Ever since she hit the national stage last fall, Alaska governor Sarah Palin has made something of a career out of committing to appearances and then backing out at the last minute. In fact, the reason she cancels on so many engagements might be that her schedule is just too booked with all the committing and the canceling.
The troubling pattern appeared just a few short days after John McCain made his stunning announcement that some lady from Alaska was going to run the world after he died in office. Palin was supposed to attend a pro-life event held in St. Paul on Sept. 2, but she canceled at the very last minute. Why? Who knows! She just did!
Phyllis Schlafly of the Eagle Forum said the group had scheduled Palin two months ago, but her appearance was canceled last night.
"I don’t think it was a smart thing to do because this is the cream of the pro-life movement. I think it was a mistake," Schlafly said. "However, we’re certainly enthusiastic about Sarah Palin and the ticket. What she has done is make people be enthusiastic about John McCain. That’s really an achievement."
Within a few short weeks it became clear that nobody would show up for Republican fundraising events or rallies if the dull old homunculus John McCain was the headliner. Nope, they needed Palin if they were going to get bodies through the door, and so Palin was promised at two big California fundraisers and a 15,000-person rally. Tickets sold like hotcakes! And then she bagged.
The change is a shocker, because Palin's presence had electrified the GOP base in California. Party insiders were distributing 15,000 tickets to her Sept. 26 rally in Orange County -- and fundraisers reported an almost instantaneous sell-out of her two $1,000-a-head Sept. 25 fundraising events in Orange County and Santa Clara.
Conservatives still loved Sarah Palin, even after she lost the election. They asked her to be the headliner for the Conservative Political Action Conference, which is quite an honor in those rarified circles, and she said yes, and then she bagged AGAIN.
The opening-day headliner for the annual CPAC conservative convention February 26-28, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, has pulled out, citing state business in Juneau. "We're obviously disappointed," said a CPAC official.
So it should surprise absolutely no one that, after committing to co-host a fundraiser and attend the White House Correspondents' dinner this weekend, she has opted not to attend after all.
Thank goodness she wasn't elected vice president, because she probably would have skipped her own swearing-in.
Certified events planner Sara K. Smith writes for NBC and Wonkette.
