More Quote of the Day Honorable Mention Part 393

“Someone Like You” Edition
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Patrick S. Adams, at Patrick's World USA:

“With Sarah Palin not in the presidential race, it's been extremely difficult to find a candidate that fits the bill. This blogger understands that we have to beat Obama, but who we beat him with is totally up in the air. There isn't one candidate that screams out ‘I'm the one’ the way Palin did. We have Herman Cain. We have Newt Gingrich. We have Rick Santorum. We have Michele Bachmann. They seem to be the best of the bunch, but they all have flaws. At some point we are going to have to overlook flaws, unfortunately, this election cycle. Luckily for us, none of our candidates are as flawed as Obama is. That ought to buy us some time when we win. Winning the election in 2012 is only step one. Step two is learning how to be the party and power yet still be dissatisfied enough to want to work even harder toward finding better leaders to help renew and restore the country. We can start with the Tea Party. We can start with Congress. But someday, someone who believes she doesn't need a title may have to take one on in order to finish the job.”

Joshua Green to Ian Lazaran, via Twitter:

“Gotta say, Palin seemed like the better gov.”

Gary P Jackson, at A Time For Choosing:

“I accept Sarah’s decision and after reflection, support it 100%. Like Reagan, Sarah is ahead of her time, for now. She’s talking about radical change. Changing the entire way government works. She’s talking about major reform. Replacing the corrupt Ruling Class politicians with principled leaders who aren’t for sale to the highest bidder. That change won’t come easy. The Ruling Class isn’t going to go quietly.”

Don Surber, at the Charleston Daily Mail:

“And he is better than Palin?”

Mark America:

“Let’s be honest: Given the choice of McCain and Romney, yes, I’d be inclined to pick Romney. Now, expand my choices by Rick Perry, Newt Gingrich, Herman Cain, Rick Santorum, Michele Bachmann, Ron Paul, and Gary Johnson, and yes, I’m going to re-think my previous choice. To be perfectly honest, if tomorrow Sarah Palin decided to change her mind and run, I’d be back back-peddling from any support I might have given any of the rest of these. NO PROBLEM. The simple fact is that if you have limited choices, you may choose the best that remains at the time, but not be overly happy about it.”

Mark America:

“This is why you’re going to be looted for as long as they can get away with it. What do you think is the possible meaning of the story about which Sarah Palin tweeted her outrage over on Thursday night?”

Ron Devito, at US for Palin:

“I would be highly irresponsible to suggest as fact that Gov. Palin is currently running unconventionally for President. I would be blindly foolish to dismiss the clear signs suggesting the possibility. This is why ‘glassing the field’ – picking up the binoculars and slinging the rifle – makes most sense. Sometimes, slow and steady wins the race. Only Gov. Palin, Todd, God, and maybe her closest staff know what she’s doing. Given the mortal enemies in her own party and its inability to abide by its own rules, best it’s left that way.”

Jelayne Sessler, at Palin Defender:

“Sarah, I'm not going anywhere. The majority of your support base is on board with you.”

Ed Morrissey, at Hot Air:

“Brutalized? Hardly. Perry rode into the race at the top of the polls and remained there for the first three of these debates, only sliding downward after the third debate in Orlando. If Perry expected to get no questions about his record in Texas, then he should have stayed out of the race. Besides, as many commenters wrote last night in Allahpundit’s post, maybe they should try walking in the Palins’ shoes for a while to understand being ‘brutalized.’”

Jay Newton-Small, at TIME's Swampland blog:

“I thought it might be instructive to look back at some of the lessons Rick Perry can take from Palin’s base whispering.”

Ron Futrell, at Big Journalism:

“A favorite trick of a partisan media is to ask a question, perhaps do a story or two and then drop it like a rubber ball at the feet of the owner. Fetch! They play that game back and forth and nothing ever really happens. They call it ‘action news.’ Somebody, somewhere needs to latch on to the ankles and not let go until the right thing is done. When you ask a question, ask follow-ups, over and over again. The best answer you get from powerful people comes only after the second, third, or fourth follow up. Watch how you did interviews with Sarah Palin if you want to see how that is done.”

Team Gingrich:

“Because he stuck to the issues and didn't engage in sniping with other candidates, Newt won, says Palin.”

Larry Mendte, at The Philly Post:

“Sarah Palin warned of government ‘death panels’ on her Facebook page and was nationally ridiculed. Politifact.com awarded Palin with the ‘Lie of the Year’ for that statement. President Obama called her out during a joint session of Congress saying the claim is ‘a lie, plain and simple.’ I thought of Sarah Palin when I heard the story of Helen Wagner. Helen is 91 years old and is the mother of my sister-in-law Peggy. Give Helen five minutes and she will list a dozen times she has held death at bay. But now she is up against a much greater force: Medicare... When I heard Helen’s story about a new crackdown on government rules that can impact a patient’s care because of their age. I couldn’t help but think that maybe Sarah Palin was right.”

Shawn Ramsey, via the Appomattox Times-Virginian:

“I found out that she loved God, she loves her family and after hearing her speech, she loves America.”

Moira Crooks, at Conservatives 4 Palin:

“Since Governor Palin announced October 5 that she was not going to seek the GOP nomination, I have been taking a closer look at the declared candidates. I have been trying to slip the shoe of what I look for in a President onto the wrong-sized feet of every last one. The further I look into each one’s records and positions on everything from American Exceptionalism to foreign policy, I cannot be convinced that anyone else can fill Gov. Palin’s shoes.”

Exit Quote - Dr. Seuss:

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.”

- JP

More Quote of the Day Honorable Mention Part 392

“Reconsider” Edition
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Anonymous, via Palin Defender:

“Dear Sarah... I am sure that you are aware of an online movement on Facebook called ‘Sarah Palin’s Earthquake.’ It is a gathering of thousands of like-minded supporters—like me—who are not idol worshiping, but have studied your record and accomplishments and know that you are the right person for the job. In short, we want you to reconsider. If you decline, please know that the majority of us understand, and we will continue to support you and your quest to re-take the Senate and save the House in 2012.”

Anthony James, at Tea Party Tribune:

“We will be Sarah Palin’s ‘Earthquake.’”

Patrick S. Adams, at Patrick's World USA:

“I didn't join the Palin army for the warm fuzzies. I didn't join the Palin army because I wanted to be in a fan club or because I wanted to join a social group. I joined the Palin army because I thought she represented exactly what America needed at a time when it needed it most... We will never have another Ronald Reagan. But, someday we will have another great one, whether its Palin or someone else. I just hope to be alive to see it, and I hope there is still an America left for them to lead.”

Mark America:

“That the GOP establishment seems to have managed to pull off another end-run around us is not Sarah Palin’s fault, but ours.”

Gary P Jackson, at A Time For Choosing:

“One thing Sarah has never stopped doing is fighting. Sarah has been the only real living voice of conservatism since she took to that convention stage in 2008. Better still, Sarah has put skin in the game. She’s put principle over power, and worried more about advancing conservatism than advancing her own political career... It’s hard for a lot of people to let that go. To accept the best possible choice for America has decided not to run. There’s even a move to draft her. To cause that ‘earthquake’ she said it would take to get her to reconsider. To be honest, as tempting as it sounds, folks would be better off focusing their energy on the new mission. Sarah has said she’s not going anywhere. That she is going to take on corruption in both parties, continue to push the conservative message, and fight to not only take back the Senate but increase our numbers in the House, by helping elect sold conservatives. Men and women of principle. Of substance. Sarah has inspired millions, it would be sad to see all of that energy wasted. In 2010 Sarah had an unbelievable record of picking winning candidates and endorsing them. Look for 2012 to be even stronger, as long as we keep our eyes on the mission.”

William A. Jacobson, at Legal Insurrection:

“Looking at all the non-Romney candidates last night, I kept thinking, ‘Miss her yet?’”

M. Joseph Sheppard, at A Point Of View:

“There is no question that Newt Gingrich is in the ascendency... For Gingrich to not only continue his rise, but to break away from the pack and actually take the lead, there is one sentence he can say which would not only give him the lead, the nomination and, given the predicted state of the economy next year, the presidency in 2012: ‘If I am elected president I will offer the post of Secretary of Energy to Sarah Palin.’ This statement, especially if Palin responds positively, or even guardedly -- as long as she didn't reject it outright, could bring the support of the millions of Palin's Facebook followers, the activists and the financial backers.”

