Posted on 02/04/2011 1:18:09 PM PST by onyx
Could Friday night be one of those defining moments in the career — and potential presidential candidacy — of Sarah Palin?
Egypt is on the brink of a revolution that could transform American and global foreign policy for years — a crisis that is testing President Obama and makes clear the life-and-death stakes for anyone who might think about replacing him.
And as it happens, Ms. Palin, the former governor of Alaska, is scheduled to give a major speech Friday night at the Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara, Calif., in honor of what would have been the 40th president’s 100th birthday.
It’s possible that Ms. Palin could use the opportunity to deliver a broadly conceived foreign policy speech that uses the turmoil in Egypt to advance an understanding of her national security beliefs that goes beyond her use of Twitter messages and Facebook posts.
Mr. Reagan, after all, was a onetime governor (and actor) who had little foreign policy experience when he ran for president. And yet his presidency was in some ways defined by the manner in which he confronted the changing world around him.
The history books recall Mr. Reagan’s confrontations with the Soviet Union, his push to build a missile defense system, his clandestine support of the Contras in Nicaragua, bombings in Libya and the brief war in Grenada.
Ms. Palin has likewise been criticized for a lack of sophistication when it comes to foreign policy. During the 2008 campaign, critics mocked an answer she gave about Russia so much that a phrase from a Saturday Night Live skit — “I can see Russia from my house” — took on an apocryphal resonance.
(Excerpt) Read more at thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com ...
From what I understand Sarah is going to apply Reagan’s political philosophy to today’s events. It won’t be just foreign policy but also domestic policy and what Reagan meant to both.
As a non-Palin supporter I have to agree that she has a great opportunity tonight to pick up some foreign policy credibility. I honestly hope she makes the most of her chance.
Ha, great pix of her coming down the ramp of Air Force One. May I live to see this, Lord.
I don’t think it would serve any useful purpose for Sarah to comment on Egypt.
This editorial is wincingly obvious. The Times wants to suck her into criticizing Obama’s Islamist support of the Muslim Brotherhood, and then they can blame her when everything goes wrong. As it will, if Obama has his way.
I’m hoping that the Egyptian Army can hold out and save their country from revolution and turmoil, but no question that Obama’s pals have been busy stirring up a Muslim/Nazi style revolution there. It’s not going to be easy to prevent another Iran, but this time one that would sweep through the whole Arab world.
YES LIVE on C-SPAN and also on ustream. I am posting the LIVE thread at least an hour prior to her speech. Maybe sooner. She doesn’t speak until 11:00PM Eastern.
What time is she speaking?
I don't trust this "proposition" at all. The Slimes is expecting that Palin will say something stupid and embarrass herself and give them an opportunity to jump all over some faux pas. This wiseguy couldn't care less what Sarah really thinks.
Even so, it would be a good move, because I have confidence that she would do a good job. Better than the obama gang so far.
Hi trisham!!! Our musicman always comes through!
Yes, even this article is a set-up.
“In the spirit of this occasion I wish to announce my candidacy for the Presidency of the United States of America.”
I think she’s worked very hard on her speech and she going to honor President Reagan and the young people who invited her.
He certainly does! :)
If I have this right, Sarah speaks at about 10pm Central time.
I wonder if there is anything of interest to see on CSPAN before she speaks.
I hope they broadcast more of the festivities.
See you on the Live Thread later tonight!
: )
11:00PM Eastern
10:00 Central
8:00 Pacific
I hope she’s putting ON her running shoes! :)
I agree that Sarah would be stepping into a trap if she tries to make any specific predictions about Egypt at this point. It is too uncertain and no matter what she says she will be criticized for being “wrong.”
On the other hand, she could score huge points if she makes a good, broad-based, insightful and intelligent speech on mideast policy in general. That could make lib and RINO heads explode. But I don’t know enough about the venue to know if it is appropriate for her to make such a speech there or not. The timing may not be right. I just don’t know.
She should keep her mouth shut. As badly as zero is doing on this one, it does no good to have opposition politicians carping at him in the middle of a crisis.
For the NYT the article is surprisingly fair. However the headline is not. The headline, written by an editor usually and not the author of a story, implies she has improperly maintained a silence. As not in the administration in a Foreign Policy role or in the congress in a minority or majority role, her silence during the actual unfolding is proper as foreign policy is the role of congress and the executive and doesn’t need a lot of prospective candidate input during a critical period of a crisis in an allied country.
A week into it, sure, she can make comments now at a proper distance from the initial days, and I hope she does. But I hope she speaks broadly to the mistakes from Carter on in dealing with countries that are non-equitable with western mixed republics and democracies yet who we are allied from time to time and end up being strengthen in their reactionary existance by that alliance.
I think its worth remembering that Carter also helped to foment the overthrow of the Shah. This was in accordance with Zbigniew Brzezinski's grand scheme to use the muslim world against the Soviets. Brzezinski flew over and told the Shah's generals to stand down and to allow events to unfold. Within a couple months of taking power those same generals were executed by the Ayatollah.
Obama is following in Carter's path in more ways than one.
Hope we can get a live feed from somewhere. Perhaps from those radio guys in AK whose show is supposed to be the first to know ...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.