Posted on 07/06/2009 11:30:12 AM PDT by lewisglad
Sarah Palin’s decision to resign as governor of Alaska so that she could, “advance in another direction,” was a brilliant political move.
She senses, or sees, or grasps what few in politics understand today. Americans are tired of the same old, same old — be it Republican, Democratic, or even Green Party (See California’s recent special election results).
The sound of thundering hoofs coming over the hill is apparent to any real student of political history. However, it seems that only an unlikely moose hunter like Palin has put her ear to the ground to listen.
The rumblings are not just from the conservative Republicans who feel marginalized and trivialized, or the Independent voters who are whip-lashed from promises broken by all politicians, but even from liberal Democrats who are frustrated by the appearance of change and the dimming of hope.
The economy is crushing too many people too fast for the current establishment to fix it. Wall Street has been saved, while Main Street is awash in a nightmarish replay of Hurricane Katrina.
Add to this the perfect set up for a woman who is charismatic and really connects with people, instead of a teleprompter, a fawning overpaid staff, or a purchased press, and you see where Palin is headed.
She intends to forge a coalition of those increasingly large numbers of Americans “with noses pressed to the window” looking in at the “swells” in the fancy ball gowns and tuxedos who are dancing the night away. Those Americans without gold plated health insurance, without jobs, without cash, cards, or even cars to call their own, are her natural constituency and she knows it.
Palin intends to start another Populist movement — without the help of the “usual suspects” — professional image consultants, handlers, inside the Beltway know-it-alls, and especially the establishment press. She trusts her instincts and smells blood, and it isn’t her own.
She is setting up a perfect stage from which to launch a run for the Presidency.
The irony is that the more criticism and ridicule Palin receives from the chattering, clattering, clapping class that has forgotten regular Americans, the more raucous support she will receive. This is the revenge of the outsiders!
Listen to the snickering, snearing, and snobbish remarks among the political press in reaction to Palin’s announcement, and you can calculate the backlash building. Again, “the insiders” scoff at the needs, the hopes, and the increasing desperation of those struggling in America (See grown men cry during the Congressional hearings on the GM bankruptcy).
By design, Palin did not notify the national media of her intentions. She will not give them access. And she will not bother to apologize. She will, instead, use them as the whipping post, much as they used her. Turn about is fair play, and the press has a lot of turn about coming. [Palin is using Twitter for her revolution, too].
Palin’s McArthur like stand will marginalize the press, the pundits, the politicians, and the oh-so-self-important elites that have produced the current economic, military, political, social, and cultural quicksand. She senses the people’s smoldering outrage and mounting fears.
Many Americans want an un-conflicted leader. Someone who can throw a punch as well as take one. Someone who is fearless and compassionate. Someone who, like a Marine, will leave no American behind. And that is what lots of Americans are now experiencing — being left behind.
Whether or not Palin makes a Presidential run is immaterial. She has set the stage for whatever option she chooses. A run for the Senate in 2010. The Presidency in 2012. A stay at home mom. A rabble rousing speaking tour. An over the top fund raiser. And of course, the already inked book deal. She is a natural. And those thundering hoofs coming over the hill are getting louder.
What a great time to be a political junkie!
Colleen M. O’Connor is a former college history professor, the director of the “Faces of San Diego" family photographic history project and co-editor of Eleanor Roosevelt: An American Journey.
Sometimes leadership is about punching out of the box to which you've been relegated, crossing the Yukon, and taking the battle to the enemy, which in this case is the accumulated machines of the Democrats, Republicans, and MSM. I'd call that one heck of a commitment. We're in a whole new era of politics, and Gov. Palin needs some elbow room that she doesn't have with the "Gov." in front of her name.
I prefer to wait and see what she is up to before I critique her.
Obama’s supporters are already disappointed or won't have jobs.
If people contribute to sarahpac rather than the RNC, she and the people will control the party.
In 2016 Palin will only be 50 or so. And it will be an open race again, without an incumbent. The dems couldn’t possibly nominate that idiot Biden. (Now that I think of it, I’d bet Obama tosses him and has a new VP on the ballot in 2012). By 2016, Obama will have damn near destroyed the country, the economy in general, taxes, energy, inflation, unemployment, national security and anything else you care to name will be a shambles. To the extent the mediapukes can no longer hide it and cover for him.
Lord, I just love it when someone who “gets it” knows how to articulate it so well.
Thank you BUMP for Colleen M. O’Connor!
Archibald Macleish: The dissenter is every human being at those moments of his (her) life when he (she) resigns momentarily from the herd and thinks for himself (herself).
“In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, and brave,
and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him,
for then it costs nothing to be a patriot. -Mark Twain, 1935
Do not under-estimate the importance of Palin’s populist appeal. We are conservative but a lot of voters don’t think of themselves that way.
A month ago in California the voters turned down new tax proposals by a 2:1 margin. These were not all conservatives, they were just people tired of being screwed over by the insiders and power players. Whoever appeals to this crowd can win the WH in 2012.
Exactly, that's why I want the chattering class to keep it up! ;o)
While Reagan was attacked by the media, his family was pretty much ignored.
That has not been the case with Sarah Palin. In addition to attacking her directly, the media and entertainment world have targeted her family in a very rude & crude manner.
A mother’s first instinct is to protect her family, no matter the circumstances.
As governor, Sarah Palin’s family would remain a target and fair game because she is a public official.
As a private citizens, she has removed her family from the firing line.
Someone in the media gets it. :) Go Sarah! My Dh after seeing her speak at the convention looked at me and said “I’ve never felt like America was ready for a woman President yet but she makes me change my mind”.
An analogy can also be made about Christianty. The more Christians are persecuted, the bigger Christianty becomes.
So, I say.....persecute away! She is growing in popularity the more they attack her!
2016 is too far out. I think this country can be saved from Obama sooner than that, and Palin’s probably our best candidate for the task.
Great article.
Colleen is a PUMA and gets it.
Yep, and Sarah, by resigning from her office is exhibiting all three.
She has honor; she hasn't deviated from her values.
She has COURAGE; she hasn't wilted from the almost daily attacks on her and her family.
She has COMMITMENT; she told the people of Alaska she would work for THEM. By resigning, she's saving the taxpayers of AK millions in wasted money by removing herself as a target of frivilous lawsuits which were only begun in September, when she became an active Veep candidate.
Sarah recognized that the longer she stayed in office, the longer the lawsuits would continue, and any good work she wanted to do would be overshadowed, if not thwarted, by them. By turning over the office to the Lt. Gov. who has been working with her on the good work she's been able to do so far, she knows that work will continue, but he won't be having to spend his time or his staff's time to fend off lawsuits, because they were aimed at HER personally, NOT as her work as Governor.
I wonder if the author has the inside info or is just speculating. I would love to see a new party with her at the helm. We could tell the republicans "no, vote with us if you want to win elections".
She's not in this just for herself.
I think from now on when the RNC sends their fund raising letters I’ll return them with a note about when they start supporting Sarah I’ll send some money!
Nah, they'll continue to attack them. The difference this time is that Sarah can, and will, go after them legally for libel and slander.
Or tell them thanks for the reminder to send another contribution to sarahpac.
I wouldn't. Why should she spend the time, effort and money to re-invent the wheel? There are enough folks who consider themselves Republicans to move her along within the party. Let her spend her efforts in convincing voters that the Republican party is the one they need to support for Congressional as well as Presidential candidates.
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