Newt Gingrich, during the Dartmouth Debate:

“I think, candidly, Governor Palin got attacked unfairly for describing what would, in effect, be death panels.”

Sherisse Pham, at ABC News' The Note:

“Rick Santorum‘s bid for the Republican presidential nomination is not going well. While rivals such as Rep. Michele Bachmann, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and now businessman Herman Cain enjoy bursts of popularity, the former Pennsylvania senator can’t seem to get his campaign out of the gate. Endorsements from leading Republicans – say, Sarah Palin - would certainly help. ‘Her being out of the race and potentially getting involved in a campaign with somebody else could be a big lift,’ Santorum said on ABC’s ‘Top Line.’ ‘We’d like your endorsement by the way,’ he joked, staring straight to the camera.”

Herman Cain, to The Daily Caller:

“I believe that I would be a natural choice for many of the Sarah Palin supporters simply because Sarah Palin and I share very similar views.”

John Smithson, at Meet Sarah Palin:

“Huntsman criticizes Palin. My question: who cares? The leftist Mediaite ran a story a couple of days ago on Jon Huntsman, past governor of Utah, criticizing Sarah Palin for dragging out her decision on running for the presidency... Huntsman really does not understand the current climate within the GOP or he would excuse himself from the race altogether. Nice guy, but he does not have one chance in 700 hells of getting the GOP nomination, and we all know this. His influence within the GOP is so lacking that one wonders why he continues his campaign or takes the time to criticize anyone within the party. This is similar to Norm Newhollander criticizing the GOP. Don't know who Norm Newhollander is? Exactly.”

Ian Lazaran, at Conservatives 4 Palin:

“These three polls are screaming for either Palin or Huckabee to reconsider.”

Tammy Bruce, at Newsmax.com:

“Every candidate in the GOP field now fails on Palin’s points... Gov. Palin has painted herself into a very difficult principled corner — her own standards make endorsing in this current field at the very least uncomfortable, and at worst she’s at risk of appearing hypocritical... Whatever individual Palinistas decide when it comes to ‘What now?’ they will make the difference in this imperative political season. With the tea party, we have seen emerge the most important conservative movement since the Reagan Revolution, and if there ever was a time for authentic conservatives to take back this nation and the Republican Party, it is now. For those who thought Gov. Palin’s supporters would fade away if Palin did not run, they’ll find the folly in that sooner than later.”

Donga.com, South Korean news site:

“Na Kyung-won, the ruling Grand National Party’s candidate for Seoul mayor, has a few things in common with former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin... Both are prominent female politicians in their countries and are raising a child with Down Syndrome. Na met Palin Tuesday on the sidelines of the World Knowledge Forum...”

Mark Whittington, at Yahoo! News:

“Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin may not be running for president, but she is still playing the role of a world stateswoman. She had some things to say about East Asia at the World Knowledge Forum 2011 sponsored by the Maeil Business Newspaper in Seoul. According to the Wall Street Journal, she touched on themes of smaller government and the dangers of a large national debt. This is affecting America's ability to project power in the world, which is a dangerous thing. She also touched on the rise of China as a military power, the current dispute over the Spratly Islands and the need for regime change in North Korea. One of the calumnies directed against Palin is that she had allegedly not studied the issues or traveled very much abroad. This is a calumny because it is not true. Palin has been to India, Israel and Hong Kong in the last several years and has impressed the locals at every stop with her command of the issues facing Asia and the Middle East... In her Seoul speech, Palin opined that there will be a woman president someday in America, and she looks forward to that day. This is a bittersweet reminder to her admirers who also look forward to that day and have already put a name and face on that future chief executive.”

Exit Quote - Marshall McLuhan, in The Medium is the Massage: An Inventory of Effects:

“The medium, or process, of our time - electric technology - is reshaping and restructuring patterns of social interdependence and every aspect of our personal life. It is forcing us to reconsider and re-evaluate practically every thought, every action, and every institution formerly taken for granted.”

- JP

More Quote of the Day Honorable Mention Part 391

“It's Not Over” Edition
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Conservative Pup:

“‘For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.’ – Jeremiah 29:11... I have admired, respected, and been inspired by Gov. Palin for over three years. Since the first day I heard her speak, when McCain introduced her that August day, I have known, down in my bones, that she was “the real deal.” That hasn’t changed. Sarah Palin is the ‘real deal,’ a genuine America-loving citizen who has a special gift for sharing that love and stirring in the hearts of millions of her fellow citizens a passion and determination to restore our country to her founding principles. I profoundly thank her for that, and for all she has done for the purpose of restoring America. And it’s not over. Not by a long shot.”

Stephen Bannon, via Variety:

“"She was very straightforward. She told people that her decision would be through consultation with her family and through prayer. That is what she did, and she made the decision that this was not the time for her.”

Madeline McAulay, at Faith, Hope and Politics:

“If people would put themselves in Governor Palin’s shoes, and look through the eyes her family, there is no way they can truly be angry. Everyone grew to love the Palin’s in 2008, but we also remember the disgusting things that were not only thrown at her, but also at her children. I do not blame any of them for not wanting to go through that again, at least at this time. One thing is for certain, Governor Palin is not going anywhere. She will have a huge impact on the upcoming elections, and she will continue to be a voice for Conservatives. I trust the Governor, and her decision, and I know that God has a perfect and divine plan that will be even greater than anyone can imagine.”

Dan Riehl, at Riehl World View:

“It amazes me to see how many silly people there are on the Right who fail to appreciate Palin's significance in bringing in new people, faces and energy to our efforts these last few years... She remains an asset and only fools and asses squander or seek to undermine political assets, especially in political times such as these.”

Mark Whittington, at Associated Content:

“Reports of Sarah Palin's political demise have been greatly exaggerated... It is clear that Palin's endorsement is one of the most valued commodities in American politics in this election cycle. A great many people are in elected office because of her support during the 2010 election cycle. It is possible that the next president of the United States could owe his presidency to a well timed word from the lady from Wasilla... Endorsements often come with a price. For Palin it may not be something as blatant as an office or a place on the ticket. It might well be a pledge to advance the agenda that Palin and her followers care about. If that kind of quid pro quo happens, she will become the gray eminence of American politics, albeit not in the holy orders. ”

Terry Jeffrey, at NRO Symposium:

“The 2012 election may not be Sarah Palin’s Agincourt, but as with the young Prince Hal who became the fearsome Henry V, we are seeing the emergence of a leader who will someday crush the fools who arrogantly underestimated her.”

Gary P Jackson, at A Time For Choosing:

“Sarah Palin has said she will continue the fight, and I will stand with her and anyone else who wants to fight this fight. Immediately after her announcement, she released a new video... that says she’s not going anywhere. Knowing how she has no problem going after the bad guys in either party, she could be quite dangerous to the Ruling Class. Good! We are in the fight for the very survival of our nation. Now is not the time to sit back and be sad Sarah won’t be our next President... Now is the time to move forward. Again, I trust that whatever Sarah has up her sleeve is important and will bring results.”

Patrick S. Adams, at Patrick's World USA:

“There is no better way to stick it to the scumbags who messed with her and her family than to walk off with a wad of cash and an army of devoted followers over two million strong. Good for her.”

Henry D'Andrea, at Washington Times Communities:

“Palin’s message has always been ‘country first.’ She put the country ahead of self by sitting this election out. It would be a lie to say I am not disappointed that she isn’t running, but I fully stand behind her decision. In this coming, crucial election, Palin will hit the campaign trail for many governors, senators, congressmen, etc., who are actively working to restore America. In the historical 2010 mid-term election, Palin endorsed several candidates across the United States: Over 70% of them won their races. She will be decisive in the next election. Her message of conservatism and a simpler, smaller, smarter government resonates with the American people. To Palin’s supporters: Do not let the governor’s decision demoralize you. It is not time to pack up and go home, it is time to unite and fight to stop the Obama agenda. Governor Palin, we thank you for your selfless fight for commonsense, conservative solutions for the United States of America. I still believe that one day I’ll have the honor of calling you ‘President Sarah Palin.’ This is a crucial time for America and Sarah Palin isn’t retreating, she’s just reloading.”

