Some perspective on Gov. Palin's latest endorsements

*
Thursday on Facebook, Sarah Palin endorsed Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Star Parker, and Mary Fallin. Some perspective on the three endorsements...

The Spokane Spokesman-Review's Spin Control bloggers were not surprised by the McMorris endorsement:

It’s not a huge surprise, considering McMorris Rodgers was a big supporter of Palin’s when the Alaska governor was named to John McCain’s presidential ticket. They’re both fiscal and social conservatives. And they both have children with Down Syndrome.

And there’s not much danger of having this endorsement blow up in Palin’s face. Although she faces a primary challenge from the right from Constitutional Party candidate Randall Yearout, McMorris Rodgers faces no serious pressure from Tea Party folks in Eastern Washington.

Less than a month ago, Smart Girl Politics described Parker as an underdog with an outside chance of pulling off an upset against her Democrat opponent:

Star Parker is the Republican seeking to unseat two-term representative Laura Richardson in California’s 37th Congressional District. Richardson is a reliably liberal Congressman in a strongly democratic-leaning district comprising parts of Long Beach and Compton. How strongly democratic? Obama won the election in 2008 by a four-to-one margin.

All conventional political wisdom says that Parker can’t win this race in such a solidly Democratic district made up mostly of ethnic minorities, but that was the same political wisdom that had put Grayson and Bennett as shoo-ins just a few months ago. Parker has a few advantages: She has national name recognition as an author and widely broadcast commentator. She is a black woman herself in this heavily black district. She should have the ability to raise sufficient campaign contributions for a professional campaign. And Parker’s opponent Richardson has seen her share of controversy lately, having her sub-prime property in Sacramento foreclosed upon and auctioned off by the bank... Parker could make this a campaign issue. In an era when the nation is going bankrupt with heavy debt, a Congressman who can’t manage her own personal debt should not be put in the position of managing the nation’s finances.

On The Oklahoman's dot-Politics blog, reporter Julie Bisbee of the Oklahoma City newspaper's Capitol Bureau wonders if Gov. Palin will campaign for Fallin in the Sooner State:

Palin for Fallin, it has a nice rhyming ring to it.

Fallin has been active with the Tea Party group, appearing at rallies and other events in the past year. Seems like the Republican race for the gubernatorial nomination will likely come down to name recognition and who can out conservative the other.

Several informal polls of would-be voters show Fallin in the lead of Sen. Randy Brogdon, another Republican seeking the nomination.

If Fallin defeats Brogdon in the GOP primary as expected, she stands a good chance of defeating either of her likely Democrat opponents in the general election, according to the latest SoonerPoll.

- JP

Gov. Palin endorses Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Star Parker, and Mary Fallin

*
On Facebook, Sarah Palin endorsed three more “Mama Grizzlies” Thursday:

The Nature of Those Tough, Self-Sufficient Bears

Last summer I stood on the grassy bank of an Alaskan waterway that was teeming with salmon to watch part of Alaska’s brown bear population forage, fight, feed, and fend off enemies to survive. I joined Fish and Game biologists to observe 42 of these majestic wild animals all within eyesight, all at once. Even though I’ve lived all my life in the “Last Frontier,” I still find days like that absolutely fascinating! And I swear the hardest workers on the water were those “mama bears.”

Obviously not waiting for another bear to do the work for them, the mama bears not only foraged for themselves to prepare for winter, but they worked twice as hard to slay salmon for their cubs, too, making sure the future of the population was ready for the season ahead. She would instinctively rear up on hind legs when her cubs were threatened – you don’t mess with her cubs. And most importantly, just as the well known modern proverb expresses, she didn’t just hand over a free fish for the day – she taught young ones how to fish for a lifetime. (There’s no shortage of life lessons learned while scanning our great outdoors!)

Now, scanning the political landscape, here’s a new “Mama Grizzlies” field report! There are great guys running for office all over the place, but I hope you will join me in supporting three more bold Commonsense Conservative women who are willing to put it all the line to get our country back on track: Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Star Parker, and Mary Fallin.

Cathy McMorris Rodgers is running for reelection to serve in Congress. She knows the value of hard work. She grew up as a farmer’s daughter and was the first in her family to attend and graduate from college. Her roots in eastern Washington go back generations. Cathy is a pro-family, pro-business fiscal conservative who has an honest, direct plan for action in Congress, which she calls her “Patriot Pledge.” It’s a 10-point agenda focused on fiscal health, tax reform, and other common sense solutions. Further, I have deep respect for Cathy’s strong voice for families who are touched by those with special needs. She formed the Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus which promotes research, education, and treatment to help improve the quality of life for those with Down syndrome and other challenges. Cathy and I share a personal bond as proud moms who’ve both been blessed with sweet sons born with extra chromosomes. Perhaps it’s because we learn so much from these children and can see how they make the world a better place that I am confident that Cathy’s respect for life, and her commitment to protecting America’s Constitution, truly benefits all Americans. We need her in Congress, so please visit her website at www.cathyforcongress.com, follow her on Facebook and Twitter, and please support her campaign.

