Should we go to the fortuneteller?Or maybe make a visit to Madame Rue?Because Doctor, Doctor, we need a cure; we’ve got a bad case of the Palin effect!Sarah Palin swooped into our state sprinkling her dark magical dust all over the place.It has been like a scene from the Wizard of Oz with masses of people falling under the spell of poppies.Early in our Republican primary she tainted the waters with her endorsement of Karen Handel for governor.Her record of endorsements has definitely been one of some effectiveness.

Karen Handel managed to lead our governor’s race until late on election night.By morning, Handel did an honorable thing and accepted her loss which was determined by a close spread of a couple thousand votes or so.But she caused a lot of angst for Republicans with her nasty campaign which we are already reaping as Roy Barnes begins his democratic campaign.Frequently, big name Republicans such as Mike Huckabee or seated US senators will wait until the turmoil of a heated primary has ended before throwing their weight behind a candidate in such a crowded field.However Palin is not known as someone who follows conventional wisdom.

There were many reasons to be concerned about Karen Handel.She has never completed any term in office.She did not go to college.She is known as someone who is an ethics reformer and yet is under ethics investigations herself.However, few people seemed to question her credentials, particularly after she took the lead with a bump from Palin’s endorsement.Her victory appeared assured when Palin herself rode into town the day before the election for a rally for Handel.

Georgians had many great choices for governor this year.However few of those highly qualified candidates could break through the noise of the tweeting Palin as the national media panted and treated each post on Facebook by Palin as a death knell to all other choices.The saddest part is the specter of a swooning public.Women in particular seem to be vulnerable to her spell.I feel free to state this obvious fact as a member of that gender myself.While Palin injected much needed enthusiasm and energy into the McCain presidential bid, she has not been particularly helpful since.I encourage those zombies who are under the hex she has cast to wake up!

Really, when you consider the alternative of continuing under her power, well the picture isn’t a pretty one.

I took my troubles down to Madame Rue
 You know that gypsy with the gold-capped tooth
 She’s got a pad down on Thirty-Fourth and Vine
 Sellin’ little bottles of Love Potion Number Nine

I told her that I was a flop with chics
 I’ve been this way since 1956
 She looked at my palm and she made a magic sign
 She said “What you need is Love Potion Number Nine”

She bent down and turned around and gave me a wink
 She said “I’m gonna make it up right here in the sink”
 It smelled like turpentine, it looked like Indian ink
 I held my nose, I closed my eyes, I took a drink

I didn’t know if it was day or night
 I started kissin’ everything in sight
 But when I kissed a cop down on Thirty-Fourth and Vine
 He broke my little bottle of Love Potion Number Nine

The Clovers, The Searchers

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