Carrying the Standard?

An article from today's Politico titled "Out of Alaska, Palin's Star Shines" caught my attention for many reasons, not the least of which is because I am curious about Palin's role in the future of the GOP. Folks often ask my what I thought of Palin's candidacy, and I always offer the same response: I think the selection of Palin to run on the GOP ticket was an impatient choice. In rhetoric, we call this kairos, the opportune or most appropriate moment to advance an argument (in this case, the argument was that the McCain/Palin team held the most promise for leading the country). But my response is mostly influenced by something I've taken from Sun Tzu: that no individual should assume a position of leadership and power before his or her 'time.' And I don't think Palin was ready--she was, and is, politically immature. That is in no way an indictment of her character, intelligence, or ability.

I am sorry to admit that, for quite a while now, I have been saddened by the lack of leadership, service, clear philosophy, and sense of purpose from the party I still consider my own. The members of the party I most respect have said 'no thank you' to the mantle of leadership. And it troubles me, because I do believe in the value of classical liberalism--the very impetus for the party's inception in 1854 and source of inspiration for the nation's founders--and its enduring cogency. I also recognize the importance of understanding the dynamics of a republic and how a democratic republic such as ours provides its own inherent structures of balance. Ours is a graceful and powerful paradigm for governance, and the party system helps to support that paradigm.

But perhaps I digress . . .

In reading Andy Barr's Politico piece, I was most struck by the following:

The Alaska governor received a warm reception from Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, also in attendance, at a news conference ahead of the dinner.

“I think she is a standard-bearer right now,” Steele said. “She and Mitt Romney and Gov. Pawlenty, Gov. Sanford, Rudy Giuliani, Eric Cantor, Mike Pence. We have a significant number of men and women in our party who are in a very good position right now to carry forward the standard of the GOP.”

Mr. Steele, I ask you without a trace of irony, what is this standard you speak of?

As a member of the party and one who routinely defends the GOP, I find I can only defend what the party should stand for, what it has--historically--stood for, but I am still trying to articulate--and even understand--the kind of contemporary standard of which Michael Steele speaks. And without it, it is incredibly difficult to argue the party's purpose, its relevance in the contemporary public forum.