Yep, Palin’s arrival on the national scene was the first time I genuinely felt some optimism about the country’s future since Reagan.
So much grassroots energy on display back then. 60,000 to 75,000 people showing up for Palin’s campaign stops. Just like thousands stood out in line in freezing temps during the night waiting for her book signings, the following year. Then, there was all that spontaneous excitement and vigor coming along with the tea-party gatherings in 2010, leading to the mid-term election wins.
All that incredible energy, ready to be tapped and directed against Obama’s marxist agenda. And what does the GOP do with that energy? It did everything it could to pour cold water on it. Backstabbed Palin (repeatedly), exiled tea-party proponents from government committees, set up Karl Rove on FoxNews to push the liberal-GOP agenda, and tried deep-sixing every genuine conservative from power.
I no longer have the slightest shred of faith or trust towards the GOP anymore. My lifetime support of the Republican Party died then and there. I’d always watched every GOP convention on tv since I was a teen, but in 2012, I couldn’t even bear to watch a moment. The mere thought made me want to throw up. These are no longer people who share my politics, my ideology, or my values. Not this crowd that now controls the GOP. A crowd that nominates a liberal Massachusetts governmor who stood for government healthcare, cap-and-trade, and helped facilitate homo-marriage. To hell with that.
They knew how much energy she brought to the people and they would have none of that!
Couldn’t have said it better myself. You’ve captured the key aspects of how I have come to detest the GOPe, and that little fruit Rove.