Tea Party Group Launches Iowa Radio Blitz for Palin Event

RealClearPoltics ^ | Sunday August 21, 2011 | Scott Conroy

[Bigtigermike]

She may not be an official candidate at this point, but former Sarah Palin will hit the airwaves in Iowa on Monday, and it’s not going to cost the former Alaska governor a dime.

Tea Party of America -- a recently created group that is hosting a Palin-keynoted rally in the south-central Iowa town of Indianola on Sept. 3 -- is launching a major radio blitz in the nation’s first voting state to promote the prospective GOP presidential contender’s attendance at the event.

Charlie Gruschow, a co-founder of the group who confirmed the ad buy to RealClearPolitics, said anyone interested in attending the rally will also be directed to a website where they can reserve free tickets and sign up to receive updates.

Organizers hope that the promotional effort will help them gain a rough idea of the expected crowd, which is almost certain to number in the thousands.

“It’s just so difficult to estimate,” Gruschow said of gauging a head count for the rally. “There seems to be quite a bit of interest.”

Speculation that Palin might use the Labor Day weekend event to declare her candidacy has ramped up on cable news and the conservative blogosphere, but RCP has learned from sources close Palin that an official announcement is unlikely at that time.

[...]

Geddes, who was a field staffer for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee’s 2008 campaign in Iowa before going on to work for former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s now defunct campaign this year, echoed other Iowa political observers in assessing the Palin volunteers’ dedication and quiet competence.

“They are very organized, and the team they have in place is unlike anything I’ve ever seen in this state before -- and I’m totally impressed by the way they’ve gone about it,” she said.

[jla]

@RealClearScott Palin unlikely to announce at Sept. 3 rally, but Iowa Tea Party group going up on radio to promote: http://bit.ly/pNeIgM

[newzjunkey]

Tea Party of America -- a recently created group

I hope this group has been well vetted. There are plenty of fake TP "groups" popping up. The Left would love nothing more than to pull a fast one on a major GOP figure and the TP.

[LibLieSlayer]

I love it when a well organized plan comes together!

LLS

[LibLieSlayer]

GOD bless us ALL... for we ALL need GOD’s blessings in these times!

LLS

[Covenantor]

"Geddes, who was a field staffer for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's 2008 campaign in Iowa... echoed other Iowa political observers in assessing the Palin volunteers' dedication and quiet competence.

'They are very organized, and the team they have in place is unlike anything I've ever seen in this state before -- and I'm totally impressed by the way they've gone about it, she said. 'It's going to be a major upset if she gets in because I think these people are very underestimated.' [end of 'RCP' Coroy quote]

________________________________________________

That's a very revealing quote from one who was part of the well organized Huckabee effort that handily beat Romney by over 10%. A boots on the ground assessment.

2008 GOP Iowa Caucus Voting Map

Blue=Huckabee

Red=Romney

Yellow=Ron Paul

[9YearLurker]

I could see Singleton taking what he’s learned in Iowa and applying it nationwide as part of her official campaign. He might be able to do organizing on the ground at a fraction of what it costs the other campaigns to do it.

[9YearLurker]

Interesting suggestion, though my understanding is she’s running it like she ran her campaigns in Alaska. So unless she had that military man or woman on board all along, it could well be her strategizing.

This also seems to fit how clearly she has seen the issues from the city to the state and national level, prescribed solutions—and then managed to see them through politically.

She’s got her weaknesses, but she sure has some extraordinary strengths.

[Covenantor]

Agreed. I believe that Singleton and crew are providing the model for on-the-ground troops.

IIRC he was asked the question (paraphrased) "How can you proceed with your efforts without the support of your as yet undeclared candidate?"

His reply,

"Our job is to hold this piece of ground, we'll get air support or artillery when the time comes...."

If this spirit and discipline is prevalent with the Iowa Palin TP troops and can be transferred to other states, and especially the battleground states,there's a fresh gale force wind coming. And I do believe she will have long coat tail effect down ticket.

[9YearLurker]

I think that’s especially so the more people see her approach as a genuine grassroots alternative to selling her soul 1000x over to big donors with their own crony agendas.

