IBD Editors: Palin's Vindication

The lesson: When Mama Grizzly roars, maybe the Beltway know-it-alls should listen.
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The editors at Investor's Business Daily recall how the GOP establishment and some conservatives among the punditocracy ridiculed Gov. Palin for endorsing and supporting such Tea Party challengers as Christine O'Donnell, Joe Miller and Sharron Angle. Yes, all three were less polished than their establishment opponents. A look at some recent voting on the hill, however, vindicates the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate and her 2010 choices:

Well, guess who just voted with the House of Representatives' lame-duck Democratic majority to ignore military concerns and repeal "don't ask, don't tell"? "Republican" Mike Castle did.

Guess who just voted for the Dream Act, which would have granted amnesty and instant eligibility for welfare and government education benefits to millions of illegal aliens, costing the taxpayers tens of billions of dollars? "Republican" Mike Castle did.

Charles Krauthammer, a national treasure among syndicated columnists and IBD regular, seriously questioned Palin's judgment in backing O'Donnell. "Castle voted against ObamaCare and the stimulus," Krauthammer noted in September. "Yes, he voted for cap-and-trade. That's batting .667."

But having lost both the Senate nomination and his House seat — won in November by Democratic former Lt. Gov. John Carney — the lame-duck session is lowering Castle's batting average.

It's clear that whatever eccentricities O'Donnell exhibited, none would have compelled her to vote for either of these appalling bills. Or for the half-baked New START nuclear disarmament treaty that the Obama administration is demanding the Senate blindly ratify without fully knowing what it would do, absurdly claiming that our national security lies in the balance.

[More]

- JP

Stuart Schwartz on She Who Must Be Stopped

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Stuart Schwartz opines at American Thinker on how, in the warped view of the media elites, Sarah Palin, despite helping elect 60 candidates in the midterm elections, is a "loser" because she refuses to play the game of politics by the political establishment's rules:

Immediately following the election, the nation's elites went on Sarah Palin Alert. They have worked hard to strip taxpayers of hard-earned dollars and make Washington, D.C. the center of wealth, with six of the ten wealthiest counties in the United States bordering the Beltway. And it was Karl Rove who slammed his foot down on the accelerator of government spending during the Bush presidency, handing Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama a government poised to careen out of control. And it has: now that great centralized motor vehicle bureau known as the federal government has twice as many $150,000-a-year bureaucrats as it did when Obama took office, all extravagantly paid to scowl, fill out forms, and say "no" to the hapless citizens underwriting their million-dollar homes.

Small wonder that Republican Rep. Spencer Bachus of Alabama, a veteran of almost two decades inside the Beltway, looked at the Tea Party-inspired Republican sweep and saw only danger...from Sarah Palin. He said of her Herculean effort in creating a Republican wave: she cost us the U.S. Senate! Stop her! he screamed. And the media answered with a barrage of articles offering advice on how to stop Palin. For example, a former Wall Street Journal editor who had bolted when the owner of Fox News, Rupert Murdoch, bought the news outlet and put an end to its leftward drift laid out a plan to "derail Palin for 2012."

The mainstream media have been only too happy to oblige, for... the media elites immediately joined the Republican political establishment to highlight the "urgent task" resulting from the midterm victory: "Stop Sarah Palin."

And over on the Upper East Side of New York City, at a favorite hangout called The Corner Bookstore ("a small treasure in a neighborhood famous for its elegant townhouses" and celebrities), Peggy Noonan takes time out from being quintessentially Manhattan and concentrates on the common enemy created by the midterm elections. Sarah Palin has again, she writes, proved herself "a nincompoop." This "empty or crazy" woman actually thinks she's capable of operating in the rarefied atmosphere of official Washington, of holding her own with the media establishment. Look at her: Palin hangs with her family and enjoys such tacky pursuits as hunting and fishing. Meanwhile, everyone who is anyone knows that a life truly worth living begins here, where Lauren Weisberger first read from The Devil Wears Prada to the applause of Peggy's friends. Prada, not Palin. There's a world of difference in those five letters beginning with "P," Noonan reminds us, as the latter has none of the cachet of the former and lacks "actual talent."

And to the west on this storied island, the width of Central Park and then some, two icons of the ruling class have gathered in the studios of CNN to reinforce the notion that Sarah Palin is now a danger to the United States. It's called "Parker Spitzer." Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker and the disgraced former governor of New York, Eliot Spitzer, have put together a show that is mainstream media right down to its "bomb" in the ratings. Parker lets us know that she is proud to have led the "assassination" of Palin in the days following the Alaska governor's vice presidential nomination. Rove is right to slam Palin, for she has "earned her ridicule" for her outrageously extreme positions. Palin believes that abortion is wrong, that Israel is courageous and admirable, that traditional family relationships are a strength and blessing, and that God is a part of all that is good and true -- extremist positions, Parker claims, repugnant to the real heart of America...Washington, D.C. This "dangerous" woman represents a "fresh terror" for "establishment Republicans," who, like Parker and Spitzer, are professionals. This election has now put the professionals on alert: Palin must be stopped.

