*
Noel Sheppard, at NewsBusters:
“What would one expect from a newspaper that only five months ago called for readers to sift through former Alaska governor Sarah Palin's email messages?”- JP
“What would one expect from a newspaper that only five months ago called for readers to sift through former Alaska governor Sarah Palin's email messages?”- JP
We were spoiled.
We thought that this time…this election cycle…we’d be able to pull the lever for someone with whom we had almost no disagreements with.
And then…on October 5th, Governor Palin announced that this would not be the case.
For most if not all of us, that was quite a blow. I know it was for me.
At first, I wondered, does she want to be wooed as the reluctant candidate? I can do that! I even registered a domain name that could work to that end. But the more I watched…the more I listened…I realized she has chosen a different path for herself than what I would have wanted.
It took me a little time to regroup but after a week or two of anger, frustration and sadness…finally at the end came acceptance.
I know some however are still living with the mindset that we can choose her path for us…that we can go back to the place where we were going to be able to vote without having to think of it strategically or having to think about it pragmatically. Some are still thinking with their hearts.
But I think that it’s clear…we need to start thinking with our heads and recognize that regardless of how much we want something, that doesn’t mean we’re going to get it. We must live in the reality of what is, not what we wish were true.
With that in mind…I had to start my own journey of looking at the candidates.
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“Taking another look at Michele Bachmann is one of the memes being pushed by people unhappy with the Newt/Romney choice in the wake of the likely departure from the race of Herman Cain. Why does Cain dropping out make Bachmann any better than she was? She’s still the person who built her campaign in the early summer around trashing Sarah Palin via Ed Rollins and was happy to ride that wave while it lasted.”- JP
It’s far too late for Palin to enter the GOP primary, as too many filing deadlines have passed. There has been some speculation that she would consider a third-party run, based largely on her thoughts about the “unconventional” nature of the 2012 elections. However, when she appeared on Mark Levin’s radio show to announce that she wouldn’t enter the Republican primary race, Palin said, “I would assume that a third party would just guarantee Obama’s re-election, and that’s the last thing our republic can afford, so the consideration is not there for a third party, no.”Another positive outcome of the "Reconsider" campaign is that Gov. Palin may give those of her supporters who have had difficulty accepting her decision a final answer which could at last bring them closure.
The “Reconsider” ad might be futile, but that doesn’t mean it’s pointless. It’s a very clear reminder to the GOP candidates what they must do to attract Palin’s supporters. Whether any of them can espouse these beliefs convincingly, let alone as well as Palin does, is a matter of debate… but as the candidates run their ground game ahead of the Iowa primaries, it’s useful to remind them of what Palin conservatives want to hear.
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“Reminds me of the time WaPo and other mainstream news outlets crowd-sourced Sarah Palin’s e-mails, and were downright giddy. Until they fell flat on their faces.”- JP
Now, it’s lame enough when the media speculates on influences to murderers based on who authored the books that sat on their shelves at home, or who sang the songs they enjoyed listening to. But this was far more of a stretch. At the time the Palin connection was being suggested, the media knew practically nothing about the shooter. They had absolutely no idea of his political leanings. They had no idea if he even had access to the internet, let alone had ever visited the website of Palin’s political action committee.h/t: Conservatives 4 Palin
And despite the concept of targeting districts being used for decades by numerous political strategists (often accompanied with visual representations off cross-hairs, targets, and bulls-eyes), its metaphorical context was selectively disregarded by many in the mainstream media for the purpose of creating a link to Palin. In their well-documented disdain for the former Alaska governor, many despicably went ahead and suggested that she could have been some sort of spiritual accomplice to the shooter.
In the end of course, Loughner was found to be a complete nut-case who former friends actually described as a “liberal” who regularly welled up in anger at the sight of George W. Bush. His longstanding, dangerous fixation on Congresswoman Giffords predated the Tea Party and Sarah Palin’s introduction onto the national scene. Palin was of no influence on him, nor was any coherent political ideology.
One would have thought that the revelation would have put to rest the reckless and politically-motivated media assault on Palin, but as we’ve found out over the last two weeks, it didn’t.
