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What exactly is wrong with Sarah Palin as a candidate?
The Gainesville Sun ^ | January 26, 2011 | LTC William Dixon, M.D.

Posted on 01/26/2011 9:43:02 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet

Rush Limbaugh is fond of saying the left will always tell you whom they fear by making that person the focus of their most virulent attacks. The left despises Sarah Palin. They say she is stupid and incapable of ever assuming the role of president. They mock her education, (B.S. University of Idaho), her small town background and her political accomplishments ( 2006 - 2009 Governor of Alaska ). When she resigned the governorship, they said she was a quitter. Just recently, the left indicted her as being responsible for the shooting of Congresswoman Gibbs in Arizona.

But what of pundits on the right, the Peggy Noonan-Karl Rove types? They hold Palin in equally low esteem. And what of conservative women? Many just viscerally dislike her. Ask them about Palin. You’ll get a response which begins with a shaking of the head and some comment about being inexperienced. Press them for facts. You will find most of these women ignorant of Palin’s background and remarkable accomplishments. Why is that?

Is it because Sarah Palin does not look at all like the admired but camera-challenged women in government, such as Hillary Clinton and Justice Sotomeyer? She has not the stern, formal look of a Maggie Thatcher, the British Prime Minister who turned around England’s economy nor of Golda Meir, the tough former leader of Israel. Palin is softer, attractive, plain spoken albeit with a sometimes irritating voice. Does her appearance put people, especially women, off?

All but three of our presidents in the last hundred years graduated from elite universities, often with law degrees. Truman did not attend college. Ike graduated from West Point, and Reagan graduated from Eureka College in Illinois. Those three are considered among the best of presidents by most. Reagan and Truman were thought stupid by some. Is it that Palin did not graduate from an elite university that causes some conservative pundits to reject her as unintelligent?

George W. Bush was considered stupid and incompetent by the governing elite because he actually believed in God and prayed daily. This despite two Ivy League degrees.

Sarah Palin is openly Christian and prays regularly. She was president of a Christian group in high school. She is “pro life” and rejected terminating her last pregnancy when she found she was carrying a baby with Down’s Syndrome. Perhaps that is the problem for some of her critics.

It seems unlikely that her performance as mayor of Wasilla, cutting taxes while expanding the town’s facilities so that it could grow, would be anything but a plus. Just so her role as a member of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. She outed two corrupt officials, one of whom was chairman of the state Republican Party.

Was she wrong in running for governor to oust a corrupt and wasteful officer of her own political party? Was it lack of wisdom which led her to sell the state plane, cut expenses of her office by 75 percent and pass a bipartisan ethics bill? Was she impolite in chasing away the oil company lobbyists so that she could start work on a stalled pipeline for natural gas? Not likely.

President Obama was elected because he appeared to be extraordinary. His academic pedigree and soaring rhetoric shielded from voters his appalling lack of real-world experience and complete lack of substantial accomplishments. His presidency is struggling.

By contrast, Sarah Palin, despite her talents and obvious achievements, seems very ordinary. Americans, believing the smears and punditry, will likely reject Palin without really getting to know her. Once again the nod will go to a member of the cultural elite, a group which has routinely failed to govern well.

*****

William Dixon is a graduate of Columbia University, New York Medical College and the USF College of Business Administration. He was an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Georgia before entering private practice. He served in the Army as a surgeon and as a Special Forces Officer, achieving the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Dr. Dixon can be reached at Wdixon16@yahoo.com.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2012; abortion; elites; obama; palin; presidentpalin; prolife; sarahpalin
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To: mamelukesabre
...her debate skills are not up to ronald reagan standards.

I want you to know that also I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience.

I want you to know that also I will not make gender an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's maleness and inexperience.

81 posted on 01/26/2011 10:37:37 AM PST by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

She is pretty and lives her life like what they wanted to do, but failed. Therefore, she makes them feel inadequate instead of inspired.


82 posted on 01/26/2011 10:37:49 AM PST by Andy from Chapel Hill
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To: OBXWanderer

A thread I posted recently suggested that rep. Giffords was a New York democrat!!


83 posted on 01/26/2011 10:38:21 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet (Please donate to FreeRepublic, sanity in a world gone mad!)
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To: Gen. Burkhalter

I like SP too; but she is being polarized which is one the best left tool. It’s time to quit allowing the left dictate the rules to us. We are playing right into their hands. we are not solving the problem; we are involving ourselves in the problem. This is how they win.

We all agree we want someone who will get the job done and who loves America and will do right by her. Well, let’s get that person and elect them. I personally don’t care if they polarize all of us to the high heavens; etc. Doesn’t matter what they do; it’s what we do. If SP is that person; we should elect her; not because the Left doesn’t want her; but because she is the best candidate.

Let the Left to continue to pollute stink. Who cares. It’s what we want; not them.


84 posted on 01/26/2011 10:38:41 AM PST by freekitty (Give me back my conservative vote; then find me a real conservative to vote for)
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To: Gen. Burkhalter

If I were advising her I’d tell her not to run. She has more influence right now, without the constraints. (In fact, once she stops “mulling it over”, I believe she’ll really be free to unleash hell in any way she sees fit).

While I’m sure the possibility of becoming the first female POTUS is alluring, I truly don’t think she can win, and I’m not willing to be four more years of Obama on it.


85 posted on 01/26/2011 10:39:23 AM PST by Retired Greyhound
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To: Retired Greyhound

For a presidential run?


