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Yes, Palin is Loyal, but to What and to Whom?
NewsReal ^ | 2010-04-07 | John R. Guardiano

Posted on 04/07/2010 1:32:58 PM PDT by rabscuttle385

Conflicting loyalties seem to have resulted in some surprising political decisions by Sarah Palin.

On Monday here at NewsReal Blog I argued that Govenor Sarah Palin’s active support of John McCain’s Senate reelection campaign makes no sense. Palin, after all, doesn’t owe McCain anything. Whatever debt she might have owed McCain she paid off during the 2008 presidential campaign.

In fact, if anything, it seems to me that McCain is indebted to Palin. This because his ‘08 campaign really did her a disservice, and also because McCain staffers have since betrayed the former Alaska governor with malicious and disparaging leaks to the media.

Many of the commenters to my post don’t disagree. However, they write, there is one laudable reason why Palin is actively supporting McCain: loyalty.

Fair enough. Loyalty is important. But it seems to me that Palin has competing loyalty obligations; and that she chose to be loyal to McCain when she just as easily could have chosen to be loyal to other people and other principles instead.

For example, Palin knows that some of her most steadfast supporters in the conservative and Tea Party movements have very profound and important differences with McCain.

These Palin supporters believe that on too many critical issues — including free speech (aka “campaign finance reform”), military modernization, and illegal immigration – McCain is a liberal wolf in a conservative sheep’s clothing.

What about loyalty to these people? What about loyalty to their issues and concerns? Why does loyalty to one man, one politician, outweigh loyalty to millions of dedicated conservative and Tea Party activists?

And why does personal loyalty to a man (McCain) outweigh loyalty to a set of conservative political principles?

No one’s saying that Palin had to actively oppose McCain. That might, indeed, have been awkward and ill-advised given that she was his vice presidential running mate.

But why did Palin have to go out of her way to actively support and campaign for McCain? Why couldn’t she have praised both McCain and his challenger, Rep. J.D. Hayworth, while remaining neutral in the Arizona Senate race?

I can think of two possible explanations offered up, respectively, by journalists Conor Friedersdorf and Matthew Continetti.

Friedersdorf says that Palin simply may not be the conservative her steadfast supporters think she is. She may, in fact, be a John McCain Republican. This would mean that she is liberal on some issues, moderate on others, and conservative about a few things.

Continetti notes that since being thrust into the national limelight, Palin has “become incredibly rich.” It may be — and this is me speaking, not Continetti — that because of her newfound riches, Palin feels an understandable debt, literally and figuratively, to Sen. McCain.

If true, that’s fine. Making money to support one’s family is honorable. But that’s a different type of loyalty, I think, than many of the governor’s defenders have in mind.

John R. Guardiano is a writer and analyst in Arlington, Virginia. You can follow him on Twitter: @Guardian0.


TOPICS: Editorial; Front Page News; Politics/Elections; US: Arizona
KEYWORDS: az2010; derangedpalinistas; loyalty; mccain; mccainiacs; mclamesrinoparty; palin; palin4mccain; palin4rinos; palinhate; palinsrinocircus; paulestinians; pds; rinoapologistsarah; rinos4palin; sarahmcpalin; sarahpalin; scorpions4mccain; trashingsarahpalin
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To: rabscuttle385; TitansAFC
"PalinStinians" - LOL, now that is funny!
121 posted on 04/07/2010 3:05:10 PM PDT by Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus (We bury Democrats face down so that when they scratch, they get closer to home.)
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To: onyx
The author is a David Frum fan, which would say a lot about where he's coming from. Loves moderates and RINOS.

Rabs is now posting articles from people he does not admire, all in an obvious scatter gun hatred of Sarah Palin.

He's really deranged.

122 posted on 04/07/2010 3:06:23 PM PDT by Lakeshark (Thank a member of the US armed forces for their sacrifice)
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To: presently no screen name

No doubt there are a number of concern trolls trying to undermine support for her, but don’t dismiss everyone who has concerns as such. I was floored by Sarah Palin, and was ready to volunteer for her right then and there.

Her campaigning for McCain disturbs me, though. I’ve taken a wait and see attitude as a result. I have no desire to tear her down, but time will tell as far as I’m concerned. A good tree bears good fruit.

If she continues to be what I saw in her during the campaign and in the months following, and the whole McCain thing turns out to be just an abberation due to loyalty, I will be very pleased.

If not, lesson learned.


123 posted on 04/07/2010 3:07:27 PM PDT by RegulatorCountry
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To: stephenjohnbanker

OK, I read it. FRegards ....


124 posted on 04/07/2010 3:08:24 PM PDT by Arthur Wildfire! March (Weakening McCain strengthens our borders, weakens guest worker aka amnesty)
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To: rabscuttle385
You will ALWAYS be know as a MSM pawn and thus, firmly planted under the NOT CREDIBLE list.

YOU are NO BETTER than McCain!

MSM is on the side of Obama and so are YOU.
125 posted on 04/07/2010 3:10:41 PM PDT by presently no screen name ( Repeal ZeroCare!)
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To: Arthur Wildfire! March
You must have better sources than me.

After 2008, I stopped being loyal to anyone with an (R) after their name, or any politician whose loyalty to the establishment is much higher than it is to the people they represent in Washington including you and me.  McCain and Palin are establishment-types.  They don't know me, and they don't care if my disability income was slashed by over 60% after the passage of Obamacare.