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“And shame on you, Captain Mark Kelly, for not only repeating the lie, but spiting the goodwill of millions of Americans who have wished the best for Rep. Giffords and who have been cheered by her recovery.”- JP
On October 5 this year, Sarah Palin announced that she wouldn’t run for president. It was just after Karen Allen’s birthday. “That was a bummer,” Allen tells me over the phone. The 41-year-old mother of four is the national coordinator of Organize4Palin, which partners with American Grizzlies United. She wasn’t the the only one to be upset at the news. Tens of thousands of conservative women had rallied behind the former Alaskan governor and many of them were devastated. Organize4Palin was in the middle of revamping its website in preparation for her candidacy. Her decision left all of them with a dilemma: what’s the point of being a Palinista if Sarah Palin is no longer in politics?- JP
The mamma grizzly phenomenon is one of the wonders — or horrors, depending on which side of the aisle you sit — of recent political history. It sprouted in 2008 shortly after John McCain announced that Sarah Palin would be his running mate. Her feisty, flamboyant persona had a dramatic effect on conservatives and in particular on women. Karen Allen explains.
“Everybody sees themselves in her in some way. She’s willing to stand up against the corruption and take the heat and keep on going and not be defeated – that’s why they chose the name ‘Undefeated’ for the movie – no matter what comes up against her she stands.”
For Tami Nantz, the media’s portrayal of the Alaskan governor was the beginning. “I was motivated because of the onslaught of media attacks against her,” she tells me over the phone. “I just started thinking, ‘Okay, all I’m finding is all of the wonderful things that she’s done for Alaska. What in the world makes them hate her so much?’”
Nantz started a blog called Moms4SarahPalin. All of a sudden there were other groups, and a slew of terms like Palinistas and mamma grizzlies entered the dictionary. It seemed to signify the growth of a novel female power on the right. “If Momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy,” wrote Michael Graham in the Wall Street Journal’s opinion pages. ”Forget ‘angry white men.’”
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“A Palin endorsement could take Gingrich over the hump on immigration and help him congeal the right. It would compel Romney to land the Huckabee endorsement to counter. Swallow hard, Romneyites...”- JP
Isn’t it too late to get in the race? Not in Iowa, or in other caucus states like Nevada. The state parties run those events, and they can add a name to the ballot at any time — or caucus-goers can write in their favored candidates if they like.Don't dismiss Morrissey's opinion solely because he writes for Hot Air. I've been following this blogger since his incarnation as "Captain Ed" at Captain's Quarters, which was one of the best conservative blogs around in its day. Unlike his fellow HA contributors Allahpundit and Tina Korbe, Ed has always treated Gov. Palin fairly and with respect in his writings. One can disagree with his opinion without writing him off as anti-Palin or a Palin-hater. He is neither.
However, Palin faces a bigger problem outside of Iowa. Most of the early contests are not caucuses, but primaries — and those states do have filing deadlines, which have all passed. Palin wouldn’t have contended in New Hampshire anyway, but can any candidate fail to win South Carolina, Florida, and Michigan and still expect to seriously contend for the nomination? Filing deadlines for all of these states have already passed.
Besides, Palin didn’t have an organization built in Iowa or anywhere else when she demurred on a run in the first place, and she certainly doesn’t have any now. She would have to find donors to fund those organizations, including some who shifted their money after it became clear that Palin wasn’t serious about running in this cycle. Palin might find it very difficult to get those donors to take her bid seriously, even if she managed a win in Iowa, given the difficulty of running from behind after those early primaries.
A late Palin entry would probably benefit Mitt Romney most. The buzz of her entry might very well hand her Iowa, which would kneecap Romney’s competitors heading into South Carolina and Florida, where she couldn’t compete. If Romney swept through South Carolina, Michigan, and Florida (and perhaps the Nevada caucus as well), he’d be well on his way to inevitability. Palin’s smart enough to know all of this, so despite the heartfelt efforts of C4P, her next announcement will almost certainly be an endorsement and not a declaration of candidacy.
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“Palin's endorsement would take a struggling campaign and take it to the top tier. It would take a surging campaign and send it over the top. It could be the difference between getting to accept the nomination at next year's convention or just being third from the right on the stage during the unity demonstration.”- JP
I repeatedly get asked: “Why would you make a movie about Sarah Palin–what could we possibly not already know about her?”- JP
The answer is quite simply, “everything that’s important.”
Sarah Palin is what I describe as a “McLuhanesque” figure—one of the most media-saturated people in the world, relentlessly covered by the 24/7 news cycle, yet her real story is there hiding in plain sight, never having been told.