John Hitchcock, at Truth Before Dishonor:

“Sarah Palin has not given up the stage. She is definitely going to keep up the fight, and as a result, the candidates for office — Presidential and below — will have to respond to the TEA Party and Palin campaigns to take the US back to its roots of Freedom and Liberty.”

Kempite, at White House 2012:

“Palin’s lack of political ambition is what attracts most people to her. They understand that her opinions and words are not driven by the political motives which are usually behind the words and policies of your average politician. That understanding and the enormous number of people who support Palin for her ability to articulate what they feel and think, and her desire to be honest and blunt about those sentiments, is the same understanding which gave birth to the TEA movement. That is why for many, the two go hand in hand. It is why Palin is a darling of the TEA movement. It is also why Palin’s decision not to run is likely to have as much of an effect on who will be the next Republican nominee, as she would have had if she decided to run for the nomination herself.”

David Riddick, at The Aged P:

“Who knows what surprises the future might bring for Sarah Palin or her supporters. Only time will tell. As for her enemies they should savour the moment while they can for some time in the future fate will surely deliver their come uppance…”

Ron Devito, at US for Palin:

“Judgment and discernment by definition cannot be programmed. You see, some qualities are completely apolitical and cannot be mechanized. Few people possess even one of them, much less all of them. These qualities are: integrity; leadership by example; keeping promises; executive experience; command experience; life experience; judgment; the right combination of toughness and sweetness; accomplishments; fortitude; the ability to keep confidences; a proven and vetted track record of success; a proven ability to withstand media scrutiny; people person; and impeccable character that inspires confidence and commands respect. Add to that list: proving to the world that a woman can do anything a man can do – and in many cases, do it better. These qualities are about the person and Gov. Palin possesses every last one of them. That’s what makes her the kind of leader you see only once in 75 – 150 years.”

Roderic Deane:

“We need to trust Sarah now, as we have in the past. I have no doubt that she’s got some plans up her sleeve that will make us all proud.”

Kathryn Jean Lopez, at National Review Online:

“Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin recently said something both profound and essential. As she was nearing her decision not to launch a presidential campaign — appearing to discern what role she could best play in national affairs, and perhaps preparing to let her most ardent supporters down easy — she asked Fox News host Greta Van Susteren, ‘Is a title worth it? Does a title shackle a person?’ She continued: ‘Does a title take away my freedom to call it like I see it and to affect positive change that we need in this country? That’s the biggest contemplation piece in my process.’ Such questions could be interpreted as indicative of a dismaying attitude toward public service. But they may also demonstrate an admirable self-awareness, and a keen appreciation of the different ways one might play a role in public life.”

Exit Quote - Les Brown:

“It’s not over until you win.”

- JP

More Quote of the Day Honorable Mention Part 390

“Free as a Bird” Edition
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Mark America:

“Since yesterday’s announcement on the Mark Levin show, there has been a good deal of discussion over what sort of role Governor Palin will play going forward. As ever, that decision is entirely up to her, and if it’s to be as an outsider, participating in a grass-roots charge as one of our decidedly stronger voices, I will satisfy myself with that. I realize that by supporting her in that end, it doesn’t mean I will always agree with her on every issue or every race, but because she’s been such a powerfully consistent voice, I will always tend to give her opinion more weight than those of most others. For the same reasons that she has said about how this will ultimately unshackle her, what Sarah Palin has done also liberates me. My goal now turns to one not at all dis-similar from what Sarah Palin has offered: I am and always have been most interested in restoring our nation, and indeed, it has been her devotion to that goal that attracted me to Governor Palin. As she embarks again on this unconventional form of battle, where she seeks political results without seeking political office, I still see in her a force for an amazing potential benefit to our nation, and frankly, given the way things have been going, we need every ally in the struggle we can find. Sarah Palin remains one of the most powerful advocates we will find.”

H. R. Hunt, at Palin4America:

“I’m just saying, if you know Sarah’s history, she has put her kids first before.”

TWB, at The POH Diaries:

“The reason Sarah Palin isn’t running for President is because from the moment she was picked as McCain’s Vice Presidential nominee, the media and the establishment set out to destroy her. Destroy her they didn’t. But damage her? There can be no argument that Sarah Palin is a damaged political figure. Damaged in the sense that it will be a tall order for her to ever win a national election without the cards falling just right in her favor. However, in the sense that she’s still incredibly effective at being a great spokesperson for American and Conservative values and she has been and will continue to be the greatest of King makers, they failed in their mission to damage her enough. To be quite frank, there’s still way too many stupid people in this country for someone like Sarah Palin to win the Presidency. Figure that one out on your own.”

Bob Belvedere, at The Camp Of The Saints :

“Needless to say, I’m very disappointed…and very worried because none of the other announced candidates fully understands what bad shape we are in.”

Vicki McClure Davidson, at Frugal Café Blog Zone:

“Love and admire you tremendously, Sarah. I’m sure that many conservative Americans’ hearts are broken to hear this news, but there are others, myself included, who are highly supportive of her decision. I’m sure that the welfare of her family (the statist media and liberal comedians have already viciously torn into her daughters and her baby son for more than three years now) had quite a bit to do with it... You’re one gutsy, magnificent woman who has more integrity, courage, and strength in your pinkie finger than few (if any) in the Democrat party has in their entire body. I believe Palin being one of the citizen voices behind the grassroots tea party movement, free market and conservative principles will be a greater force of reckoning.”

Michelle Malkin:

“Sarah Palin will continue to be one of the nation’s most powerfully effective voices for grass-roots conservatism. She is at her best when challenging the Beltway GOP establishment and taking on the corruption and profligacy in both parties. More power to her.”

Michelle McCormick, of O4P, to Stacy McCain:

“I keep telling people, no regrets. I've had so much fun doing this -- the people that I've met and good friendships I've made -- I would not trade that for anything. Shoot -- I got to meet Sarah Palin a couple of times. Man, that was awesome…. We still respect Governor Palin and respect her decision.… I will always respect Sarah Palin. Next to my mom, she's one of my biggest role models. I've had a wonderful journey doing this.”

Phineas Fahrquar, at Public Secrets:

“So I ask the editorial’s author: How would it be passing a test of leadership to hang on to an office at the price of it being paralyzed by the complaints... and her family being bankrupted? Would you seriously call that leadership? Honestly?”

Lori Calabrese, at Examiner.com:

“Although Palin supporters are a bit disappointed, it's important to remind everyone about Palin's role in the 2010 midterm elections. The former Alaska governor threw her support behind dozens of candidates, a mixture of tea party types and more established Republicans. The Washington Post even went so far as creating a Palin political tracker that mapped out her endorsements. It's no surprise that already several 2012 candidates have reached out to her. I don't expect Palin to fade from the scene and a Palin endorsement is more valuable than ever.”

Newt Gingrich, via Twitter:

“Gov Palin would have been a formidable candidate-@sarahpalinusa- she will be an important citizen fighting right fights- making a difference”

Gov. Nikki Haley, of South Carolina:

“I think that if she had gotten in it would have been great, for her not to get in, I think she is still a force to be reckoned with. She’s had a few years of just a roller coaster. What I can tell you is that everything she does to help better our country has been successful. She’s amazing to know the power of their voice; she’s amazing at trying to remind people of what it means to be conservative. I think she’s going to be a voice and I think she will continue to empower the people. I don’t think she’s going anywhere, I think she said she is just going to take a new role.”

Ian Lazaran, at Conservatives 4 Palin:

“It’s kind of ironic that she chose the most low-profile way to bow out of the race given the media narratives that are out there about her desire for attention.”

Scott Conroy, at RealClearPolitics:

“Back in August, Palin and her husband, Todd, even convened a rare in-person meeting in Arizona with five of her closest advisers to lay out the framework for how a wildly unconventional presidential campaign would be run, a SarahPAC aide told RCP. Two sources close to Palin said that family concerns ended up being a major factor in her ultimate decision not to enter the race... Palin almost certainly would have been a major factor in the race had she decided to join it. Immediately upon becoming a candidate, Palin would have sucked up the lion’s share of the political media’s focus. Furthermore, she likely would have reaped the rewards of her underestimated retail politicking skills in places like Iowa, despite her lack of a political infrastructure there.”

