Sarah Palin is a self-described "rogue." For her autobiography, she chose the title, Going Rogue: An American Life. It's an image Palin has enthusiastically adopted, presumably because she thinks it makes her sound independent.
A quick look at the dictionary, however, shows that "rogue" is defined as "a dishonest or worthless person," followed by a string of unflattering synonyms such as "villain, trickster, swindler, cheat and quack." Even the definition that comes closest to what Palin probably has in mind when she uses the term to describe herself doesn't sound all that appealing, especially coming from someone who is asking for the public trust: "no longer obedient, belonging, or accepted and hence not controllable or answerable; deviating, renegade."
One of the most disturbing things about Sarah Palin is that she is a prime example of the way our culture confers credibility and wisdom on people as a reward for achieving celebrity—as though such qualities were tiaras like the ones Palin received in her beauty pageant days. Yet, Palin routinely claims knowledge that she not only doesn't possess, but appears to have no interest in acquiring.
Palin's new career as a pundit should suit her well. She can share uninformed opinions with an appreciative audience that, for the most part, already agrees with her and is unlikely to challenge her shaky assumptions. And because all she is offering is her opinion, maybe she can continue to get away without learning the issues or acknowledging the facts.