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Parker, Spitzer, Noonan and Rove are the Bob, Ted, Carol and Alice of the media elites, an unholy media alliance of political prostitutes and johns. What a fitting metaphor for the Beltway political establishment: Democrats and Vichy Republicans crawling into bed together as they have done to stop what Schwartz describes as "the greatest threat to come out of the midterm Republican victories: Sarah Palin." She's a winner, but in the bassackwards world of the media elites, that makes her a "loser" in their Book of the Dead and Dying. And all for the simple reason that She Who Must Be Stopped will never compromise her first principles.

- JP

Beaufort Observer: Sarah Palin lays out 2012 blueprint

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In an editorial in North Carolina's The Beaufort Observer, the editors credit Gov. Palin, by virtue of her Facebook op-ed "An Open Letter to Republican Freshmen Members of Congress," has put to rest the Democrats' "The Party of NO" argument against Republicans:

We would suggest that this piece contains some very profound points.

First, it is a "tell it like it is" challenge to the new members of the House but also to those Republicans who may be still stuck in the "we need to reach out to the Democrats and work across the aisle." It should be a clarion call to forget the idea that principles can be compromised in order to be "nice guys."

Secondly, it should be viewed as a clear statement of what the Tea Party Movement expects of not only the newly elected representatives, but indeed of all elected officials.

[...]

And thirdly, we believe one can see in this piece the 2012 presidential campaign spelled out...

[More]

- JP

ALG's Rick Manning: Don't blame Sarah Palin

The GOP establishment lost the Senate
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On The Hill's Pundits Blog, Rick Manning, communications director of Americans for Limited Government, stands up for Gov. Palin, who is under attack by a GOP establishment which is trying to blame her for its own failure to win the Senate in the midterm elections:

Sarah Palin did not cast a single vote in Delaware, Kentucky, Florida, Utah, Colorado or Nevada. Republican voters in those states did. The fact that the candidates “chosen” by the professional Republican class in D.C. failed to impress Republican Party voters enough to win their respective nominations should be a wake-up call for the D.C. Republican know-it-alls, who think they should choose the “right” candidate and the rest of America should just accept their omniscient judgment.

[...]

This rebellion by the masses against the Republican establishment is borne out by poll after poll showing that Republicans (read — establishment Republicans) are not held in particularly high esteem by the voters, even those who identify themselves as Republicans.

Sarah Palin has captured this sentiment, and helped provide voters with choices through her endorsement of alternative candidates.

Palin, who has personally felt the barbs and snickers of the Republican establishment, has given hope to Republicans across the nation that they don’t have to settle for Democrat-lite candidates who represent their values in party affiliation only.

Unfortunately, those who want to blame Palin are missing the basic fact that if they identified and supported candidates who were strong advocates of the free-enterprise system rather than hollowed-out cores running in Republican suits, their candidates would have won.

[More]

- JP

More Quote of the Day Honorable Mention, Part 148

"Politically Uncorrect" Edition
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Rush Limbaugh:

"What's going on here, folks, is very simple. They want to establish a lie very firmly in the minds of the public that the tea party hurt the Republican Party in these elections. They want to use this to stop Sarah Palin. Republican insiders are trying to figure out now how to stop Sarah Palin... If anybody is an obvious winner here... it would be Palin. Look at the grief and the mockery that she got for putting what the media claimed were targets on 20 Democrat incumbents on her website. Look at the grief that she's got ever since she was named McCain's running mate. Eighteen of those Democrats she targeted lost. That's a pretty amazing and impressive record. Sarah Palin targeted a bunch of Democrats for defeat, and 18 of them lost. That's more than any Republican elites are doing."

The New Agenda:

"So we encouraged the most powerful women in the Republican Party to fight for our votes... Palin did, officially launching her 'Mama Grizzlies!' Palin outdid our expectation, endorsing women all over the country."

Merv Benson at Prairie Pundit:

"It says something about the conceit of both Richard Cohen and Katie Couric that they both thought the question about what newspapers Palin read was some important insight into her intellect. Palin, on the other hand, thought it was a silly question and later admitted to reading several papers that would have probably satisfied most listeners other than Cohen who she probably does not read. But his comments also convey another conceit of liberalism, i.e., that those who disagree with them are not smart. Even conservatives who don't support Palin have to concede that she is generally right on the issues that most conservatives support. That makes her pretty smart in my book and it is one reason why I would support her if she decides to run."

Senator-elect Kelly Ayotte:

"Conservatives in New Hampshire and across the country view Gov. Palin as a leader in the movement to make government smaller and more accountable. Her support made a significant impact in my campaign, and I was honored to have it."