C. Edmund Wright, at American Thinker:

“The fundamental transformation Palin opposes maximizes government and minimizes liberty. If that fundamental transformation is not stopped, America will cease to exist as the Founders envisioned it and as we have known it... Sarah Palin, unlike many who denigrate her, has a mind great enough to understand that. We all need to.”

Adam Brickley, at The Daily Caller:

“The people who would have been the core supporters of a Palin campaign are now the biggest and most powerful bloc of free agents in the 2012 primary, and I’m practically salivating at the idea of watching the establishment candidates trek up to Wasilla to genuflect and beg for an endorsement. Every last one of them... As for the rest of us, we are more than happy to throw our weight around. We’re not in the mood to kiss and make up with the party bosses, and no one can afford to take us for granted. If you thought we were going to make your life hell as a campaign, wait until you see what we can do as a pressure group. We’ve already got a huge presence on the Web thanks to Conservatives4Palin and the rest of the Palin bloggers, and we now have a big grassroots network as well, thanks to the hard work of Organize4Palin. Do you really think we’re not going to use all of that cool stuff? It’s also important to remember that Sarah Palin has at least a quarter century left in her political life... The possibilities really are endless, and there will be many, many of us backing her up along the way.”

Exit Quote - Henrik Ibsen, at Lipstick 2012:

“A forest bird never wants a cage.”

- JP

More Quote of the Day Honorable Mention Part 389

“A Flame in the Darkness” Edition
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Jeanette Pryor, at Lipstick 2012:

“‘Love is the fundamental relation of God to the world. … In a chain of acts of love, man strives for the highest end.’ - St. Thomas Aquinas... Evil, for Aquinas, is the absence of good. For human beings, evil is a life devoid of love, one that feeds on hatred. Such a life, instead of shining like a flame in the darkness, extinguishes the light, twisting the one who hates. This afternoon I posted an article written by Caroline Glick, the editor of the Jerusalem Post, concerning the pro-Israel foreign policy orientation of Gov. Sarah Palin... I sincerely pray that those whose hearts are twisted by hatred for Sarah, whose ideas and patriotism I admire, and especially for the Jewish State of Israel, will find their way back to their ‘final cause,’ as Aquinas so beautifully put it.”

PolitiJim, at Rants for Reasonable People:

“OMG! Sarah STILL hasn't announced!! The Sky is Falling!”

William A. Jacobson, at Legal Insurrection:

“#OccupyWallStreet is organized agitprop designed to deflect attention from the Obama administration’s failings onto ‘Wall Street,’ although many of the participants don’t understand how they are being used. The Washington Post now is fully aboard Team Obama, doing its best to take down Rick Perry this week, next week someone else. AxelPlouffe messaging is all class warfare all the time, and will be for the next 13 months. And what are we doing? Silly antics like day-long sniping at others who are on our side. Get motivated...”

Kate Hicks, at Townhall.com's Tipsheet:

“To her credit, she never gave an exact timeline, so the firestorm surrounding her supposed ‘broken promise’ isn't exactly fair.”

Steve Flesher, at American Thinker:

“Fox News contributor Juan Williams remarked that Sarah Palin made a ‘nasty’ comment. Williams made the statement on Judge Napolitano's Freedom Watch Thursday, right before Palin was scheduled to appear. In Palin's subsequent discussion with Napolitano, she said, ‘I think it's nasty when a colleague [Williams] takes a shot when they don't know what they're talking about.’ Palin's complaints on Fox News come after a few other Palin-naysayer moments on the network... Considering the track record of many of these commentators, it certainly is easy to understand Palin's point about the ‘quasi-reality show’ they are attempting to create and steer through 2012. It can also explain why so many of us are waiting for her to shake that up, just as she shook up those ‘corrupt bastards’ in Alaska. Now, if Palin chooses to suspend (or even terminate) her contract with Fox News, it could well signal her intention to run for president. And that's exactly what a lot of people are waiting for.”

Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, at The Atlantic:

“I admire Sarah Palin for speaking out loudly and forcefully against crony capitalism.”

Howard Fischer, in Tempe's East Valley Tribune:

“Jan Brewer’s self-described attack on the liberal media is done and her book will be on shelves in less than a month. But first, a word from Sarah Palin. Brewer told Capitol Media Services she confers regularly with the former Alaska governor. And she sent Palin an advance copy of her book, Scorpions for Breakfast, asking her for a foreword. Palin obliged. ‘It’s not surprising,’ Brewer said. She noted that Palin came to Arizona last summer to have a joint press conference to defend SB 1070. That measure, approved earlier last year by the Legislature, is designed to give police more power to detain and arrest suspected illegal immigrants. ‘She’s been a very big supporter of what Arizona is doing in regards to the crime on the border and the illegal immigration,’ Brewer said. ‘She’s someone that I’ve always admired,’ the governor continued. ‘I appreciate the fact that she’s stepped forward and did it.’ Brewer won’t share what Palin wrote, at least not yet.”

Joel Pollak, to Carol Felsenthal at Chicago Magazine:

“I think if Sarah Palin runs, she’ll be the first Jewish president.”

Gary P Jackson, at A Time For Choosing:

“If you’ve kept up with the Hot Air straw polling since November 2010, you’ll know Sarah Palin has won ever single poll by a wide margin, until last month. In September the ‘anybody but Sarah Palin, who isn’t Mitt Romney’ contingent glommed onto Rick Perry as their latest ‘flavor of the month,’ giving him the win. Sarah came in second. After watching Perry’s hapless performances in the debates, and finding out more about Perry’s record, the ‘anybody but Sarah Palin, who isn’t Mitt Romney’ crowd has run en masse to Herman Cain, this month’s winner. Again Sarah comes in second... Hot Air also asks who would win a Palin vs Perry contest and a Palin vs Bachmann contest. The results are devastating to both Perry and Bachmann: Palin 62% Perry 38% and Palin 79% Bachmann 21%.”

Ian Lazaran, via Twitter:

“Palin's positive intensity in Gallup is up 30% the last three weeks, Romney is down around 20%, while Perry is down around 40%.”

Bob Unruh, at WorldNetDaily:

“Former Alaska governor and 2008 vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has said that the 2012 run for the Oval Office will be an out-of-the-box event. But just what did she mean? Voters eventually will find out, presumably. But just in case her ‘out-of-the-box’ reference means something as surprising as challenging Barack Obama in a Democratic Party primary, Fritz Wenzel of Wenzel Strategies included the scenario in his newest poll on the coming election... The results were startling... He said in a head-to-head matchup among Democratic Party voters, Palin still draws support away from Obama.”

Mark Halperin, at Time's The Page:

“But with world's eyes on Trenton, don't lose sight of Wasilla.”

Mark America:

“On this Tuesday, the film by Stephen K. Bannon, ‘The Undefeated’ comes to stores near you on DVD! Now, you will be able to get your own copy, and purchase them for friends and relatives, but best of all, you can hold your own ‘The Undefeated’ viewing parties. Do you want the truth about Governor Sarah Palin to get out to an audience hungry for a different kind of leader, but who have been led astray by the Lamestream Media, and even some in the GOP establishment? If you want your chance to show people the truth, to correct the record and inform them, finally, here’s your chance.”

Grady Smith, at Entertainment Weekly:

“It looks like the appeal of trying to take down Palin may be waning…”

Maggie Haberman, at Politico:

“Ken Vogel and I both have sources telling us that calls were made on behalf of a mystery candidate to various early states to determine presidential filing deadlines. The calls were made by representatives of the law firm Baker Hostetler - a firm that employs lawyer Mark Braden, who represents Sarah PAC, her political action committee. As Ken notes, while he nor representatives of Palin’s campaign would comment on the calls, Palin is the only GOP politician eying the presidential race who is represented by the firm.”

Exit Quote - Alexis de Tocqueville, at The Tree of Mamre:

“When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness.”

