The Palin Effect

From The India Times...
The Palin Effect
Shobhaa De

..."Palin turned out to be McCain's secret weapon.
He caught the world (and America) off-guard when he nominated Palin as his running mate. Jaws dropped at the unexpectedness of that move.
Palin sashayed onto centrestage with the ease of a beauty queen (which she once was).
She was savaged by critics (can anyone forget Obama's jibe about lipstick on a pig?) who tore into her lack of experience in matters that went beyond shooting moose in her native Alaska.
Her world view was mocked (Palin only got a passport last year), and it didn't help matters that Palin's teenage daughter got pregnant.

Since those awkward early days when Americans refused to look beyond her trendy 'peep toe' sandals, or comment on her stylish glasses, Palin has surprised voters by her bluster, if nothing else. Her current favourite word is 'exceptional'.
Palin finds everything 'exceptional', when it comes to America and Americans. Suddenly her worst critics are beginning to say, maybe she has found the key. The lost key to millions of hearts. Americans need to feel 'exceptional' now more than ever before. It is a demoralised nation reeling under the spectre of an economic depression. Regardless of what American spin doctors are saying, the psychological damage done to the collective identity is there for all to see. Americans are feeling vulnerable. They need a booster shot. And that shot comes neatly packaged as Sarah Palin."