AWR Hawkins at Big Hollywood:

"Cher is on record saying of Palin: 'A dumb woman is a dumb woman.' Maybe she wishes she hadn’t said this after watching the November 2nd election results? In those elections the 'dumb' woman and her Tea Party candidates made the 'smart' liberals in DC and Hollywood look pretty stupid... Cher seems to be quite angry. And the more she talks, the more evident it is that she’s fast approaching the outright lunacy we’ve seen in people like Janeane Garofalo: people who let their anger consume them and rule their lives."

Da Techguy:

"It’s been the first day I’ve had a chance to watch 'Morning Joe' since Monday... and their advice is compromise, compromise, compromise for the GOP. The exact opposite of Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin and the people who got them elected."

Jim Putnam at The Coltons Point Times:

"Almost every day of the week the bastions of the liberal media, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time and Newsweek Magazine, MSNBC, even the Huffington blog run feature stories about Sarah Palin. If they dislike her so much, why? Because Palin draws reader interest more than any other politician in America. Palin is plastered in the liberal media to sell the liberal media, pure and simple."

Life in 3D:

"Sarah Palin’s been a favorite of mine since I first read about her and then saw her on the campaign trail. Now though, she has just jumped up to the next level with her choice in shotguns."

Bob Lester of KWHL's Bob and Mark show:

"It's no surprise to me that my good friend Sarah Palin would use our show to make such an important announcement [to run for president]. This is another example of Sarah Palin remembering where she comes from. She is Alaska. She isn't enamored with all the big lights and movie stars like so many think she is. She is a hometown girl who has her boots firmly planted on Alaska soil. "That's just her style. She is moose stew and 'bunny' boots much more than she is caviar and glass slippers."

Gay Patriot:

"Palin Perfectly Alliterates People Power at Play in 2010 Elections... She gets it..."

Andrew Breitbart at Big Journalism:

"The left is afraid of the election of Marco Rubio as Senator [from] Florida in the exact same way as they were afraid of Sarah Palin when she was chosen as the Vice Presidential nominee by John McCain. It has been clear from the beginning that both are ascendant as potential game-changing political stars and need to be destroyed... You thought that the left was scared on Nov. 1, 2010, now imagine an America with a successful Marco Rubio and his beautiful family in the White House."

Mr. Guthrie at Redemptive Thoughts:

"At this point, the only viable candidate for the conservative voters who gave the Republicans control of the House of Representatives is Palin... She is the only one I could trust to govern conservatively..."

James Burdett:

"I have long thought that Sarah Palin is a cannier operator than her detractors give her credit for. It remains to be seen whether she will pitch for the Republican nomination for 2012 but I think it is highly likely. I also think that she is a better candidate than her Democrat opponents and European detractors reckon on... Sarah Palin, if she goes for the GOP nomination, is going to pick up quite a lot of support... I do know... that she isn’t the clueless hick that she is painted. I suspect if she wants the nomination she has the political nouse to do what is necessary to get it. The fact that she whacked out the ['Together'] video after the midterms suggests to me she wants it."

Jonathan Strong at The Daily Caller:

"Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said Thursday she objected to a photo of Rep. Michelle Bachmann in the publication Politico by suggesting its use was sexist... Politico changed out the photo for another of Bachmann later in the morning."

Spartacus Pundit:

"In an ironic twist of karma, the sleazy, bought-and-paid-for 'seniors' group that threw America under the bus to peddle bogus partisan propaganda for ObamaCare, AARP, has now been forced to announce that it must significantly raise costs for its employees...admittedly, due to ObamaCare... I guess Tea Partiers and Sarah Palin really weren't just a bunch of ignorant fear-mongers posturing for insurance companies. Go figure. Everything liberals told us was a flat-out lie."

- JP

More Quote of the Day Honorable Mention, Part 147

Special "Let's put the party on the streets" Edition
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Bloomberg News:

"Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, embracing former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin’s ability to galvanize voters, urged the Republican Party establishment to 'chill out.' 'You know, in the words of Bill Clinton, I feel her pain, you know?' Steele said in an interview on 'Political Capital with Al Hunt' airing this weekend on Bloomberg Television. 'My goal -- and I know Sarah’s goal has been -- let’s take the party and put it on the streets.'"

Erick Erickson at RedState.com:

"If you want to find out who some of the loudest anti-Palin voices are, in another year or so start checking for House and Senate staffers who have left to work on 2012 campaigns."

Jenn Q. Public at NewsReal Blog:

"If you rely on the Reich-wing, Tea-tard propaganda machine for your information, you probably missed the news about the sexually suggestive gift Sarah Palin received from Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio last week: pink panties! But no worries, the unimpeachable left-wing blogosphere will bring you up to speed on all the relevant facts. Er, 'facts'... Add 'pink underwear' to the moonbat mixer, blend until frothy, and BAM!: the sheriff has a creepy panty fetish. Hey, lefties: learn to Read the Freakin’ Google (and not just when it suits your political goals). The oh-so risqué pink undergarments Arpaio hands out as souvenirs are the same ones he’s famous for selling via his charity Web site, PinkUnderwear.com, and they look an awful lot like novelty boxers... But it’s the Tea Party Movement that contains a 'disturbing psychosexual undercurrent'? Oh, if only Tea Party women could be as enlightened as Jesse Taylor and his fellow bloggers on the Left. When will those dumb Tea Party broads get it through their thick, sexually fetishized skulls that Jesse knows what’s best for them. And he only hits because he loves."

