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''?
No Comparison...Diana would have graciously declined the invitation to be VP .. knowing she was not qualified.
It is very obvious that Palin is a chess move, a bluff, a cheerleader ....joke is on us....
Sarah does not have and original thought in her head...she is a woman that seems to simply regurgitate what is being peddled to her ......for what reason...Power!!!!
Palin said she is ready...I say she is lying and wasting precious time and energy,,
Having a women in the White House would have been wonderful...but the right woman...not Sarah....
A woman embracing the fact that they have choices ...and they elect to be informed, educated and stand on their own strengths. ...
.
Not Sarah instead you get cute little negative comments...and she becomes indignant because of her own ignorance
not so attractive...
I've met women like Sarah Palin, well manicured and they memorize everything and repeat verbatim with total disregard for the outcome ....
Shame on her for being so ego driven that she would risk the safety of the people of this country ...for her ego
Sarah Palin is not ready to lead this country ...
This is surreal....a little like "The Hotel California"
Posted by: Micheli | September 12, 2008 at 01:38 PM
I think the comparison should be between Palin and Sally Field.
Posted by: Fred Fred | September 12, 2008 at 01:37 PM
>>We should not let this country elect our leaders like a third world country.
Then again - Some third world countries have real democracies unlike a cloned 2-party system US has.
Actually, if McCain-Palin rides to victory this november,
A future Palin comparison with Reagan would be more appropriate and high likely.
Palin is a phenomenon unleashed by McCain -
I don't see any easy way for the Dems to survive the hurricain season!
Posted by: kaosreset | September 12, 2008 at 01:23 PM
Nice comparison.
I think you forgot one. Diana was charismatic and had the potential to lead people. I think Sarah Palin is also charismatic and can lead people.
It seems that Palin, Obama, Bill Clinton and Ron Regan all have (had) this. People want to like them.
On another point I would like to have just one Obama supporter tell me exactly why they support him. Not why they do not support the others, but why they support him. I have yet to hear or read this except in rhetoric or unintelligible rants.
I believe in trusting people to their words until they have proved me wrong. I trust Sarah Palin believes what she says, I sort of trust John McCain, I do not trust Hillary (she has been caught in too many lies) and I am not sure about Obama or Biden.
Posted by: Andrew | September 12, 2008 at 01:23 PM
I fell sad and disappointed in my party and will be voteing for McCain. As Democrate we have been the "Party for Women". As it turn out, our party has not been for womens right and in support of strong women at all. What is being done to Palin is noting short of discraceful and an embarrassment to the Domocratic party. The vile story and lies in an effort to win an election is pitiful.
Posted by: Sad_Lib | September 12, 2008 at 01:22 PM
The Prince came from a line from a small place in Germany and Diana's was truly Old English!!!!! Ms. Palin proves you can not make a silk purse out of a sow's ear!!!! There is a wide membership of good women who could and will become world leaders in America.......McCain just can not make good decisions....about much of anything if this one is indicative. Do we need four more years of adolescent ideas and abuse of power???? I think not!!!!
Putting a genuine Princess in the same sentence as such a poor choice is also indicative of the need of Americans to smarten up.
Posted by: Pat Horrocks | September 12, 2008 at 01:17 PM
What a ridiculous comparison.
Posted by: Rae | September 12, 2008 at 01:16 PM
No comaprison! Diana was a wonderful public servant and deserves to be compared to the likes of Mother Theresa, not some gun toting, moose eating, religous zealot. I question Sarah Palins ability to keep church and state separate.
Yukon Barbie needs to stay in Alaska and be the self described 'lipstick wearing pit bull' that she is. She does not have the experience or the temperment to be in the Oval Office in any capacity.
Apparantly, the Republican party thinks former Hillary supporters will flock to the polls in droves to vote for a woman. I hope that the displaced Hillary supporters will see through the smoke screen and vote for the candidate that supports issues that directly affect us all.
Posted by: Lori | September 12, 2008 at 01:16 PM
this was a stupid article.
Posted by: summer | September 12, 2008 at 01:15 PM
who is the inexperience one running for president and who is the inexperience one running for VP.thats what you have to think about.now is that eazy or what
Posted by: genexx | September 12, 2008 at 01:11 PM
Funny, it's the first thing I thought of when I saw the news clip of the two of them working the crowd.