And what story exactly is that? The rise of a woman from complete obscurity to national prominence through her own force of will and sense of justice.
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She is the most anti-establishment figure in modern political history, from her time on the Wasilla city council through her “crony capitalism” speech against the “permanent political class” at the Iowa Classic Balloon Field on Labor Day weekend 2011, this is someone who has stood by the side of the working men and women of this country, at every level, for the last 20 years.
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“Although it's long been proved that Sarah Palin and so-called violent political rhetoric had absolutely nothing to do with January's tragic shootings in Tucson, Arizona, CNN's Piers Morgan felt it was necessary to bring her up during Wednesday's interview with Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' (D-Ariz.) husband. For his part, astronaut Mark Kelly was only too happy to take the bait and run with it...”- JP
“I have the strong opinion that Sarah Palin will play an extremely important role in determining who the Republican party candidate will be and, further, who the next president of the United States will be.”- JP
On Thanksgiving, my family's traditions will reflect the loyal, active, robust, big family life that shaped me. We're so fortunate to be together to share the making of another year's memory. In these late autumn days with temperatures dipping to 20-degrees below zero, we'll brave Alaska's biting cold to run and skate and ride - just because we can, and for that I am so thankful. Life in America's Last Frontier is not an easy living, but it's a good living. Here in Alaska, where I'm never without inspiration, an optimistic pioneering spirit still permeates, and harsh conditions force us out of self-centeredness and towards community - often in order to survive.- JP
This need for selflessness - and the blessings that come with it - sharpened for me almost four years ago when I was given the gift of broader horizons, clarified priorities, and more commitment to justice and compassion for my fellow man who faces challenges and fears. I was granted this through a gift that arrived in a tiny, six-pound, awe-inspiring bundle. We named him Trig.
I know America's potential for goodness, thus greatness, because I see it every day through my son. Nothing makes me happier or prouder than to see America's good heart when someone smiles at my Trig. I notice it happens often in airports. Often a traveler passing by does a double-take when they see him, perhaps curious about the curious look on his face; perhaps my son momentarily exercises an uncontrollable motion that takes the passerby by surprise. Perhaps, as an innocent and candid child announced when she first met Trig, they think "he's awkward." But when that traveler pauses to look again and smile, and maybe tells me what a handsome boy I have, I swell with American pride. I am so thankful for their good heart. They represent the best in our country and their kindness shows the real hope we need today.
I am thankful that, as in so many areas of life, the bitter people who say bitter things about someone facing challenges are so outnumbered. There have been stinging criticisms, even from people still screaming that Trig should never have been born, but we know those critics may be the loudest and most malicious, but they're not the majority.
To me, when individuals reflect the greater societal acceptance of someone facing challenges, they show the best of humanity - even by offering a simple pat on Trig's head or a knowing smile shot our way. Conversely, when a society works to eliminate the "weakest links" (as some would callously consider the disabled) or "the unproductive" (as some would callously consider the very young and the very old), it eliminates the very best of itself. When a society seeks to destroy them, it also destroys any ability or need for sincere compassion, empathy, improvement, and even goodwill. And those are the very best qualities of humanity! Those are the characteristics of a country that understands and embraces true hope! America can be compassionate and strong enough as a nation to be entrusted with those who some see as an "inconvenience," but who are really our greatest blessings. Through Trig, I see firsthand that there is man's standard of perfection, and then there is God's. Man's standard is flawed, temporary, and shallow. God's standard lasts an eternity. At the end of the day, His is what matters.
So, this Thanksgiving my family will bundle Trig up and grin while we watch him through ice-frosted eyelashes as he curiously takes in all that is around him in the crisp open air. I hope your Thanksgiving gives you the opportunity to find that reminder of what really matters, too. For me, my perfect picture of thankfulness is my perfectly awesome son. With him, all is well with my soul and I know I am blessed.
“Shawn Christy is scheduled to enter his guilty plea officially and be sentenced on December 1, the court papers state. A plea agreement is also expected from Craig Christy, according to court papers filed earlier this month.”- JP
While Palin has characteristically kept her cards close to her chest, advisers suggest that the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee is likely to endorse before someone emerges as the inevitable nominee -- and that Newt Gingrich appears to be best-positioned to secure her support.Conroy points out that the aides who are his sources "emphasized that while Gingrich currently appears to be the front-runner for Palin’s endorsement, her thinking could change."