Newsmax:

"Rush Limbaugh ranks former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in a tie at 8 on a scale of 1 to 10 when asked to rate a list of the leading 2012 Republican presidential candidates, according to a Newsweek report."

Marcus Carey at Bluegrass Bulletin:

"I sense a new era dawning where the most powerful seats in the world will be held by women, in a greater majority, than ever before. At the forefront of this newest wave are two women from polar extremes, Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton. Palin possesses a disarming leadership quality which is incredibly effective. It is easy for people to underestimate her, and usually they do so at their peril. She appeals to men, both the Neanderthal types as well as the more refined family man types as well. She appeals to some women, but not so much to the Hillary types..."

Rudy Giuliani on CNN:

"My guess is yes – she's going to run for president. She sounds to me like somebody who's running for president."

Freedom Fighter at Joshuapundit:

"By keeping the Tea Party activists in the GOP instead of creating a third party, Sarah Palin, Jim DeMint and few others have given the Republicans a new lease on life and an opportunity to prove that they can be trusted to govern responsibly, restore fiscal sanity and move the country back on track to the ideas of the Founders. If they pass that test, 2012 will see the Republicans on track to win the presidency and cement even bigger majorities in place.If they do not, the American people will simply abandon them...not just for an election cycle or two but forever."

Jennifer at Cubachi:

"According to the New York Post, Sarah and Todd Palin were in New Jersey to check out the New York Jets playing in Giants Stadium as guests of owner Woody Johnson last Sunday. But guess who was watching the game with them? Governor Chris Christie! If this is true, I wonder what these three talked about…"

Shannon Bell at Right Pundits:

"You just have to love this narrative being put forth by the left and the Republican establishment that somehow the Republicans failed on Tuesday night. Even better is the flawed narrative that the tea party is to blame. Mort Kondracke, a joke himself, called Sarah Palin a joke in a conference call and said that she and Jim DeMint were to blame for Republican failure to capture the Senate... Kondracke’s premise (as well as [that of] establishment Republicans) is deeply flawed. Republicans took 63 House seats and 6 Senate seats on Tuesday. The numbers could rise depending on the outcome of several undecided elections. A pretty resounding win in my humble opinion, and I submit that the numbers would not have been as large as they were had it not been for the likes of Sarah Palin (the Joke) or Jim DeMint. Even deeper than that, Republicans captured 680 legislative seats on the State level (a surer sign of the Tea Party influence), absolutely remarkable..."

John Podhoretz at Commentary Magazine:

"Sarah Palin in National Review... This political formulation is — I use the word advisedly — brilliant."

Carl Lindquist at The Great Awakening:

"Now that they have used her to their political benefit, the tables haved turned and the Republican Establishment is beginning to try and force Sarah Palin out of her position of power within the Republican Party... Palin definitely scares the bejeebers out of the Republican 'good-old boys', as she calls them. And for good reason. She represents a political force within the party that is calling for real change... And the Republican Establishment really doesn't want change (small government, for example). Indeed, it is now reverting back to its normative ruling posture, as seen during the eight years of the younger Bush, i.e. talking the talk, but not walking the walk, of small-government conservatism."

Dr Matthew Ashton:

"While Goldwater lost by a landslide, one of his biggest supporters, Ronald Reagan, went on to win the Presidency in 1980 in one of the biggest victories in US political history. Reagan was seen as similarly extreme until he won and managed to shift the whole centre ground of American politics. Maybe Palin can do the same."

Rachel Wallace at AAUW Dialog:

"I’ve got three cheers for Sarah Palin’s enthusiastic and influential mentoring of women politicians, unprecedented on such a large and public scale. She inspired many women to get up and run for office. Her support for Indian-American Nikki Haley (R-SC) and Latina Susana Martinez (R-NM) helped propel the first women of color to governors’ mansions. As the Republican leadership moves into the House, it’s important that the boys’ club has a few women around, and I trust Palin and some of her friends will make sure that happens."

John Hayward at Human Events:

"Sarah Palin did the GOP a lot of favors during this election. She’ll have plenty of markers to call in, if she runs for President... Dismissing Palin as some kind of fringe, 'divisive' figure is transparently foolish. She made a difference for a bounty of good candidates, who will make a difference for America in the years ahead."

