Ron Devito: Why Gov Palin Chose SRLC over CPAC

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Good post from our friend and colleague Ron Devito at US for Palin on why Sarah Palin chose to attend SLRC but not CPAC:

The John Birch Society has indeed co-sponsored CPAC 2010 (Hahn, 2009, ¶1). Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post cited this factor as one reason why Governor Palin declined CPAC (Cillizza, 2010, ¶1). Indeed, the fringe elements of the right appeared to have taken over CPAC under Mitt Romney’s nose...

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Shenanigans such as the Federal Express conflict of interest and catering to the lunatic fringe diminish the value of this once prestigious gathering of conservatives. Keene rather than taking splinters out of Governor Palin’s eyes might do well to take the planks out of his own. Those Sarah Palin posters were snatched up so fast, because those who wanted her image yearn for a leader to carry Ronald Reagan’s torch.

Good post. Read it all here.

Sarah Palin's political instincts appear to have served her well yet again with her decision to pass on CPAC. She was in good company, as Mark Levin also decided not to attend:

"I was invited to be the opening speaker at Saturday’s CPAC session. I had accepted but then, to my amazement, I learned that the John Birch Society would be one of many co-sponsors. This takes the big-tent idea many steps too far for me. So, I withdrew. Apparently, others were not so moved. That’s fine. But it wasn’t for me. Bill Buckley and Barry Goldwater, among others, chased the Birchers from the movement decades ago. And they’re not a part of the movement. So, to give them a booth at CPAC was boneheaded."

Another of our blogging colleagues, M. Joseph Sheppard at Recovering Liberal addresses the media myth pushed by the lamestream media regarding CPAC, SRLC and Gov. Palin:

When Palin declined to speak at CPAC the media critics attacked her on two levels. Firstly her "avarice" for only (supposedly) speaking at events where she gets $100,000 and secondly for her supposed poor political judgement in passing up an opportunity to speak to the opinion makers and movers and shakers of the Republican party.

The avarice slur is of course well exploded, as one example amongst many, Palin will not be paid to speak at the forthcoming Southern Republican Leadership Conference . In respect of which it is an absolute delight to see a Palin critic having to publicly apologize for her poorly researched article stating Palin was being paid-these people are so caught up in their bias they rush into print and make fools of themselves.

As for Sarah Palin's chance to address the movers and the shakers of the GOP, that comes, as Ron said in a few weeks in New Orleans at SRLC. There will of course be plenty of other opportunities for her as well. 

Related: Gov. Palin wasn't the only potential 2012 GOP presidential candidate who skipped CPAC this year. Mike Huckabee also declined to attend, for his own reasons.

Update: CPAC critics have coined a phrase -- "Brokeback Convention" -- to describe the 2010 event. Why? Because so many establishment conservatives seem to be saying to David Keene, "I just can't quit you." And Jerry Wilson has the final word (a thousand words, actually, if a picture is still worth that many) on why Sarah Palin was wise to skip CPAC, at Goldfish and Clowns.

- JP