Replies

DoughtyOne, I am replying to you again because I have always respected your opinion on just about everything and it just doesn’t feel right to have this particular disagreement. We each see this in such a spectacularly opposite way that I am genuinely baffled at your reluctance to even consider that Palin’s motives are guided by a genuine patriotic instinct to step into the void where all of the rest of our so-called conservative “leaders” have feared to tread.
There is no stronger AMERICAN voice on the planet today than Sarah Palin’s. I don’t pretend to understand it, but when she came onto the scene, she brought something I have never seen before in my lifetime. There is an electricity about her that simply cannot be kept under a bushel. She shines where others dim. She speaks and NORMAL, everyday Americans listen, (and agree,) because she is one of us.
There is nothing pretentious about her or her family. Her values are rock solid and she dares to be honest when honesty is not chic or even admired by those who consider themselves her betters. I have never seen her parse a sentence or a phrase to say one thing that means another.
Why would you want her to do a dog and pony show for the viral left and the scummy rinos by staying in an office where she has already met the challenges head on and beat them? She has done what she wanted to do there. Everything there from now on is already rolling and she isn’t needed there anymore, but we surely do need her here and she knows it.
We have watched John McCain and his siamese twin, Lindsey Graham, try and set themselves up as “conservative” spokesmen for the GOP while supporting 90% of Obama’s agenda. It is sickening.
Michael Steele seems not to know which party he belongs to sometimes. The GOP is in chaos. Who IS there besides Sarah who we can all respect and trust? Where in this party is the voice of AMERICAN reason? And who has the guts to challenge the left like they have never been challenged before?
I see so many people saying Reagan never would have done this. Well, maybe not in his situation at the time, but Reagan wasn’t trapped behind the walls of an elected office without the freedom to act because of the backlash to his state. And Reagan wasn’t watching the entire country being bankrupted, stolen, demoralized, islamicized, and enslaved by the most corrupt regime this country has ever seen bar none. But if he HAD been, and knew in his heart that he could be all the difference, that he could lead a wounded, confused, and dazed grassroots conservative movement desperately searching for its path, I believe he WOULD do it because he was that kind of Patriot.
It’s like the old story, (shortened for this post,) about the guy sitting on his rooftop while the floodwaters rose up around his house thinking GOD would save him from drowning so he turned down all human attempts to rescue him. When he drowned and was waiting for judgement, he was incredulous that GOD had not saved him. And GOD said, “I SENT you rescuers. You turned them down. What more did you want?”
Indeed, says I. What more do you want?
It’s Independence Day.

DoughtyOne, I am replying to you again because I have always respected your opinion on just about everything and it just doesn’t feel right to have this particular disagreement. I appreciate that sentiment. I've received a number of such comments, and I find them flattering. I'm not perfect. I say it like I see it, and sometimes I'm wrong. Let's look at what you had to say.

We each see this in such a spectacularly opposite way that I am genuinely baffled at your reluctance to even consider that Palin’s motives are guided by a genuine patriotic instinct to step into the void where all of the rest of our so-called conservative “leaders” have feared to tread. I've not really tried to second guess why Palin did this. I'm not convinced she didn't do it for patriotic reasons. I believe I did address it as her stepping down because of the attacks and bougus prosecutions, because her speach touched on that so prominently. It has been my premise, that no matter what her reasoning, you can't spin the quitting itself. I know many of you don't see her stepping down as Governor of Alaska as quitting, so I think you're going to have to take my word for this, those who are not strident Palin supporters are going to to see it for that very thing. To me one thing trumps support for candidates. That's the hard cold political reality of what the impact of political acts will eventually be. You see, that's what will ultimately rule. All the love in the world for Sarah will not change what the overall reaction to an act will be. It's sort of like the law of gravity. It just is.

There is no stronger AMERICAN voice on the planet today than Sarah Palin’s. Yesterday morning, I agreed with you. At this time I cannot. Generally here I would say something like I wish I could. In this instance, I find it more advisable to see things as they really are. There's always the possibility that I don't see them as they are, but I have explained what makes sense to me. Judgment. It is crucial to being politically viable. She can go out and talk about Conservative principles 'till the cows come home. At the end of the day, it won't make her a viable candidate after this.

I don’t pretend to understand it, but when she came onto the scene, she brought something I have never seen before in my lifetime. There is an electricity about her that simply cannot be kept under a bushel. She shines where others dim. She speaks and NORMAL, everyday Americans listen, (and agree,) because she is one of us. Yes. I agree with this. I might not go quite as far as you have, but I have addressed her spark. She does have that magical essence, something that goes beyond the ordinary. Look, neither of us is in love with her, but her public persona is what it is. And so it is, with a heavy heart that I look back on yesterday's action.

There is nothing pretentious about her or her family. Her values are rock solid and she dares to be honest when honesty is not chic or even admired by those who consider themselves her betters. I have never seen her parse a sentence or a phrase to say one thing that means another. Here again, we agree on this point. And once again, I am deeply saddened by looking back on yesterday's action.