Fuzzy Slippers at Fuzzy Logic:

"[Obama]'s idea of energy independence is electric cars and cap and tax? Seriously? And he thinks that the republicans will go along with that garbage? They better not. Energy independence is using our own resources, not relying so heavily on foreign oil. But what does he do? He sends billions to Brazil so they can drill, he lets Cuba drill in the Gulf of Mexico, but he stops us from drilling. You know who he should talk to about energy independence? Sarah Palin. Everyone, including lunatic progs who nearly choke on the admission, knows that if there's one thing Sarah Palin knows inside out it's energy and America's natural resources. But he'd sooner meet with Ahmadinejad than Sarah Palin... The man's a disgrace, and nothing he said Wednesday changes that."

- JP

Jedediah Bila: The Palin Effect in the 2010 Elections

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In her Human Events column, Jedidiah Bila considers the question, "Did Palin-endorsed mama grizzlies roar?" Some won, some lost, and the governor's overall batting average will remain very high, even if the remaining undecided races don't turn out as desired.

The “radical” portrait that has been painted of Palin by the left-wing media lives on in many places, particularly in heavily blue states like California and Delaware. I assure you that Palin Derangement Syndrome is alive and well in Manhattan.

Some have argued that even without the “radical” epithet, the fact that Palin is a true conservative—both fiscally and socially—can be a tough sell in heavily blue states. They have opined that her endorsement of Republicans in states where many consider Arnold Schwarzenegger to be conservative, may not have been perceived well by many in those states.

Reality check: Palin’s endorsements aren’t geared toward America’s hard left. They’re meant to rally conservatives, Republicans, and Independents—be they in typically red or blue states. They won’t always yield victory, particularly in America’s deep blue regions, but you just never know. It is noteworthy that her endorsements of Susana Martinez in blue-leaning NM and Kelly Ayotte in blue-leaning NH certainly lent a hand to their successes.

In ordinarily red states and/or districts—and with respect to the GOP primary—there’s no doubt that Palin’s endorsements helped put candidates like Nikki Haley, Rand Paul, and NY–13’s Michael Grimm on the national map, playing a role in their victories.

On another note, Palin has been willing to get behind candidates far from shoo-in status, including the likes of Christine O’Donnell, John Gomez, Sharron Angle, Sean Bielat, John Raese, and Joe Miller. She appears to base her endorsements upon which candidates she believes are standing on principled conservative ground, rather than upon whether or not they’re considered to be “sure winners.” That will undoubtedly yield a results map that features some losses.

Much like her decision to resign from the governorship after facing a slew of bogus, costly ethics charges, Palin’s choice of endorsements doesn’t appear to be based on what will or won’t preserve her political future. Rather, it seems to be based on her principles..."

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The author makes the salient observation that even Mediaite, CBS, and NBC, none of which can be described as having a favorable attitude toward the first woman to be both Alask's governor and the GOP's vice presidential candidate, all had to admit that Mama Bear had a great night. and that, Bila says, "just may be one for the books."

- JP

More Quote of the Day Honorable Mention, Part 146

Special "Winning" Edition
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Freedom Fighter at Joshuapundit:

"One person who has to be particularly gratified about [Tuesday] night's results is Governor Sarah Palin. While she had some high profile losses among her endorsees, her batting average overall was spectacular, coming in at around .680 so far... One big loss for Palin was Sharron Angle, and I'm convinced that Angle only lost because Harry Reid trucked... thousands of Democrat and union operatives into Nevada in a massive GOTV operation that the RNC was apparently unwilling to put in place for the Tea Party favorite, who was a relative amateur in a big race like this. Without a real ground came, she came up short..."

Just A Grunt at JammieWearingFool:

"I Want Sarah Filling Out My NCAA Tournament Brackets..."

Jennifer at Cubachi:

"If you want to know how great we have it with this past election, watch Sarah Palin’s new video, 'Together.' Featuring Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Allen West, Nikki Haley, Susana Martinez, Renee Ellmers, Sean Duffy, Tim Scott, and so many other stellar conservatives who are heading to Washington, DC to shake things up. This video is so uplifting, and is a reminder that together we can change things in Washington for the better... My goodness, we have never seen such a wipe out of liberalism in decades!"

Jeanette at The Right Angle:

"Right now, Sarah Palin is the only conservative who remained consistently relevant during two years of Nan-O-Reid hell. None of the 'smart' politicians so effectively engaged Obama or were targeted for retaliation by the Administration. Only Sarah Palin has been persistent and accurate."

Roaring Republican:

"Palin achieved three things on election night. First she built relationships and earned credibility amongst now elected Republicans and their supporters. Second she raised her image nationally by being serious and appearing focused. Her image had been tarnished by the mainstream media and pundits. She did exactly what she needed to raise her stature and create an opening to reinvent herself as a savvy politician. Finally, she was able to make the election about her while also appearing to make it about true policy and politics... 2010 was a relatively free massive ad for Palin politics. Something her competitors, despite their attempts, did not have. (Yes, I am largely looking at you Mitt Romney.)"

