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The Problem With Palin
American Spectator ^ | April 19, 2010 | Quin Hillyer

Posted on 04/19/2010 5:52:15 AM PDT by reaganaut1

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?

IN HER RECENTLY RELEASED memoir, Going Rogue, Palin tells a story about how she approached the first state budget she handled as governor. It sounds like something right out of the 1993 Kevin Kline movie, Dave, except that Palin's tale is fact instead of fiction.

We worked late into the night with the warm midnight sun still pouring through my office windows....Pens in hand, we combed through the budget, line by line, page by page -- my inner nerd coming out again, just like Wasilla City Council days....I had to know what was in there, or I wasn't doing my job. We spent days trying to decipher who put in what and why. Late one night, I looked up from the table and asked our veteran staffers, "What did past governors do? How did they get through these budgets with so little detail?" "They didn't," was the response.

(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Politics/Elections; US: Alaska
KEYWORDS: acornpaidforthis; clownpost; derangedpalinistas; dncpost; envy; gopestablisment; jealousy; justmakeitup; knownothings; leftistclownposse; liars; mittboughtjournalism; moron; obama; obamabotsinaction; obotpost; palin; palin2012; palinbots; palinbotsassemble; palinbotsattack; palinbotshere; palinenvy; palinhaters; palinhatersposse; palinistasattack; paulbots; paulistamoronpost; posseofclownposters; rinoinaction; romneybots; sarahpalin; sorostoodge; whyromneywilllose
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To: TChris

I disagree with you. I happen to believe that she is perfectly capable, and up to the job of United States Senator, I have every confidence she would make an incredible impact in Washington D.C., but as I also mentioned, a very top Cabinet position would also be a place where she could have immense effect. She is really top notch.


181 posted on 04/19/2010 8:55:10 AM PDT by AmericanInTokyo (Call your County/State GOP & ask if they'll make 2010 solely a NATIONAL NO CONFIDENCE VOTE on Obama)
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To: Lazamataz

Sure, we all do. But the political calculus can’t be ignored. She is a much stronger politician and aiding the cause now that she is free of the absurd constraints from the Leftist loonies in Alaska.

Now when she is attacked she can counter.

Thank God, she is out of Alaska...I can’t think of one conservative that get the attention that she does and promotes the cause as she does...certainly not Romney.


182 posted on 04/19/2010 8:56:40 AM PDT by rbmillerjr (Let hot tar wash their throats and may it flow freely.)
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To: rbmillerjr
...but you left out the part where it was also the best political decision she could have made also.

__________________________________

As all my posts here indicate, I do not think that her resignation was a good political move at all...handing your opponents the tools to label you a quitter is just dumb if you want a future politicical career.

183 posted on 04/19/2010 8:56:59 AM PDT by wtc911 ("How you gonna get down that hill?")
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To: RazzPutin

Agree with your comments..a screechy voice is offputting.
She sounds better in an indoor setting.
Actually, Hillary has a better speaking voice if
you don’t have to listen to what she says.


184 posted on 04/19/2010 8:59:43 AM PDT by keykitten (keykitten)
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To: wtc911
As all my posts here indicate, I do not think that her resignation was a good political move at all...handing your opponents the tools to label you a quitter is just dumb if you want a future politicical career.

The alternative was bankrupting her family and ruining her career. You, of course, would be fine with that.

185 posted on 04/19/2010 9:01:05 AM PDT by Al B.
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To: wtc911

“As all my posts here indicate, I do not think that her resignation was a good political move at all...handing your opponents the tools to label you a quitter is just dumb if you want a future politicical career.”

Proving you know nothing about politics. If she stays she dies politically. If she leaves, they hammer her, like all Republicans on everything and anything anyway.


186 posted on 04/19/2010 9:04:11 AM PDT by rbmillerjr (Let hot tar wash their throats and may it flow freely.)
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To: rbmillerjr
This hit piece has the stench of Mitt Romney all over it.

"Sarah Palin, clean up your act and wait your turn." Gag me with a spoon.

187 posted on 04/19/2010 9:04:32 AM PDT by Al B.
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To: editor-surveyor
America has already chosen her as our next president

Typical Republican arrogance. Making the choice for us poor ignorant peons.

188 posted on 04/19/2010 9:06:23 AM PDT by EternalVigilance (No sane man loves war. But all decent men realize there can be no peace with tyrants or terrorists.)
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To: wtc911

And a significant majority will agree with Palin while you, romney and his little advisors and the msm watch powerless from the sideline and stew with resentment as Palin wins the nomination and presidency.


