You know her. The Sarah-equivalent. She volunteers her time at school. Maybe coaches little league or soccer. She’s on all the committees. Over time, people defer to her because she is selfless in giving her time. She insinuates herself into the workings of the community thanks to her selflessness.
She uses her selflessness selfishly – to advance her point of view or her “friends and family” or both. And because she is so integral to the workings of the community, people with a different opinion don’t speak out or push back on her. They’re afraid that disagreeing with the Sarah-equivalent will come back to bite them or their loved ones. Maybe she’ll block the variance they’re seeking on their home remodel. Maybe she’ll bench their kid when she’s coaching the All Stars team. Or worse.
So, the Sarah-equivalent is surrounded by yes-men or worse, by people who see through her fake selflessness but are too lazy or too cynical to do her job(s) themselves. The Sarah-equivalents get ahead by out-volunteering the rest of us and then guilting us into submission.
It’s time to stand up to all the Sarah Palins, most importantly the GOP nominee for VP.  Thank her for her selflessness, and tell her we can’t accept her help anymore. It’s time she took better care of herself. We’ll take care of the country.