"They speak very favorably of Newt and what they see as his credentials as compared to Perry and Romney," one member of Palin's inner circle said of the former Alaska governor and her husband, Todd, who has long served as her unofficial chief adviser.
Gingrich has been particularly effusive in expressing his admiration for Palin over the last few months, and she has returned the favor by heaping praise on the former House speaker.
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Though Gingrich is far from an ideal candidate to Palin and her advisers, his rivals may carry even more baggage in her eyes.
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“Had any other presidential candidate pulled Romney’s hiding act, that candidate would be skewered. (As Sarah Palin was for the past three years by people who now are Romney supporters, even though she was not running for President.)”- JP
"...the former Alaska governor still can deliver a sizeable army of supporters that any candidate would be lucky to have. She delivers the tea party crowd as much as DeMint and the social conservative crowd as much as Huckabee. More than anything, though, she delivers the kind of outsider credentials that every candidate in the race wants."Since Blake is purely speculating anyway, it should be pointed out that Perry's gubernatorial primary was a lifetime ago, at least when measured in political time, and both he and Cain have stumbled in recent weeks. In fact, whether she will even make a presidential endorsement before the primaries have determined the nominee is open to debate. New York Magazine's Gabriel Sherman claims to have been told by an anonymous "Palin advisor" that the former Alaska governor will make an endorsement, but as we have seen, unnamed media sources haven't been very reliable about what Sarah Palin will or will not do. I'm taking the entire NY Mag article with a big grain of salt.
"Who’s favored? Palin’s history of backing long-shot outsiders suggests she would be open to backing someone like Herman (“Herb”) Cain. That endorsement makes all kinds of sense for Palin. At the same time, she has said nice things about Gingrich and was perhaps the key Perry backer in his 2010 primary against Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas)."
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“Sarah Palin isn’t the only one who dances after a successful hunt.”- JP
Shall we unveil the 700-pound Tasmanian devil in the room? The chief reason the average crank hates Tim Tebow & Sarah Palin is because both are open and unapologetic Christians. Although typical anti-American bigots are loathe to admit this fact, it is transparently true. Further, it is the essential values and characteristics of authentic Christianity which most of these non-believers find highly objectionable. This same anti-religious bigotry now threatens to atomize America’s once nearly impregnable foundations.- JP
Currently, atheism is more esteemed than American Idol contestants. Meanwhile, atheists pour out disdain against Christians like so many Mothers Against Drunk Drivers. For example, consider the juvenile ramblings of Richard Dawkins, whose works create a toxic minefield of assorted fallacies, while raging blindly against God. This article examines the loss of a Christian worldview in America, as hinted at by the fury poured out against Sarah Palin and Tim Tebow for merely openly espousing their beliefs. The article goes on to suggest America may still restore our glory days if we turn away from failed and godless political ideals, and once again honor Him—as we did originally, so many years ago—on the first Thanksgiving day.
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Tim’s very open Christian witness is considered an odious assault against popular decorum and so must be driven from public life after a proper shaming. Only, Tebow has yet to get this message.
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Has any public figure ever been pilloried more savagely for less reason than Governor Sarah Palin? A person of both strong faith and winsome disposition, Palin attracted more savages responses than would a barbecue pit located at the entrance of Mecca. But why? Her ocean of critics will give a thousand “good reasons” why she is just one loathsome step removed from the anti-Christ. Yet, is it not inevitable her very public faith and possible proximity to the Oval Office—caused this remarkable tsunami of condemnation?
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Thanksgiving seems like the last American holiday to not suffer a perverse re-defining of its original meaning to suck out all life, and replace with materialism. So what is the essence of our national creed, revealed by Thanksgiving?
Former professor of History, Newt Gingrich reminds us of this holiday’s true meaning:America’s First Thanksgiving: A Wholly Holy Celebration[Read More]
As we all enjoy turkey and the trimmings this Thanksgiving, you may be interested to know that the first Thanksgiving celebration in America was a completely religious observance that didn’t include a feast.
It occurred in 1619—more than a year before the Pilgrims arrived from Massachusetts. A group of 38 English settlers arrived in Virginia and set aside a day to give thanks to God for their safe passage. The three-day festival of food and friendship that was the origin of Thanksgiving as we know it today didn’t occur until 1621.
Not Just a Private Celebration, a Public Thanks to God.