Ted Nugent in The Washington Times:

"The election of 2010 will go down in history as the Great Tea Party Massacre. The Founding Fathers would smile with pride at Sarah, Glenn and many other patriots."

Timothy Dalrymple at Patheos:

"Sarah Palin... helped shape the narrative in many elections, and Hillary Clinton... is looking more and more like the Democrat who should have been President... Finally, attacks on the basis of religion were flying fast and furious over the course of recent months, against Rand Paul, Christine O’Donnell, Sharron Angle, Carly Fiorina, Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachmann, Nikki Haley, and…well, it looks as though all of them were Christian conservatives, doesn’t it? Hmm. Many folks on the Left want religion — and especially conservative Christian religion — out of the public square."

Lloyd Marcus at American Thinker Blog:

"The American Tea Party Movement is the biggest winner of Tuesday's election... 15 days ago we held our launch rally in Reno, NV. Sarah Palin was our keynote speaker for that rally. Palin appearances are electric. Her impact on the audiences is amazing. The people love her."

Teri O'Brien at Illinois Review:

"If a single candidate who received the slightest nod of approval from Gov. Sarah Palin does not win, that race will become the ultimate 'bell weather,' proving once and for all that 'everybody knows' that she is a ditzy airhead who lacks 'gravitas,' more suited to pushing an airplane drink cart than being involved in serious public policy issues. Of course, she is not on the ballot anywhere. That fact that won’t matter in Sarah’s case, but it will be repeated incessantly about Barack Obama, as in 'President Obama wasn’t on the ballot, so I don’t think we can think of this stunning defeat of the democrats a referendum on him.'"

James Pethokoukis at NRO:

"Who was the biggest winner of Election Day 2010? Sarah Louise Palin. She bestrode the political stage and backed winners in key primary states like Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina."

Sahit Muja at WSJ's Marketwatch.com:

"Tea Party and Sarah Palin are the winners of this election... The popularity of the Tea Party movement and former Governor Palin in particular attests to the fact that many of us want smaller government, less intrusion from it in our daily lives, and a financial system that stops spending money we don't have. Democrats continued [to] focus on finding ways to stick collective fingers in Tea Party movement and Gov. Palin's eyes whenever they get the chance."

Michael Falcone and Amy Walter at ABC News' The Note:

"Palin now has something else going for her: a cadre of candidates she endorsed who soon will take office in key House, Senate and governor's seats and who are in Palin's debt."

Redbaiter at CrusaderRabbit:

"The left like to falsely portray Palin as a quitter for resigning as Governor of Alaska. The long term benefits of this strategic move are now plain to everyone other than the most bigoted Palin hater. She has skewered Obama and his mainstream media cronies... at every turn.... I’m not saying Palin is my pick for President. I’m saying that the left and the soft right are wrong when they attack her as 'inexperienced'. She’s streets ahead of all on the left and most on the right in intelligence, political nous, and (most of all) courage. The girl's got heart like you wouldn’t believe. She prevailed in this election and she will continue to prevail. That the political establishment of the hard left and the soft right hate her so intensely is one of the main reasons I support her as I do."

Freedom Fighter at Joshuapundit:

"The real story is that if Sarah Palin and Jim DeMint hadn't kept the Tea Party activists and candidates within the Republican tent, the massive Republican victory Tuesday simply wouldn't have happened."

Peter Wallsten at The Wall Street Journal:

"A revitalized Republican Party began looking toward the 2012 presidential election with renewed optimism about its prospects but uncertainty about who was best positioned to lead the charge... Ms. Palin's active media presence and endorsements in the midterm campaign have maintained her high profile as a spokeswoman for her party. In a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll in mid-October, Republicans cited her most often as the 'most important leader or spokesperson' for the GOP... Independent voters also cited Ms. Palin as the 'most important' GOP leader..."

- JP

Steven Bryan: Sarah Palin’s ‘Take Back the 20′ PAC scores a bull’s-eye

From Associated Content's Steven Bryan:

During the 2010 midterm elections, Sarah Palin went hunting for Democrats and nearly bagged her limit.

"Take Back the 20," Palin's political action committee, targeted 20 congressional districts across the country that John McCain carried in 2008 but had Democratic representatives in Congress.

The results... are eye-opening. Palin succeeded in 18 of 20 districts, losing in West Virginia's 3rd House District. At this time, the race in Arizona's 8th House District is too close to call.

The 18 Republican winners unseated freshman politicians, congressional veterans and even House Budget Committee Chairman John Spratt.

The list of the "Take Back the 20" candidates Gov. Palin endorsed and how they did in the 2010 midterm elections is here.

- JP

Day By Day (November 4, 2010)

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Good Morning! It's a wonderful life if we just take it Day By Day.



