I try to avoid commentary on Sarah Palin -- because she really isn't that interesting -- but Jonathan Martin's piece on her political operation is worth reading, if only for the assurance that Palin will never sit in the Oval Office:
According to multiple Republican campaign sources, the former Alaska governor wreaks havoc on campaign logistics and planning. She offers little notice about her availability, refuses to do certain events, is obsessive about press coverage and sometimes backs out with as little lead time as she gave in the first place.In short, her seat-of-the-pants operation can be a nightmare to deal with, which, in part, explains why Palin doesn’t often do individual events for GOP hopefuls.
It’s not that Palin issues outlandish, rock star-like demands such as certain-colored M&M’s in the greenroom. At the events Palin does attend, officials say, she’s no diva; Kind and courteous is the more frequent description.
But the high-maintenance aspects of dealing with the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee have angered and frustrated some conservative candidates and aides who once thought highly of Palin and, for more skeptical Republicans, simply confirmed their view that she’s self-centered and unhelpful to the cause.
Palin will almost certainly run for president, but I'd be surprised if she made it beyond the opening stages of the nomination process. That is, she has serious political skills, but it's been clear for a long time that she doesn't have the discipline or organizational skills to move beyond her charisma. Palin might do well in a small state, like Iowa, but she'll eventually lose out to other candidates -- like Mitt Romney -- who have the skill and patience necessary to running a national campaign.
-- Jamelle Bouie
