Posted on 02/14/2012 1:51:33 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Mitt Romney may have won the straw poll at the end of the three-day Conservative Political Action Conference in D.C. over the weekend, but CPAC's real star was Sarah Palin, says Josh Lederman at The Hill. Among the many speakers, the former Alaska governor "received far-and-away the most spirited and enthusiastic reception" from the 10,000 conservative activists in attendance. And the former vice presidential candidate, who opted out of the 2012 presidential race in October, "appeared to relish her role as conservative attack dog, blasting Obama and Democrats," and bringing the crowd repeatedly to its feet. Is Palin, even from her spot on the sidelines, a dangerous threat to the president's re-election campaign?
Palin is more powerful than ever: Most politicians — including President Obama and his GOP rivals — "talk to their audiences or, worse, at them," says Andrew Malcolm at Investor's Business Daily. But Palin "speaks for them." She ignites Republican crowds and reminds them "what they can accomplish this year and beyond if united." And since she's not a candidate, she can remain in attack mode all the time without worrying about playing defense — which makes her Obama's worst nightmare.
"How does Sarah Palin connect so well with her crowds?"
But her sparkle makes the real candidates look dull: In one night at CPAC, the former GOP vice presidential candidate fired off "a year's worth of sarcastic one-liners at 'Professor Obama,'" says Melinda Henneberger at The Washington Post. When she mocked Obama's "winning the future" jobs plan as "WTF," it was positively "whoop-inducing." But it also "flat-out depressed some in the crowd," because they don't get nearly as fired up about the actual Republican candidates.
"CPAC 2012: Sarah Palin, motivator-in-chief"
In the end, Palin hurts the GOP: "This used to be the party of ideas," says Craig Medred at Alaska Dispatch. But Palin is stirring up Republicans with "silliness and clichés as if they amounted to some sort of political philosophy." Her pep talk "made conservatives look to have become the party of God, slobber, and nonsense." It's a sad day for the GOP when it rejects "thinkers" like Newt Gingrich and embraces Palin, who "traffics in jingles" but doesn't have "a clue how to fix this nation's problems."
"Palin's CPAC speech more rah-rah than substance"
He’s jealous of her.
Substance? They want substance? These bastards don't understand substance when they hear it. The fact that Sarah can distill complex issues into digestible bites is a talent – not a fault. One problem with the left is they believe being smart is the same as being complicated. Today, simple themes and charisma will when elections – that is missing on our side right now.
Not only that, she's also the only one who knows what is needed to turn this bus around before it goes over the cliff...
...IMMEDIATE AND RELENTLESS REFORM!!!
In over a year of more than a dozen "actual" candidates spouting tomes of platform policies and presidential plans, I have yet to hear anyone but Sarah speak to this most certain and pressing need.
A brokered convention delivers Palin, or we are cooked.
8^\
Not only that, she's also the only one who knows what is needed to turn this bus around before it goes over the cliff...
...IMMEDIATE AND RELENTLESS REFORM!!!
In over a year of more than a dozen "actual" candidates spouting tomes of platform policies and presidential plans, I have yet to hear anyone but Sarah speak to this most certain and pressing need.
A brokered convention delivers Palin, or we are cooked.
8^\
So now the left is dragging out bed-wetters living in mommy’s basement for punk and puke political analysis.
Hahahahahaha! Can we spell desperation? Alaska Dispatch. Send the poodle boy a Pampers hamper.
She totally emasculated him when she said the troops should get the Commander-in-Chief they deserve. That had to smart the rhin skinned one.
In a word
Yes
Now that was extremely funny and extremely true.
I have no comment.
General William T. Sherman's demurrals of any willingness to seek the presidency are often abbreviated as "If drafted, I will not run; if nominated, I will not accept; if elected, I will not serve."Governor Palin's annoucement that she was not running was hardly a Shermanesque statement.
Craig Medred
If you don’t like that, this’ll make your head explode:
The Right-Wing Id Unzipped
http://fabiusmaximus.wordpress.com/2012/02/15/35479/
Sarah said she wasn't running. That seems pretty clear to me. So again, what makes you think she'd accept if "drafted" by a brokered convention?
Oh.....my .... God .....
Well, guess we know what Craig likes to do, huh?
Where's his survival kit of Granola and tofu? He must have "et" it, huh? Well, I guess he'll get paid by somebody for his little melange hit piece on Sarah.
To be truly Shermanesque, a statement has to close off all possibilities. All Palin did was say that she was not conducting a campaign. She said nothing about not accepting a draft, let alone not serving if elected.The reality is that conducting a campaign for the nomination alone is a daunting prospect. Made more so by "Campaign Finance Reform" laws which if in effect in 1980 would have prevented Reagan from running.
I adopted my tagline, Draft Palin, on the basis that according to unconstitutional (but upheld by Sandra Day O'Connor) Campaign Finance "Reform" laws, people independent of Gov. Palin could forward her name without triggering burdensome requirements on her. Very few Freepers seemed to be on board, tho - and we see what the field got reduced to without her participation. I think the Freepers who wouldn't prefer Palin to any of the current candidates are pretty thin on the ground.The reality is that of the last four standing, only Romney is a governor - and most FReepers recognize that Gov. Romney has no conservative track record. And the other reality is that no sitting president has ever been defeated for reelection by anyone who wasn't a former governor (and Harding was the only senator to ever defeat a governor in a WH bid).We are in a pretty bad pickle.
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