Curious Parallels (Sujatha)

Every now and then, I see something going on in American politics, and then pause to think "Haven't I seen a similar scenario, before , only a continent away and 10 years ago?"

Then,regional politics in India:

Jayalalitha: brought in to 'sex up' campaign of an elderly MGR
Regional politician (was Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu state in India) with national ambitions
land scandal in 2000 leading to her removal/resignation
Still a force in regional politics
Actress background

"THE charges in the first case are that Jaya Publications, in which Jayalalitha and Sasikala were partners, bought 3.07 acres of land and a building belonging to the government-owned TANSI Foundry at Guindy in Chennai at a price much lower than the guidel ine value and gained more than Rs.3.5 crores in the transaction. The sale took place when Jayalalitha was Chief Minister (1991-1996). Jayalalitha "abused her official position at every stage" in the property deal although no public interest was involved, the charge-sheet said. Since Jayalalitha was Chief Minister when she bought the property, she attracted the provisions of the PCA."

Now, Fourth of July Fireworks of a different sort:

Sarah Palin: brought in to 'sex up' campaign of  an elderly McCain
Regional politician with national ambitions
House scandal (RUMOR ALERT - this may or may not be the reason for her precipitated resignation):

"A list of subcontractors on the job, obtained by the Voice, includes many with Palin ties. One was Spenard Builders Supply, the state’s leading supplier of wood, floor, roof, and other “pre-engineered components.” In addition to being a sponsor of Todd Palin’s snow-machine team that has earned tens of thousands for the Palin family, Spenard hired Sarah Palin to do a statewide television commercial in 2004. When the Palins began building a new family home off Lake Lucille in 2002—at the same time that Palin was running for lieutenant governor and in her final months as mayor—Spenard supplied the materials, according to Antoine Bricks, who works in its Wasilla office. Spenard actually filed a notice “of its right to assert a lien” on the deed for the Palin property after contracting for labor and materials for the site. Spenard’s name has popped up in the trial of Senator Stevens—it worked on the house that is at the center of the VECO scandal as well.

Todd Palin told Fox News that he built the two-story, 3,450-square-foot, four-bedroom, four-bath, wood house himself, with the help of contractors he described as “buddies.” As mayor, Sarah Palin blocked an effort to require the filing of building permits in the wide-open city, and there is no public record of who the “buddies” were. The house was built very near the complex, on a site whose city purchase led to years of unsuccessful litigation and, now, $1.3 million in additional costs, with a law firm that’s also donated to Palin collecting costly fees from the city."

Gov of AK
Still a force in politics (?)
Beauty pageant/TV background

Sarah Palin's beyond-bizarre resignation announcement:

"My choice is to take a stand and effect change – not hit our heads against the wall and watch valuable state time and money, millions of your dollars, go down the drain in this new environment. Rather, we know we can effect positive change outside government at this moment in time, on another scale, and actually make a difference for our priorities – and so we will, for Alaskans and for Americans."

There the similarity stops for now. It's anybody's guess as to whether Palin manages to stage a revival (Jayalalitha did manage it, after all). That's highly dependent on the quotient of true Palin-believers to those who will write her off after her shaky and scared TV performance.

The confounding factors are many. Jayalalitha had little to no family to worry about, while Palin has her large brood of children in dire need of attention. Jayalalitha was able to still cling to the aura of the 'generous mother' while it might be harder for Palin to do so.

As Palin famously states in her speech : "Only dead fish go with the flow." The question remains as to whether she is a dead fish or a live one.

Comments

[Ruchira]

The resignation speech was bizarre indeed. I had a hard time following the train of thoughts - a strange juxtaposition of the value of small government, personal responsibility, public service and irrelevant tributes to the military.

And what is it with Sarah Palin and birds? During her Thanksgiving Turkey Pardon speech, turkeys were being slaughtered behind her. Yesterday ducks were cackling loudly in the background and drowing out the string of disjointed non-sequiturs.

[Sujatha]

To me, it was less about the word-salad and more about her jerky, gasping delivery of the lines that made me think that she is seriously rattled about something coming down the pike (no, not fish again!). We will know soon enough, if we wait patiently, I guess.
Maybe the ducks were quacking 'Lame duck, lame duck' or 'Off with her head', just as was being done to the turkey. It's an Alice-in-Wonderland nightmare, and Sarah's headed down the rabbit hole.

[D]

Another salient difference - Jayalalitha, in addition to being remarkably corrupt, self-serving and autocratic (favorite Laxman cartoon - the entire Lok Sabha reciting the national anthem, Jaya Jaya Jaya, Jaya he around her as she gloats) she's one smart person in every sense of the word, not something straightforwardly held of madam Palin.

[Sujatha]

D,
I'm not so convinced about J's 'smartness', as I am of her 'savvy', which is a different thing. The veneer of culture merely masks the ruthlessness, while for Palin the 'folksiness' and 'awshucks-look at how ordinary I am' mask her ambition and middle-school politics.
If it is a matter of knowing how to play the game of politics, I will grant that J has been more successful at it in the long run, and only slightly less crass in her exhortations to her followers than say, Mayawati, or Palin for that matter.

After MGR's death, Jayalalitha managed to inspire her followers with the sense that she was the 'Kali mata' but Palin is mixed in her approach to her followers, trying to milk the 'Holy Mother' contingent as well as the 'librarian in high heels sex appeal' demographic. Different strokes for different folks, but it all ends up being the same in terms of quest for power and money.