“It is also said that the left will tell you who they are afraid of by the way they attack the candidates. When Sarah Palin did not obligingly stand up as their punching bag, the media watched Tim Pawlenty wipe himself out, and then turned on Bachmann, complete with the ‘crazy eyes’ cover on Newsweek. They readied their attacks on Perry, threw out a few test ‘minstrel’ attacks at Cain, and waited to see who would emerge. Bachmann faded, Perry self-destructed, and Cain soared. Danger, Will Robinson - time for character assassination.”- JP
“Governor Palin understands how Washington works and the battle that needs to be fought.”- JP
Sponsored by the Valley Republican Women’s Club, the Alaska screening also includes a meet-and-greet event with the movie’s creator and producer, Stephen Bannon, from 4 to 6 p.m., Sunday at Colony Inn in Palmer. Tickets are $50 each or $75 per couple and include a light meal and a chance to speak one-on-one with Bannon.The movie plays at 6PM Alaska Time Nov. 21 at the Wasilla Alaska Club Theater. Suggested donation is $5 and seating is limited to 150 people.
“I’m looking forward to coming to Alaska,” he said Thursday by phone from Washington, D.C. He said this trip to Alaska will be a relatively quick since he is planning to spend Thanksgiving at Fort Campbell, Ky., with his daughter, a recent West Point graduate.
Bannon said when the movie was originally released, the theatrically company that distributed the film didn’t have any screens in Alaska.
“We’ve been actually trying to do this since August,” Bannon said.
Past Valley Republican Women’s Club president Julie Gillette said she met Bannon on Facebook before seeing the film. After watching “Undefeated” on pay-per-view at a friends’ house, Gillette said she contacted Bannon again and told him how much she’d enjoyed the movie and that she hoped he’d have a chance to come to Wasilla and show the movie someday.
“It’s fantastic to have the filmmaker here with the film,” Gillette said Friday.
While Bannon’s in Alaska, he said he also plans to record his weekly radio show here, which airs on KABC AM in Los Angeles.
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“Gov. Palin expressed her outrage at the violence being committed by Occupy protesters and the support of these protesters by Obama, Biden, and Pelosi.”- JP
Is Sarah Palin ready to endorse her pick for the GOP nominee? She responds tonight on 'Hannity'At least it's in the form of a question this time and not a statement as it was two days ago.
“The enflamed political environment had nothing at all to do with the crime committed that January morning. Democrats aren’t at fault for it. Certainly, neither are tea partiers, conservatives, anti-Obamacare activists, or Governor Sarah Palin.”- JP
The documentary, which also contained the first public interview with Giffords since the shooting, was ruined by a gratuitous attack on tea party opponents of health care reform and on Sarah Palin toward the end of the one-hour special. A short segment showed Giffords confronting an angry crowd of constituents at a town hall meeting. Palin was shown briefly, as was the infamous cross hairs map.It must really burn Sawyer and ABC News that Gov. Palin isn't running for president so they could use this special to try to kneecap her erstwhile campaign.
The segment was shown without context or detail. As Giffords is deservedly a national heroine because of how far she has recovered, the segment gave the clear impression of tea partiers as an angry mob and Sarah Palin as the cause of the shooting.
ABC News and Sawyer committed journalistic malpractice by dredging up the old accusations without also showing evidence that debunked them. Palin and her map had nothing to do with Giffords' shooting, as was implied in the segment. Jared Loughner, Giffords' assailant, was an insane man who likely never heard of Palin and certainly was unaware of the cross hairs map. Yet ABC chose not to mention this.
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“Since former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin began hammering on the issue of crony capitalism back in August, it’s become a more visible issue.”- JP
- JPWho has the best shot against President Obama? Sarah Palin reveals her 2012 pick when she goes On the Record, tonight at 10p/1a ET.
“A new book by Sarah Palin’s adviser Peter Schweizer appropriately titled, Throw Them ALL Out, documents the inner workings of Washington that many have always suspected.”- JP
In the venerable CBS News program's opening segment, Hoover Institute fellow and Palin adviser Peter Schweizer previewed his forthcoming book, "Throw Them All Out," which details allegations of legal, yet ethically dubious insider trading and conflicts of interest among members of Congress.- JP
“There are all sorts of forms of honest graft that congressmen engage in that allow them to become very, very wealthy,” Schweizer told correspondent Steve Kroft. “So it's not illegal, but I think it's highly unethical, I think it's highly offensive, and wrong.”