Support Pro-Palin Day By Day

- JP

Corrupt media spins Gov. Palin's endorsements (Updated)

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Not all of the biggest winners in this year's general election were candidates running for public office. Those running who had Gov. Palin's endorsement did very well indeed, but you would never know it if you get your news from the mainstream media. Not only did crack reporters not do their research, some of them appear to have the math skills of a two-year old.

NBC Montana came closer to getting it right than others, as it named our favorite Mama Bear as one of the five big winners in Tuesday's elections:

Not all of the candidates Sarah Palin threw her support behind won election, but enough were victorious to reflect well on the former vice presidential candidate.

Of the 54 candidates across congressional, gubernatorial and other state races Palin supported who faced primaries, 42 won. Combined with the candidates she backed who did not face primaries, that left 49 candidates for the 2010 midterms. Of those, 28 candidates won, 15 lost and six races were still undecided by early Wednesday morning.

More important than her won-loss record, the 2008 vice presidential candidate helped to "energize the Republican Party on its way to a historic wave of success," says the author.

Next up, Shushannah Walshe. While Walshe may be regarded by the media establishment as an authoritative figure, she doesn't do too well with numbers:

Palin will point to a positive win-loss record—98 of her 77 candidates triumphed, (6 races had yet to be called by Wednesday morning.) But many of the highest-profile races, where she had loudly interjected herself, her candidates—Sharron Angle in Nevada, Christine O'Donnell in Delaware, and John Raese in West Virginia—lost.

98 of 77? Walshe gives the governor credit for having more candidates win than she actually endorsed, which is quite an accomplishment. But her piece focuses on those who lost, which is typical of The Daily Beast, which should change its name to The Daily Least.

Also, we have a story which falls into the Big Lie category by Aliyah Shahid, a staff writer for DNC stenographer rag NY Daily News:

"Overall, just 27, or 45% of the candidates Palin endorsed have won so far."

We're not sure what body cavity Shahid pulled those numbers from, because more than twice that number endorsed by Gov. Palin have actually won. The rest of this hit piece is just as disingenuous and snarky, proving once again that when the lamestream, drive-by media doesn't like the facts, it simply makes things up instead.

The truth is Palin-endorsed national candidates (there were 94 of them in the general election) have won 60 and lost 29, with 5 races undecided. Of the decided races, she has a winning percentage of 67.4% so far. That's over two-thirds of the candidates she has endorsed. Even were her endorsed candidates to lose the remaining nine undecided contests, she would still have a winning percentage of 63.8, or better than three out of five. Not bad at all, especially considering all of the underdogs and long shot candidates the governor endorsed in these races. Notice that no one in the media is talking about any other political figure's endorsements and how they fared in the midterms. That speaks volumes in itself.

Updates...

The Daily Bleat Beast has changed the Walshe piece to read "49 of her 77 candidates triumphed" without acknowledging the typo - but the numbers are still wrong. 60 of the 94 candidates Gov. Palin endorsed have won, with 8 races still to be called.

The Caucus blog at the NY Times also focused on the losers, rather than the larger number of winners, backed by Gov. Palin. But Michael Shear, who wrote the post, had to admit:

If former Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska decides to run for president in 2012, she will now have plenty of help.

[...]

Still, as potential 2012 presidential contenders begin lining up support and cashing in chits, Ms. Palin will have plenty of places to look for support. In addition to the Senate and governors’ races, there are dozens of lesser-known House candidates who had earned her blessing.

But, on the positive side, CBS News published a surprisingly fair, if not quite accurate, report:

Most of the candidates Sarah Palin endorsed chalked up victories Tuesday.

And that scorecard leaves pundits wondering whether she'll now train her sights directly on the Republican presidential nomination in 2012.

As CBS News Correspondent Jeff Glor reports, .the former GOP vice presidential nominee backed 43 candidates for the House. Thirty of them won, with races involving nine others still undecided.

Her record in Senate races was closer: She endorsed 12 candidates. Seven won.

Though it's been 15 months since Palin stepped down as Alaska governor, she was very much in this election, stumping for candidates across the country, skewering President Obama at every turn.

"My observation of Sarah Palin," says CBS News political analyst Nicolle Wallace, "is that she is one of the shrewdest political figures in our country at this moment. She's also one of the most electric."

Actually, Gov. Palin endorsed 72 Congressional candidates, 42 of whom won, with 5 races still undecided.

Add Ed Carson at IBD's Capital Hill blog to the list of media types who who are factually-challenged:

"Meanwhile, Sarah Palin’s presidential ambitions took a hit. The defeats of Sharron Angle, Christine O’Donnell, Ken Buck and possibly Joe Miller — all races that were eminently winnable in a GOP year — show that activist zeal alone can’t push polarizing candidates to victory."

Just a couple of problems with that paragraph, Ed. First of all, Sarah Palin never endorsed Ken Buck. Secondly, a number of "polarizing" candidates Gov. Palin endorsed -- including, but certainly not limited to, Rand Paul, Michele Bachmann, Marco Rubio, Allen West, Nikki Haley and John Boozman -- cruised to victory last night.

