NEW: I.O.U. UPDATE -- Impailin' Palin

To be Impartial, Objective and Unbiased is to be credible, and credibility is one of the hallmarks of great leaders. This particular I.O.U. is a debt that writers owe their audience and leaders owe their followers; a fair, balanced and honest assessment of any topic or issue. We will examine contemporary issues on this site periodically to see if the I.O.U. approach yields results that are different from the conventional wisdom.

Issue No. 1: Impalin’ Palin

One of the great sporting, cultural and entertainment pastimes of the recent presidential campaign season was the very popular political and personal attacking and insulting of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. She bore the brunt of every conceivable demeaning sexual stereotype (airhead, empty skirt, ditz, Caribou Barbie…); her husband, daughter, and sons (and future son-in-law) were heavily vilified; she was a constant target of Saturday Night Live skits, Katie Couric interviews, sports talk shows, late night entertainment shows and a full array of Hollywood commentators. When all was said and done this formidable force seemed to leave the impression that Governor Palin was all that she was accused of being and more.

I had many people tell me, for example, that she preached hatred and incited violence. When I asked for examples and documentation, I was told that these were known facts. When I asked people why they laughed at her I was told something in the form of “everyone knows that she’s an idiot.” Sarah Palin may well have become a victim of what I have termed “The Unholy Trinity” where marketing leads to perception which leads to reality. The more something is said, the more likely it becomes a person’s perception which will become their reality. Governor Palin was all of these negative things, not because of any facts, but because we were told so every day.

An I.O.U. approach yields different results. Sarah Palin is the governor of the largest state in the union and has provided outstanding fiscal guidance to that state in both good and bad economic cycles. She has a balanced budget, has given sizeable tax rebates to taxpayers, and has a reasonably large contingency account or “rainy day” fund, all in a time when other states are facing serious budget deficits and tax increases. Sarah Palin is Honest (Chapter 3 of The Leadership Sprint), is Genuine (Ch.4), Speaks English (Ch.6), Uses Common Sense (Ch.8), and Defends her Faith and Heritage (Chs. 10 and 11).

Ironically, these are the traits that I have listed for the new breed of great leaders; leaders that will be different and unafraid of challenging the old fashioned status quo style of the conventional (convenient) wisdom and hollow leadership. Governor Palin is different and that difference was seen as dangerous. Thus, the criticism went well beyond the issues, party ideology or political positions. When something is very different and dangerous it will be attacked on a personal and hurtful level. When one takes an honest I.O.U. approach, Sarah Palin seems more to fit the Jeffersonian model of a common citizen performing the civic duty of statesmanship than the unqualified, inexperienced and laughable woman that she was portrayed to be.

Was it right to question her on policy (e.g. drilling in ANWR)? Yes. Was it right to dismiss her as a convenient joke? No.

Is she gonna survive all of this? You betcha!