189 posted on 04/19/2010 9:06:34 AM PDT by JApost
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To: MNJohnnie; hampdenkid; faucetman; Brices Crossroads; geologist; editor-surveyor
hit piece

From the article:

ALL OF WHICH IS NOT TO SAY that Sarah Palin lacks the right stuff -- the right values, the right determination, the right gumption, the right toughness -- to serve our nation in high office. She certainly has abundant and admirable amounts and quality of all those virtues, no matter how viciously the left tries to smear her.

Another political advantage is Palin's preternatural ability to turn a pithy phrase to convey powerful messages. Perhaps this is partly a function of her training as a TV journalist -- and a sports reporter at that. Far more than print journalists, TV scribes learn and learn and work and work to hone their reports to short, well-turned phrases. Sports especially, as an entertainment medium, provides a milieu for memorable verbiage.

Hence Palin's brilliant ad-lib (she truthfully says it was not part of the written text) in her national convention speech about a hockey mom being a pit bull with lipstick. Hence her incredibly potent warning against "death panels" -- a warning based just enough on the substance of health care rationing, as detailed by the Washington Times, that it stopped just short of demagoguery. (Again, though, this skill only serves to further highlight the difference that relevant experience can make for the better -- or, by logical extension, that a lack of experience can make for the worse. Discimus agere agendo, indeed.)

Some hit piece.

I think some folks define a "hit piece" as being any article that is not 100% lavish praise.

190 posted on 04/19/2010 9:07:39 AM PDT by EveningStar (Karl Marx is not one of our Founding Fathers.)
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To: Lazamataz
the peculiarities of Alaska law

Getting rid of that dumb law would be helpful to her explaining her decision (again) in the future.
191 posted on 04/19/2010 9:09:03 AM PDT by Canedawg (I'm not digging this tyranny thing.)
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To: Al B.
The alternative was bankrupting her family and ruining her career. You, of course, would be fine with that.

_________________________________

A. The alternative was finishing the job that she sought and for which she was elected.

B. You guys just can't resist being snide, can you?

192 posted on 04/19/2010 9:10:16 AM PDT by wtc911 ("How you gonna get down that hill?")
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To: EveningStar

I’m a hit piece.


193 posted on 04/19/2010 9:11:13 AM PDT by Lazamataz ("We beat the Soviet Union. Then we became them." -- Lazamataz, 2005)
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To: EveningStar

Yes, we are all going to follow her to Jonestown....(says with zombie like glazed eyes)

Thank you Mrs. Olbermann.


194 posted on 04/19/2010 9:11:39 AM PDT by rbmillerjr (Let hot tar wash their throats and may it flow freely.)
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To: JApost
And a significant majority will agree with Palin while you, romney and his little advisors and the msm watch powerless from the sideline and stew with resentment as Palin wins the nomination and presidency.

__________________________________________

ome fantasy life you've got going there. No facts or persuasive arguments...just idle speculation.

195 posted on 04/19/2010 9:12:22 AM PDT by wtc911 ("How you gonna get down that hill?")
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To: MBB1984
However, despite her zealous support, her supporters are clearly outnumbered by those who do not support her.

And you evidence is....?

196 posted on 04/19/2010 9:12:47 AM PDT by Virginia Ridgerunner (Sarah Palin has crossed the Rubicon!)
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To: wtc911

She opened up her own business.

Get over it lol.


197 posted on 04/19/2010 9:12:55 AM PDT by rbmillerjr (Let hot tar wash their throats and may it flow freely.)
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To: MNJohnnie
I actualy do not hate her. I will vote for her if she wins the nomination.

However, where we differ, is that my evaluation of her is totally based on her record and past and not on emotions and feelings. Her experience is painfully weak, and where it exists is dissapointing. She appointed a former board member of Planned Parenthood to the Alaska Supreme court, she has ethical issues, supported increased taxes on oil companies, supported the Bridge to Nowhere, is soft on illegal aliens, supports McCain’s reelection bid, supports Mr. Steele, and in a personal interview, could not name a Supreme Court case other than Roe v. Wade where she disagreed with the Court’s decision. Recently, she commented on how she could run with Mitt Rommney.

198 posted on 04/19/2010 9:13:28 AM PDT by MBB1984
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To: Al B.

Rare to see any acceptance or acknowledgement of the fact that she and her family were well down the path of personal bankruptcy at the point of her resignation. This situation was not miraculously going to change had she stayed on as Governor. I’m sure she would have run a terrific re-election campaign £1m plus in debt with the guarantee of no support whatsoever from the RNC. Maybe money really does grow on trees. /s Matryrdom looks great from the comfort of someone else’s armchair.


199 posted on 04/19/2010 9:14:26 AM PDT by sarah fan UK
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To: csmusaret
No way for you or me to know.

You haven't read her book or actually listened to anything she has been saying recently, have you?

200 posted on 04/19/2010 9:14:31 AM PDT by Virginia Ridgerunner (Sarah Palin has crossed the Rubicon!)
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