I knew that was going to happen, the GOP did too.  Obama chalked it up to "fearmongering politics".  Well, reality sunk in on the day Obama signed the bill into law because 3 days later I got a letter in the mail saying my SSI income was getting cut by 61% and if I had questions I was to call the SSA's 800-number, which I did and they verified that it was true.  Sure enough, the April check rolled in and it's been cut 61%.

McCain was for Obamacare before he voted against it, and that's only because he had enough political cover on the political left to vote against it.

126 posted on 04/07/2010 3:12:00 PM PDT by BigSkyFreeper ("Ked Tennedy would have been plowed... I mean, proud today..." - Senator Max Baucus (Drunk-MT))
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To: presently no screen name

I didn’t vote for “BarryBoy” Einstein.


127 posted on 04/07/2010 3:12:41 PM PDT by BigSkyFreeper ("Ked Tennedy would have been plowed... I mean, proud today..." - Senator Max Baucus (Drunk-MT))
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To: presently no screen name; onyx; Allegra; sarah fan UK
Post # 125.

Preach it brother!

128 posted on 04/07/2010 3:13:47 PM PDT by Lakeshark (Thank a member of the US armed forces for their sacrifice)
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To: presently no screen name; rabscuttle385

“YOU are NO BETTER than McCain!

MSM is on the side of Obama and so are YOU. “

Hmmmm....Rabs must be the only right winger in the United States for Obama......


129 posted on 04/07/2010 3:13:51 PM PDT by stephenjohnbanker (Support our troops....and vote out the RINOS!)
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To: rmlew

We are in a working woman culture now. Palin didn’t create that. The left did. England got used to socialized medicine, and we got used to this. I agree that families are deteriorating, but excluding working mothers from politics is not modern conservatism. Some reactionism is good, but that kind is harmful.

Further, the word, “gratification” to describe her career? Bad choice.


130 posted on 04/07/2010 3:14:49 PM PDT by Arthur Wildfire! March (Weakening McCain strengthens our borders, weakens guest worker aka amnesty)
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To: All


"We’re often told that immigrants do the jobs Americans won’t do, and...this is true......cheap labor certainly benefits the economy as a whole...."
131 posted on 04/07/2010 3:15:11 PM PDT by TitansAFC (The Left does not devote so much effort into attacking Sarah Palin because she's a weak candidate.)
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To: BigSkyFreeper

Your posts about Sarah are exaggeration - lies. And you want someone to believe you now? LOL! You are a BarryBoy!

You speak like him, same mindset - throw out some lies and they will believe me.


132 posted on 04/07/2010 3:16:19 PM PDT by presently no screen name ( Repeal ZeroCare!)
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To: SoCalPol; onyx; rabscuttle385
I'm trying to figure out what kind of logic tells a person that Ron Paul is a conservative and Sarah Palin is not.

Oh....that's right............NONE!

Sheesh, rabscuttle, you're not even pretending to be conservative any more, are you?

133 posted on 04/07/2010 3:17:13 PM PDT by ohioWfan (Proud Mom of a Bronze Star recipient!)
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To: presently no screen name; rabscuttle385

Rab wants McStain defeated, and I’m all for that. Screen likes Palin and so do I. FRiends, there are times when we need to agree to disagree on certain things.

I’m outta this thread. FRegards ....


134 posted on 04/07/2010 3:17:26 PM PDT by Arthur Wildfire! March (Weakening McCain strengthens our borders, weakens guest worker aka amnesty)
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To: presently no screen name

Debunk my lies.


135 posted on 04/07/2010 3:17:40 PM PDT by BigSkyFreeper ("Ked Tennedy would have been plowed... I mean, proud today..." - Senator Max Baucus (Drunk-MT))
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To: stephenjohnbanker

If he supports Ron Paul, he’s not a “right winger.”


136 posted on 04/07/2010 3:18:19 PM PDT by ohioWfan (Proud Mom of a Bronze Star recipient!)
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To: Lakeshark; rabscuttle385

The writer is pathetic. The poster is a Palin hater and PAULTARD. *I* think he’s here to disrupt. I note his absence on threads of national importance. Apparently, not concerned about Marxist Obama and the demonic democrats.


137 posted on 04/07/2010 3:18:56 PM PDT by onyx (Facts don't matter. Proof not required. Anything goes! Racial slurs, death threats.....)
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To: ohioWfan

Those who say Sarah Palin is not Conservative are
followers of the anti war, Neo Leftist Ron Paul.

Bottom Line, the PaulBots don’t like conservaties to
begin with but try to divind conservatives on FR.


138 posted on 04/07/2010 3:20:19 PM PDT by SoCalPol (Reagan Republican for Palin 2012)
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To: stephenjohnbanker

To: stephenjohnbanker AKA SARAH IS THE ENEMY.

Do you actually think anyone would listen to you when it comes to TRUTH? You’re a leftist pawn - coming against a conservative.


139 posted on 04/07/2010 3:20:44 PM PDT by presently no screen name ( Repeal ZeroCare!)
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To: onyx
I note his absence on threads of national importance.

Are you saying that threads about McLame's lap dog Graham trying to jumpstart amnesty are not of "national importance"?

140 posted on 04/07/2010 3:20:58 PM PDT by rabscuttle385 (Live Free or Die)
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