I’m proud to endorse Star Parker for California’s 37th Congressional District. Star has an incredible story and a passionate commitment to her community and our great nation. Rising up from being a single mom on welfare, Star worked hard to build a non-profit network that seeks to reduce poverty and create a brighter future for America by promoting free market solutions and personal responsibility. There is no doubt that she will bring a new level of enthusiasm and energy to Washington for American values, limited government, and economic growth. She’s a dynamic leader who is committed to building a more prosperous environment for the families in her district and ushering in positive change. Please join me in supporting Star and her message of hope, opportunity, and self-reliance. Visit her website at www.StarParkerforCongress.com and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Mary Fallin is another strong, smart conservative who I am proud to support. Mary is running for Governor of Oklahoma, and the Sooner State is fortunate to have her offer to serve in this new capacity. Mary’s another fiscal conservative with policy experience, political backbone, and real world knowledge that will serve the entire state well as she proves her mettle as Oklahoma’s next CEO. Her personal, professional, and political background gives her a healthy perspective on the challenges facing so many of our families and businesses. Mary truly understands public service, and she served her state with distinction in Congress and as the first Republican and first female lieutenant governor in Oklahoma history. Sharing the aforementioned foundational values of Cathy and Star and so many other Americans, Mary also understands the complexities of our domestic energy policy and has been a consistent voice for energy independence. Please visit Mary’s website at www.maryfallin.org and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

I heartily endorse these liberty-loving “Mama Grizzlies.” They’ll do more than just growl about our challenges because they know how to work hard and protect America’s future by ushering a new era of prosperity and security. How? By proving their selfless service, common sense, and respect for the will of the people.

- Sarah Palin

- JP

Conservative Women Rising: New Political Power

Conservative women, especially religious ones, have arrived. At National Catholic Reporter, Michael Sean Winters commented on their ascendancy in the Republican Party:

In all the commentary about the now former governor of Alaska, some of it comic, much of it trivial, a basic fact has been overlooked: Sarah Palin has come to represent a vital and vibrant constituency in the Republican Party -- religious women -- and they aren’t going [away] anytime soon.

[...]

In 2008, the last Republican challenger to John McCain in his quest for the nomination was pastor-turned-politician Mike Huckabee. Huckabee’s campaign had little money and was organized through the homeschooling movement, a social network that turned out to be a workable substitute for the millions of dollars raised by Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani. That network consists almost entirely of women. In Huckabee they saw one of their champions, but in Sarah Palin they see one of their own.

[...]

No one knows what Palin’s intentions for 2012 are, perhaps not even the former governor herself. But if she chooses to run, I would not bet against her. The women who built the modern religious right are quite capable of building a nationwide campaign. The first social networking group to exert political influence is still networking and they don’t only exchange bread recipes anymore.

Scott Michaels at Entitlement Synrome celebrated seven strong, smart and fearless conservative women, including Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, Marsha Blackburn, Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin, Laura Ingraham and Star Parker:

What all of these women have in common is a firm conviction that the essential tenets of Conservatism in the 21st century — as opposed to the mushy-headed kinds pushed by Kathleen Parker and others of her ilk — is what will best serve the nation in the years ahead. And all have been fearless in speaking out against the neo-socialism being pushed by Barack Obama and his supernumeraries in the Congress.

Actually, maybe Republicans need to put these women in charge for awhile, what do you think?

We think that's an outstanding idea, Scott. We don't know if the others are active sportswomen like the former governor of Alaska, but Sarah Palin may be able to use her hunting skills to help Republican men track down their long lost spines.

- JP

Commentaries on the Liberation of Sarah - Pt. 5

This is the fifth in a series in which TX4P recommends some of the best writing which chronicles the liberation of Sarah Palin from the ball and chain of the Alaska governors office to her new role as a leading American conservative coalition builder.

John Tantillo is a branding and marketing consultant (he coined the term "The O'Reilly Factor") who holds a Masters in Experimental Psychology and a doctorate in Applied Research Psychology, which gives him an understanding of why people make the choices they do. In a Fox News op-ed titled "Palin Right, Pundits Wrong" Tantillo says that the media doesn't "get" Sarah Palin:

Her decision was one with her brand for two main reasons:

She's practical and holds government to this standard. This means that when she was watching millions be spent on what seems to amount to frivolous investigations against her, she couldn't stand by and watch the money be wasted. Not only was she being hamstrung in her job, but dollars were being thrown out the window. Her frustration over this waste showed at her press conference. Not only does this point back to the sincerity of her brand and reinforce that she actually cares about every taxpayer dollar, but it puts her "quitting" in a different light: by stepping aside and risking hurting her political career, she is actually saving Alaska money (one of her core promises to the people of that state).

