From Hockey Mom to Almost Person of the Year

In its annual Person of the Year selection contest, Time Magazine named Sarah Palin its runner-up for “the most astonishing political debut in modern times.” Palin shared number-two honors with Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France; Henry Paulson, Jr. US Secretary of the Treasury; and director Zhang Yimou of Chinese Olympics fame. Seen by political insiders as as a “one-women rescue team for the Republican ticket,” her magnetic appeal to the Right Wing of the party and the media was believed to have saved the Republican party, led by John McCain, from an election-night debacle that could have overwhelmed local, as well as national, Republican candidates. For her part, Governor Palin blamed the Bush Admnistration for the defeat of the McCain-Palin ticket, but told the Anchorage Daily News that she loved her time in the national spotlight, and won’t rule out a run for president or vice president in 2012.

In a far-ranging interview after the election with Greta Van Susteren of Fox News, Palin said the Republican ticket represented too much of the status quo, and made people shake their heads over the 10 trillion dollar debt the Bush people ran up, and their blunders on the war strategy. “People wanted change and went as far away from that administration as they could.” She added, “It’s amazing that we did as well as we did.”

The news about the Time Magazine honor and Palin’s continued popularity with the national media dimmed slightly as the Governor and her family faced a new challenge. The mother of Bristol Palin’s boyfriend, soon to be her in-law, was busted on six felony drug counts after an extensive undercover police investigation.

Alaska state troopers searched Sherry Johnston’s home in Wasilla after her arrest for allegedly manufacturing and possessing narcotics, reported Politico.com. In response to Johnston’s arrest, Governor Palin issued a statement to the press: “This is not a state government matter. Therefore the governor’s communications staff will not be providing comment or scheduling interview opportunities.”

Bristol Palin’s baby is due this month, and she is scheduled to marry boyfriend Levi Johnston, the son of Sherry Johnston, this summer.

Another story out of Wasilla that made headlines this month was a suspicious fire that destroyed Governor Palin’s home church. The local fire department is treating the incident as a potential arson case. Palin told Van Susterin that she feared her prominent status might have contributed to the fire in some way by attracting too much negative attention. “Maybe that raised some eyebrows right off the bat,” Palin said of her ties to the church. “I apologized to the assistant pastor letting him know that if there’s anything that I’ve done to draw negative attention to the church.”

What’s next for Governor Palin? Her office reports that Palin has signed a six-figure book deal and all of the major TV talk shows have invited her to be a guest, from Oprah to Letterman and the Daily Show. We can assume that she is going to continue making news and speaking out about the country’s problems and the government’s attempts to fix them.