More Quote of the Day Honorable Mention, Part 117

"Powerful Coattails" Edition...
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Rob Miller at Big Journalism:

"While O’Donnell does indeed have some baggage, the choice was between her and a couple of politicians who were essentially votes for the Obama agenda.. Once people figured that out they simply asked themselves how much, in the end, did it really matter whether there was a ‘R’ or a ‘D’ behind their name if it was just going to be business as usual with the same old faces? Most of the media has yet to grasp the fact that people are increasingly asking themselves that question. And the GOP will survive only to the extent it recognizes that reality. Otherwise, we’re talking about a reprise of the Whigs here. One more thought… conspicuously absent has been more than passing references to Sarah Palin, who once again seems to have powerful coattails."

Vain at The Sarah Palin Revolution:

"The AP didn't mention Sarah Palin ONCE in their 'O'Donnell Wins' piece. I'm willing to bet that their original piece had her name plastered all over the place as a loser in the worst possible way."

Doug Powers at The Powers That Be:

"The backlash directed at the NRSC from peeved conservatives clearly would have cost the NRSC well in excess of $42,000 in donations alone, so they bit their tongues and sent O’Donnell a check. This shouldn’t have happened in the first place, but this little incident is a clear sign that the Republican leadership at many levels doesn’t understand its base and doesn’t understand that 2010 is turning out to be about cleaning up the mess, whether the mess was made by a donkey or an elephant. Karl Rove and Charles Krauthammer don’t understand that — Sarah Palin does."

Aliyah Shahid at the NY Daily News:

"One thing has become abundantly clear from Tuesday night's primaries: Sarah Palin's endorsements matter."

Chris Cillizza at The Fix:

"In the two highest profile primaries of the day -- Delaware Senate and New Hampshire Senate -- the former Alaska governor appears to have picked the right candidate. Palin had long been supportive of former New Hampshire Attorney General Kelly Ayotte... and got involved for O'Donnell just days ago. (O'Donnell did credit Palin with helping to provide a burst of late momentum in her victory speech last night.) Palin wasn't perfect... but the rising power of the tea party (and her status as one of its titular heads) means she has political capital to play with heading into 2012."

Web Today:

"PALIN POWER! Helps deliver O'Donnell the Victory in Delaware..."

Standing Pat:

"The Republican establishment has suffered some stunning defeats at the hands of Sarah Palin. Joe Miller? Nikki Haley? Carly Fiorina? Even when she’s lost, she’s had an impact. Her endorsement of independent Doug Hoffman in NY-23 destroyed the RINO GOP candidate. Palin has said that the democratic process requires competitive primaries. She has stood by that and shaken up many key races. But she has also remained loyal to the GOP and discouraged 3rd party candidates (NY-23 was a special case). I don’t think her successes are due to dumb luck... I’m pretty certain the last thing a GOP primary candidate wants to hear is that Sarah Palin has endorsed their opponent. It is too often a kiss of death for RINOs. Post mid-terms, we will see a GOP much more attuned to Palin than McCain. As you sow, so shall you reap."

Dave Burge at Iowahawk:

"Another slasher flick from White House-Sulzberger-CBS Narrative Films has landed with a thud at the box office. As a result the studio will drop promising newcomer villain John Boehner and greenlight a big budget sequel starring - wait for it - Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, and Rush Limbaugh."

Jackie Napper:

"Steve Chapman, a columnist for the Chicago Tribune, wrote an article... this weekend titled, 'If Palin runs for president.' After reading it, I have to wonder why Mr. Chapman felt qualified to write such an article. The piece is filled with nothing more than his distant, uninformed, condescending opinion. However, I gather 'professional' columnists are paid to do just that these days. It would help if these writers did some research before penning articles, but that is clearly not a requirement, especially if the target of your condescension is Governor Palin."

Brent Baker at Newsbusters:

"On Wednesday night [last week], for the second night in a row, two of the three broadcast network evening news shows led with Terry Jones... But what I found amusing is how network journalists decided Sarah Palin, the Pope – and even Pat Robertson – are now sources of wisdom worth publicizing."

Lawrence Person at Battleswarm Blog:

"Today’s New York Times reveals that the Democratic Party isn’t just going to run against Bush this fall. Mainly they’re going to run against Sarah Palin. It’s interesting to see the irrational sputtering and fuming from the left on Palin, especially when asked what they think of her. They always start with the assumption that every right-thinking (which is to say Left-thinking) person believes that Palin is some sort of drooling moron. When asked to back up this judgment they become very defensive, or else cite widely debunked sound-bites such as her being a book-banner or a bad student (as opposed to being a member of the Honor Society), or saying God made dinosaurs 4,000 years ago."

84Rules:

"Even today, Sarah Palin is [the] target of a great deal of irrational hatred from the peace-loving and tolerant left. (Note the sarcasm of those last five words.)"

Taylor Marsh:

"We’ve never seen a political cycle like the one in which we’re living. There has also never been a female like Sarah Palin who has wielded such political power in a midterm cycle, Right or Left, even understanding that the moment was born amidst the Hillary effect. Sarah invigorated a movement lying in wait since Bush 43 was in office, with Obama’s stimulus the trigger, while upending her own establishment, which was how she did it in Alaska, all the while most on the Left ignored what she was doing, or scoffed at it, to their own detriment."

Richard Fernandez at Belmont Club:

"The New Deal belonged to the last century. Its lack of traction isn’t the result of some particularly insidious plot by the Koch Brothers or Sarah Palin; it is the consequence of obsolescence. Deficit spending and redistribution don’t work too well in the 21st century. It’s that simple."

Richard Falknor at BlueRidgeForum:

"In Maryland yesterday, Republican primary candidate Brian Murphy did not realize his hope for victory in the contest for the Republican nomination for governor of the Old Line State. Not unexpectedly, former governor Bob Ehrlich won that primary race. But Mr. Murphy, with some help from governor Sarah Palin, left a valuable legacy for Maryland’s conservatives... Murphy supporters know each other, they know how to organize, and they can promptly get together on common issues. They can start to exert their strength reflected by over 50,000 Murphy Republican votes yesterday to influence November’s general election, and to bring their force to bear on the deliberations of the next session of the General Assembly."

- JP