After my article on the difference between confidence and arrogance recently, a couple of people emailed me to ask where I thought Sarah Palin was on that scale.

My answer? She’s arrogant.

Sure, her speech was a virtuoso performance and she certainly seemed to be completely confident with both the delivery of her speech and its content. But that’s where I think she crossed the line.

Let’s look at the differences:

• Arrogant people strive to be right
  However much I disagree with her beliefs and politics I can’t knock her for having strong opinions and keeping true to them. That’s part of what it is to be confident. The problem I have is when, in the belief that she’s right, she uses flawed arguments to demonstrate she’s right and attempts to stamp that on the people and communities around her (in cases like Troopergate and the Librarian)

  Throughout the speech there was no question about whether she thought every word coming from her lips was right and it seems like her career to date has also been one where she’s operated from a stance of being right. Put someone like that in a position of power and it spells danger.

• Arrogant people want to build themselves up
  There’s no doubt that Palin’s become a household name and secured her position as one of the worlds most powerful women, which should be applauded. What grated with me is how she used her speech to take the piss out of other people and belittle the achievements of others, most notably how (in a single sentence) she dismissed the roles and achievements of community leaders across the USA.

  The almost childish tone of one-upmanship left me with my mouth wide open, and the realisation that she’ll willingly kick people to the curb and do what’s necessary to elevate her position.

  It’s great that she’s a Mum with a successful career and her family is clearly important to her. But while politicians have introduced their families to the media for decades, using them as an integral part of a make-or-break speech to help bolster her position as a multi-tasking, values-led success is another thing entirely.

• Arrogant people bluff their way
  Styled and coiffured to within an inch of her life, she certainly presented a convincing and powerful image. But it looks like the experience and track record she trumpeted is questionable, and the credibility she strived to portray just isn’t there.

  Yes, people need to have confidence in the ability of a President or Vice-President to do the job, but I think it’s okay to be inexperienced as long as you’ve demonstrated considerable skill and talent and it’s clear you have the ability to learn the right lessons fast.

  Any position at the White House is going to need you to step it up several gears, hit the ground running and learn quick, but with the level of bluffing that Palin has kicked off her campaign with I wonder if she’ll be honest and responsible enough to learn the required lessons.

• Arrogant people don’t listen
  It’s one thing to know your own mind and another to not give room to the opinions of others. She spent a large part of her speech talking about how America needs to become more energy independent, which is a worthy goal but her environmental record is pretty shocking, even to the point of choosing to not listen to leading scientific experts and groups such as the Centre for Biological Diversity.

  She spoke about how Obama doesn’t talk about “victory” with regard to the wars in Iran and Afghanistan, but if she was paying attention she’d see that there’s no victory to be had in the traditional sense, and looking at it in black and white terms is dangerous.

  She’s made it clear that she listens to what she wants to listen to – the voices that agree with her own opinions and beliefs.

• Arrogant people talk first and think later
  Long time Republican speech writer Matthew Scully was the pen behind the speech, and it’s arguable how much Palin inputted personally. Some of the digs, claims and jibes in the speech should have rung an alarm bell or two with her though, especially as she’s no stranger to the power of veto.

  Her willingness to talk without apparent thought to consequences or due-diligence add weight to the argument that she believes she’s in the right, and her record is dotted with times where she talked and acted based on that instinct rather than a more considered stance.

  She likened herself to a pit-bull with lipstick. Pit-bulls aren’t known for their deep thinking and will act on instincts based on self-preservation, hunger and play.

I realise there’s a dichotomy here in that I haven’t written about Obama or Clinton and whether they’re confident or arrogant. Does that introduce some hypocrisy to what I’ve written?

I don’t believe so, although Obama’s recent “pig” comment was certainly ill-judged. I’ve worked with successful, professional women over the last 6 years and have helped them manage career, family, relationships and confidence. I love seeing women doing things on their terms and having success in a way that’s relevant and meaningful to them, and to me there’s a dignity and integrity to Barack and Hillary that I didn’t see in Palin (at least, not yet), and perhaps that’s what really troubles me.