She embodies family values and put them first. For the political class, a family is often an accessory, but even so, families are semi-sacred ground for the media. Except for Sarah Palin's. By any reasonable standard, her family was dragged through the mud. The wife and mother making the announcement on July 3 was someone who could not and would not bear anymore. She made a choice that came out of the deepest part of herself (her core brand) - no wonder the political class was left scratching its collective head. They hadn't taken her claims of loving her family seriously. But the wives and mothers who make up Palin's supporters got it.

Fact is, as Stanley Fish over at The New York Times pointed out: if you just listened to what Palin said at her press conference, you'd understand that this was not someone making a traditional political calculation. This was someone being real about her choices and her pain.

And that's why Sarah Palin has just strengthened herself for the long run (if she ever chooses a political future). She wasn't erratic at all; she was true to the things she believes in.

Carl Cannon is the senior Washington correspondent for Politics Daily. He has been a White House correspondent for National Journal, The Baltimore Sun and the San Jose Mercury News. Cannon is a past president of the White House Correspondents' Association. He is a co-author of the best seller Boy Genius: Karl Rove, the Architect of George W. Bush's Remarkable Political Triumphs. His Politics Daily article "Sarah 'Barracuda' Palin and the Piranhas of the Press" is a stunning admission of guilt not only for the media's treatment of Sarah Palin, but its abandonment of objective reporting in favor of partisan cheerleading:

From the beginning, and for the ensuing 10 months, the coverage of this governor consisted of a steamy stew of cultural elitism and partisanship. The overt sexism of some male commentators wasn't countered, as one might have expected, by their female counterparts. Women columnists turned on Sarah Palin rather quickly. A plain-speaking, moose-hunting, Bible-thumping, pro-life, self-described "hockey mom" with five children and movie star looks with only a passing interest in foreign policy -- that wasn't the woman journalism's reigning feminists had envisioned for the glass ceiling-breaking role of First Female President (or Vice President). Hillary Rodham Clinton was more like what they had in mind – and Sarah, well, she was the un-Hillary.

[...]

I'm not a Republican or a conservative; I'm a lifelong journalist who was born and raised in this profession and normally I'd defend the media in this argument. In this instance I cannot.

The reason is what happened when the battle over Sarah Palin came to a head on Oct. 2, 2008, in St. Louis, Mo. That night, the press showed its colors – and they were Democratic blue. That was the night that Palin cleaned Joe Biden's clock in their only debate, and nobody in the media could even see it, let alone report it. That was the night that the dual blinders of ideology and elitism prevented us being honest brokers.

Star Parker is an admitted former welfare cheat and shoplifter who had four abortions. She became a Christian, renounced her former ways and became an advocate for conservative causes and personal responsibility. She is an author and holds an undergraduate degree in marketing. In "Palin's Audacity of the Unconventional" Parker makes the point that just as it happened with Ronald Reagan, the more the media trashes Sarah Palin, the more the grassroots loves her:

It has got to gall the many political geniuses – the journalists, consultants, bloggers, academics – that so many at America's grassroots refuse to see what is so obvious to them.

Surely everyone, they think, should understand, as do they, that Palin is a vacuous shooting star whose selection by John McCain as his running mate showed nothing except McCain's questionable judgment.

But we're still left with the fact that fresh out of the Republican convention, with Sarah Palin on board, the Republican ticket moved out front. They were in the lead.

Then, of course, McCain showed his mettle to the many around the country looking for a Republican leader who actually believes that government is the problem, by suspending his campaign to go back to Washington to talk to politicians about a government stimulus package. That was the end.

[...]

Pundits live in the world of the conventional. They assume if you know what happened yesterday, you can predict tomorrow.

But life is art, not science, and freedom is about enabling the inconceivable. It's where principles, faith, and courage depart from expertise and analysis.

Reagan's experts didn't want him to speak those historic words in Berlin – "tear down this wall." The words stayed in the speech because of Reagan.

Reagan himself drew derision from the media and the pundits, not unlike what Sarah Palin gets. Even though he served two terms as California's governor, he still was an ex-actor who went to Eureka College. How could he be president?

But grassroots America heard him. As they do Sarah Palin.

Other posts in this series:

Commentaries on the Liberation of Sarah - Pt. 1
Commentaries on the Liberation of Sarah - Pt. 2
Commentaries on the Liberation of Sarah - Pt. 3
Commentaries on the Liberation of Sarah - Pt. 4

- JP