"California Calculus" Edition...
Allahpundit at Hot Air:
"Palin’s problem isn’t her base, it’s centrist Republicans and independents, and today’s curveball will help her (very marginally) with that. Frankly, I like the fact that she showed some [spine] and jumped in on behalf of a candidate who might irk the grassroots. The rap on her is that she’s a wingnut robot, mindlessly supporting whoever the truest 'true conservative' in the race might be. Not so. This required some calculation and some risk, and she’s willing and able to undertake both. Good."Jon Fleischman atThe Flash Report:
"This endorsement is a big boost to Fiorina's candidacy amongst conservatives -- and is a significant blow to the campaign of Chuck DeVore... There is no doubt to this close observer of California politics that Chuck DeVore is the most conservative candidate in this Senate primary. But Palin's endorsement of Fiorina makes it a harder sell for DeVore that he is the only conservative in the field."Ian Lazaran at Conservatives 4 Palin:
"Right now, Fiorina and DeVore are splitting the conservative vote in California, allowing Campbell to take the lead. It's pretty clear that Campbell is the worst possible choice for conservatives in California... He will be unable to create the contrast that our candidate needs to create with longtime Democrat Party hack Barbara Boxer. Carly Fiorina can create the contrast with Boxer. She is also clearly in a better position to win the primary and then prevail in the general election than DeVore. She has raised a lot more money in her campaign than DeVore in a state where it is very expensive to advertise... There's a reason why liberals attack Fiorina much more than they attack her two primary opponents. The left recognizes that the strongest possible opponent for Barbara Boxer is someone unafraid to take the fight right to her."Be John Galt:
"My guess is that Palin viewed DeVore as unelectable and made the endorsement more to stop Tom Campbell than support Carly Fiorina. Palin may also believe Fiorina has a better chance of defeating Barbara Boxer in the general election. 'California isn’t Kansas, Toto.'"Spencer Kornhaber at OC Weekly Blogs:
"Big-name conservatives organizations, like the California Pro Life Council and National Right to Life, have been coming down for Fiorina lately. The Palin endorsement is the latest and by far greatest blow to DeVore's failed campaign to acquire a monopoly on conservative credentials in the Senate primary race. And some of the endorsements DeVore has been racking up of late have been pretty, well, unimpressive... Chuck sent out a soul-searching message to supporters. Yes, the Palin thing stung... Hey [RedState] commenters who said DeVore didn't care about Sarah--how's that nopey, changey thing workin' out for ya?"Ron Devito at US for Palin:
"Candidate endorsements are not just about principles. They’re about winning. They’re also high-risk, for if one of her endorsed candidates loses, it reflects on Governor Palin. She is not going to squander the political capital she worked so hard to build, to make a few purists happy. Our goal between now and November 2, 2010 is to take back the House and the Senate, so that Obama’s agenda can be stalled, neutered and reversed. In this senatorial race, Fiorina, not Devore, is the one who can beat Boxer. Devore’s campaign has squandered funds almost as soon as they were raised and alienated key Republicans through its amateurish operations. Devore also does not have national name recognition critical in a federal election. The foregoing clearly indicates that winning a primary will be next to impossible for Devore, and Boxer will win a general election with him as the opposition. Governor Palin most absolutely did the right thing endorsing Fiorina."Taylor Marsh:
"As for Fiorina, she’s charming, smart and has a much better chance of winning than the men she’s up against. Tom Campbell ran against Feinstein in 2000, losing by 19 points and getting beat in his own district. As for Devore, Palin doesn’t want to back a loser... This endorsement makes a lot of sense if you’ve followed Sarah. These two women have both been through the ringer with the press, had serious challenges in their professional lives, failed and gotten back up. Palin supporters need to get a clue. They’re upset because they haven’t done their homework and don’t know the politician they idolize."Clifton B at Another Black Conservative:
