Sarah Palin Says God Scribbles Notes on His Hand

Sarah PalinAt the first (the last?) Tea Party Convention, Sarah Palin (in)famously called President Obama out for using a teleprompter. Then she herself got called out for putting “crib notes” on her hand to remind her of her core issues- even scratching one out and clarifying. For clarity.

It was funny and sort of sad- but was it a big deal? No. Just another press hiccup in the long song and dance that is the Sarah Palin PR machine. I even questioned writing about her in a politics column. Is she still in politics?

In the past two years or so she has:

1 Run and lost for Vice President with John McCain.

2 Resigned as governor amidst allegations.

3 Written, published, and toured in support of a book called “Going Rogue.”

4 Spoken at the Tea Party Convention.

5 Taken a job as a periodic Fox News Correspondent.

Is she a politician? So far she has lost her biggest race and resigned from her highest profile government position under questionable conditions. And then she wrote a book. And then she took a job on TV. She’s more like a reverse reality star, feeding off of controversy and twisting the American Dream and national frustration during tough times for her own career.

Do I care that she wrote crib notes on her hand? I don’t. Big deal. Everybody has notes. Tacky? Yes. Damning? No.

But she continues to apologize for it in what I can only classify as a thinly veiled plug for herself and a (creative) way to plug her own “platform” and set of personal branding values.

God did it too, she’s saying.

"I didn't [at the time] have a good answer to that criticism because I thought it was so ridiculous. If it was good enough for God, scribbling on the palm of his hand, it's good enough for me."

She then cited a passage from Isaiah 49:16. "See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands."

"I’m in good company," said Palin.

Yeah.

1)    The 49th Chapter of Isaiah is him basically talking about being called as a prophet by God to lead Israel.

Here’s some context from Isaiah 49: 13-18 

13 Sing out, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth, break forth into song, you mountains. For the LORD comforts his people and shows mercy to his afflicted.

14 But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me."

15 Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.

16 See, upon the palms of my hands I have written your name; your walls are ever before me.

Point being, Isaiah is metaphorically saying that God will never forget the people of Israel.

Isaiah is not saying that God takes notes to remember what his core issues are.

Again- I don’t care if Sarah Palin writes notes on her hands. It doesn’t change my opinion of her or my impression of her grasp of the issues. Both of those are firmly in the “little to none” category.

But Ms. Palin, let’s not start comparing you to God.  

The one-time vice presidential candidate became late night fodder for writing "Energy," "Tax" and "Lift American Spirits" on her palm for the Tea Party event. She even drew jabs from White House spokesman Robert Gibbs.

Palin has since made light of the incident, poking fun at it during her appearance last week on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

Photo Credit: geerlinguy (via Flickr under CCL)