The Problem With Palin

American Spectator ^ | April 19th 2010 | Quin Hillyer

[Steelfish]

The Problem With Palin By Quin Hillyer

"I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience." - Patrick Henry, 1775

"I told reporters what I still believe today: government experience doesn't necessarily count for much." -Sarah Palin, Going Rogue, p. 84

Sarah Palin, 55 percent unfavorable poll ratings notwithstanding, is a political phenomenon the likes of which American public life rarely has seen. There's something distinctive, something deeply personal, about the way her legions of strong supporters rush not just to defend her but to counter-attack any and all of her critics.

Palin has a way of establishing a sense of connectedness with her backers -- such a strong, attitudinal sense that she is not just like them but one of them -- that she has created what amounts to a one-woman, conservative "identity politics" writ very, very large.

Yet if conservatives are to continue a political love affair with this admirable and galvanizing woman, we need to insist on more than mere identity. And more than mere attitude.

We know that Sarah Palin shares our conservative values. But is she the leader conservatives need?

[Sarah Barracuda]

If liberals were so convinced that they have “trashed her to the point of no return” they would have left her alone a long time ago..they know she is a HUGE threat..to become President..who knows, but they fear her because she could have a huge impact in November. Plus, who knows if Sarah even wants to become President right now, even if she doesn’t run, if a Republican runs and wins, Sarah would be great in that Administration..Secretary of State, or numerous other positions. Remember, she always said she does not need a title to make a difference

[2ndDivisionVet]

"I am concerned about her screeching voice. It is like chalk on a blackboard."

Well, as long as you're basing your decision on a substantive issue./sarc. troll

[potlatch]

Kick A$$ Sarah, ooops, - kick O !

[tallyhoe]

So what has she done wrong?

[Mr_Moonlight]

Palin has a way of establishing a sense of connectedness with her backers -- such a strong, attitudinal sense that she is not just like them but one of them --

And this is a 'problem' in what way? I reckon that it's a fairly healthy 'problem' for a politician, any politician, to possess. Although the danger in all this would be if Sarah herself fell for the sense of 'becoming a martyr' - a timeless human frailty - that the MSM et al have heaped upon her, that would be a tragedy .. but until and unless that happens there is nothing wrong with Sarah's message nor her 'celebrity' .. we're not stoopit.

[tallyhoe]

Ann Coulter has that too, but I still like her and I’d Take Sarah Palin any day as President over Zero!

[qam1]

If liberals were so convinced that they have “trashed her to the point of no return” they would have left her alone a long time ago.

Liberals still need a distraction to take people's mind off Obama's screwing up everything.

[Minn]

I am concerned about her screeching voice. It is like chalk on a blackboard.

Says you. I don't think "screeching" is even close to a real or fair description. I find her voice slightly nasal and very endearing (I don't want her to run for president). And even granting your assessment, it's surely just another of her critics' peeves that she doesn't give a damn about, which is yet another endearing quality.

It's a vicious cycle. The more they hate her for petty stupid crap like her supposed "screeching voice"...the less she cares...the more they hate her for something else...the less she cares...

[Bigtigermike]

The most likely reference would be the CNN poll...which shows Palin with 55% unfavorable.......BUT NOTE**** It also shows voters would vote Democratic Congress person more than Republicans 50% to 45%

Obama has a 57% favorable, Democratic congress has 49% approval compared 47% for Republicans

That’s a junk polls and you know and the writer picked out an outlier.....Plain is not drawing strong in polls but its hard to judge when the media is so anti-Palin...I’ll wait until Rasmussen comes out with his.

[tallyhoe]

Mr Quinn said this in 2006!!!!!

Republicans Will Hold On

By Quin Hillyer on 11.6.06 @ 12:08AM

When Congress convenes in January of 2007, Republicans will be elected both as Speaker of the House and as Senate Majority Leader.

The new Republican speaker, who will not be Dennis Hastert, will enjoy a margin of only one vote. But in the Senate, where Republicans currently control 55 of the 100 seats and where many pundits are now saying they teeter on the brink of losing their majority, the GOP instead will lose no more than two seats.

[devolve]

.

Great graphic potlatch

These “polls” are all set up by democrats in MSM - or - RINOS - or - NEO-Cons

Recall the 2006 GW-Kerry polls

The LA Times polls were off (for Kerry) by up to 17% !!!!!

Right now a matchup between GW Bush and Obama puts Obama only up by 2%-5%

Think about that.....

