In Palin, echoes of another time

Born and raised in Maine, an experience that colors
her life and her outlook, Grape graduated from
Bates College and from the Columbia Graduate
School of Journalism, one of 11 women in a class of
70. In a career spent in journalism, she worked
in Boston and New York before returning to Maine.
She then served for 16 years as an editorial writer
and member of the editorial board for the Portland
Press Herald and Maine Sunday Telegram. Her column
commenting on state and national affairs for the
Telegram ran for 25 years.

About 30 seconds
into Sarah Palin's first
campaign appearance
on national television,
I had a startling flashback.
There, wowing
the crowd as Republican
Sen. John McCain's
surprise choice for vice
president, was not the
governor of Alaska,
but a lively, bright-eyed
Mainer, whose name has
been synonymous with
statewide tax reform for
more than 30 years.
I did, too, Mary
Adams told me, surprising
me just a bit. Tears
came to my eyes when I
saw her.

And well they might. A
few tricks of time travel,
a different decision here
and there, and Adams
might well have mounted
a national podium at
some point over these
last 30 years.

She was taking a
different road than I did,
Adams said of Palin,
speaking from her home
in Garland, in central
Maine And how glad I
was for her, really, that
she was able to muster
the kind of courage and
grace to make it up to
that level of political
commitment, with the
family she has.

Now, on an autumn
afternoon, Mary Adams,
70, spoke in a softer
voice and softer words
than some memorable
lines that have popped
out of her through the
past 30 years.

At a certain stage in
life I was younger than
Sarah when we finished
the repeal of the state
property tax in 1977 I
was faced with the same
decision, Adams said.
The political team she
had led to a 2-1 victory
repealing the state's uniform
property tax asked
her if she wanted to take
the tremendous name
recognition she had
gained throughout Maine
and run for governor.
The prospect was
tempting very tempting,
Adams acknowledged.
But I had two children,
ages 9 and 12. I said, No,
I can't. I have to go back
and finish that job.'

That decision so
understandable, even expected,
in 1977 echoes
as she assesses Palin
now.

When I saw her, I just
thought these are different
times and she is going
to take the bit in her
mouth and she's going
to do everything. She's
going to keep her family
together and make this
effort at this high office,
Adams told me. It just
thrilled me to watch her.
So, would Mary
Adams, a grandmother
now, swap places with
Sarah Palin?

The question slips
silently into a pool of
hesitation. Then, slowly,
an answer emerges.
No, if I did anything
and this is all fantasy, of
course it would be just
to give her encouragement,
Adams replied.

It's a brutal thing she's
going through. I can't
imagine that kind of
hostility and anger that's
being unleashed on her
and her family right now.
I'd just want to keep
encouraging her because
she's in a tough position
doing a tough job.

Mary Adams knows
that territory well. She
waded into politics again
recently, spearheading
a Taxpayer Bill of Rights
(TABOR) referendum that
failed at the ballot box in
2006.

Now, a new and historic
journey to the ballot
box is looming. Sarah
Palin is the Republican
nominee for vice president.
And a woman.

Whether you share
her policies or not and
I don't Palin demonstrates
there are women,
perhaps many women,
poised in unexpected
places to compete in
politics at the highest
levels. They are there, in
government and beyond.
And don't kid yourself.
A good many like them
were around in places
like Garland 30 years ago.
Some of these women
will be conservative.
Some will be liberal. And
some, to be sure, will
be better prepared than
others.

The ballot box leaves it
to us to decide their future.
It's that choice Palin
faces on Nov. 4.