I think she’s trusting in her skill with the media to keep the air costs down and the likes of Peter Singleton to keep the ground costs minimized.

[9YearLurker]

She and O4P are clearly aware of the risk. I’d suggest that she plans to roll out enough to make her impending announcement clear. E.g., what if she simply told the crowd during her speech that she has resigned from her position at Fox News? I think she’ll give them more, but it will be short of an actual announcement.

There’s value in her waiting another couple of weeks and I bet she’s got a strategy for getting maximal press impact when she does announce.

[Logic n' Reason]

I love it when a well organized plan comes together!
LLS

I've posted this before, but I believe this thread is a good place to post it again....

Mrs. Palin is remaining quiet…..she is waiting....she knows her battle plan....she knows her timing.....she is learning....studying the opposition....guarding the "cubs"....waiting quietly with an occasional "roar" (like the comments at the Iowa State Fair).....reconnoitering the challengers from within and the enemies from without.....studying weaknesses....building and conserving her own strength....endlessly practicing....reading...honing her skills.....waiting.....waiting....

This war has not yet begun. What has been seen of the other candidates to date has been nothing but minor and irrelevant skirmishing. Candidates in...candidates out....candidates winning....candidates losing.....candidates saying silly things.....candidates saying cogent, insightful things......candidates being personally attacked by the msm (including fox) and the intelligencia.....candidates being declared "unelectable".....and candidates being hailed as the "stain eradicators"....

It is a very, very long way to November, 2012. There is no need to rush. In her mind's eye, Mrs. Palin smiles knowingly and remembers the words of Napolean, "Never interupt your enemy when he is making a mistake." and General Patton, "Our basic plan of operation is to advance and to keep on advancing regardless of whether we have to go over, under, or through the enemy. We are going to go through him like crap through a goose; like shit through a tin horn!"

When she arrives, you can count on total war. She has learned how to fight. She has been through this before.....all the way to election day. She does not spin; she does not back away from principles; she means exactly what she says...and says exactly what she means. She builds a base of support because of who and what she is....not because of who or what she panders to.

Patience.....patience....

She trusts us; we owe her our trust....

Wait for it!

And keep the faith....

[Covenantor]

One of the earliest comments by the Iowa GOP party people mentioned the large number of Palin supports and their big looseleaf binders quietly taking notes.

I have no doubt that O4P and C4P people from other states are in or have been in Iowa conferring with Singleton and his crew. After action reports and lessons learned brought back home.

[LibLieSlayer]

I agree with you 1000%!

LLS

[SuziQ]

I think she might announce something like: ‘In a few weeks (or Days) in Alaska, we will make things officials to restoring our Country and we need all of you to start preparing...”

That's something I'd expect. I'd think she'd make any official announcement in the State in which she began her political career. "Dancing with the ones that brung her", so to speak.

[SuziQ]

That was just marvelous!!

[SuziQ]

I could see Sarah calling Bob and Mark from the Podium and telling them on the phone, as she tells the crowd, that she is in.....totally a Sarah type of thing...she will keep her word but do it in a way that is unique....and may I say, there will be those in attendance that will start screaming the second she goes for that phone because they will know what’s happening..

Now that WOULD be unique, and so very 'Sarah'!!

[ctdonath2]

What’s the practical deadline for primary election filings? No point in going public until the day before that date.

Sun Tsu, indeed. Stop playing by popular rules/expectations and make winning moves instead.

Another comparison is... Apple. A company who announces nothing, speculates nothing, says nothing until a new product is either going on the shelves right then or there’s legal obligations to publicity (FCC filings, etc.). A company whose advertising is short on technical specifications and long on emotional connection. A company who delivers what a fiercely devoted minority want. A company who is now the biggest gorilla on Wall Street. Likewise Palin: doing the right thing, stirring up huge hype by doing nigh unto nothing, playing the rules and not the commentators, terrifying the competition.

We’re over a year out from the election. There’s no need to announce when she’s the favorite already. Don’t play to the demands of the enemy. Head to the heartland, meet would-be constituents one at a time, generate real power, and - above all - do the right thing.