- JP

More Quote of the Day Honorable Mention Part 388

“Rabid Dog Syndrome” Edition
*


John Scotus, at The Tree of Mamre:

“Erickson’s single excuse for trashing Sarah Palin is that she has not made up her mind on whether or not she is running for president. It has nothing to do with Palin’s qualities as a candidate or her position on any substantive issue... Erickson sees this as disqualifying for Palin, even though he accepts it from Perry and from the other candidates... So, in Erickson’s universe, a complete rejection of Palin because she has not announced her decision on his timetable is fair game, while anyone who offers up criticisms or questions of Perry’s record or stance on the issues is only doing so in order to settle old scores and promote their own careers. In the light of how he turned on Radtke, it is completely legitimate to ask if Erickson has turned against Palin in a nod to his corporate masters, in order to curry favor with his new friends on TV, or even to advance his own career... whatever the case, it is clear that he is no longer an honest voice, that he has been co-opted by the system, and that he is now just as compromised as any other political operative and the journalists in the MSM. It is time to stop pretending that Erick Erickson is an independent blogger offering his true, unfettered opinion on things. It is time to say to Erickson, Enough!”

William A. Jacobson, at Legal Insurrection:

“I thought that if you support a candidate, you don’t go out of your way to turn people against your candidate. But what do I know?”

PolitiJim, in an update to a post at Rants for Reasonable People:

“Again we get this holier than thou, ‘you're ruining it for the rest of us, Sarah,’ caterwaul that is not only childish and impudent - it's not even accurate! But as his unwarranted attack... on Jamie Radtke has proven - Erickson believes that truth and maturity shouldn't stand in the way of a good story - or a RedState bias... It is time for RedState to just admit they are either directly or indirectly a formal arm of the Perry campaign or lose all credibility. And after all the jabs and ‘candle lighting’ disparagement against Sarah Palin followers - I think they have right to expect a leader of conservative coverage to a) apologize to them and Mrs. Palin, and b) to quit acting like he is Chris Matthews or Keith Olbermann.”

Kevin DuJan, at Hillbuzz:

“Erickson is beclowning himself and having quite a tantrum.”

Kevin DuJan, at Hillbuzz:

“Erickson heaped so much scorn on Governor Palin’s supporters that I imagine many who read Redstate.com... feel like the Republican Party may not be for them — and I wonder where their votes will go if Governor Palin does not in fact run for President, the way Erickson so desperately doesn’t want her to run... Because Erickson’s RedState is such an in-your-face pro-Rick Perry site, and because Rick Perry chose RedState.com as the platform to announce his run for the presidency, I can’t imagine the Perry campaign wasn’t aware of what Erickson did all day [Friday] in heaping all that unnecessary scorn on Governor Palin and her supporters. I, therefore, will forever now associate this childishness with the Perry campaign…and I’ve thus removed Perry from consideration as a choice for the Republican nomination in 2012.”

Pianojones, at Political Improvisations:

“Thankfully, the pipsqueak snobs in the third rank of conservative punditry will not select the next president.”

Mark America:

“In what can only be viewed as a stunning rebuttal to Erick Erickson’s day-long smirking at Sarah Palin and her supporters, the poll conducted by Redstate has concluded that the first choice for President among respondents to the RedState poll is none other than former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. While Erickson was having his laughs at Palin’s expense, it has now become clear who deserves the last laugh. By a margin of more than two-to-one over her next-closest competitor, Herman Cain, the Tea Party favorite Sarah Palin scored a whopping 52.4% of the poll.”

William A. Jacobson, at Legal Insurrection:

“What a sad joke that Erick Erickson and Tucker Carlson even are included on the list of cable TV-appointed spokespeople for conservatives.”

Gary P Jackson, at A Time For Choosing:

“The media and anti-Palin forces [many times one and the same] went nuts on Friday when Sarah Palin didn’t announce her candidacy for President of the United States. As the day went on, it became quite comical. Never mind that Sarah, who appeared Thursday evening on Fox Business News’s Freedom Watch, told the viewers she wouldn’t be announcing on Friday and was holding her cards close to the vest. I’m always amazed that people think Sarah should lay her cards on the table, spell out exactly what she intends to do to win the presidency. Would you expect a general going to war to tell the enemy what his plan of attack would be? Err, no. Nor would any other candidate be asked to do this... Somehow answers Sarah Palin has given in interviews have turned into hard dates that Sarah herself has never set. In fact, she’s been purposely vague about hard dates, only kinda-sorta agreeing with the reporters asking the questions. The only hard and fast dates Sarah has ever talked about were the legal filing deadlines. Those are the only ‘drop dead’ dates she’s specified.”

Ron Devito, at US for Palin:

“The only people whose opinion on the timing of a Sarah Palin presidential campaign announcement matters is Gov. Palin and her family. This point is completely lost on Erickson, Coulter, some supporters, and the establishment crowd which is 100% responsible for the mess our nation is in.”

Tom Tillison, at Florida Political Press:

“So it seems that the Sarah Palin detractors on the right are in meltdown mode now that September has come and gone without an announcement from the former Alaskan Governor on whether she intends to run for the GOP nomination for President. In fact, Erick Erickson has taken to using almost the entire front page of RedState to mock and ridicule Palin over this apparently egregious action... The American people have lost all faith in politicians. People no longer have any belief that today’s politicians will do the heavy lifting necessary to get this country back on track. To abandon the elite power structures and rise above the status quo, to sacrifice self and/or party for the good of this nation. In a sense, that’s the whole crux of the tea party – folks who clearly understand it’s up to them to take on the individual responsibility to ensure the future course of America... Palin will continue to move forward in an unconventional manner. While this is precisely what scares the hell out of the political elite, when I look around at the current state of my beloved country, I’ll take unconventional any day of the week over more of the same.”

Tony Lee, via Twitter:

“Palin coverage exposes the many in MSM/GOP that have always been dumb, deceitful, fraudulent. Now, no doubts. Thank you.”

Jim Funkhouser, at Tea Party Tribune:

“Sarah P. has chosen her issue wisely. The core problem, the problem that controls all the others, is corruption. The corruption emanating from Washington is a product of the billions available for redistribution. Bringing this system down requires more than words from bought and sold politicians. It requires a spine of steel and moral courage. Palin is targeted precisely because she can’t be bought, and won’t be side-tracked. I don’t need to listen to her, the MSM read her e-mails for me. I don’t need to hear her debate; her philosophy is outlined nicely enough in Bannon’s movie about her legacy in Alaska. Palin’s words, which is all that the MSM cares about, are a sideshow. Her deeds have defined her, and unfortunately for Romney and Perry, defined them also. Follow the money. It’s always about the money.”

Peter Ingemi, at Datechguy's Blog :

“Chris Christie is less prepared to run than Sarah Palin, and unlike Palin, would not be running an ‘insurgent’ campaign. If he runs he is going to embarrass himself, badly.”

Mark America:

“There are many good reasons for Palin to hold off in the conventional schedule, and the GOP establishment knows this, which is why they spent the entirety of the spring and summer trying to goad her into an earlier entry, to which they would have responded with a Christie or Daniels or even Jeb Bush... They will try to knock Palin out by depriving her of the time she needs to carry the ball all the way down the field in time to score. I believe this underestimates Palin’s appeal by a fair margin, and it may be the establishment’s last available timing-based play to keep her from the nomination if she chooses to pursue it... What all of this may boil down to is an attempt by the establishment to wrest control of the timing card from Palin... As I suspected, it will come down to careful timing, and as I believe based on previous instances, Governor Palin may be the master of this sort of thing. She has demonstrated very good instincts and this close to the end of the beginning, I don’t think she’s likely to make any missteps, thereby turning it into what the establishment hopes will bethe beginning of the end. Expect the unexpected, and be ready to roll.”

Exit Quote - Psalm 3, in the Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible:

“Why, O Lord, are they multiplied that afflict me? Many are they who rise up against me. Many say to my soul: There is no salvation for him in his God. But thou, O Lord art my protector, my glory, and the lifter up of my head. I have cried to the Lord with my voice: and He hath heard me from His holy hill. I have slept and taken my rest: and I have risen up, because the Lord hath protected me. I will not fear thousands of the people, surrounding me: arise, O Lord; save me, O my God. For thou hast struck all them who are my adversaries without cause: Thou hast broken the teeth of sinners. Salvation is of the Lord: and Thy blessing is upon Thy people.”

