Iowa: After the Speech

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Here's a sampling from the Iowa media...

The Des Moines Register has several articles, blog posts and a photo gallery:

Quotes from Sarah Palin speech at Iowa GOP Reagan Dinner
Reaction to Sarah Palin speech by Iowa Republican activists
Kim Reynolds, a Palin admirer, among those at pre-speech reception
Punctual Palin pokes primary pouters
Palin pumps up Iowa party faithful
Photo Gallery: Sarah Palin in Des Moines

Dave Davidson was also busy with a camera, and his photos from the dinner are here.

Gov. Palin's speech impressed The Iowa Republican: "Sarah Palin Shines in Iowa Foreshadowing of 2012 Return"

Surprisingly fair coverage from Soros-funded The Iowa Independent.

Andrew Duffelmeyer of IowaPolitics.com posted his take here.

Radio Iowa's O. Kay Henderson live blogged the dinner here.

At Caffeinated Thoughts, our friend Shane Vander Hart blogged about Gov. Palin's speaker's fee for her keynote address last night: "There was none."

- JP

About last night...

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- JP

Quote of the Day (September 17, 2010)

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Joshuapundit:

"At this point, if Sarah Palin borrowed five bucks from a staffer four years ago or forgot to pay a parking ticket back in 1990, it's already been a front page headline in the NYT. There's no new material left! And have you noticed something? No matter how vicious the personal attacks on her get, Governor Palin keep smiling, reiterating her message and coming back for more. And the more she's attacked, the bigger and more popular she gets. Hopefully, the Left will continue to disparage and underestimate the Arctic Fox."

- JP

Video: Gov. Palin's Ronald Reagan Dinner Keynote Speech to Iowa GOP

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Courtesy of aptly-named TheRightScoop, here is video of Gov. Palin's keynote address at the Iowa Republican Party's annual Ronald Reagan Dinner:



- JP

Sarah Palin in Iowa: 'This is our time'

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Bloomberg's John McCormack reports on Sarah Palin's speech to Iowa Republicans tonight, in which she said that the GOP needs to put its internal squabbles behind it in order to beat Democrats in November:

“The time for primary debate is over,” the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate and former Alaska governor said in a speech in Des Moines. “It is time to unite.”

On a foray into the state that traditionally holds the first presidential nominating contest, Palin said the midterm congressional elections are a more pressing priority than the next White House campaign.

“We can’t wait until 2012 to get our country back on the right track -- we need to start now by electing strong leaders who aren’t afraid to shake it up,” Palin said. “It is time to take our country back.”

[...]

Palin, 46, said Republicans should tap the energy of grassroots activists instead of waiting for orders from the party officials.

“This is our time -- we can’t blow it,” Palin said. “We won’t wait for that political playbook to be handed us from on- high, the political elite. It’s the voters who will stop these leftist policies; the voters will stop this fundamental transformation of America that is not good for America.”

Palin’s keynote address at a dinner named after former President Ronald Reagan gave Iowa caucus activists an up-close look at a woman they have mostly seen on television.

Most of those in the audience of about 1,500 people paid $100 each to attend the Iowa Republican Party’s largest annual fundraiser. It was the biggest crowd for the dinner in recent memory, said Danielle Plogmann, a state party spokeswoman. More than 50 news organizations requested credentials.

(More)

Gov. Palin’s appearance comes at the end of a week where she flexed her political muscles in Republican politics, as candidates she endorsed won U.S. Senate primaries in Delaware and New Hampshire.

- JP

Iowa

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Iowa means many things to many people, from farmers to football fans. For press and pundits, politicians and political junkies, every four years or so Iowa becomes a Mecca of sorts to which pilgrimages must be made. But when Sarah Palin goes to Iowa to speak at the state GOP's Ronald Reagan Dinner, the press and pundits go a little crazy, and the politicians and political junkies extend their antennae in the direction of The Hawkeye State. A multitude of articles appear in the press speculating on what it may reveal about Gov. Palin's intentions regarding 2012. she keeps those intentions to herself, which only ratchets up the speculation. In one such article, Dan Balz makes the understatement, "Interest in Palin's visit here Friday is strong":

More than 1,000 people are expected to attend the dinner, according to Danielle Plogmann, communications director for the Iowa Republican Party. She said that is the biggest crowd for a Reagan Day dinner in recent memory.

The Des Moines Register reported in its Friday editions that more than 50 news organizations have asked for credentials for the dinner, including foreign press.

