Sure, I spent much of the last week in a state of apoplexy at the hypocrisy and cynicism of the political process in general and the Republican Party in particular. But I can't say those were the very first thoughts that came to mind when Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was introduced to the world Aug. 29.
Instead, I thought about one of my closest friends.
Kimberly Speranza is not only emblematic of the kind of religious conservative voter Palin was tapped to "energize," she's uncannily similar to "Sarah Barracuda." Raised in rural, working-class Nebraska, Kim's a veteran snowmobiler, has hunted pheasant, slopped hogs and butchered and cleaned chickens, and worked as a corporate executive. She's also an devout evangelical Christian who, like Palin, does not believe in Darwinian evolution. Although she'll be the first to tell you she's not an intellectual, she's bright, energetic and as curious about the world as anyone I know. She also happens to wear her hair piled on top of her head exactly the way Palin does.
Kim, who's 42, lives in Palos Verdes with her husband, Scott, 41, and their 3-year-old twins. They've been longtime Bush supporters, though when I saw Kim a few months ago, she told me she was finally fed up with the current administration. She also said that neither she nor Scott were fans of John McCain, and that they felt there was no Republican candidate who represented their interests and values. She did, however, express respect and admiration for Sen. Barack Obama. And although she didn't come out and say she would vote for him, she didn't say she wouldn't.
Considering that over the years we've both nearly choked on our Chinese chicken salads arguing with each other over lunch, this was extraordinary to hear. But that was before Palin came along.
On Wednesday, I called Kim and invited myself over to watch Palin's acceptance speech. Their living room, after all, seemed like the closest I could get to the conservative base.
"We're energized," Scott said as we sat down to dinner before the speech. "Honestly, I might not have voted before this. But now I feel like it's 'game on.' The Democrats had an advantage in that Obama is a gifted speaker and incredibly appealing to his base. That was missing from our side. Now I at least feel like there's an equal playing field."
