Will she or won’t she? Is she in or is she out? Day in and day out there are different articles and reports by people trying to convince us that they know the answer to this question or are in the know regarding Governor Palin’s political future. Analysts look for signals and make assumptions about what it is that Governor Palin is up to. The truth is that those who talk don’t know, and those who know don’t talk.
Most often, the conclusions are that Governor Palin will not throw her hat into the ring and that the only reason she’s allowing her name to be out there is so that she remains relevant and can make money. Recently on Hannity, Ann Coulter suggested that Newt Gingrich advised Governor Palin that the longer she keeps her name out there, the more money she would make.
The reasons offered by those who assume Governor Palin isn’t running are that “she isn’t doing anything” and that “there are no signals that she will in fact enter the race.” These assertions however contradict the notion that Governor Palin is only dragging this thing out to remain relevant or to make money. If that were the Governor’s intention, her camp wouldn’t go out of its way to debunk every story that might suggest that she is in fact running. On the contrary, she would do everything possible to make people believe she’s in, such as taking fake trips to Iowa, or leaking false rumors. She would do the things fake potential candidates do to remain in the news.
The mere fact that there are no leaks and that we’re not hearing much from Governor Palin suggests that she is running and is quietly organizing and putting everything in place in preparation for an announcement.
Which brings me to my next point:
Recently my neighbor knocked on my door asking me if I could do her a favor. She wanted me to run to the grocery store two blocks away and see if her daughter Emily was still there. She sent Emily over to buy some groceries, it had been almost 45 minutes, and she should have been back. My neighbor, who just had a newborn, couldn’t run over herself and was in such panic that she was about to call the police and file a missing persons report.
Of course I quickly ran over, and there was Emily calmly standing in the long line at the checkout patiently waiting her turn. I didn’t have to ask her the reason for her delay. Of the usual three checkout counters, only one was open and there were still many people in front of her with fully loaded trolleys. I stayed there with Emily until she was done and walked her home.
As we turned into our block, Emily’s mother came running over and hugged and kissed her daughter as if she met a long lost child. “Emily, I am so glad you’re okay, what happened? Where were you?” Emily of course thought her mother had totally lost it and she didn’t know what her mom was talking about. She explained how the store was overcrowded with shoppers, there was only one checkout open, and she had to wait in line. “Why didn’t you call me? I was so worried,” her mom interrupted. Emily, now totally confused, responded; “Call you, why? Nothing was out of the ordinary, I didn’t know I had to call every time there is a long line at the checkout.”
The situation can be explained in one sentence: Emily’s mom did not know what was going on and instinctively began to panic. Emily, for her part, was just doing her thing and didn’t even realize that there was a problem or that someone was worried.
We’ve all been there, whether it’s at the airport, on a plane, in a doctor’s office, or just waiting for a bus. Whatever the circumstances, the scenarios are identical. When our flight is delayed, 10 minutes can seem like an hour. When you doctor steps out to check some test results, those worrisome 5 minutes can be the longest five minutes of your life.
You board a plane, find your seat, pack your bags in the overhead compartment. You sit down, make yourself comfortable, and buckle up your seat belt expecting your flight to take off within the next 15 minutes or so. All the passengers have boarded, the doors have been closed, the cabin crew have made their final checks and you’re about to take off. Suddenly a voice comes over the public service announcement “Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain, we’re running slightly behind schedule and should begin our departure shortly.” You look at your watch and, well, it’s only 5 minutes past the scheduled time, so you’re not too concerned.
Some time elapses, the plane still hasn’t moved, and after what appears to be an eternity since the last time you checked your watch, you have a look again and another full 5 minutes has passed.
Waiting can be a terrible thing, especially when you’re not in the know. But the waiting is only bad for you. For the captain, the doctor or the bus driver who are in the know, the time goes by much faster because they know what’s going on. For them, the situation may well be reversed, so under pressure to get the situation sorted, the hour is just not long enough.
We’re all sitting around waiting for an announcement by Governor Palin. Days seem like weeks, weeks seem like months, and months seem like years. Frustration builds up and emotions run high. Everyone is telling you that it appears that Governor Palin isn’t doing anything. All you need is a signal, “Governor can you please call us.”
But while you may not be hearing anything, Governor Palin who is in the know, is working hard to get all her ducks in a row. Time is relative. What’s a long time for you can be very short for someone else. While waiting for an announcement may seem like an eternity, just remember that it is Governor Palin who is preparing for the toughest race of a lifetime and, for her, there just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day.