[Onelifetogive]

There's something distinctive, something deeply personal, about the way her legions of strong supporters rush not just to defend her but to counter-attack any and all of her critics...

Unlike her critics, who would NEVER attack her supporters.....

[Bigtigermike]

I read it and has found holes as big as the grand canyon.....the writer nitpicks through thing and never research palin’s thoughts on what he write’s but is subjective.

[highlander_UW]

If liberals were so convinced that they have “trashed her to the point of no return” they would have left her alone a long time ago..they know she is a HUGE threat..to become President..who knows, but they fear her because she could have a huge impact in November. Plus, who knows if Sarah even wants to become President right now, even if she doesn’t run, if a Republican runs and wins, Sarah would be great in that Administration..Secretary of State, or numerous other positions. Remember, she always said she does not need a title to make a difference

You are correct that they haven't let off trying to trash her. I believe that they fear her even if she doesn't run because she has star power and can influence the direction of the nation. I don't think their trashing her has any chance of stopping her being an influence...I just think they may have done enough damage that she'd be hard to get elected. And given how bad Obama is, it shouldn't be a hard fight to replace him...it should be a slam dunk.

Who knows if she'll actually run...she has quite a bit of power as it currently stands, and I've seen interviews with her and I believe her when she says she doesn't have to be the number one person. I agree, she'd be a real asset in a republican administration.

[fkabuckeyesrule]

An interesting article. The writer feels the need to trot out the most dopey critiques of Palin especially the idea the book was "ghost written". Anyone who read her book and has followed Palin can tell this is Palin talking thoughout this book. The writer seems to suggest that Palin has not been tested. I doubt if this writer could handle the vile attacks that Palin had to endure in 2008.

As for Palin in 2012 here is how I see it. The Republican Party is like a three legged stool. You have the military conservatives, economic conservatives and social conservatives. Palin has the social conservatives wrapped up. To gain credibility with economic conservatives she needs to build on her Hong Kong speech. For military conservatives she has credibility. She loves the military and its never fake or phony. She praises the military at each and every chance she gets. She needs to define what American Exceptionalism means to her and present her vision for America leading the free world. Its my understanding she has a book coming out on virtues and then the third book will be a policy book so that is where I would expect Palin to have a meatier presentation of her vision. IMHO!

[highlander_UW]

That’s a junk polls and you know and the writer picked out an outlier.....Plain is not drawing strong in polls but its hard to judge when the media is so anti-Palin...I’ll wait until Rasmussen comes out with his.

You're correct about that particular poll looking out of whack...but every poll has fairly high negatives for Palin...it's a pretty established trend. And yes, I realize skewed polling is a pretty established trend for liberal outlets as well.

[ottbmare]

She hasn’t done anything wrong. She just needs to do what Anne Coulter suggested for her: she should spend the next several years traveling and thoughtfully reading constitutional law. She’s very intelligent and she can educate herself about these issues quite well without entering a formal graduate program, perhaps along with discussions/mentoring from some wise senior conservative legal minds.

[The Antiyuppie]

“BTW Abraham Lincoln had a high-pitch Kentucky drawl”

And, on top of that, he was considered homely almost to the point of frightening women and children - but without television and radio, only the written word mattered at that time. Look, “The Beard” sunk Nixon in 1960. It’s not fair, and I’m not particularly handsome either, but things aren’t fair, and that’s the way it is.

[Monterrosa-24]

And I agree with Patrick Henry and Sarah Palin. Henry said EXPERIENCE and Palin said GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE. How many times have we seen people with only gov experience and have no idea about business or balancing a budget. Experience is a teacher. Gov experience is a corrupter.

[time4good]

I understand and tend to agree with you given our pop-culture society. But, and a BIG but, if you're any good reader of people, which I think a good number of folks on FR are, the BIG difference between the 52% that went for Man-Child and those of us that yes, do connect with Sarah Palin is that when she talks or the things she wrote in her book, there is a very high degree of honesty and sincerity. I'm a Pentecostal such as her, and I've seen enough phonies in my lifetime to be able to spot a fake. She's not a fake. She's human like the rest of us and has growing to do and opinions and stances not 100% aligned with the next person.

Compare that to Man-Child where most everything we've heard from him the past 3 years we could sense or directly prove that he's playing the con game - except, except for when he's talking about Michelle-My-Bell nagging him or hen-pecking him. That I do believe is sincere.