"Despite the great devotion that conservatives have for Chuck Devore, he simply does not have the numbers on his side... Here is some hard truth for my California readers. It appears there aren’t enough true conservatives on the left coast to pull Devore over the line... I think... that is why [Sarah Palin] is endorsing Fiorina."Phineas Fahrquar at Public Secrets:
"I support Sarah Palin. I like her record; I like what she stands for. And, 95% of the time, I like her judgment. I plan to vote for her and campaign for her should she run for President... I see this neither as a betrayal of 'true conservatism' nor as a divine revelation. It is the recommendation of one very smart, very savvy politician whom I admire greatly – and with whom I disagree in this particular case... So let’s put down the long knives, remember what unites us, and aim for the gold ring in November, not the brass one in June."Adrienne Ross at Motivation Truth:
"I simply cannot get used to the vehement anger displayed by some whenever [Gov. Palin] does something with which they don't agree. I say again what I've said before: the very thing that drew people to her is the very thing that makes people furious with her when she doesn't do what they expect... When looking at the full picture, it is obvious to me that her endorsement of Carly Fiorina was the common sense decision. She is the conservative with the best chance in this race. Others disagree with this. That's cool, too. But the whining?"David Forsmark at the News Real Blog:
"The other day, John Guardiano had a provocative post saying that Sarah Paln’s endorsement of California Republican Senate candidate Carly Fiorina proves she is not a conservative. Of course, it proves no such thing... I’m just curious. If an endorsement of Carly Fiorina disqualifies one from the label of 'conservative,' what does a week long, passionate defense– and endorsement– of David Frum, who makes his living trashing conservatives lately– make John? If nothing else, Carly Fiorina seems to be to the right of David Frum. Just sayin’…"Pamela Geller at Atlas Shrugs:
"Fiorino notwithstanding, I love that woman. She wears [her Israeli/American flag] pin all the time."Gary P. Jackson at The Cypress Times:
"We all kind of figured there would be some detractors when Sarah decided to step in and endorse Carly Fiorina in the Californian Republican primary. But the over the top histrionics, and the unprofessional reaction from the DeVore camp simply amazed me... The bottom line though is this: Chuck DeVore has zero chance of becoming the Republican nominee for the United States Senate race. Zero. There are a any number of reasons why DeVore simply didn’t get traction. Most of it can be narrowed down to the fact that he ran a poor campaign The DeVore campaign had trouble raising money, and even more trouble managing money."Patrick S. Adams at Patrick's World USA:
"I understand how some in the Tea Party and conservative movement feel. I, too, was a little taken aback by the Fiorina endorsement. Like with Palin's resignation, I will come to understand it in time. I know this because I believe in Sarah Palin... I believe in conservatism and see what it can do as a guiding philosophy for political leaders. I'm also a Reagan Republican... Ronald Reagan may have been one of the unwashed masses; but every once in a while he had to don the tux and go sit with some party big whigs... We're going to have to govern some day. While getting there may start with clinging to your dogma while waving Gadsden flags in a field, ultimately how you form coalitions and enact policy on the electoral playing field and in the halls of Congress requires a balancing act between purism and pragmatism... Obama's got a big army and we need numbers."Stacy Drake at A Time for Choosing:
"Tom Campbell is currently up an average of +6 points in all the polls. If those numbers do not shift by June 8th, Campbell will win the primary and all this bickering between DeVore and Fiorina camps will be for nothing. As a Conservative, as a Californian, as a San Diegan that possibility frightens me. Not only is Tom Campbell way more left-leaning than I prefer for my candidates on issues like taxes, abortion, and the second amendment, but he also has some connections that are deeply troubling... Keep in mind that Chuck DeVore is currently registering 10-14 percentage points in the polls. If he were to hypothetically drop out and shift his support to Fiorina, that would wipe out Campbell’s lead entirely. However, that would take leadership on DeVore’s part, and after the “sheepdog” swipe he allowed last week, I am not holding my breath."- JP
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