It's tme for American women to thank Sarah Palin.

In a Townhall.com opinion piece, Janice Shaw Crouse of Concerned Women for America says it’s time for American women to thank Sarah Palin:

"While there is hopeful speculation by the left that Palin is leaving politics, it is highly unlikely. Even if she does, her time in the spotlight of the 2008 election and its aftermath made significant advances for conservatives and women."

Crouse credits Palin for demonstrating that a woman can be "a strong, smart leader" and still maintain her femininity. She praises Palin for showing that a happily married woman can have children and put her family first while having a demanding career. Palin, says Crouse, has enormous drawing power and is demand as a public speaker, proving that a conservative woman can be a role model for many American women. Crouse points to Palin as an example that women can survive being in the limelight and taking constant shots from the drive-by media. The set-ups that were the Couric and Gibson interviews aside, the author points out:

"Sarah Palin was articulate, passionate and persuasive. She is a knowledgeable, fresh and energetic politician who espouses traditional American values. Her elitist critics have blown her areas of weakness out of proportion. She has the intellectual capacity and plenty of time to learn the 'inside-the-beltway' lingo and gain foreign policy expertise."

Crouse says Sarah Palin appeals to women who want to 'have it all.' She is happily married to the love of her life, and together they have five children. The governor has proved that women can "fulfill their own potential while helping their husbands and children fulfill theirs."

- JP