Posted on 01/02/2011 5:24:42 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Every year the voting for our Person of the Year Award surprises me for one reason or another. Some years it's a runaway by one candidate while other years it's a neck and neck battle between two worthy people. This year fell into that later category but it was the two people -- well, one actual person -- battling for our honour that surprised me. In a year when Glenn Beck truly became a figure on the American political stage and Barack Obama made his greatest contribution to American conservatism by being Barack Obama, neither won the voting.
This year the fight was between former winner Sarah Palin, who had made a mockery of anyone who predicted she'd return to relative obscurity in Alaska, and the Tea Party movement, which arguably was instrumental in winning at least a few races during the November mid-term elections. We had other strong candidates including Beck, who finished third, controversial Canadian lawyer Barbara Kulaszka -- who defended Free Dominion web masters Connie Wilkins and Mark Fournier from a "human rights" tribunal, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper -- has defied all odds to remain in power with a minority government, the American Soldier and Lt. Col. Terry Lakin. Heck, we even had a few votes for "No one" and Larry King -- the later was thanked by one voter for getting his "sorry ass off television."
But the winner is a familiar one to ESR readers. The left may hate her, the media may try and marginalize her but you continue to love her. Your ESR Person of the Year for 2010 is, once again, Sarah Palin.
"What hasn't she done to win our approval and respect?" -- A nomination for Sarah Palin
Palin was extraordinarily busy during 2010, though we'll ignore her TLC program Sarah Palin's Alaska, which in all honesty went unwatched here at the home of ESR. Her greater contribution during 2010 was to simply serve as the de facto leader of the American conservative movement. After all, who else was there? The Tea Party movement remains a largely ad hoc group which shares similar goals but has no recognized leader. The Republican leadership is a bland collection of the same type of person Americans have suffered through for two decades. In the media, the aforementioned Beck is debated more by his fellow pundits then he is on Main Street -- at least for now.
"No other person is reported on as much as Sarah Palin. The media, especially the mainstream liberal media, is obsessed with her. She smart, beautiful, and a leading contender for the Republican nomination for President. She can't win because that same liberal media will attack her every chance they get and that includes ABC, CBS, NBC, NPR, PBS, and their affiliates. They hate her and are deathly afraid of her." -- A nomination for Sarah Palin
That has left Palin to be the face of the movement. It was she who enjoyed two best sellers and it was she who seemingly appeared at every Tea Party rally -- perhaps becoming the movement's leader we think doesn't exist. Her appearances at election rallies brought out huge numbers and her endorsements probably won at least a few elections in November. And when she wasn't busy with all of that, she even managed to contribute commentaries to Fox News throughout the year.
"Most truthful politician so far." -- A nomination for Sarah Palin
If effort alone won the Person of the Year, Palin would probably have won it easily but ESR's readers clearly favour impact and it's hard to argue that anyone else had a bigger one -- outside of Obama -- on the American political scene in 2010. It remains to be seen whether Sarah Barracuda's grassroots popularity can translate into something bigger in 2012 but for now she remains the most important figure in American conservatism.
List of winners: 2010 Sarah Palin, former Alaska Governor
2009 Sarah Palin, former Alaska Governor
2008 Sarah Palin, former Alaska Governor
2007 Gen. David Petraeus, Commanding General, Multi-National Force - Iraq
2006 U.S. President George W. Bush, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper
2005 Connie Wilkins and Mark Fournier, Free Dominion web masters
2004 U.S. President George W. Bush
2003 U.S. President George W. Bush
2002 U.S. President George W. Bush
2001 U.S. President George W. Bush
2000 Jim Robinson, Free Republic web master
Honourable mentions: President-elect George W. Bush, Canadian Alliance Leader Stockwell Day
1999 Larry Klayman, chairman and general counsel of Judicial Watch
Honourable mentions: Free Republic web master Jim Robinson, Former Reform Party (Canada) Leader Preston Manning
1998 Matt Drudge
Honourable mentions: Canadian media magnate Conrad Black, Free Republic web master Jim Robinson
1997 Ron Paul (R-Texas)
Preston Manning (Reform Party Leader - Canada)
1996 Mike Harris, Premier of Ontario (Canada)
When Gov. Palin takes a week or two off, she times it to coincide with when all these year end polls come out. She hasn’t said a word or done anything this week, yet she’s back in the blogs and making news. Is she the most brilliant PR person or what? I think the reason Karl Rove is cool on her is that he’s jealous of her skills.