And even Gov. Palin's colleagues at Fox News are speculating:



Depending on her closely-held political plans -- if they exist and she's not just waiting for The Man Upstairs to open that door -- Gov. Palin could possibly deliver the speech of her political life in a few hours. And if she truly wants to be the first woman President of the United States -- as she was the first woman to be Governor of Alaska and first woman officially designated by the Republican Party as its vice presidential candidate -- it will be an address second only to her 2008 RNC acceptance speech. If she harbors no such designs, something a dwindling number of observers still believe, it will be just another speech. Regardless of her intentions, this will be Sarah Palin's best opportunity to offer a tribute worthy of her political hero, Ronald Reagan.

We'll be among the millions who will be watching and listening on C-SPAN.

- JP

Iowa GOP confirms Gov. Palin to keynote fundraiser

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The Des Moines Register reported Tuesday morning that Iowa Republican Party Chairman Matt Strawn confirmed a Monday scoop by political blog The Iowa Republican (covered by TX4P here) that Sarah Palin will make her first political visit to the important presidential caucus state next month. Gov. Palin has accepted an invitation to keynote the Iowa GOP’s annual fall fundraiser Sept. 17 in Des Moines:

Palin also is expected to make other yet-announced political stops that day, with the Ronald Reagan dinner, a marquee event for the 2012 presidential prospect’s Iowa coming-out, that evening.

“A few months ago, Gov. Palin and her people reached out to us expressing interest in coming to our state,” Strawn told the Register this morning. “We’ve been working through those details for the past couple months.”

The state GOP and other conservative organizations in Iowa have been trying to land Palin, a huge draw for the party, since she stepped down as governor in July, 2009. Twice, Iowa officials thought they were close to inking visits, as recently as this summer.

The news comes on the heels of Palin’s appearance at Glenn Beck’s rally in Washington, D.C., Sunday. Palin, a star at the rally of conservatives, rated second in the field of prospective Republican presidential candidates in an August CNN poll, behind former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

Palin has also maintained popularity among Republicans in Iowa without making a campaign appearance here in almost two years.

Fifty eight percent of Iowa Republican primary voters said in June they had a favorable opinion of Gov. Palin, according to The Des Moines Register’s Iowa Poll. That was slightly behind Romney, at 62 percent, and slightly ahead of former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, at 56 percent. The differences are within the poll's margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

In a news release, the Iowa GOP announced that Tickets for the Reagan Dinner are $100 each, or $1,000 for a table of eight. But the party is offering Iowans work-for-your-ticket deal:

Strawn noted that while the former Governor of Alaska and Vice Presidential nominee is popular among Iowans, the current economy is challenging for many Iowa families who may wish to attend. That is why the Iowa GOP is offering Iowans an opportunity to volunteer through any of its ten statewide Victory Centers in exchange for a ticket to the Ronald Reagan “Salute to Freedom” Dinner. For additional details regarding volunteer opportunities, Iowans should contact their local Iowa GOP Victory Center in: Ames, Cedar Falls, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Iowa City, Marion, Mason City, Ottumwa, Sioux City and Urbandale.

Tickets can be reserved by emailing RSVP@IowaGOP.org or by calling 515-282-8105.

Media requesting credentials should email Danielle Plogmann at dplogmann@iowagop.org.

The time and location of the event will be announced by the Republican Party of Iowa at a later date.

- JP

Will Gov. Palin headline Iowa GOP dinner next month?

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Citing "well-placed sources," political website The Iowa Republican is reporting it has confirmed that Sarah Palin will keynote the Republican Party of Iowa's annual Ronald Reagan Dinner scheduled for September 17:

The visit would be Palin’s first visit to Iowa since making a brief stop in the state in December of 2009 for a book signing. The visit to the First-In-The-Nation Caucus state is certain to create buzz about a potential run for president in 2012.

Palin’s visit comes on the heels of her appearance at Glenn Beck’s Restoring Honor rally in Washington D.C. It also comes a week after TheIowaRepublican.com released polling results that showed Palin trailing Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, and Newt Gingrich in a 2012 caucus poll.

Bringing Palin to the state is a big deal for the Republican Party of Iowa. Most people have strong opinions of Palin following the 2008 presidential campaign, and she is sure to be a tremendous draw for the state party.

The IR says the Iowa GOP will release more details about the event Tuesday.

If the report is credible, it should ignite a new round of speculation about Gov. Palin's plans for 2012. Some pundits have dismissed a possible presidential run by the governor because she has not been making appearances in Iowa. Some of her potential rivals for the GOP presidential nomination, meanwhile, have found their way to the The Hawkeye State, some of them quite frequently.

It's no secret that the Iowa GOP has been actively working to try to get Gov. Palin to keynote its annual Reagan Day Dinner since at least July of 2009, as this story from the Des Moines Register archives confirms. The state party was not able to seal the deal last year, but perhaps it has finally managed to pull it off for 2010. We should have a better idea tomorrow.

- JP