But that was about it.
Posted by: Pam | September 12, 2008 at 01:05 PM
Uh...am I missing something? Palin's mythos is built on half-truth rhetoric, party worship, and evangelitical tunnel-vision. In truth, Palin is derisive and divisive -- not adored by all. Palin charms some, but grates others.
Unless the writer of this rather silly article knows something that I don't, there is no love affair between John and Sarah. In fact, there is no honest love affair between America and Palin. It's all a house built on sand and in a few weeks it will be washed out to sea.
Posted by: Nick | September 12, 2008 at 12:57 PM
I am American by choice and I am from England. I love the U.S.A. PLEASE do not even mention Princess Diana's name in comparison ro Sarah Palin. Gov.Palin while a good person is NO comparison to Princess Diana. THANK YOU
Posted by: P.Peterson | September 12, 2008 at 12:57 PM
this article is a joke.
Posted by: abby | September 12, 2008 at 12:57 PM
Jerry/Orlando:
I 100% agree with your sentiment. The deeper thinkers had BETTER get to the polls. And better they grab everyone and anyone they can on the way there. When the media starts drawing comparisons to royals it's time to wake up and get scared. This ain't Fairyland. This is the most powerful job in the world. This article should be tried for treason for the damage it's going to do to this country when the People/Entertainment Weekly/Inquirer readers get it in their head that Palin is a princess.
Posted by: ewoh | September 12, 2008 at 12:56 PM
Diana was charming and personable.
Sarah Barracuda is armed and dangerous.
Posted by: Oscar | September 12, 2008 at 12:55 PM
a fairy tale comparison . . . how cute. the quality of the journalism at the latimes rears its biased little head again. statistically speaking, dont most fairy tales end happily ever after?
Posted by: avgjoepolitico | September 12, 2008 at 12:54 PM
Palin in NO WAY resembles Princes Diana... I don't even mean her looks. I speak of Diana's passion for good will. Palin has none!
Palin is as she describes herself... Pitbull.. and worse a self serving ambitious pitbull even... her statement about not even giving a second thought to her VP invitation only attests to her self serving ambition.
How can she put her own ambitions ahead of history and our country. How can she serve the white house and this country when she can't even contribute or even run her own household ... She's not even aware what happens at home,
She also supported her own states session... that's unity of America? just her support of Aerial hunting ? that's more like herr there... easy prey and the ability to shoot fish in a barrel. Not to mention she still not even versed on the past 8 years nor general government and how it runs... If I were a female, I'd be offended byher.
Posted by: concerned republican | September 12, 2008 at 12:51 PM
If you support the republicans and therefore Palin, watch this Charlie Rose video about what has happened during the last eight years of republican rule:
http://www.charlierose.com/shows/2008/09/08/1/a-discussion-about-the-acquisition-of-fanny-mae-and-freddie-mac
Al B
Posted by: Al B | September 12, 2008 at 12:51 PM
Have you lost your ever loving mind? Princess Di was an gel, a great woman whose prescence gave the world peace and love. Palin is a politician with 5 kids, where is the comparism. When we should be talking about the issues that face America today we are busy playing fantasy politics and making outlandish comparisons.
Posted by: avo | September 12, 2008 at 12:49 PM
This insults the memory of princes diana.
Palin is a joke, a dangerous redneck who learned everything she knows about life shopping at Wal-Mart.
Those cute homespun sayings may work at the Hockey Rink in the middle of no-where but I like the people running the country to have a little more actual wisdom and experience.
Posted by: JERAD | September 12, 2008 at 12:49 PM
Who are you? Palin, the raging pitbull, incompetent cowgirl comparison to a true lady with character? You and your article are absurd. Your article reads like a late night bad comedy show. Besides, Palin is not that popular.
Posted by: Cora | September 12, 2008 at 12:48 PM
Only the LA Times would print this garbage.
LA: the land of 'image is everything.'
Posted by: drewnet | September 12, 2008 at 12:47 PM
No.
Posted by: Debbie | September 12, 2008 at 12:47 PM
Didn't Rick Davis, McCain's campaign manager say that this election was about personalities, not issues? I must be suffering under the misapprehension that issues were supposed to be the most important.
Posted by: Richard H. | September 12, 2008 at 12:47 PM