Posted on 11/21/2010 12:52:50 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
In a National Review Online column on November 19, Mona Charen provided an explanation of why she believes Sarah Palin shouldn’t run for President. She argued that after the 2008 campaign, Palin “quit her job as governor after two and a half years…and seemed to chase money and empty celebrity.” She asserted that “Palin seems consumed and obsessed” by the media, labeled Palin’s new TLC show, Sarah Palin’s Alaska, a “cheesy entrant in the reality-show genre,” and took issue with the fact that Sarah and Todd sit in the Dancing with the Stars audience “cheering on their unwed-mother daughter.” She opined that Palin’s “endorsement of Christine O’Donnell was irresponsible and damaging” and suggested that “She would be terrific as a talk-show host — the new Oprah.”
First and foremost, let’s address one of Charen’s opening points as to why Palin should sit 2012 out. She stated, “Americans will be looking for sober competence, managerial skill, and maturity — not sizzle and flash.” Perhaps a walk down policy lane is in order.
As Governor, Sarah Palin actualized AGIA, the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act, the largest private sector infrastructure project in North American history. Palin’s administration opened up drilling for oil and gas at Point Thomson for the first time in several decades. As Governor, Palin reduced earmark requests for Alaska by 80%, established Alaska’s Petroleum Integrity Office to oversee safe energy development, placed the state checkbook online, and reduced spending for Fiscal Year 2010 by over one billion dollars from Governor Murkowski’s Fiscal Year 2007 budget. Palin signed ACES, Alaska’s Clear and Equitable Share bill, into law, incentivizing development and ensuring that Alaskans would receive a “clear and equitable” share of oil profits. She cut costs by selling a private jet purchased by the previous governor and saying “no thank you” to the Executive Mansion’s personal chef. She has served as Chairperson of the AK Oil and Gas Conservation Commission and Vice Chair of the National Governors Association Natural Resource Committee. Prior to her time as Governor, Palin served as Mayor of Wasilla, AK, and city council member in Wasilla. She has also been involved in running a commercial fishing business with her husband Todd.
“Sober competence, managerial skill, and maturity,” indeed.
Charen asserted that Palin’s statement to Barbara Walters that she believes she could defeat President Obama “has dimmed hopes cherished by sensible Republicans that she might decide against a run for the White House in 2012.” Well, it’s not the first time I haven’t fallen into the “sensible” VIP league of the Washington elite. On that note, let’s shift on over to Sarah Palin’s Alaska, Dancing with the Stars, and all that drives the GOP highbrows wild.
Sarah Palin has done something that no-one since President Reagan has been bold enough to do: just be herself. Sure, she’s a prominent political figure. Yes, she was a 2008 Vice Presidential candidate. But she’s also a mom, a wife, a hunter, a fisherwoman, and a plain old American just like you and me. In her new TLC show, Palin’s not afraid to show you how proud she is of the beauty of her state, a state which is so often discarded as unimportant – despite extensive energy and national security clout – by the likes of New York and California elites. She’s not afraid to speak in her folksy accent, to invite you inside her very regular American home, to let you watch her accept the challenge to climb Mt. McKinley, and do the dirty work of wiping slime off of newly-caught halibut.
Simply put, she’s not afraid to just be Sarah Palin. And in our phony, snobby, chameleon-happy political world, that is priceless.
Kudos to Sarah Palin for cheering on her daughter, who has had the commonsense wisdom to express, “They’re going to criticize me no matter what I do, so I might as well dance.” Kudos to Palin for placing principles over party by endorsing the only conservative choice in the Delaware Senate race this 2010 election season, Christine O’Donnell. Palin seems to understand that a Republican “gain” by a closet lefty isn’t a gain at all.
Also, when faced with frivolous, baseless ethics charges made by political operatives, which was costing her state millions of dollars and her staff thousands of hours to refute, kudos to Palin for having done the right thing. That’s right, she resigned. And it wasn’t to preserve her political future. It was to ensure that the Governor’s office could get back to what was important – the day-to-day work of protecting Alaska and its citizens.
As a parting thought, let’s revisit a segment from radio host and bestselling author Mark R. Levin’s November ninth monologue: [In] 1976 … Ronald Reagan was running against Gerald Ford. There were conservatives all over the country who were lining up behind Gerald Ford. ‘Reagan’s too extreme, Reagan is a B actor, Reagan is this, Reagan is that, he can’t win, he can’t win.’”
Sound familiar?
Regardless of what her future plans may be, Sarah Palin is certainly qualified to step up to the plate in 2012 if she so chooses – Facebook posts, mountain climbing, and dancing daughter included.
No, I don’t like them because they are pro-abort, pro-gay, or pro-illegal (or all 3) and attack Republicans when obama is far worse and gets a pass.
Truth be told now:
Democrats and RINOs conspired to remove Sarah Palin from office.
Palin was “bankrupted” by false complaints on a regular basis.
Who masterminded it? Obama machinery. All the heads of smearing campaign are NOW MEMBERS OF OBAMA ADMINISTRATION.
