Shobhaa De

Let nobody undermine the all-important ooooomph factor in politics. Why… Even in life itself. Case in point? North Star Sarah Palin. From a virtual nobody to a very important somebody in less than a month, is no small achievement for a 44-year-old brunette who has seriously sexed up John McCain’s lackluster campaign. Even Senator Obama has woken up to the latest development in the Republican camp by aggressively courting the female vote after Ms Palin’s feisty convention speech. Over 40 million Americans watched this overnight super celebrity when she took the national stage. Not only did she manage to "shake things up" in Mr McCain’s words, but she had supporters swooning in the aisles.

Mr McCain’s old fashioned and clumsy attempts to project his attractive running mate as a "bulldog", did nothing to dent the lovely lady’s popularity ratings. Not even after he added insult to injury by explaining, "…you will get to know her, but I can’t guarantee you’ll love her." The crowd roared, "We do…" What an ancient MCP remark!! Come on, John. Grow up. Get real. Check out your own wife. She’s hot! It’s a different world out there. People admire ballsy women. And Ms Palin leads the pack.

Why is it that most men feel so outclassed and overwhelmed by women who can hold their own? Ms Palin is a perfect example of the "Guns & Roses" syndrome. She is as tough as they come, and paradoxically, more "macho" than all those wimps who are accusing her of being a "ball-buster". Her superb handling of her teenage daughter’s pregnancy is but one example of the steely stuff she’s made of. Let’s face it, the timing could not have been worse. Ms Palin dealt with the crisis head on, and offered her daughter enough public dignity to silence critics out to besmirch the family and scuttle Ms Palin’s plans before they’d even gotten off the ground. It must have been an extremely challenging call for Palin the Mother (as opposed to Palin the Politician) to take. Any mother in her place would have experienced the same anger and stress, no matter how liberal her outlook. Even in our society, teenage pregnancies are on the increase. Most parents don’t know better and deal with the issue in a predictable and passé way — by "punishing" the errant daughter, isolating her completely, seeking an abortion (if they have the means), and in extreme cases killing her and her lover (what an irony to dub such brutal acts "honour killings"). Ms Palin stood by her daughter (Ok. Ok. What real choice did she have, given her stated pro-life position and the fact that her rivals were going to dish the dirt anyway?), but did so with grace and maturity, adding a cautionary note to the difficult task of parenting faced by the young girl and her boyfriend. Senator Obama was forced to add his voice to the debate, by reminding the media about the unwritten "hands off" policy regarding kids of candidates. He also added a sensitive and human touch by referring to his own mother giving birth at age 18. Smart move, Senator!

However, the Smart Senator forgot his polished manners when he ungallantly made that "lipstick on the pig" reference. Only a hard-core Male Chauvinist Pig (MCP) would descend to such levels. Shame on you, Obama!

Ms Palin, a mother of five kids, has emerged as the new hero on the block. Japan is going ga-ga over her. Everything about her photogenic persona is now feeding the gigantic publicity machine. Ms Palin dolls are everywhere, and her trademark spectacles are being widely copied. Not even the canniest PR company in the world can artificially generate this level of hysteria. Ms Palin is as big as any rock star… maybe bigger… and that may just go against her. Ms Palin defies the stereotype on every level. A brainy beauty and former rodeo queen, she prefers hunting over knitting (my guess!) and makes no bones about her ambitions. Yet, for all her physical attractiveness, she remains a cerebral goddess, a committed family woman, a caring mother. That her last child is suffering from Down’s Syndrome only adds to her persona as a devoted mom to her brood. The question really is: Had Ms Palin been less easy on the eye, would voters have been as kind and adoring? I think not. There is an undeniable relationship between success, charisma, power and good looks. Senator Obama is a great example of that himself. As was Bill Clinton. And President Kennedy before him. Serious Hotties, all. Male eyecandy. Take a look at the women occupying the public’s mindspace — Jacqueline Kennedy’s sole attribute was her elegant appearance. Why do you think Sarko married Bruni? Had Sonia Gandhi been less pleasing in her appearance, she may have enjoyed a lower success ratio. Jayalalithaa was a looker in her time. Benazir, an acknowledged beauty. Aung San Sui Ki is like an exotic orchid. The Begums of Bangladesh have a terrific personality and always wear fabulous, one-of-a-kind dhakai saris. The first lady of Sri Lanka is a former beauty pageant winner. Queen Rania of Jordan can give the world’s top models a run for their money. Condi Rice has her fans. Oprah Winfrey rules. We live in cosmetic times… everything but everything is about the image. But, there is hope these days for those less blessed in the looks department — as Rakhi Sawant famously stated, "What God doesn’t give you, the cosmetic surgeon can…" Interestingly, "Fearless Nadia" is enjoying a great revival in popular culture. It certainly looks as if "The Hunterwali" is here to stay.

Ms Palin is likely to be the key factor in the neck-to-neck presidential race. Earth Mother or Mother Courage? Annie, Get your Gun or Lara Croft? It’s going to be one hell of a fight! I’m rooting for Sarah. How about you?

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Shobhaa’s Take