Sarah Palin might know how to hide a baby bump or an ex-relative or, let’s face it, a nest of lies inside one of those tacky scrunch-clips, but here in Philadelphia, she stuck out like a sore thumb — albeit one that couldn’t hitch a ride out of here if it tried — all weekend long. At right is a shot of her jogging by the Schuylkill on Friday, tuning out the full weight of her handlers ditching her in a town everybody knows they’d never carry in a million years. All told, it’s a lucky thing she didn’t cause an international incident (unless you count this, which I just count as a building block for the rollout of the new McCain campaign slogan: “You don’t say that OUT LOUD!“) Nevertheless, good on Palin for, at the very least, having the good sense to stay away from Joey Vento, bunting the cheesesteak question at Tony Luke’s. (Whereupon she was told by a customer, in a classic Philly homosayswhat moment, that she’s hot.) But let’s look at the tape for a moment:

Jesus fucking Christ. I know I’m rambling here — there’s just too much Palin shit to get to it all right here — but looking at that clip, doesn’t the whole thing strike anyone as just being unbearably sad? I mean, even if you disengage from the politics and just put it out there as a human story? That this hick, this seriously, wildly unsophisticated person gets propelled into this hot seat and spotlight and just fails so miserably, both as human being as well as a political animal would be a pitiable thing if the person at the heart of it and the policies she represents were not just so, so toxic on every front. I almost can’t get my head around it.

But outside the Irish Pub on Friday night, there was the deep soul howling that seems like the most right and natural reaction to what we’ve been presented with here. (Video here, slideshow here.) And spare us the Phillies jacket, please. Like I said before, it’s a miracle Palin was able to stay in the city as long as she did without major incident — likewise, it’s just as surprising that she didn’t incur even more political bruising at the hands of our wily populace, who seem ready to pounce in just about every piece of footage I’ve seen. (Just ask the “You’re hot” guy.) But on the other hand, I guess I’m kinda proud of you Philly: You were just obeying the old adage about guests beginning to stink on the third day, even when you knew damn well that this one absolutely reeked before she even got here.

This entry was posted on Monday, September 29th, 2008 at 10:53 am.