2010 Honorable Mention to Rob Ford, new Mayor of Toronto.
The woman the left, the DNC, the MSM, and the RINOs all love to hate...but can never bring down.
.
>> “Her greater contribution during 2010 was to simply serve as the de facto leader of the American conservative movement. After all, who else was there?” <<
.
So true!
And why is no one else stepping up?
.
>> “The woman the left, the DNC, the MSM, and the RINOs all love to hate...but can never bring down.” <<
.
Thank God!
.
It's unfortunate they dismissed Sarah Palin's Alaska show so easily. That show is conservative living on display.
Heaven help us if we ever lose Sarah, or JimRob.
.
From one ESR Person of the Year to another (4 of the last 11). Love that pic, onyx.
The reason Karl Rove is cool on Sarah because he hasn’t a chance in hell of being hired by her campaign. After all, that is his business. He’ll be hot for whoever decides to employ his services, such is the way the game is played.
Isn’t that something? Both winning and both in such an awesome, wonderful photo!
God willing, we won’t, not for a good many years. Both have lots of work to do here on earth.
Iowa Caucus: Tentative date, Monday 16 January 2012.
Nevada Precinct Caucuses: Tentative date,Saturday 21 January 2012.
New Hampshire: Tentative date, Tuesday 24 January 2012.
Florida Primary: Tentative date, Tuesday 31 January 2012.
Whatever dates these early state primaries jockey for the advantageous position for candidate attention, Sarah Palin will be on schedule and be ready to deliver. Sarah Palin will make these states more than a whistle stop compared to the other candidates. She will give the campaign stopover a whole new name.
Sarah Palin definitely proved her detractors wrong. They thought she would disappear after resigning from Alaska’s governorship, but she’s been just as visible as ever. If anything, she’s been in the news even more.
Among my most prized possessions are a citation awarded me by The National Republican Congressional Committee and signed by Tom Reynolds, naming me "Massachusetts Republican of the Year," and a National Leadership Award naming me Honorary Co-Chairman of the Business Advisory Council to The National Republican Congressional Committee signed by Tom DeLay. My most prized is a signed letter dated August 13, 2003 from President George W. Bush, sent while he was on vacation with Barbara at the ranch in Crawford, Texas, thanking me for my support of his efforts in Iraq.
He mentions the privilege of being the President of record at such a momentous time in world and American history, and the onerous responsibility of knowing how his actions would shape the course of mankind itself in the decades to come.
Pretty heavy stuff.
Nice to be named on such a list, Mr. Robinson, sir.
;-\
Among my most prized possessions are a citation awarded me by The National Republican Congressional Committee and signed by Tom Reynolds, naming me "Massachusetts Republican of the Year," and a National Leadership Award naming me Honorary Co-Chairman of the Business Advisory Council to The National Republican Congressional Committee signed by Tom DeLay. My most prized is a signed letter dated August 13, 2003 from President George W. Bush, sent while he was on vacation with Barbara at the ranch in Crawford, Texas, thanking me for my support of his efforts in Iraq.
He mentions the privilege of being the President of record at such a momentous time in world and American history, and the onerous responsibility of knowing how his actions would shape the course of mankind itself in the decades to come.
Pretty heavy stuff.
Nice to be named on such a list, Mr. Robinson, sir.
;-\
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.