Sarah Takes West Texas

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Sarah Palin's recent appearances in Midland have made an overwhelmingly positive impression in the Permian Basin, according to the Midland Reporter-Telegram's Ed Todd:

One day last week, Sarah Palin no doubt charmed and aroused a staunch and enthusiastic multitude of West Texans and, especially, diehard conservatives with or without party affiliations. Surely, most were Republicans and Tea Party loyalists and, to boot, a smattering of Independents and, perhaps, a few Democrats who fancy or decry her rhetoric and who critically mull over her preachments to set aright a nation gone astray.

By her rhetoric, upbringing and competitiveness, Sarah Palin is feisty. She is a smartly attired celebrity star often sporting a modified French-braid hairdo. She is emboldened by success, re-routed by failure and eager to "reload" and try again.

Midland's Clayton W. Williams Jr., West Texas rancher, oilman and adventurer who was the Republican Party's 1990 candidate for Texas governor, said Sarah Palin is "presidential material."

Williams, "very impressed" by the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice-presidential candidate, said he "liked her wit. I liked her appearance, and I now think she's presidential material. I like her conservative stance. She's definitely got the intelligence and nearly two more years to continue to grow. She's already grown a lot since she was the VP candidate. Her bearing is such that I think she'd make a good president."

Her self-esteem seems intact and booming. As both the literate and unlearned populous surely knows, she is not by disposition a quitter, though she did bow out of the Alaska governorship (2006-2009) to pursue personal and political interests following her bold run for America's vice-presidency in 2008.

One of her favorite poets, Robert Service, the "Bard of the Yukon," penned in the poem "The Quitter":

"It's easy to cry that you're beaten - and die; It's easy to crawfish and crawl; But to fight and to fight when hope's out of sight - Why, that's the best game of them all!

Just have one more try - it's dead easy to die, It's the keeping-on-living that's hard."

Read more reactions to Gov. Palin's visit from West Texans in Todd's full article here.

- JP

Sarah Palin: 'Take up your arms' means voting

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Sarah Palin told a crowd of 1,300 in Midland Thursday afternoon that the media has distorted the conservative message in an attempt to define it as inciting violence. "'Take up your arms' means voting," Palin explained:

Speaking for the Liberty and Freedom Foundation, Palin said that she felt very welcome in the Permian Basin.

"There’s such an appreciation here for your freedom," Palin said.

In addition to energy production, which she called one of her favorite subjects, Palin was focused on getting people out to reverse what she called the leftist direction of the county under President Barack Obama.

Palin said many Americans are opposed to the trillion dollar deficits incurred by the Democrats in Congress and the White House, and they are pushing back as "patriots standing up and speaking out and neighbors helping neighbors":

"What makes America exceptional is not her politicians, it's her people," the former Alaska governor said. "I see it in our brave men and women in uniform who are willing to sacrifice it all for our country.

"Freedom is a God given right and worth fighting for. Our government is supposed to be working for us. We're not supposed to be working for the government."

Palin stringently criticized the health care reform legislation just passed by Congress, saying, "Obamacare is not sustainable.

"It's impossible to fund. They say we would learn to like their programs if only we were smart enough to understand them. But we are smart enough to understand. We just don't like them."

The first woman to be the vice presidential candidate of the Republican Party said she would discuss energy production in detail at an evening event at the Petroleum Club, where at least 400 people had paid a minimum of $1,250 per ticket. The two events were fundraisers for the Liberty & Freedom Foundation.

- JP

Live blogging Sarah Palin's Midland speech

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Tatum Hubbard of CBS 7 is live blogging Gov. Palin's afternoon speech in Midland here.

- JP

KOSA-TV: West Texans Flock for Sarah Palin Tickets (Updated)

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KOSA-TV (CBS 7) in Odessa reported Tuesday night on a phenomenon familiar to Sarah Palin's supporters. Wherever she goes, people are willing to stand in long lines to get tickets to see her:

Sarah Palin is coming to West Texas.

Earlier tonight, tickets for her appearance at the CAF went on sale at the Jumburrito in Midland, and at Sid and Sam Steakhouse in Odessa, and people were lined up to get their hands on some.

Only 450 of the $20 tickets were available at each location.

Update: The 900 tickets went quickly. The good news is that some additional tickets will be available for purchase at CAF Thursday between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. The bad news is there are only 100 of them.

- JP