Human Events: Jedediah Bila interviews Sarah Palin

Her words carry a realness uncommon in the political world
*
Blogger and commentator Jedediah Bilah interviewed Gov. Palin last week and writes about it in an op-ed for Human Events:

What is she like?

Former governor Palin is down-to-earth and astute. There was nothing self-interested or narcissistic in her tone. She was optimistic about possibilities, but realistic about dangers. There was a warmth that shone through when she talked about her family; that same warmth was apparent when she spoke of America’s founding principles. There was an honest frustration in her voice with respect to “policies coming out of Washington, DC that punish the producers and don’t let the job creators do what they do best.” And there was an underlying toughness – a hearty durability – that made her thoughts grounded and stalwart. That toughness leapt forward boldly when it was time to defend how America should “be a light for others who seek to exercise their God-given rights and liberties.”

[...]

Palin spoke extensively about her record, beginning with her days of local office “taking on the good old boy network in my own town running for city council because I saw that many on our local city council and in our Mayor’s office decided that because they had a title, a political position, they were going to start taking private property rights away and start telling businesses and homeowners what they could or couldn’t do on their own private property.”

She discussed her roles as Mayor, Chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, and especially Governor. “To be a successful governor,” she said, “you have to put obsessive partisanship aside, and you have to be a really good administrator, and you have to have a good team around you, and you have to make prudent decisions based on what is best for the people whom you are serving.

[...]

There was a confidence in her voice when she spoke of her record, a reverence for the teamwork that went into her accomplishments, and a fearlessness with respect to taking on what is powerful and entrenched in the name of doing what’s right.

[...]

In response to the fact that some have labeled her “too polarizing,” Palin replied, “I think the polarizing thing is the most perplexing because the positions that I hold, I believe, are quite reflective of what most Americans believe in, and that is the protection of our freedoms and our free market and doing all that we can to remain a superpower.” She questioned why President Obama’s positions aren’t considered polarizing to those same critics...

[...]

What attributes does Palin think a GOP candidate who steps up to the plate in 2012 should have? “Someone who’s willing to take some risks in terms of bringing in people who aren’t the known bureaucrats, but people with private sector experience who know how to run a business, make payroll, balance a budget, and live within your means.”

[...]

Throughout the interview, I didn’t see any signs of naïve, ditzy, or amateur. I saw knowledgeable, level-headed, and accomplished.

[More]

Jedediah Bila's conclusion from the twenty minute interview echoes what an increasing number of commentators have said lately of Gov. Palin: it would be foolish to underestimate her.

- JP