Holing-up in Alaska

I suppose if I ever wanted to hole-up someplace completely out of the way, I’d head north to Alaska. Except, I am an average Jane, who was not just introduced to the American people as the running-mate of John McSame. So, one has to wonder what the hell is wrong, when Palin heads for the hills.

Well this is interesting.  Chuck Todd dropped a little bombshell this afternoon.

CHUCK TODD:Well Ron, We’ve been able to see that there are a few folks who are saying [Palin is] actually going to hole up in Alaska for a little, she’s got to see her son off who’s going to be deployed to Iraq, so we may not see her on the campaign trail for a little while.

RON ALLEN: Yes she hasn’t been home for a long time, and she’s obviously got some business to deal with there.

With only 60 days of campaigning to do, that seems to be a piss-poor decision. Of course, a lot of the discussion is that this decision is meant to keep Palin away from journalists, which I think is probably one of the factors in this decision.

Another reason is her flip-flopping on ethics and transparency of government in Troopergate.

In July, when legislators started talking about conducting an investigation, Palin denied any wrongdoing and said she welcomed an investigation.

“Hold me accountable,” she said.

The Legislature took her up on that offer. But this week, she basically told the Legislature, “Never mind.”

Palin’s lawyer has asked the Legislature to drop its investigation. He had the governor file an ethics complaint against herself, in a bid to turn the entire matter over to the state Personnel Board, which would hire an independent investigator.

This is not an open and transparent attempt to establish Gov. Palin’s accountability. It is an attempt to drag out the investigation until after voters decide the fate of her vice-presidential bid.

But, hold on, because there are more potential reasons why Palin is holing-up up north.

• If the MI Independents quoted in this focus group are even remotely representative, then I suspect the McCain camp has internal polling showing that Palin helps immensely in some places, but drags down the ticket in others. Sterling Heights is adjacent to Oakland County, where all those Independent voters were panning the Palin pick. I think the campaign realized they better get a better sense of where Palin helps them before they roll her out and offend voters in swing states.
• After last nights underwhelming speech, McCain is being overshadowed by his Veep candidate. He needs to reassert himself as the dominant player on the ticket, before Palin comes out of her hibernation and wows the crowds again.

The bottom line is, Palin is hardly the person that the people should want a heart-beat away from the presidency. Her actions speak volumes, and that volume is more of the same of the last 7+ years. She does not represent change, nor do her actions show change from the current administration. And I haven’t even touched on the issues yet.