Schweizer has been described in various news reports as a “foreign policy adviser” and a “speechwriter” for Palin. In fact, he is both of those things, and far more than that.
Though he has managed to stay largely under the radar until now, Schweizer’s influence on Palin since joining her staff last spring has been profound.
When Palin was still mulling a presidential run back in September, she delivered a closely watched speech in Iowa that served as a preview of sorts for Schweizer’s new book. In the speech, it was the former Alaska governor’s references to “crony capitalism” and “the permanent political class” that picked up the most attention -- buzz phrases that appear near the very beginning of Schweizer’s new tome.
“This is a book about how a Permanent Political Class, composed of politicians and their friends, engages in honest graft,” Schweizer writes in the introduction to his book, which goes on sale Tuesday. “Let’s call it crony capitalism.”
Along with Steven K. Bannon, the filmmaker behind the pro-Palin documentary “The Undefeated,” Schweizer’s influence has been instrumental in leading Palin to a renewed focus on her political roots as a reformer.
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But now Bannon is considering embarking on a new film project based on many of the themes in Schweizer’s book, and Palin appears ready to reinsert herself more prominently into the 2012 fray, though not as a candidate
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“Believe me ladies, if you have the stamina and the stomach to field dress a moose, you represent to me that you are better equipped and more fitting to be president of the United States than a community organizer would be any day of the week.”- JP
“2. Sarah Palin: The Left is so obsessed with the former Alaska governor that a new disorder—the Palin Derangement Syndrome—has been termed. While the media forgot to vet the 2008 Democratic presidential nominee, news organizations sent teams of reporters to Alaska when e-mails from her administration were released years after Palin's term was over. From questioning her child’s birth to moving in next door in Wasilla, the liberal mainstream gets frenzied at the mere mention of her name.”- JP
She is a grown woman, very far from a narcissist. She understood that her candidacy would be counter-productive, and she put party and country ahead of her ambitions. I will continue watching her over the long run, because I think she is among those rare politicians who, even through the daily persiflage, fake scandal, and genuine controversy, continues to learn and grow.Warren examines the the announced GOP presidential candidates and finds than lacking:
This is just what politicians fail to do, and why our dying cult of youth has in turn so failed them. We need politicians from outside the goldfish bowl. Those who have spent most of their lives inside, cannot do much growing. Their attention is kept focused on the sound-bite battles, and the markets for political pork. Often they weren't such impressive young people to begin with; but whether or not, their intellectual and spiritual development is arrested by political careerism.
Except Newt Gingrich.Sarah Palin always said that if she decided to run for president, hers would be an unconventional campaign which relied more on grassroots organizers than hired political guns. Interestingly, this is exactly the sort of campaign Gingrich has run since a number of staffers deserted him en masse to return to work for Rick Perry (they had worked on his 2010 gubernatorial campaign).
Here is another politician who has grown. He has done so since he held the speakership of the House of Representatives, when he advanced all the policies that made the Clinton presidency appear outwardly successful - the welfare reform, the balanced budget, deregulations, and other administrative reforms - all achieved by dexterity and persistence over Clinton's vetowielding opposition, then finally appropriated by Clinton when it appeared they were winners.
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With remarkable, and admirable candour, he claims to have matured. His Catholic conversion is not irrelevant to this; he has risen out of himself, as a political operator, and sees the landscape in a more elevated way. He does not quit, but will not play posturing games to win.
I think he has been steadily rising thanks to the perception that he is the one full adult on the debating platform. He doesn't take cheap shots, is consistently civil, and is prepared to go into knowledgeable detail well beyond the 30-second time allocations.
He sounds like the smartest candidate, because he is. His knowledge is both historically deepest, and geographically broadest: he has by far the best grasp of foreign policy issues, which are vital to the whole western world.
On balance, I think he is the anti-Obama, and would do the best job of exposing Obama's weaknesses and failures in campaign. And from what I can see, his party is beginning to understand that.
