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The Meaning of Sarah Palin
Commentary Magazine ^ | February 4, 2009 | Yuval Levin

Posted on 02/04/2009 7:15:52 AM PST by Jbny

Two political figures dominated the final months of the 2008 presidential campaign. One was the Democratic nominee, Barack Obama. The other had been unknown to all but 670,000 Americans only a few minutes before she was first introduced by the Republican nominee, John McCain, at a rally in Ohio on the Friday before the Republican National Convention, only 66 days before the November election.

By the close of that first weekend, Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska had become a national sensation. Two days after that, she delivered her debut address at the Republican National Convention as the party’s vice-presidential nominee—a dazzling stemwinder, it was all but universally acknowledged. McCain’s dramatic and unexpected bet appeared to have paid off in spades.

(Excerpt) Read more at commentarymagazine.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: election; palin; politics; sarah
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1 posted on 02/04/2009 7:15:53 AM PST by Jbny
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To: Jbny
unknown to all but 670,000 Americans

670,001.

I knew who she was back in September, 2008. I'm sure there were a number of other Freep-a-holics who knew as well.

2 posted on 02/04/2009 7:20:12 AM PST by Bloody Sam Roberts (All the oil's in Texas...but all the dipsticks are in Washington, DC.)
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To: Jbny

Whats revealing is Sarah Palin has been a top five news story at least once per week SINCE the election of 2008.

Not McCain. Not Romney. Not Huckabee. Not Tancredo or Hunter or Thompson.

Sarah Palin. The only politician that gets more regular ‘ink’ is our new President.

Those that want to continue to claim Sarah Palin isn’t a huge factor in American politics only out themselves as not ready for prime time political commentators.

Its revealing that most of those types are Moderate whiners, or simply RINO’s.


3 posted on 02/04/2009 7:21:21 AM PST by Badeye (There are no 'great moments' in Moderate Political History. Only losses.)
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To: Bloody Sam Roberts

Her name started coming up here back in 07.


4 posted on 02/04/2009 7:21:44 AM PST by mnehring
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To: Bloody Sam Roberts
I knew who she was back in September, 2008. I'm sure there were a number of other Freep-a-holics who knew as well.

Yes. Palin was on the FR radar months before the nomination.

I remember that an article talking smack about her conservative credentials was posted.

I memory-filed it for later research.

5 posted on 02/04/2009 7:23:48 AM PST by an amused spectator (Citizen Kenyan: Commander in The Effort Against Culturally-Influenced Misbehavior.)
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To: Jbny
The other had been unknown to all but 670,000 Americans

Wait, what? So unless you lived in Alaska you didn't know who she was? Uhhhh... I was pulling for her to be chosen the whole time. Didn't honestly expect it, but I was hoping.
6 posted on 02/04/2009 7:23:49 AM PST by messierhunter
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To: Bloody Sam Roberts

Ditto. 670,002.


7 posted on 02/04/2009 7:24:20 AM PST by messierhunter
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To: Jbny

unknown to all but 670,000 Americans ......................... No longer! Go Sarah!


8 posted on 02/04/2009 7:26:25 AM PST by Bringbackthedraft (Liberals fear the return of The Cleaver Family.)
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To: Jbny
I like Sarah. I am supporting her run in 2012 by donating to SarahPAC. However, she still needs to prove herself as a national federalist conservative. She has done yeoman’s work at the state level, but she needs to define herself as a Reagan conservative. If she doesn't, I still respect her and all she has accomplished. She will be a defining force no matter what happens....
9 posted on 02/04/2009 7:27:07 AM PST by 11th Commandment (United States is a NOW a Terrorist Nation- we export abortion!)
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To: Bloody Sam Roberts

“670,001”

Add me as well. I’d been following her as a potential running mate since May ‘08. I was so happy to hear of her selection, McCain almost impressed me. Almost. Sarah got my vote from jump, though.


10 posted on 02/04/2009 7:35:43 AM PST by ScottinVA (Make my world PURRRFECT, Lord Obama!)
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To: Badeye

The Mittwits will be along shortly to trash her and call her stupid.


11 posted on 02/04/2009 7:43:34 AM PST by Beagle8U (FreeRepublic -- One stop shopping ....... Its the Conservative Super WalMart for news .)
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To: Beagle8U

I backed Romney in the primaries, and wouldn’t dream of trashing the single most successful governor in America today.

Conversely, I’ve never understood the insanity related to the Romney bashers.

We do more to hurt ourselves than anything the Democrats can come up with, as the most recent election cycle demonstrates conclusively in my honest opinion.


12 posted on 02/04/2009 7:46:45 AM PST by Badeye (There are no 'great moments' in Moderate Political History. Only losses.)
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To: ScottinVA
Sarah got my vote from jump, though.

She had me at "Ya knooooow..."

13 posted on 02/04/2009 7:55:48 AM PST by Bloody Sam Roberts (All the oil's in Texas...but all the dipsticks are in Washington, DC.)
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To: Jbny

A truly non-partisan (he thinks David Brooks is ‘right leaning’) look at the Palin phenomena.


14 posted on 02/04/2009 8:00:19 AM PST by skeeter
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To: mnehrling

Yep. I read her bio in January of 07 and felt that she was the one. The real one.


15 posted on 02/04/2009 8:01:27 AM PST by texmexis best (uency)
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To: Badeye

“Conversely, I’ve never understood the insanity related to the Romney bashers.”

I guess you would have to step back and take an honest look at his record on the issues to understand.


16 posted on 02/04/2009 9:11:12 AM PST by Beagle8U (FreeRepublic -- One stop shopping ....... Its the Conservative Super WalMart for news .)
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To: Badeye

Amen Badeye.

My thoughts on the button


17 posted on 02/04/2009 9:16:22 AM PST by wardaddy (I'm for Sarah. Nuff said, you either get it or you don't. Enjoy Steele, he's no Palin.)
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To: Jbny

Governor Palin IS the great American success story. In fact, she’s too much for the DC political class to bear.


18 posted on 02/04/2009 9:37:28 AM PST by Liberty Valance (Keep a simple manner for a happy life ;o)
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To: skeeter
He may have a better grasp on the issues than Michael "The GOP needs to go upmarket" Barone

In 2012 the message could be "Can the Mayor of Wasila do better than the Editor of the Harvard Law Review? Yes She Can!"

19 posted on 02/04/2009 10:10:48 AM PST by Oztrich Boy (This world is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel - Horace Walpole)
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To: Beagle8U

I did, long and hard. I read everything I could posted here related to it.

And I realized that when you are a governor in a leftwing state, you do what you can, when you can.

But I didn’t support Romney because I thought ‘He’s a conservative’.

It was obvious that there simply wasn’t a Conservative that was strong enough to win in the primaries.

So I went with Chief Executive Officer performance...and remembered ‘its the economy, stupid’.

Romney won my support based on that criteria. I’ll always wonder what would have happened last September 15th if it had been Romney, rather than John ‘don’t know much about the economy’ McLame on the day we had the meltdown.


20 posted on 02/04/2009 11:12:30 AM PST by Badeye (There are no 'great moments' in Moderate Political History. Only losses.)
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