is no Princess Dianna and McCain is no Prince Charles. This comparison is laughable and over reached.
Posted by: IndependentForObama | September 12, 2008 at 11:44 AM
Well, I don't think the line will be "happily ever after. " Hopefully, the voters will give more thought to the matter than Sarah did herself.
Posted by: Quincy | September 12, 2008 at 11:48 AM
could be true, i married a man of italian descesnt and 15 years older and was innocent an un assumoning in how old school, dominate, possessive he was, and having come from a very different upbring it was the most difficut ever. i just was too naive in so many ways, customs, and was just plain and simple. she too is probably too young in politics to become vp, and the marriage is not good, soumd strong, regardless of being a woman, mccain-palin.
Posted by: Evelyn Fabbri | September 12, 2008 at 11:50 AM
She's really more like Margaret Thatcher.
Posted by: phil | September 12, 2008 at 11:52 AM
You could say that parts of the general population as well as the media has the same 'Diana-like infatuation' with Obama..
Community Leader, Chicago -> President...
(with only a few years on the national stage in the Senate in between)
Posted by: ALEX | September 12, 2008 at 11:52 AM
This HAS to be one of the STUPIDEST articles I've read since the political season began! You have NOTHING PERTINENT to write about? Shame on you!
Posted by: Diana | September 12, 2008 at 11:54 AM
Sarah Palin is no Princess Di. May I remind you that her attempt to become a beaty queen failed? She does not hold a candle to Princes Di. She is a long shot hockey mom, and that is all she will be. Who knows where she'd be now had she won that beauty contest.
Lipstick and hog wash, are just little white lies.
Posted by: Juan McOldy | September 12, 2008 at 11:56 AM
Sarah's poise may well be compared with our late Princes Diana, but surely neither were chosen in haste. Good intentions and careful scruteny accompanied the selection of both ladies, though for oh so very different reasons. One rests in peace. Sarah Palin raises the bar for women and men alike; she will be a great Vice President because she is a sensible, intelligent team player and n outstanding leader, if McCain were to pass sooner than his term as President.These two persons have integrity and I just jumped ship after carefully listening to all the speeches and questioning and answering. Discernment leads me to a winning Republican ticket.
Posted by: Nicoleta | September 12, 2008 at 11:57 AM
An thoughtful perspective, a stupid ending
Posted by: David Drake | September 12, 2008 at 11:57 AM