86 posted on 01/26/2011 10:40:41 AM PST by listenhillary (20 years in Reverend Wright's church is all I need to determine the "content of his character")
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To: LibLieSlayer

Ding-ding-ding...

We have the winner!


87 posted on 01/26/2011 10:41:56 AM PST by proudpapa
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
What exactly is wrong with Sarah Palin as a candidate?

In a static model, the problem is that too many voters hate her. This is a real problem, and it must be overcome.

Fortunately, politics is dynamic, not static. There's no doubt that the reason the media is obsessed with destroying her is that she is THE ONE.

She must demonstrate the ability to reverse her high negatives somewhere before we give her the chance to do it everywhere.

I suspect, since her political operation is excellent, that we will see something happen along those lines soon.

88 posted on 01/26/2011 10:42:50 AM PST by Jim Noble
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To: Retired Greyhound

And here is the one issue where the Left is really going to pounce: The fact that SP resigned as governor and did not complete her term so she could figt off those frivolous law suits. This, IMHO, was SP’s biggest political mistake although I completely understand why she did it.

I also don’t think it helped that Bristol was dancing with the stars. Would much rather see her go to college and follow a career path that make sense so she can provide a decent living for her and her son. Levi was really an embarrassment. From what I heard, he couldn’t even get past the doormen in most of LA’s hip nightclubs. And apparently most of the LA talent agencies were unimpressed with his Playgirl pics.


89 posted on 01/26/2011 10:45:11 AM PST by Gen. Burkhalter
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To: Retired Greyhound
"Completely agree. She needs more seasoning."

LOL. And you think all the speeches she has been giving and the groups she has been meeting with and the HUGE media flack storm she has been enduring are NOT "seasoning".

By campaign time 2012, she will be THE most "seasoned" candidate running, and she will win.

90 posted on 01/26/2011 10:46:38 AM PST by Wonder Warthog
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
I'd vote for her without a seconds hesitation. I think she is more than capable of overcoming the media/elite bias against her.

We don't need another candidate running for the Middle. We need another Reagan who MOVED the Middle our way.

91 posted on 01/26/2011 10:47:05 AM PST by Dead Corpse (III%. The last line in the sand)
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To: LibLieSlayer
When I ponder this question, I think about my family which 6 out of 7 voted for Obama. Whenever Palin is mentioned, the hair on their back goes up and they all go on the attack. Even though they know nothing about Palin, they quote all the spin and left wing vitriol on her. Really sad because I thought members in my family were smart or intelligent (2 graduated from West Point) but seems they are biased and feel they were progressive by electing the first “black” President and they bought into the hope and change thing. What really bothers me is that they now spout the “Obama is a one term President” instead of admitting a mistake was made. It is interesting to say the least and makes me wonder if their dislike of Repubs is a sort of rebellion against my parents beliefs - in other words......they are not following in my parents footsteps. It is interesting how we all grew up in the same household and we are so different. I always felt my parents taught us all to be a free thinkers and self-sufficient which carries over into my political leanings - I vote for those that best represent my thoughts and positions albeit dem, repub or any other party.
92 posted on 01/26/2011 10:47:08 AM PST by qwicwted
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To: Porterville; Mrs. B.S. Roberts

Sarah Palin does indeed play hardball. It is the LEFT that creates the drama.
If Sarah Palin was quoted as saying she prefers the cold of Alaska, the leftist media would trumpet, “Sarah Palin ADMITS she can’t take the heat!!!”


93 posted on 01/26/2011 10:49:15 AM PST by CaptainAmiigaf ( NY Times: We print the news as it fits our views.)
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To: Gen. Burkhalter
"I just don’t think she’s going to run. Why should she?"

Read her second book and you will know why she is going to run (and win). She will run for the same reason the Tea Party came into existence....our country is in huge jeopardy and she wants to keep it from being destroyed. She is, if NOTHING else, a real, dyed-in-the-wool AMERICAN PATRIOT.

94 posted on 01/26/2011 10:49:34 AM PST by Wonder Warthog
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

McCain didn’t pick her to help her out, he picked her to help himself. She did her job. She owed him nothing.

She should have done the right thing and sat that primary out, unless she truly believed McCain was better than JD. She compromised. In that instance, she behaved like a politician, not a leader.


95 posted on 01/26/2011 10:49:43 AM PST by Retired Greyhound
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To: mamelukesabre
Her ideology is perfect imo. But her debate skills are not up to ronald reagan standards.

I would pay to see her debate Obama. I have no doubt that she would shred him.

96 posted on 01/26/2011 10:51:09 AM PST by FreeAtlanta (Obama and the left are making a mockery of our country.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

She has my vote and I proudly tell everyone who asks or dares to criticize her to me.


97 posted on 01/26/2011 10:52:37 AM PST by FreeAtlanta (Obama and the left are making a mockery of our country.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Positive, especially as Mr. Obama’s czars control Chrysler.

The federal gov't owns less than 9% of Chrysler, this is why you see them advertising like this and coming out with pretty remarkable vehicles.

98 posted on 01/26/2011 10:52:49 AM PST by Erik Latranyi (Too many conservatives urge retreat when the war of politics doesn't go their way.)
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To: listenhillary

Yes, Sarah did indeed endorse McCain for a POTUS run, and then endorsed his bid for Senate over a better candidate.


99 posted on 01/26/2011 10:53:24 AM PST by Retired Greyhound
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To: J40000

Well said.... I agree.


100 posted on 01/26/2011 10:54:59 AM PST by Dead Corpse (III%. The last line in the sand)
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