*Also updated to account for latest results

- JP

Day By Day (November 3, 2010)

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Good Morning! It's a wonderful life if we just take it Day By Day.



Support Pro-Palin Day By Day

- JP

Quote of the Day (November 2, 2010)

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Political science professor Susan MacManus:

"In politics, part of being able to support other people of your party in your election endeavor is a way you build your network and you build power. [Sarah Palin is] basically building a lot of clout within the party. She can raise money, she can turn out crowds. People read into her the ability to impact an election."

- JP

Sarah Palin: 'Tomorrow it’s our turn'

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On Facebook Monday, Gov. Palin reminded voters that Congressional Democrats went against the will of the American people and voted for ObamaCare 30 weeks ago. Tomorrow, she encouraged them, it's our turn:

Tomorrow Is Freedom Day!

Tomorrow is Election Day. Before you head to the polling place, take a moment to remember March 21st, when the Pelosi Congress cast its vote for Obamacare. The enduring image of that day is one of Congressional Democrats arrogantly dismissing the pleas of thousands of Americans gathered outside the Capitol Building begging them not to inflict this disastrous bill on us.

In the end this bill wasn’t about health care reform; it was about control and government mandates and fines for not purchasing a government-approved insurance plan. The bill jeopardizes the very thing it was supposed to reform. Every day we hear about doctors leaving the Medicare system; increased premiums with talk of price controls; rationing becoming standard practice; and panels of faceless bureaucrats deciding which categories of treatment are worthy of funding based on efficiency calculations (which I called a “death panel”).

The morning after this terrible bill was passed by the House, I wrote that “we will remember the corrupt deals, the corrupt process, the lack of transparency, the deceptive gimmicks to game the CBO score, and the utter disregard for the will of the American people.”

They voted against our will that day. Tomorrow it’s our turn to vote against them and put our government back on the side of the people. This is our chance to rebuke their big government power grab, reject their unwanted “fundamental transformation” of America, and start the process of repealing this bill before it buries us under a mountain of debt.

So let’s fire Pelosi, retire Reid, and send all those who were responsible for that disgraceful bill a message that America is still about “We the People.”

Tomorrow is our Freedom Day.

Enshrined in our Constitution is the process for the peaceful transfer of power. Our revolution continues each election at the ballot box, and tomorrow we will renew the spirit of the American Revolution once again. Let freedom ring!

- Sarah Palin

- JP

Videos: Gov. Palin on Fox News & Fox Business Election Eve

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Gov. Palin on 'The O'Reilly Factor':


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Gov. Palin 'On the Record'


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Gov. Palin on "Cavuto'



- JP

Sharron Angle Ad: 'Our Turn'

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Good closing argument by the Angle campaign:


h/t: Jim Hoft

- JP

Sarah Palin on Fox News Pre-election Specials tonight

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From GretaWire:

"We have a Special tonight at 10pm... you will hear the very latest from around the nation and Governor Palin joins us."

That's 10PM Eastern time, of course, which is 9PM Texas Time. Plus, she will be on an earlier election special hosted by Megyn Kelly and Bret Baier at 7 Central.

- JP

Hey, Alaskans! Want to be a write-in candidate for the U.S. Senate?

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If you’re an Alaska resident and qualified to run for Senate, you can have your name added to the list of write-in candidates for U.S. Senate, just like Lisa Murkowski did. It's easy. Dan Riehl shows you how to get 'er done at Big Jounalism. But hurry, "You must act today!"

According to the socialists, if you overload a government system, then it has to be expanded. By Jove, that works for lists of write-in candidates, too. So expand the list with your name today! Cloward-Piven: It's not just for leftists anymore.

- JP

Allen West Ad: 'All of This'

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30-second political ad for Alan West, the retired Army Lt. Col. who is running for Congress in FL-22 with Gov. Palin's endorsement:


h/t: Stacy McCain

- JP

Quote of the Day (October 26, 2010)

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Eric at The Tygrrrr Express:

"Every right of center American voter had better be prepared to fight like a lion in a steel cage... The left is about to spend the final 7 days in the worst search and destroy politics of destruction known to man. They will scorch the Earth. What they did to George W. Bush, Sarah Palin, and Christine O’Donnell was child’s play compared to what they have coming. Republicans had better be prepared to be have their faces super-imposed with Hitler, Stalin, and Pol Pot... 100,000 lawyers will be dispatched throughout this country to disqualify military ballots and include liberal votes by felons and illegal aliens, as well as children and dead people. The left will lie, cheat, and steal... So Republicans, conservatives, and Tea Party people had better keep fighting to the finish. Be prepared for a gutter street fight. It will be ugly... They will resort to violence, keying cars, stealing lawn signs, and shoving conservatives to the ground and beating them. They will then accuse 80 year old conservative ladies in wheelchairs of the violence... 7 days to go."

- JP