- JP

More Quote of the Day Honorable Mention Part 387

“Whatever it takes” Edition
*


Gary P Jackson, at A Time For Choosing:

“Sarah brings up Solyndra and calls it ‘crony capitalism on steroids.’ Says whatever it takes to retire the permanent political class that embraces it: ‘We’re going to do it!’ For readers who may not know, this is how Sarah Palin won big in Alaska. She took on the massive corruption and cronyism, in both parties. She ran as a Republican, but whipped the sitting Republican governor like a rented mule. Once in office she worked day and night reforming government, and removing the incentives that made it so easy to corrupt the system. Sarah championed legislation that made cronyism a crime. There are many problems in our nation right now: A collapsing economy, high unemployment, energy issues, illegal immigration, just to name a few. Once one gets past the political ideology, at the bottom of it all you will find cronyism... The permanent political class, the Ruling Class, has harmed our nation greatly. It’s time they all go, and we replace them with honorable and ethical people.”

Dana Loesch, via Twitter:

“I hear Obama would like to thank everyone mad at Palin over announcement. Helps keep Fast & Furious, Solyndra, Keystone out of the news.”

Mark America:

“I know that Palin is a smart player, because she refuses to get locked into a date and time by the media. She flatly told Napolitano that she holds her cards close intentionally, knowing that the media is relentless in trying to nail her down as to some arbitrary announcement date they have concocted and pushed for their own purposes... While her supporters are still anxious for battle, most of them have now begun to see how this is playing out and have recognized the benefits of waiting a bit longer. They’re no longer worried over silly media narratives telling them when Palin ‘must be in’ or when ‘it’s too late.’ They’ve finally noticed that for all this talk by the punditry, on every show or interview in which she appears, Governor Palin is still being asked relentlessly to announce her intentions, and for her supporters, this has finally sunk in: The pundits had told us it was too late at least once in each of the last five months, and frankly, many more times than that, but if it’s too late, and Governor Palin is irrelevant, why do they still ask her with such insistent vigor? This stark and telling dose of reality ought to wash over anybody who has bought into that notion: If it’s allegedly so late, much too late according to some, why is it that they keep asking anyway?”

William A. Jacobson, at Legal Insurrection:

“Perry’s high profile supporters do him no favors by acting like children.”

William A. Jacobson, at Legal Insurrection:

“According to Juan Williams, Christie only will get in if it looks like Palin is getting in, setting himself up as the anti-Palin, since she would be unstoppable against the current field... The only way for Christie to get out from under his promises and suicide threats not to run is to claim that the world has changed. Which it would have if Palin gets in. The problem with Christie’s strategy of waiting for Palin is that Palin keeps waiting, while Christie keeps promising he’s not running. A late entrance by Palin will make her look tactically astute, while a reactionary late entrance by Christie will make him look like a reactionary late entrant.”

Anthony Salvanto & Robert Hendin, at CBS News' Political Hotsheet:

“Late October appears to be the latest someone could get in, gear up, and run in the early states, given all the requirements and needs of a campaign.”

Dr. Michael Santos, at Tea Party Tribune:

“I won’t say that she is the only one that can beat President Obama, because that is not true. Many of the Republicans running have a good shot. But none of them will reverse the course that we are in. None of them recognize the existential threat that our Big Government represents to the future of this Republic as a ‘land of the free.’ Indeed, Obama’s defeat in 2012 at the hands of any of the current GOP contenders would be nothing but a setback for the progressive movement. Sure, if elected Republicans will stop some of the damage being done by our current president and slow down our decline. However, without a fundamental restoration of everything that has made America great, then four or eight years from now another dedicated progressive will pick up right where Obama leaves off. And a dark future will continue to fall down upon our children and grandchildren. Governor Palin is the right person, at the right place, and at the right time. We are reaching a point of no return in this country. And she is the only one close enough to the wheal to make a desperately needed U turn. To run or not to run? Actually, it is not a difficult question to answer at all. It might be a difficult answer for her to accept. The fact that she is struggling to accept this answer is the very reason why she is the one we need.”

Jedediah Bila, via Twitter:

“Isn't it funny that those insisting @SarahPalinUSA couldn't win are the very ones obsessed with the details of her announcement date?”

Carol Peracchio, at American Thinker:

“In watching this circus, I've come to the conclusion that the only winner has been Sarah Palin. Governor Palin has steadfastly refused to declare her candidacy to participate in these early debates, despite the screeching from the Republican intelligentsia and the media. She seems to see what the rest of us see: that this far out from the primaries, debates serve no positive purpose. It's embarrassing to watch accomplished, intelligent candidates submit themselves to questioning from a hostile news media so moronic that a couple of years ago they actually believed that Barack Obama was a ‘sort of God.’ Come on, candidates! Take a page from Sarah Palin's playbook and stop playing by the establishment's rules. The best thing you can do this election season is also the most difficult. You need to trust the conservative electorate. Trust us to listen to you, to study the issues, and to pick a candidate on our own, without reliance on this contrived sound bite cattle call. With no leaders, and complete disdain for the Republican establishment, the Tea Party made history in 2010. So why in the world would today's candidates believe that we are now going to return to the tired, old, unsuccessful methods of choosing a president?”

Patrick S. Adams, at Liberty's Lamp:

“Sarah Palin has successfully assumed control of her decision.”

Patrick S. Adams, at Patrick's World USA:

“This is her decision. She has family and career considerations that override what anyone else outside of her immediate circle can tell her. But if the calling is loud, and if she has already decided or is in the process of deciding to run, she will know that she count on millions of Americans to support her. We are not a conglomeration of special interest groups looking to capitalize on her candidacy. We are not gadfly voters who just vote Republican in support of the candidate for whatever particular ballot is up for a vote on any election day. We are not a fan club. We are Americans who have lost their country and we want our country back. The interest is this: we know that Sarah Palin can lead us back to a free enterprise system which relies on self reliance and the rule of law. We are not looking for handouts. We are looking for opportunity. Sarah Palin has the resume, the experience, the political philosophy and the recognition needed to run for president. The rest of us don't. If there was someone else among us who better fit the bill of what America needs, we'd be supporting them, not her. This is not about putting her up on the pedestal. Without us, she can't win... We are the movement.”

Jeff Goldstein, via Twitter:

“Q: do people not believe Palin's conservatism? If not, why? If so, why the desire to run her down? She's like the political Tim Tebow.”

Neil W. McCabe, at Human Events:

“The California GOP operative, who in 2008 lobbied for Sarah Palin’s selection on the presidential ticket with John S. McCain III, is convinced she will announce for president in 2012 based on his time with her during her Sept. 3 appearances in Iowa. “When she came off stage, she was mobbed like a rock star,” said Frank A. Aquila, the founding president of the South San Joaquin Republicans and the author of “Sarah Palin: Out of Nowhere,” a book about his push inside the McCain campaign to make the then-Alaska governor the GOP’s vice-presidential nominee. Aquila said he was impressed by the Palin’s composure and charisma during her speeches, but it was the reaction of the crowds, many of whom waited in the rain, to the former governor.”

It's Only Words:

“I’m not sure, but I think this makes Joe McGinnis the Chevy Volt of authors; over-hyped and not nearly as eagerly anticipated as we were led to believe.”

Sarah Rumpf, at Sunshine State Sarah:

“If I were advising Random House, I would tell them to immediately offer to publicly apologize to the Palins, revoke and destroy all copies of the book, disclaim any support for the contents, pay any legal bills that the Palins have incurred so far, and to donate a significant sum to the charity of the Palins' choice. ”

Exit Quote - Dwight D. Eisenhower :

“An intellectual is a man who takes more words than necessary to tell more than he knows.”

- JP

More Quote of the Day Honorable Mention Part 386

“Girl, you'll be a woman soon” Edition
*


Ron Devito, at US for Palin:

“Absent a title, Gov. Palin enjoys unbridled freedom to shape the political debate on her terms, but quite possibly with much less influence. The next title gives her the ability to sign or veto legislation and treaties, and make decisions about war and peace – that is, lead this nation. Gov. Palin is carefully considering this for all the right reasons. She’s not pursuing a title or power. She knows the Presidency is a calling. She knows she’s been summoned. It’s public service and sacrifice. She wants to do what’s right for this country and discharge the duties of that office unbeholden to anyone. Yes, we want her to run. None of the other candidates possess a single one of her leadership traits. The others simply fail to inspire. But, we cannot let our zeal for her running turn into petulant demands, whining that ‘she owes us,’ and putting words in her mouth she never said. It was NJ Gov. Chris Christie who said he was not running on Tuesday night, not Gov. Palin. Gov. Palin knows that if she runs, failure is not an option. There’s also an historic element should she run that amplifies failure not being an option. You see, Geraldine Ferraro and Hillary Clinton left some unfinished business. Somehow, I think Gov. Palin is going to show little girls of this country exactly what they can do.”

