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Palin Is No Reagan
American Spectator ^ | 7.6.09 @ 7:45AM | By Philip Klein

Posted on 07/06/2009 7:22:56 AM PDT by Behind Liberal Lines

[C]omparisons do a disservice to Reagan, who not only served two full terms as governor of California, but also spent decades studying the issues and immersing himself in conservative philosophy. His writings and radio commentaries make this abundantly clear. He proved people wrong because they objectively were wrong. This does not mean that whenever the media writes off or attacks a conservative politician that he or she is the next Reagan

****

to win and govern effectively you have to do more than "galvanize the party base" and "convince conservatives" -- you also have to convince independents and even some Democrats, as Reagan did [but] instead of going back to Alaska to gain more governing experience as many advised, Palin resigned after just two and a half years on the job. And there’s nothing to indicate that she has the slightest interest in boning up on policy. Honestly, what’s her incentive to study policy and do the boring task of governing? No matter what she does, her army of apologists will make excuses for her and lash out at those who dare to criticize her by accusing them of being liberal elitists who are threatened by her sheer awesomeness....

[N]one of this really matters if Palin intends to leave elective politics and become some sort of television or radio personality. My comments are only meant as a response to those who are still seriously suggesting her as a potential presidential candidate. Last October, an ABC/Washington Post poll found that only 35 percent of Americans thought Palin was qualified enough to be president, yet now her boosters expect us to believe that an additional nine months in office is all she needed to assauge Americans' concerns, allowing her to resign and prepare for a presidential run.

(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Politics/Elections; US: Alaska
KEYWORDS: antipalin; derangement; palin; pds; reagan; waronsarah
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To: Kleon

No, I am Spartacus!!


241 posted on 07/06/2009 8:50:30 AM PDT by ImpBill ("America ... where are you now?" signed, a little "r" republican!)
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To: meandog

Petreus is from New Hampshire. Some Freepers will think just because he’s from New England, he must be a RINO.


242 posted on 07/06/2009 8:50:55 AM PDT by yongin
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To: Abbeville Conservative
Palin had a clear leadership role in that pipeline, but I'm smart enough to know that it was lawyers brokering the agreement. LOL

Sarah Palin is smart enough to know about the things she's interested in - like energy and the state of Alaska, but she hasn't been smart enough yet to show that she has a grasp of national and international issues.

Well...not unless Obambi is now our standard for "smarts." :(

243 posted on 07/06/2009 8:51:01 AM PDT by Texas_shutterbug (e)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

Your right Regan never drew crouds of 50,000+


244 posted on 07/06/2009 8:52:24 AM PDT by TexasFreeper2009
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To: Tallguy
"The Media & Academia are generally powerful enough to tip that playing field any way they want."

Yes, I'm frequently amused when people trumpet the "death" of the media. From what I saw last year, they're alive & well and stronger than ever.

I don't know if you're old enough to remember Reagan's first debate (with Anderson, Carter didn't show). But, in the run up to that debate, Reagan was facing some of the same criticism that Palin has faced. Anderson was suppose to be the much more intelligent and scholarly man. But, it was Reagan that came off as a policy wonk. That debate, coupled with his next debate against Carter cemented his win and debunked what the media said. Now, they continued to say it throughout his presidency, but it never "took" with the public. That the difference between Reagan and Palin.

245 posted on 07/06/2009 8:52:59 AM PDT by OldDeckHand
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To: stephenjohnbanker

:)


246 posted on 07/06/2009 8:53:45 AM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: OldDeckHand

YES...I KNOW that we need over 50% on our side.....I’m NOT being cavalier....I am laughing at the idiots in the 35% TODAY....tomorrow I go back to conservative work....thank you very much.


247 posted on 07/06/2009 8:54:15 AM PDT by goodnesswins (For lease)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

American Spectator, like the National Review, is no longer on my list of annual subscriptions to pay.


248 posted on 07/06/2009 8:54:30 AM PDT by IbJensen (If Catholics voted based upon the teachings of the church, there would be no abortion and no Obomba.)
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To: curiosity

Sorry, but you really have no idea what you’re talking about.

I am a Palin supporter because of her conservative position on political issues. If you’re a GOPer, you doubtless have an axe to grind as all the GOP candidates are compassionate conservative RINO idiots, who wouldn’t know how to truly defend conservative ideals if their lives depended on it.

Personally, I don’t give a damn about a candidate’s personality. Palin is an unapologetic conservative leader rather than a hand-wringing GOP compromiser, and THAT is what has her critics’ collective panties in a wad.

Comparing her to Obama merely underlines you utter ignorance of this topic.


249 posted on 07/06/2009 8:54:34 AM PDT by snowrip (Liberal? YOU ARE A SOCIALIST WITH NO RATIONAL ARGUMENT.)
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To: carmody
Reading her speech, she made it clear she’s not party loyal. And it seems she took them all by surprise. They don’t know what she’s going to do next. So my guess: The Republican establishment is concerned. They have to take her down a peg or two in case her next move is to jump ship.

