Desperately seeking Sarah?

What's all the noise about a bit of leg and Newsweek using her picture from Runners World on their cover? It just gives her a boost. She looks fit, young, and ready to take on any call…two Blackberries in the hand are worth a few thousand in a jam!

The sob story-tellers aver:

"It’s more like a glamour shot. Sure, she’s in running gear but it’s apparent that she hasn’t begun the workout yet. She’s posing in her old office clutching two Blackberries and leaning on an American flag."

So, Ms. Palin has worn glamorous clothes before and shown leg and a bit of thigh too at meetings with heads of state. As for not having begun her workout yet, how many sportspersons pose for shoots after sweating it out? Serena Williams, David Beckham?

Palin has been, I think, forced to sound chewsy-newsy when she wrote on her Facebook page:

"The choice of photo for the cover of this week’s Newsweek is unfortunate. When it comes to Sarah Palin, this ‘news’ magazine has relished focusing on the irrelevant rather than the relevant. The Runner’s World magazine one-page profile for which this photo was taken was all about health and fitness — a subject to which I am devoted and which is critically important to this nation.”

Then, how does it become irrelevant? America is full of reports about health care and this might send some important message, even if the intent is not as honourable.

But Sarah is out to make a statement:

“The out-of-context Newsweek approach is sexist and oh-so-expected by now. If anyone can learn anything from it: it shows why you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, gender, or color of skin. The media will do anything to draw attention - even if out of context."

It is not sexist. Newspapers and magazines like to show some political skin because they cannot show political spine. If it is a woman, she will look like a woman. If it is a person of colour, the colour will show. It does not need to be reiterated that you do not judge a book by its cover, for those who do so are the ones who need to rethink their priorities.

The picture in no way damns her or what she might stand for. She is in her office leaning on the American flag and not an Alaskan whale. Heck, even that would have made sense.

On the other hand, I am surprised she does not find the title offensive: “How do you solve a problem like Sarah?” reminiscent of the Sound of Music classic, “How do you solve a problem like Maria...” where the nuns in the convent sing about the wayward one among them. This would make her a maverick. The sub-head says she is bad for the GOP and everyone else.

This is alarmist, not sexist.

So, run, Sarah, run…maybe it is about you wanting to run for office and…er…getting there? Get it, duh?