Ronald Reagan, via Jeanette Pryor:

“A candidate doesn’t make the decision whether to run for president; the people make it for him.”

BJ Wilson, at Coloradans4Palin:

“To the activists, donors, party officials, and elected officials. To the pundits, kingmakers, and power brokers. Here we have the single most successful political figure of our time in the post-Obama era, a member of the GOP no less, and what is your response? ... Christie? Chris Christie... This is your Ronald Reagan? ... Reagan was a former presidient of the Screen Actors Guild... Rather than intimidate union members like Christie, he welcomed them into the party, as Palin has tried to do by emphasizing her union membership and family background... Reagan had a media job right up until he announced late, and gave many substantive positions on the issues before he ran, as Palin has done with FOX and her Facebook notes. Not so Christie. Like Reagan, Palin has a working class background that attracts indepedents. She also has some experience in the media, so she understands how to connect with people emotionally and in her speeches. Christie does not. What are you people smoking?”

Jelayne Sessler, at Palin Defender:

“I don't believe for one second that she hasn't already decided. Think about it, if she wasn't running there would be no reason to put off telling us her decision. This isn't rocket science folks, if it were; we would ask Herman Cain for help.”

Patrick S. Adams, at Patrick's World USA:

“We are at a unique moment in our political timeline. In the past, elections have been decided by who could best convince the people that they were most qualified to take care of them. This time around, we don't want people ‘taking care of us.’ We have finally discovered what was festering in our system for over a century now. Yeah, we know about the communists in the 1950's. Yeah, we know about the European socialist style progressives of today. But we never stopped to realize that capitalism is not the problem, it's the people who are trying to control capitalism that are the problem. When neither political party chooses to address this fact, the people become cynical. The people know they are frustrated by a system where merit is replaced with a ‘it's not what you know, but who you know’ or a ‘you can't beat city hall’ attitude. This kills creativity. This kills entrepreneurship... Governor Palin's crusading speech against crony capitalism in Iowa tells us we can change this. Should she run, she would be uniquely situated to move the Republican Party in a direction that would give voters hope and optimism again... We are not looking to elect another Republican just so we can get rid of the socialism. We need to elect someone who can renew and restore our country.”

Becky Beach, Iowa GOP Fundraiser:

“I think it’s going to be so unconventional if she decides to run, a few weeks aren’t going to matter one way or the other. If she decides to run the enthusiasm will be there...”

Lori Calabrese, at Examiner.com:

“Americans do respect hard-working Americans who have had to bust their butts to get where they’re at. We want a candidate we can relate to, who knows the issues and problems we face every day... Americans respect Sarah Palin for getting her hands dirty on her family’s fishing boat and going rogue to tackle issues close to her heart. You would think the smartest leaders in American politics would have figured this out by now, but unfortunately they haven’t. Americans want the real politicians to please stand up--a politician who isn’t in it for the fame and popularity, but rather someone who is focused on influencing positive change in America. While others continue to analyze the fact that Palin has not announced what she plans to do, personally, I found it refreshing to hear Palin ponder her run based on the question, ‘is a title worth it?’”

Gary P Jackson, at A Time For Choosing:

“Sarah Palin is... fully aware of all of the work being done nationwide on her behalf. For months Sarah has had numerous opportunities to tell these hard working organizers to stand down. Instead, she has only encouraged them to keep on doing what they are doing. I can’t believe she would do that if she wasn’t going to run.”

Tim Graham, at NewsBusters:

“People magazine gave prominent play on the front of its Books section in the latest edition... to two Palin-trashing books by Joe McGinniss and Levi Johnston. They weren't officially reviewed, since there was no rating of how many stars they had earned. The headline was ‘Seeking the Real Sarah? Two dirt-dishing bios of Sarah Palin play fast and loose with the facts but transport readers deep into the Wasilla, Alaska ethos that shaped her.’ Why would People try to be even-handed here? The books aren't factually dependable, but they reflect Palin's local ‘ethos’? Sandra Sobieraj Westfall, a People reporter and former White House reporter for the Associated Press, dances this soft-shoe throughout the short piece, next to large photos of the book covers... Notice how People just dishes corrosive allegations of drug use and adultery and doesn't really suggest they're unsubstantiated? They're certainly not unverified enough to avoid spreading. Can anyone imagine People doing this with an anti-Obama book of the same unverified nature?”

John Sexton, at Verum Serum:

“New York City has seven million people. Selling 442 copies of a book with this level of media awareness is a major flop.”

Stacy McCain, at The Other McCain:

“Politico tried to ‘perpetuate misinformation,’ and between Slate’s Dave Weigel and Hot Air’s Tina Korbe, this gets turned into a kerfuffle. Read the freakin’ transcript: While Palin did say Cain was ‘flavor of the week’ — that is to say, from the media perspective he’s the Next New Thing – she followed that with effusive praise for him as representing ‘the real people of America,’ with whom he has an ‘automatic connection.’ Sarah Palin has always been a Herman Cain fan, and is still a Herman Cain fan. I’d have to look it up, but earlier this year, she re-Tweeted one of Cain’s columns. The media are trying to gin up a phony controversy — ‘Let’s you and him fight,’ as they say down home – and the last thing Cain should do is to believe what the media say about Sarah Palin. They’re ‘makin' up stuff’ again!”

Stacy McCain, at The American Spectator's Spectacle Blog:

“Thanks to McGinniss's e-mail to Griffin, the Palins have Random House in a bad situation, and the only question is whether the Palins will stop short of a court trial against the publisher... And exactly how Random House's attorneys ‘made an independent judgment about the trustworthiness’ of sources they had never even met would certainly make for lively court proceedings, if such a case ever went to trial.”

Aaron Goldstein, at The American Spectator's Spectacle Blog:

“The question is would Palin rather use her resources to make a run for the White House, or lend support to a candidate she thinks can unseat President Obama, or would she rather use her resources to sue McGinniss and Random House? I know those options aren't necessarily mutually exclusive. Nevertheless, assuming Palin is going to make a bid for the White House she will have to consider how much time and resources a lawsuit would divert from that effort. I completely understand her motivations in wanting to sue McGinniss and Random House especially if she can prove they engaged in ‘actual malice’ against her and her family. But there is a risk that a lawsuit could inadvertently help McGinniss and restore his prestige as an author. In that case, wouldn't the best punishment for McGinniss and Random House be a pile of books they can't sell?”

John Nolte , at Big Hollywood:

“Hollywood Heckler Apologizes to Bristol Palin... I wish no physical harm on Hanks or his pooch, but am I unhappy he’s had an awful week in the wake of his cowardly bullying? Cry me a river, play me a violin.”

Gene Lalor, at Gene's Blog:

“Slime, Sleaze, and Levi Johnston discussed in some detail Johnston’s ghost-written, politically-inspired and financed hatchet job on his former fiancee, Bristol Palin, and the Palin family, Deer in the Headlights: My Life in Sarah Palin’s Crosshairs. In view of the tacky similarities between Johnston’s sleaze and Joe McGinness’ tripe, it’s difficult to believe they didn’t collaborate. When it comes to hatchet jobs and unmitigated squalor, no recent writing surpasses the venture into the arena of political and character assassination better than Joe McGinness’ salacious book about Sarah Palin and her family... McGinness began his quest for Palin dirt two years ago by renting a house adjacent to the family property in Wasilla, Alaska, so close that the Palins had to erect an 8 foot fence to keep Peeping Joe from spying on the family... Apparently, Peeping Joe didn’t see nearly enough to fill a book so he proceeded to fill The Rogue with other rumors and innuendo... Put more succinctly, the author... is a liar and his book a pack of lies, which places Joe McGinness in the same, sorry league as Levi Johnston, an unethical, immoral fabricator of a work which purports to be true and is actually the precise opposite.”

Exit Quote - George Washington, in a letter to Eleanor Parke Custis:

“A sensible woman can never be happy with a fool.”