So why did Palin “quit”?
Obama-sponsored mob in Alaska practically bankrupted her with around US$500,000 legal debt and held her government HOSTAGE.
Sarah Palin saved her administration by “resigning” and “diverting” the unpestered attack away from Governorship (a Governor Palin 1.0) into an Ordinary Alaskan (a citizen Palin 2.0).
By resigning, Palin died. The woman that they will be accusing of being a “quitter” in the next primary is a new Palin.
RINOs and the Dems must be really frightened. IT’S ABOUT TIME TO UNCOVER ALL THE ATTACKS AGAINST PALIN SINCE 2008.
I’m sure SHE WILL NAME NAMES for all Americans to know.
Did Palin accomplish all her promises while campaigning as Governor:
GOV. PARNELL IS PRACTICALLY ENJOYING THE BENEFITS OF WHAT PALIN ACCOMPLISHED IN 2 1/2 YEARS.
THAT HUGE HUGE GAS PROJECT SHOULD BE REPLICATED [IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER] IN LOWER 48 TO CREATE CHEAP ENERGY RESOURCES, REAL/PERMANENT JOBS, AND NEW WEALTH TO THE PEOPLE !
Giving assholes a bad name.
The "better qualified" conservative candidates of the last generation were Gerald Ford and Bob Dole, and more recently John McCain.
How pathetic that some on the right have joined those on the left in bashing Sarah Palin.
The left and their cohorts in the msm drove Dan Quayle out of the public square but Sarah learned from that assault.
She’s standing up for herself, BIG TIME.
Too bad President GWBush didn’t fight back.
HospiceNurse:
"So now we hate Mona Charen, Karl Rove, and Barbara Bush
because they believe a candidate for president should have credentials."
They are despicable because they have backstabbed
the leading voice, speaking out against Obama and the DNC,
for the poor sport, spoiler, and carpetbagging shapeshifter ....
the absolute Queen of RINO, Mitt Romney.
Looks to me they doth protest too much.
It’s a full court press against Palin because they know full well she’s a force to be reckon with and relates to us. It’s the us against them scenario, the elitist Ivy League class against real Americans. They are scared.
Of course none of these bozos could give any substantive reasons why Sarah should not be President just that they "heard" that she was not qualified.
Idiots all.
In a way I wish we could have done a better job of getting the truth out about "the most Reaganesque candidate to come along in years.
Once again I say show me a candidate with Sarah's charisma who can raise funds at will and command 20-30,000 eager fans at a rally in a heartbeat and I will vote for them.
“Sarah Palin has done something that no one since President Reagan has been bold enough to do: just be herself.”
BEARS REPEATING . . AND REPEATING . . . AND REPEATING - until these jealous RINO and “feminist” leftists get it!
HospiceNurse:
"So now we hate Mona Charen, Karl Rove, and Barbara Bush
because they believe a candidate for president should have credentials."
They are for Romney who has no REAL credentials
except for lying and shapeshifting and imposing his
fascist ideas by his pen using force.
"Go Mitt. Go Mitt. Go Mitt.
We will attack the GOP women and their children for you. For you!!!!!!"
"Rove has made no secret of his support for Romney as McCain's VP. "
Palin has had more pressure thrown at her than any politician in this country including Bush II—Her family has been attacked and she has a Downs Syndrome baby to raise
And she is stronger than ever
The wimp we have as president cringes under any criticism directed his way
NO OTHER GOP presidential candidate has had near the smear campaign directed at them
Palin has more backbone than any politician in this country and her good looks and refusal to buckle drives liberals especially jealous lib women mad
What, in your estimation, comprises credentials? - and, in your estimation, does Barack Hussein Obama have them?
Who the hell are all these people to tell a fellow American she can't run for President?
Sarah Palin is a populist. She is a real everyday human American who wasn't born with a silver spoon in her mouth.
Sarah Palin is dangerous to the "elite club" in Washington. There is a great danger in her possible election to national office. The usual suspect blowhards and lard-asses in Washington D.C. might be eliminated from the Sarah Palin White House guest list.
NO DAMN IT!!! We are upset with Mona, Rove, et al, because they are typical GOP establishment blue blood elitists who are doing their best to tear down a candidate (potential) who doesn't belong to their "club." They have proven time and again they are willing to sacrifice principle in who they support. And this nonsense that Palin doesn't have credentials is bull crap! Her list of accomplishments while Governor is as long as your arm, so throwing out your baseless charges "implying" she has no credentials is transparent and false. Palin's only "crime" is that she isn't a phony like so many of the other potential contenders are - she is the real deal and a real person who happens to have real leadership abilities!
Many? Who? Your list, please.
I agree. My vote is for Sarah Palin as far as someone with genuine, UNCOMPROMISING conservative principles that she actually lives and not just pays lip-service to!
Excellent rebuttal to Mona
"I hate her so much. What does she have besides beauty, brains, charisma and talent?"
"Who the hell does she think she is trying to run for Senior Class President?"
This is a very bad sequel to "Mean Girls."
Give me an examole of their abandoning their principles
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