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What Sarah Palin’s earrings tell us

On Tuesday, Sarah Palin arrived in New York to begin two days of talks with a succession of world leaders. As she stood in front of the mirror on Monday, she must have wondered what an Alaskan hockey mom with a passport that has hardly a stamp upon it should wear to meet the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai. And for this most international of occasions, she picked a pair of earrings in the shape of her home state of Alaska.

Ms Palin tells us a lot about herself through her choice of jewellery. Her ear-wear displays a carefully crafted lack of sophistication. During a campaign rally in her home state, she decided upon beaded earrings that looked as if they had been picked up at a local craft fair. Accessorised with a glittery brooch that spelled out the word Alaska, the look couldn’t have been more small-town America, more I’m one of you, I’m ordinary, I fight for my people.

So what is Ms Palin saying with her homage to Alaska? With terrifying literal-mindedness, these earrings express everything we need to know about her pride in her roots and her people. At least no one will be in any doubt about where she’s from.

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