Former GOP star Sarah Palin has a word to describe Kamala Harris

Sarah Palin, once a towering figure in American politics, has largely disappeared from the national stage.

From her vice presidential run to her appearances on reality TV, she seemed unstoppable.

But these days it feels like she's completely disappeared from the political map, leaving many wondering what happened to the woman who once energized the Republican Party.

Where is Sarah Palin now?

Although Palin is currently out of office, she has been outspoken about her political views on the 2024 presidential election and her support of former President Donald Trump.

In a recent interview with Al-Arabiya News' Rosanna Lockwood, Palin expressed concerns about Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee. While Palin believes it is time for a female president, she argues that Harris is not the right choice.

Palin described Harris as a “puppet” who is “controlled not by her own beliefs, experiences or vision for the world, but by globalists and communists who want to manipulate her and the people.”

She also suggested that Harris would be a suitable choice for the Democratic Party, pointing out that she has never won a primary and lacks the experience and preparation of previous Democratic candidates.

“I think for decades there's been the Uni Party, the globalists, who want to control people and take away individual rights, but that's been expressed much more aggressively and clearly lately with a candidate like Kamala,” Palin said in the interview .

Newsweek contacted Palin for comment.

Sarah Palin's political career

She served as governor of Alaska from 2006 to 2009, making her the first woman to hold that office. She gained national prominence as the Republican vice presidential candidate in the 2008 US election and was known for her strongly conservative views.

Her candidacy alongside Senator John McCain in 2008 attracted widespread attention for her folksy, populist style and controversial statements, although McCain-Palin ultimately lost to Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

In 2022, Palin briefly returned to the political stage, running in a special election for Alaska's congressional seat, but was defeated.

Newsweek spoke with Louis Perron, a political consultant with a PhD and a track record of winning elections in several countries. He said Palin made two unsuccessful runs for Congress in 2022, a rarity for a former vice presidential candidate.

“She hasn’t been in politics for more than 10 years,” Perron said. “Maybe she saw a chance, but then she lost twice. After the first defeat there should have been a brutally honest post-mortem to ensure that mistakes were not repeated.”

In Perron's book Beat the incumbentA chapter titled “Should I Stay or Should I Go” discusses the critical decision of whether to run for office. He shared Newsweek He has spent a lot of time discussing career moves with politicians.

“Many factors come into play: personal desires and ambitions, competition, career planning, fundraising,” said Perron. “In her case, she is not a young politician who just wants to try it out and run for office. After all these years, I would have thought about it very seriously.”

Perron said Newsweek When there are rumors that a well-known person is running for office, many people will encourage them to do so, often because they believe that is what the person wants to hear.

However, after thorough market research, he advised some candidates not to run. Among these people was an experienced politician from Switzerland who became one of his biggest supporters. They appreciated the time, money and potential embarrassment they avoided thanks to his guidance.

Palin's candidacy for vice president

Palin was the second woman to be nominated for vice president by a major U.S. political party, following Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman to receive such a nomination. Ferraro was the Democratic nominee in 1984, running alongside presidential candidate Walter Mondale.

Palin advocated for opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil exploration and supported expanding offshore drilling. Her administration also supported the construction of a natural gas pipeline from Alaska's North Slope to the continental United States

Palin prioritized cutting government spending and vetoing numerous government projects to maintain a balanced budget. She also led an ethics reform initiative that targeted corruption in Alaska's oil industry and promoted transparency in government.

On social issues, Palin took a strong pro-life stance and opposed abortions except when the mother's life was in danger. She was also a vocal advocate for Second Amendment rights and supported gun ownership.

A critic of the Affordable Care Act, Palin opposed government mandates on health care and advocated market-based reforms. In education, she supported school choice, homeschooling, and local control and opposed federal overregulation of schools.

In the general election, McCain-Palin ultimately lost to Democratic candidates Barack Obama and Joe Biden, securing 45.7% of the vote compared to Democrats' 53.4%.

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