**********************

They would be wiser to reach out to her.

McCain, Huckabee and Romney are yesterday's news.

250 posted on 07/06/2009 8:56:01 AM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: rbmillerjr
But even here in the bastion of conservative websites, you see the conservative weakness.

Just as “conservtive” politicians sell out to the Leftist media and let the media deselect and select our candidates. I see Freepers to weak in their own beliefs to support a conservative.

Most will come around if Palin puts the work in during the midterms. But the weakness and will to sellout to a media selected RINO is astounding.

This.

251 posted on 07/06/2009 8:56:59 AM PDT by snowrip (Liberal? YOU ARE A SOCIALIST WITH NO RATIONAL ARGUMENT.)
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To: Tallguy

Unfortunately for me, her Friday speech sounded more like Tina Fey’s satire than ever before, with the basketball analogy and the like. It won’t matter if she doesn’t run again.


252 posted on 07/06/2009 8:57:24 AM PDT by CASchack
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To: yongin

**just because he’s from New England, he must be a RINO.**

based on a running average, and historical precedent, Rino from New England would be a safe bet.


253 posted on 07/06/2009 8:57:39 AM PDT by gwilhelm56 (Orwell's 1984 - To Conservatives, a WARNING - to Liberals, a TEXTBOOK!)
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To: CASchack
Same here. I didn't find it inspiring at all.

Kind of like her twitter page... I realize a lot of folks are "twittering," but her page just drags her down instead of making her look like a national leader.

254 posted on 07/06/2009 9:01:22 AM PDT by Texas_shutterbug (e)
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To: trisham

Who ever accused the Republicans of being wise? :)


255 posted on 07/06/2009 9:02:02 AM PDT by carmody
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To: carmody

Not me. :)


256 posted on 07/06/2009 9:04:15 AM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines; Dan Middleton
Of course not. But the sheeple already bought the enemedia line that star power trumps experience when they sold Zero to the sheeple. Therefore, we cannot allow them to haul out an experience standard to disqualify Sarah when she clearly has more of it than Zero.

The quality of the experience is also a bigger factor than the quantity of experience. Joe Biden has plenty of experience warming the senate seat from Delaware, but what has he really accomplished aside from bailing out his banking buddies?

Sarah has took on political machines and the local and state levels and emerged with real accomplishments, not the least of which is a natural gas pipeline from Alaska to provide a revenue stream to the state for decades to come.

Look up the biographies of Teddy Roosevelt and Grover Cleveland. Neither had much more government experience before they became president, but both went on to be outstanding because they were grounded in good moral convictions, just like Sarah.

Are there better candidates out there? Sure there are. But most of them (Jim Gilmore, Tommy Thompson and probably even Bobby Jindal) don't even come close to Sarah in electability. Can you name one who does?

257 posted on 07/06/2009 9:04:15 AM PDT by Vigilanteman (Are there any men left in Washington? Or, are there only cowards? Ahmad Shah Massoud)
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To: snowrip
I am a Palin supporter because of her conservative position on political issues.

Sorry, but I don't really see much evidence of her conservatism. Yeah, she's pro-life and pro-gun. That's about it.

I have yet to see a single instance in which she makes a coherent case for conservative economic policy.

She failed utterly to do that during the campaign. Worse, she kept on repeating leftist platitudes that the financial crisis was due to "greed and corruption on Wall Street."

I'm sorry, but I expect better than that from a GOP nominee.

258 posted on 07/06/2009 9:04:38 AM PDT by curiosity
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To: gwilhelm56
All of the GOP primaries, until SC, are all Open Primaries. LIb groups brag of picking the worst GOP candidate in open primary states, and by the time there is a REAL PRIMARY (SC), the primary momentum is already SET.. and set by .. LIBERALS or RINOS or both.

The momentum is set by the blue-dress media and cross-over demorats. When I lived in Vermont; a decent Republican was running for the Senate, but he was opposed in the primary by a local dairy farmer who had appeared in a low-budget political film (Spread Fred, I believe.) Demorats crossed over in huge numbers to vote for the farmer, just to take out the more qualified Republican candidate. Demorats openly bragged about the strategy, and promoted it. Natch; the farmer won the Republican primary. He went on to get slaughtered in the election by Demorat Patrick Leahy. DEMOS also delivered McCain in NH last year. NO open primaries.

259 posted on 07/06/2009 9:06:15 AM PDT by who knows what evil? (G-d saved more animals than people on the ark...www.siameserescue.org.)
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To: curiosity

“I’m sorry, but I expect better than that from a GOP nominee. “

Your strong support for Mitt Romney contradicts your statement.

You can support who you will, but don’t attempt to give the impression that you don’t have a dog in seeing Palin put to sleep.


260 posted on 07/06/2009 9:07:01 AM PDT by rbmillerjr (Sara Palin is running for President -- Get used to it.)
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