I am Sarah Palin and that is why I don’t like her.

I can see myself wielding my fecundity against other conservative women as a sort of morality trump card (I am clearly more Christian/more moral/more family-oriented/etc COS I GOTZ FIVE KIDS BIATCH!). I can see myself finding out the hard way that while I was pretty good looking (enough to win or place well in beauty pageants), I wasn’t hot enough for television– but I would always be the hottest gal in the room if I went into politics. I can see myself telling lies and being rude because ‘it’s just politics’ and still feeling smug and secure in my Christian-culture (though perhaps not necessarily Christian) faith.

I can see myself being offered the bargain Satan offered Jesus, that rule of earthly kingdoms could be assured if I would but bow down to Satan. I can see myself getting so distracted by how I’d delegate authority, and what projects I’d have my kingdom working on, and how I’d make others do what I said that I ended up accepting the bargain without any deeper thought.

We often dislike most people who reflect temptations we aren’t conscious of being susceptible to. And so I dislike her because I think she took the devil’s deal and in taking it revealed to me that I might as easily have done too, in her position and situation.

Her deceit has forced me to be more honest about my motivations when taking on leadership positions and roles and confront my temptation to be power-seeking and vainglorious. God’s work is mysterious, indeed.