- JP

More Quote of the Day Honorable Mention Part 385

“Unifying Spirit” Edition
*

Bernie Quigley, at The Hill's Pundits Blog:

“Time to bring in Sarah Palin... Last year Palin, who defines herself as a ‘constitutional conservative,’ said she would enter the race if no one else who expressed the rising geist of Tea Party values did... And she needs to think about getting back in this as the Tea Party vote scurries around the margins without the unifying spirit she brought to it from the beginning; Herman Cain today, Michele Bachmann yesterday, Ron Paul the day before. Gary Johnson tomorrow. Without Sarah Palin, the Tea Party is separating out to a secondary political element with minor figures. For the new conservative values to stabilize and advance, Palin might be a necessity. She is an archetypal figure, like John Lennon or Reagan... The Grizzly Mama has the animal spirits and, as she has said, a ‘servant’s heart.’ She will do the right thing.”

Ed Rollins, former Bachmanm campaign manager:

“It’s never too late for Gov. Palin... I would argue at this point in time, with Perry not moving forward as much as people thought, she could jump in there and fill that void.”

Tim Stanley, at The Telegraph:

“Perry’s stumbles open up the field on the Right... Strangely, the stronger candidate is Sarah Palin. For months now commentators (me included) have been saying that she is damaged goods and that the longer she has waited to announce her candidacy, the less logistically possible it has become. But now we’re wondering if Mrs Palin hasn’t been playing a brilliant long game, letting the other candidates beat each other up before entering the fray. Perhaps the biggest issue of this primaries season is authenticity: Romney has none and Perry’s has been called into doubt. Palin is low on personnel and money, but the Tea Party knows who she is, believes in her and will back her if there’s no viable conservative alternative. There’s no one more authentically Right-wing than Sarah Palin. Palin is just five points behind President Obama in a hypothetical match-up: a better position than Rick Perry. If she jumped in now – and it would have to be now – she would eclipse Perry as the anti-Romney candidate overnight.”

Chuck Ness, at News Blaze:

“The question is, why should Sarah enter the race ahead of her own schedule? If you ask me, I think she is one smart cookie to be sitting by as the current candidates destroy each other.”

Crista Huff, at Townhall.com Finance:

“Sarah Palin’s record in Alaska shows her to be the bravest, most effective executive I’ve ever seen. She accomplished incredible feats as Governor and united Democrats and Republicans in order to succeed with projects which brought great prosperity to her state. She swept the Capitol clean of traditional political corruption and cronyism in situations where typical politicians wouldn’t dare risk their political capital and financial support by rocking the boat... If we do not elect a fiscal conservative in November 2012 who will dramatically rein in debt and spending, remove onerous business regulations and decrease corporate taxes, your concerns over issues like abortion will be moot, because in socialist governments, your opinion does not count... If we save the Republic, you still get to fight over issues... You want to save the Republic? Elect somebody who has already saved her state: Sarah Palin.”

Paul Bedard, at US News & World Report:

“Republican operatives are trying to figure out if a populist Republican like Sarah Palin, Jeb Bush, or Chris Christie can get into the presidential race so late in the process and grab the nomination next summer. Most Republican advisers say yes, but time is short.”

William A. Jacobson, at Legal Insurrection:

“Cain and Palin win Legal Insurrection Straw Poll... Sarah Palin wins big in an expanded field including Chris Christie, at 58% with Cain dropping to second at 14%, Christie at 13% , Perry at 8% and Romney at 3.5%... Palin has an enthusiastic base of support, more organized on the internet than any other candidate. That there were some links at pro-Palin blogs reflects that there are pro-Palin blogs, but few if any blogs backing the current front runners.”

Ron Devito, at US for Palin:

“Sarah Palin’s speech before the World Knowledge Forum in Seoul, South Korea this October 11 is to provide a US leadership perspective on how to lead the world out of the latest [economic] crisis...”

RB Miller, at Every Day Conservative:

“Palin still has strong currency among base conservatives and Tea Party activists. Don't believe the spin about her negatives and GOP voters not wanting her to run etc. It's way to early to expect acceptance and most people have no idea where she stands on policy issues. Yet, her policies run right in line with the majority of Americans' viewpoint, excepting the liberal media and the uber Liberals. Palin will have the same obstacles of Logistics that Cain has as stated above. However Gov. Palin has more national support lined up waiting to go and has the ability to take the air out of Cain's momentum at the drop of her announcement... Interestingly, just a few months ago pundits were saying it was too late for her now. Currently, pundits are advising that she can wait even longer. I would posit that those who want her to wait past the Florida deadline for registering for the Primary, are either miscalculating or don't have Palin's interest at heart.”

ZIP, at Weasel Zippers:

“Sales Of Both Joe McGinnis And Levi Johnston Anti-Palin Books Bomb… Andrew Sullivan hardest hit.”

Joel B. Pollak, at Big Journalism:

“Joe McGinniss complained to lefty blog Firedoglake yesterday that almost everyone is canceling interviews in which he was to have discussed his book, The Rogue: Searching for the Real Sarah Palin... According to McGinniss, his treatment by mainstream (and left) media has nothing at all to do with its negative reviews, or the fact that McGinniss himself admitted in January that there is no ‘factual evidence’ to support many of its most ‘salacious’ claims. Rather, it is the result of a conspiracy to cover up that same media’s abject failure to expose the ‘real’ Sarah Palin during the 2008 presidential campaign, including her role in the alleged ‘Dominionist’ plot to impose Christianity on us all. Yes, you read that correctly. McGinniss believes the mainstream media failed to vet Sarah Palin in 2008.”

Jim Geraghty, at NRO's Campaign Spot:

“Palin-Bashing Finally, Finally, Finally Jumps the Shark... Let me go out on a crazy limb here and suggest that the lesson here is that quality matters, even in hastily-thrown together hit pieces...”

Charles C. W. Cooke, at National Review Online:

“McGinniss — who likes to portray himself as a knight of truth — has an established history of what William F. Buckley Jr. called ‘elaborate deception.’ The book that came out of the saga, The Rogue: Searching for the Real Sarah Palin, seems to fit squarely in line with that record of dissimulation. The ubiquity of claims backed up only by ‘a friend says’ will render it obvious to most readers that the material is almost entirely the product of hearsay and idle gossip. But for those less attuned to the nuances of fact and fiction, McGinniss has written a useful introduction of sorts: In an e-mail to anti-Palin blogger Jesse Griffin, the author points out that from nobody has he ‘seen a credible, identified source backing any of the salacious stories about the Palin family.’ This is an understandable source of frustration, as ‘nothing [he] can cite other than [his] own reporting rises above the level of tawdry gossip... the proof is always just around the corner, but that’s a corner nobody has been able to turn...’ Sarah Palin is by no means a flawless individual. But the picture painted by McGinniss is wantonly damning, not to mention frequently self-contradictory.”

Dave Blount, at Moonbattery:

“No wonder liberals hate Bristol Palin so much that she has them shooting their TV sets... If a 20-year-old girl can stand up to these vermin so effectively, we have no excuse not to do the same.”

Mark America:

“The great shellacking of the left in 2010 was largely a result of the determined efforts of Sarah Palin and all those Tea Party patriots who answered her clarion call to clean up Washington by sending in new blood. The Tea Party responded magnificently, and they began in earnest the process of that critical reform. In this way, Sarah Palin has been a far more effective leader for the nation than she could have been in her office of Governor. What she must have discovered is what John Galt knew: In walking away, you will find liberation if you have the wisdom to make use of it. At the end of the story, there comes a moment when the so-called ‘quitters’ realize the way has been made clear, and they decide to return to the world at large. I can only imagine that Sarah Palin now looks to see if her way is now clear, and whether there is an opening through which she may now re-emerge. I believe that evidence has come in several forms, including the results of 2010′s elections, and the progression of this electoral season. At this moment, the Republican field is being shown to have few shining lights. Herman Cain’s ascension to the top of the Florida GOP straw poll is just the latest example. What all of this demonstrates is that the Emperors have no clothes. The people we’ve been told are the ‘front-runners’ have been such only for the apparent lack of better choices. There is a vacuum into which others may attempt to leap, but in truth, we all know that there’s only one person who will satisfy this lacking, and it isn’t the governor of a very blue state.”

Exit Quote - C. S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters #8:

“Humans are amphibians - half spirit and half animal. As spirits they belong to the eternal world, but as animals they inhabit time.”

- JP