“The Arctic Fox still hasn't lost her touch.”- JP
The presidential election starts in Iowa, but few Americans know how the famed Iowa caucuses work, or how the Hawkeye State got -- and jealously guards -- the privilege of voting first in the nation. So for more than a year, Fox News Reporting has been in Iowa following the candidates, and also the everyday Iowans who play an outsized role in picking the president every four years.- JP
“I don’t know that it’s a bad thing for conservatives to get past the ‘quest for a rock star’. Nor do I blame Sarah Palin for looking at the banal nature of politics and opting for a role with a lower ‘ick’ factor. Sarah will, I trust, prayerfully carry out the Divine will for her life as best she can, which is about all that can be asked of anyone.”- JP
“Was the press too hard on Sarah Palin and too easy on Joe Biden? Absolutely.”- JP
“Do these criteria describe anyone familiar?”- JP
“Psst! Just Asking! Have any of the actual GOP candidates given a speech as good as Sarah Palin’s ‘crony capitalism’ talk in Iowa on September 3?”- JP
“Chuck Heath, Jr. dispelled rumors that Governor Sarah Palin is reconsidering her decision not to run for the Presidency.”- JP
“The Palin army remains a well networked force for change in America.”- JP
“Last night's Republican Party of Florida dinner featuring Sarah Palin raised between $900,000 and $1 million, party spokesman Brian Hughes tells the Buzz. It's a whopping haul that exceeds what Democrats pulled in for the entire third quarter ($894k).”- JP
“Gov. Parnell appears to be a man on a mission to destroy everything Gov. Palin has accomplished, return Alaska to the days of the Corrupt Bastards Club, and put the government back in the pockets of the big oil companies and against the citizens who elect officials to serve. With friends like Gov. Parnell, who needs enemies?”- JP
Sarah Palin weighs in on Occupy protesters: MyFoxORLANDO.com
Speaking before a crowd at the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) Victory Dinner at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort in Florida, Gov. Palin said she wanted a federal government that understood the difference between empowerment and entitlement.A longer, but not quite complete, video of her speech is here
"To see this struggle in action, look no further than the Occupy Wall Street movement," she said. "When it first kind of got off the ground... I looked at it as thinking, well these folks, they feel legitimate indignation about the Wall Street bailouts -- financial institutions behaving recklessly, and then we get stuck with the bill... many of us still quite ticked off about it all, because we don't have assurances that those who caused the financial collapse in the first place... are being held accountable and that it won't happen again."
She said though the movement may have begun in earnest, positions have evolved, and its organizers have drawn the wrong conclusions. Of the protesters, she said, "They say, 'Wall Street 'fat cats' got a bailout, so now I want one too,' and the correct answer is, 'No one is entitled to a bailout.'"
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“Three words, my friends: Blog. Traffic. Apocalypse.”- JP
“This is the first real test of Cain’s candidacy. How he handles this will determine whether he remains a contender. How should we react? The instinct to defend a conservative is a good instinct. We’ve seen too many times, with Sarah Palin and recently with Rick Perry, how the MSM will give every benefit of the doubt to those who make accusations.”- JP
I worked on Herman Cain's U.S. Senate primary campaign in 2004 in Georgia and he remains my all-time favorite candidate. His loss in that race was the most heartbreaking political defeat of my career. I still think he's amazing, smart, genuine, and capable, I just don't think he's ready to be president. I would like to see him bone up his foreign policy credentials. I don't like his 999 plan because I don't trust the government to keep the federal income tax at the agreed-upon 9%. Most of all, I don't think someone who has never held elected office can beat Obama and that is priority #1 this election.We agree, Karol and I, even though we differ in our choices of which non-Cain presidential candidate we support. We can have that argument later. Right now all of us on the conservative side who don't back Herman Cain in his quest to be president can still defend him against the obviously false and politically-motivated charges that were leveled against him. That doesn't mean we have to support him for president, nor does it mean we cannot voice our opposition to his policy positions which we disagree with. It only means we can defend him when he is smeared. Not only can we defend him, but we should defend him. And if we want any conservative candidate to be able to fight on some semblance of a level field of political combat henceforth, we must defend Herman Cain now.
I note all this now to be clear that my defense of Herman Cain, against charges of sexual harassment while he was at the National Restaurant Association, is not political in nature.
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Cain is the kind of guy who is exactly the same behind the scenes as he is when he's "on". He's honest and direct. There's no nonsense with him. His charm is not a flirtatious charm. He is not lecherous. He is the same towards men as he is towards women. While he has a dazzling personality, he doesn't use it to inflate his own ego. He knows his strengths, of course, but he doesn't seem like the kind of person to try to get away with things. He doesn't do things because he can. Many of his ex-staff from his U.S. Senate campaign have gone on the record saying this story does not at all represent the Herman we know.