Posted on 07/21/2010 3:47:17 PM PDT by neverdem
Sarah Palin got some push-back Wednesday, but not from one of her liberal critics in the "mainstream" media. No, it was a conservative -- and influential -- New Hampshire newspaper that tartly dismissed the former Alaska governor's recent endorsement of U.S. Senate candidate Kelly Ayotte.
In a front-page editorial, New Hampshire Union Leader Publisher Joseph W. McQuaid wrote that Palin's endorsement should "neither surprise nor upset the other campaigns" since voters in the state are "rarely impressed by what outsiders have to say."
Better pay attention: in a state that traditionally hosts the first presidential primary -- and will again in 2012 -- the Manchester newspaper wields considerable clout, particularly among Republican voters.
Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate, "isn't making these endorsements because, as she claims, she had spent time in New Hampshire and thus knows that the people here are a lot like Alaskans. She spent a few hours here one day during the 2008 presidential election. That's still more time than she spent getting to know Ayotte, but it takes quite a lot longer to know New Hampshire," McQuaid said in the editorial. The publisher called Ayotte a formidable, legitimate contender in a four-person race for the GOP Senate nomination. But he advised other candidates: "Don't fret over what a 'Mama Grizzly' from Alaska does. Right now, Granite Staters have more to worry about in keeping bears away from bird feeders."
In a Facebook posting, Palin praised Ayotte as a "Mama Grizzly" and said she was the "strongest common-sense conservative who can win in the fall."
Ayotte, the former New Hampshire attorney general, is well financed and the front-runner in polls heading into the Sept. 14 Republican Senate primary. Rep. Paul Hodes (D-N.H.) is the likely Democratic nominee in a contest to succeed Sen. Judd Gregg, (R-N.H.), who chose not to seek a fourth term.
Yes Loeb was. That’s who my wife worked for ... The best there was.
Reagan Republican works best, and it erases most ambiguity.
Eh...Reagan did fundraisers for Pete Wilson and John Chaffee. The bottom line is that Sarah endorsed the most conservative electable candidate. We could possibly split the conservative vote, and we often do in NH, so as to elect a half asser.
It’s a gray area certainly, however, if you wish to argue that you post was not anti-Palin or other, please reply. The old record is post #6.
I agree. Kelly is the best conservative candidate that can win. I’ve lived in NH for 15 years, escaping from MA as many other conservatives and moderates have done. NH going blue was an aberration from 2006 to 2008 as the state was disappointed by the Bush administration. If it were not for NH, Al Gore would have won in 2000 even if he lost FL. In 2004, Kerry did well, but it was in the far north and west of the state, the poorer areas. The south central and seacoast part of the state where the MA transplants live went more for Bush.
Hodes and Shea-Porter are known weaklings that just vote with Pelosi. They will both lose. Ayotte will retain Gregg’s Senate seat for the Republicans. Unfortunately the D governor will probably win again. The state house and state senate may flip republican given the budget problems and the vote on gay marriage that no politician ever campaigned on and the people never voted on (www.letnhvote.com).
Welcome to FR, Sally, and thanks for posting.
I think Sarah’s litmus test on endorsements is abortion. She’ll chose the pro life candidate each and every time. God bless her.
Think about it: if someone will compromise the life of the alive unborn, to gain power and votes, there is nothing, NOTHING, they will not compromise thereafter. [See the Goron and Jesse Jackasson as prime examples. Once a man or woman decides to compromise with evil, it has them captured and they will by degrees end up supporting even the evil of partial birth infanticide ... albeit with a huge dose of rationalization to be sure.
EXACTLY!!
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Do you have any idea what nutcase Debbie Schlossel is making up, when she describes Mel Gibson as “the draft dodging coward”?
The man was too young to ever even be involved in the draft.
What does Mel Gibson have to do with Kelly Ayotte and her work to protect illegal immigrants in New Hampshire?
I made a post calling Debbie Schlossel a nut case and you decided to challenge that post.
I just proved that Debbie is a nut case and a liar, and a source that I won’t accept.
You wanted to post a defense of Debbie to me and I responded.
What does Debbie Schlussel being a nutcase have to do with Kelly Ayotte and her work to protect illegal immigrants in New Hampshire?
This is more a squawk about someone invading their turf and stealing their role as kingmaker(queenmaker) of old.
It sounds redundant to those of us who understand conservatism, and it is--for us. For the broader public, it is not redundant.
This is a refinement of the strategy behind GW Bush's "compassionate" conservatism, except that Bush was being dishonest by appropriating the conservative label. Like his father with his "kinder, gentler" crap, W was really repudiating conservatism. Sarah Palin is not.
President Reagan had a lower threshold than that, and he accomplished more than any conservative politician since Calvin Coolidge.
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