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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: DLfromthedesert; xzins
There is a great site for finding out what candidates say about nearly every topic...

http://www.ontheissues.org/celeb/Steve_Forbes_Abortion.htm

The link takes you to Forbes' very pro-life words and writings.

281 posted on 04/19/2010 11:22:09 AM PDT by wtc911 ("How you gonna get down that hill?")
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To: wtc911

“Since you cannot name anybody who has quit an elected position mid term and then later waged a successful campaign for higher office you do that which you do so well...obfuscate and insult.”

Since your not the brightest bulb on the board...I’ll illustrate your illogical reasoning.

...name the first Black American more liberal than Mondale to wage a successful campaign for President prior to Obama...


282 posted on 04/19/2010 11:25:11 AM PDT by rbmillerjr (Let hot tar wash their throats and may it flow freely.)
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To: rbmillerjr

My post was clear. With over 300,000 registered freepers it would be impossible to declare, as you do, that a wide margin of freepers supports Palin. For all you know, the 100 or so who voted for her in the poll account for every single pro-palin freeper. It’s not likely but since there is no other data any claims you make on the question can’t be anything but quesswork and idle speculation.


283 posted on 04/19/2010 11:25:50 AM PDT by wtc911 ("How you gonna get down that hill?")
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To: reaganaut1

284 posted on 04/19/2010 11:27:20 AM PDT by GloriaJane (Pro-Choice = Pro-Death........ Pro-Life = Pro-LIFE!)
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To: wtc911

He didn’t win the presidency, but Bob Dole resigned from his senate seat to run for President full time. He won the RNC nomination.


285 posted on 04/19/2010 11:27:48 AM PDT by rintense
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To: FreeReign
What is so noble about one who stays in a full-time, while they prepare for a presidential run??

A. Palin didn't quit when she was running for VP, did she? By your measure this was not noble.

B. Palin has not announced that she's running for anything so what are you talking about? She quit and has launched a lucrative career in media. Deal with facts please.

286 posted on 04/19/2010 11:28:20 AM PDT by wtc911 ("How you gonna get down that hill?")
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To: rintense

I admired that. But Palin did not quit to run for VP. She quit eight months after the race was over. So, please, how are the two (Dole and Palin) comparable?


287 posted on 04/19/2010 11:30:18 AM PDT by wtc911 ("How you gonna get down that hill?")
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To: SmokingJoe

I don’t care what PPP says, I have a brain and I can see the real world.

Presently, Palin is easily the most popular public figure in the US.

Why mess with nonsense?


288 posted on 04/19/2010 11:31:01 AM PDT by editor-surveyor (Obamacare is America's kristallnacht !!)
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To: my_pointy_head_is_sharp
her un-son-in-law, Levi, who will be paid to cause trouble for her

Don't think he can do much even if he wanted to. He might try to provide some "inside" stories, but considering his reputation, and what a complete 15 minute of fame twit he turned out to be, I don't think he can do any lasting damage. The media will continue to do well without him in gathering all they need to destroy her.

289 posted on 04/19/2010 11:31:19 AM PDT by mupcat
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To: wtc911
What is so noble about one who stays in a full-time office, while at the same time, they try to run for a higher office? The answer of course is that it isn't noble.

A. That is exactly what palin did in 2008. Bear in mind that you not I declare that to be not noble.

It was only for two months.

B. After only two months quit in 2009 she has gone on a book tour, started a TV career on FOX, started a TV series, been paid for speaking engagements and spoken on behalf of a select few politicians. She has not run for higher office.

All the things that you list would help prepare for a presidential run.

290 posted on 04/19/2010 11:31:48 AM PDT by FreeReign
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To: EveningStar

Your derangement is growing I see!
.


291 posted on 04/19/2010 11:32:17 AM PDT by editor-surveyor (Obamacare is America's kristallnacht !!)
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To: AmericanInTokyo
I disagree with you.

Then you disagree with irrefutable facts:

1) Sarah Palin is an executive - The positions she has held have been executive ones, not legislative.

2) Legislators are rarely elected POTUS - Only four have been, in our history. Three Senators and one Representative.

Based on those facts, it seems you don't want Sarah to become POTUS.

292 posted on 04/19/2010 11:32:37 AM PDT by TChris ("Hello", the politician lied.)
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To: wtc911

You asked who quit to run a successful campaign. I answered your question.
No one knows what Palin’s intentions are. But if she does run, her move to the national stage is a step in the right direction. And her resigning from office in Alaska was the right thing to do, for both the people of Alaska, and the future of the USA.


293 posted on 04/19/2010 11:34:00 AM PDT by rintense
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To: TChris

We need something these “dead-enders” can comprehend.

Maybe a pic of Baghdad Bob, saying,

“There are many credible conservatives to vote for”


294 posted on 04/19/2010 11:36:03 AM PDT by rbmillerjr (Let hot tar wash their throats and may it flow freely.)
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To: rbmillerjr; wtc911

That was a thread, NOT a poll and only a little over a hundred members replied on the thread. I didn’t even see the thread.

It was not a FR poll.


295 posted on 04/19/2010 11:36:21 AM PDT by onyx (Sarah/Michele 2012)
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To: onyx
You think you found a real nugget there.

I don't know about it being a nugget, but I thought it was a relevant quote.

296 posted on 04/19/2010 11:37:55 AM PDT by EveningStar (Karl Marx is not one of our Founding Fathers.)
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To: onyx; MNJohnnie
*crickets*

No crickets. Just off doing other things.

297 posted on 04/19/2010 11:40:06 AM PDT by EveningStar (Karl Marx is not one of our Founding Fathers.)
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To: DLfromthedesert
It doesn't matter who Forbes would have chosen for Treasury, they wouldn't have seen the crisis coming and they would have had to do something to assure the worldwide financial community that they shouldn't panic and cause a worldwide depression. Which was what the TARP averted. And as Forbes has pointed out, all the banks but Citi have paid the money back...with interest...which is what the Bush people said would happen.

I don't remember Forbes running around with his hair on fire, screaming that a crisis was coming and I'm a big fan of his.

298 posted on 04/19/2010 11:41:11 AM PDT by Deb (Beat him, strip him and bring him to my tent!)
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To: rbmillerjr

I wont cry when Romney wins the nod. I dont think he or Palin will win the nomination. They are both DOA in my opinion.

JM


299 posted on 04/19/2010 11:42:11 AM PDT by JohnnyM
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To: editor-surveyor

The polls this far out from an election 3 years away, are of limited value, yes. Nevertheless, they are very useful in telling potential candidates, what their weaknesses are with voters, giving them enough time to work on any perceived weaknesses that voters think they have. Thy also let potential candidates know who their biggest opposition will be, why voters like those other candidates, and what they need t do to prise away voters from those candidates.


300 posted on 04/19/2010 11:42:24 AM PDT by SmokingJoe
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