Why would you want her to do a dog and pony show for the viral left and the scummy rinos by staying in an office where she has already met the challenges head on and beat them? Because it was precisely the Executive Leadership Experience that Barack Obama did not have. She will always need to use Executive Leadership Experience in her political resume. Otherwise we would be on the same shakey ground the left was on, when they lofted a guy with no Executive Experience. Now what do we point to in her defense? "Well, she served 30 of 48 months as Governor of Alaska, then quit 18 months before her term in office was over." Is that it? Why yes it is.

She has done what she wanted to do there. Everything there from now on is already rolling and she isn’t needed there anymore, but we surely do need her here and she knows it. With all due respect, I think you're seeing this through rose colored glasses. Because you like Sarah you're willing to take any explanation she gives you, even if it doesn't connect in any way with the political reality of the situation. We all hate what was being done to her, but you can't let them beat you. Good grief, how can I support her for the highest office in the land, where the pressures and criticisms make what she's been through look like grammar school tactics? What happens then? She'll be facing international problems even wars. Does she suddenly state, folks I'm sorry but this has been very grueling, I must step down for the good of my family?

No political leader worth their salt says, "Well, I've done everything I wanted to do, so I'm stepping down now." Look at the job Ronald Reagan did. He left office with the United States standing tall. How long did it take for the nation to desperately need his vision again? If Sarah thinks Alaska is perfect now, I can only ask, doesn't she want it to remain that way? If she's the leader I thought she was, Alaska still does need her.

The time to talk about the difficulties you faced as a leader, is AFTER you leave office at the appointed time. Why is that important? It's important because it gives cause for people to appreciate not only that you served a full term with distinction, it displays what a rock you were in the face of adversity. It's another resume enhancer. You couldn't ask for better fodder for a book to be released when you were heading into a Presidential campaign season. That's the book that could have been, but will never be. There's no term in office to point to with pride. There's only a term in office where once Sarah Palin admitted she couldn't take it any longer. The book if written now will come off as whining about her treatment, and justification for her quitting. Talk about snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, I wish I knew who was advising her, I like to slap them about 75 times. Was it a RINO? I can think of some prominent political figures who might have given her some vile self-serving advice. If I found that out, I would be livid.

The charge would always have be made against Palin that she was a woman who didn't have the thick hide to be President. If she had served out her term under fire, she would have slammed the door shut on that attack.

We can spin this in honor of the Sarah we came to know and respect, but politically it wouldn't do us any favors. It's not the real story. It's just the story we came up with to explain it all away. We want it to be different. It isn't.

We have watched John McCain and his siamese twin, Lindsey Graham, try and set themselves up as “conservative” spokesmen for the GOP while supporting 90% of Obama’s agenda. It is sickening. Yes we have, and yes it is.

Michael Steele seems not to know which party he belongs to sometimes. The GOP is in chaos. Who IS there besides Sarah who we can all respect and trust? Where in this party is the voice of AMERICAN reason? And who has the guts to challenge the left like they have never been challenged before? Yesterday morning, I could tell you. Today I cannot. It's that simple. If you think there is joy in Mudville today for me, you're sadly mistaken.

I see so many people saying Reagan never would have done this. Well, maybe not in his situation at the time, but Reagan wasn’t trapped behind the walls of an elected office without the freedom to act because of the backlash to his state. Reagan served his terms in office honorably. He bid his time like each political candidate has to. He then ran for national office.

And Reagan wasn’t watching the entire country being bankrupted, stolen, demoralized, islamicized, and enslaved by the most corrupt regime this country has ever seen bar none. But if he HAD been, and knew in his heart that he could be all the difference, that he could lead a wounded, confused, and dazed grassroots conservative movement desperately searching for its path, I believe he WOULD do it because he was that kind of Patriot. Whether you, I, or Sarah like it, Obama is going to be there until January 20th, 2013. This is July 2009. Palin's term as Governor of Alaska ends in 2010. She would have nearly two full years after that to campaign for the Presidency. With the resume enhancers I mentioned above, and the spark we both agree she had, I think she would have been poised to launch one of the most successful and exciting Presidential bids in my lifetime. And now what? No matter what she does from this moment on, her stepping down will be the seminal moment in her career.

I could sit here and bray at the moon with you, but it wouldn't bring it one inch closer. That's the sad reality we face. I know many of you will continue to support Sarah. In the end I think it's going to leave a trail of very disappointed people who having read the handwriting on the wall, simply refused to believe it.

It’s like the old story, (shortened for this post,) about the guy sitting on his rooftop while the flood waters rose up around his house thinking GOD would save him from drowning so he turned down all human attempts to rescue him. When he drowned and was waiting for judgement, he was incredulous that GOD had not saved him. And GOD said, “I SENT you rescuers. You turned them down. What more did you want?”

Indeed, says I. What more do you want? As desperate as I was, I would stay on that roof if the boat had a foot sized hole in the bottom, the helicopter was sputtering for lack of gas, or someone tossed me a rope that turned out to be a thread.

It’s Independence Day. Yes it is, and I wish you the best of them. I'm sorry we came down on this one with differing opinions. My comments above may sound snarky to you in places. I didn't mean them to be. This is the cold reality as I see it. I appreciate you relating your views on the subject. Bye for now...