Beltway suddenly becomes more Palin-friendly

Since the 2008 election, the liberal media has been painting the picture of a Washington, DC with little respect and some downright hostility for Sarah Palin. But since she announced her intention to resign the governorship of Alaska and the disclosure by SarahPAC that it had raised $733,000 in five months with hardly any effort, we are beginning to hear a different narrative out of the nation's capitol.

Item: A July 8 article by Politico's Manu Raju was an early sign that a change was in the wind. The article was headlined "GOP insiders see value in Palin's move":

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a close ally of McCain’s and an astute political strategist for the party, said Palin could either have finished her term and created a stronger résumé of legislative accomplishments or she could support 2010 candidates and build new allegiances and alliances that could help her in the future.

“She has to prove in the next 18 months — I think — that she has the ability to help the party on a national scale, which quite frankly I think she does,” Graham said. “The more involved she is in helping candidates and the party, the more viable she’ll be.” Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said it was “too early to tell” what impact the resignation would have on Palin’s political future. But he said that Palin “still could be very helpful in terms of showing up at rallies and fundraisers and things like that.” And the second in command at the NRSC, Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, said Palin is the “No. 1 most popular Republican” and it would be “wonderful” to have her help raise funds for 2010 candidates.

Even Palin’s Alaska colleague, Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, agreed — and Murkowski initially said she was “stunned” by Palin’s decision.

On Tuesday, Murkowski said Palin “absolutely” could be a viable 2012 candidate, could effectively stump for 2010 GOP candidates and has an “incredible ability to galvanize people, to motivate people, to inspire people.” Murkowski said an “awful lot of people” think Palin could do more to raise her national profile by leaving Alaska — and Murkowski said her initial sour reaction was based on how Palin’s resignation could affect the state and on the fact that she was speaking from a satellite phone and could not go into detail.

House Republicans also seem enthusiastic about the idea of Palin as a national GOP barnstormer. “There’s no question Sarah Palin inspires millions of Americans. I’m sure she would be a very positive force in the debate as we go towards the ’10 elections,” said Virginia Republican Rep. Eric Cantor, the House minority whip.

Item: Hotline's On Call blog, though still pushing the SNC's "polarizing" meme, headlined a piece published today with "GOP Insiders: Palin A Campaign Asset In '10":

The GOP responses were probably the most intriguing because they reflect two ongoing debates with in the party. One, of course, is over Palin herself and her future in the party; many Republicans see her as a force, others almost hold her in contempt. The other argument focuses on whether Republicans are more likely to win elections by turning out the base or attracting independents and even a few disgruntled Democrats. Palin, who is practically a rock star to the party base but remains a polarizing figure for many non-Republicans, seems to embody that discussion. Still, she remains one of the most intriguing politicians of the day.

As one GOP insider put it: "Just like the movie with Cameron Diaz, there's just something about Sarah. Don't ask me to explain it, though."

This is a markedly different take from all the reports from GOP figures immediately after Gov. Palin's announcement opining that she was making a "terrible mistake" and had "ended her political career."

Talk about hope and change! Republicans hoping for Sarah Palin to raise some cash and campaign for them have changed their tune. Those that were previously silent or even negative are now sounding positive.

Item: Today's Washington Post edition of Chris Cillizza's The Friday Line, Sarah Palin is ranked number two among all Republican leaders, up from number nine last time:

We decided to put Palin so high on the Line for one reason: is there any other Republican you can think of who, if she runs for president, will be a favorite in two -- Iowa and South Carolina -- of the first four states to vote for president in the primaries?

We find it interesting that Cillizza complains about:

"the Fix's difficulty in wrapping our arms around what Palin means in the party, what she plans to do with her political future and how seriously she needs to be taken."

It's not Sarah Palin's fault that Cillizza and other pundits have failed to get it, as far as Sarah Palin is concerned. Yet he seems to be blaming her for his ranking of her jumping all over the place. She's still the same conservative she has always been. She still stands up for the same issues she has always stood for. She's been speaking out on energy security, national security, the federal government's intrusion into state affairs and the private sector for months. Sarah Palin is not like the kind of politician that Cillizza is used to. She relates to us because she is one of us. And the elites don't get that and never will.

Still, who said things couldn't change rather quickly inside the Beltway? Sarahcuda will have these political animals eating out of her hand before she's through with them.

- JP