That is a sign of a Loyal and Honorable person...In today's political environment that is rare.
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.
“According to Sjb, Palin is now the enemy, which, according to their logic means Bachmann is too. “
Uh, not so fast....I don’t see Bachmann doing Arizona Biltmore fundraisers for McCain
I don’t see Bachman making multiple appearances with McCain
I don’t see Bachmann running radio ads all day long, every day for McCain.
Funny how you missed that. Then again, no it isn’t.
Well, unfortunately, there aren’t many other Republican women in the political scene aside from these two ladies. Sure, there’s Kay Bailey from Texas, but she’s a documented RINO.
Sarah’s benefit is that she is the kind of blank slate that 0bama was for so many. They didn’t really know his stance; instead, they put their dreams on him. Of course, that got us all screwed.
I doubt we’d have an 0bama-type catastrophe with Sarah, but, as a person who’s bought her book and donated to McCain simply because of her, I must admit to being less than impressed with her “vow of silence” on issues ranging from illegal immigration to campaign finance laws to energy policy.
Why are you so dismayed that she's fulfilling her promise to support the man who brought her to national prominence?
I don't think any, or many conservatives LIKE that she's doing this (I personally hate it), but considering her the enemy for doing it?
It makes no logical sense in all the world, stephen. I would think you would be able to discern what's going on better than that.
btw, Bachmann and Palin are on the same page politically. You can't really hate one and like the other.
Good point about the Palin children — who’s taking care of them? Obviously nobody watched pregnant Bristol and her deadbeat boyfriend closely enough.
Todd the First Dude doesn’t seem like a stay-at-home dad type to me. If he were really committed to changing diapers, then I would be perfectly happy with Sarah gallivanting around as she does. She’s the best thing to happen to the Republican Party since Reagan, but I do worry about her kids.
They, like all kids, need a real parent close by.
“She likes and admires him and considers him a close friend.”
Then she has no judgement. McCain will be instrumental in passing amnesty, and cap N trade. Amnesty will destroy the United States.
We will never agree on Palin, but agree close to 100% of the time on everything else. The new bishop looks good, anyway ;-)
Palin is out supporting a lot of people. Ms. Palin has also targeted three congressional seats in AZ that are held by Democrats and can be flipped to Republicans.
Ms. Palin has a nationwide map where she has targeted them to be flipped. I think our three that she wants in AZ is the most of any state on her map.
We should be glad and applauding her in AZ.
and both women will be on Hannity's show tonight.
That is a sign of a Loyal and Honorable person...In today's political environment that is rare.
Then why doesn’t Bachmann disavow Palin? Seems only the PURE thing to do. And until she does, don’t you think she should be forthrightly condemned for her association with known RINO’s/Soros-puppets (aka Palin)? (/sarc)
Thanks. Video of Palin’s speech is up at C4P. Good stuff.
Perhaps she is interested and seeing that there is a world left for her grandchildren and their kids. What better gift can she give her kids than removing the scourge that has taken control of our government. If it doesn't change then a teenage pregnancy will be a minor problem compared to her kids being subject to a communist government that bows to its enemies.
(btw, still seething at the not-so-subtle accusation that I'm immoral. Makes me sick to be accused by a PUNK!)
The PaulBot attack is right out of the Marxist Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals.
You don’t reason with the PaulBots, their mind is cult like and driven by Neo leftist ideology.
This is why they hate Conservtive Republican Sarah Palin.
And while we're at it, let's hold all Republican women to that same standard...which should pretty well rule out Michele Bachmann.
“We should be glad and applauding her in AZ.”
McCain is an enemy to the sovereignty and economy of the United States.
Amnesty with chain migration
Cap n trade.
There is NO justification for backing a powerful and evil man.
I would guess considering the current political climate today, McCain might be rethinking his positions on the two issues you cited.
Even still, they are two out of hundreds of issues that define a politician.
>I am a pro-active conservative>
This is why you are attacked. The NeoLeftist PaulBots are Not Conservative, they are libertarian.
They are anti war, much of their support are from 9/11 Truthers, Ron Paul rants against Israel, he believes like
Obama ‘s Rev. Wright, 9/11 was chickens coming home to roost.
Believes Iran and North Korea are not a threat.
“I would guess considering the current political climate today, McCain might be rethinking his positions on the two issues you cited.”
That would make McCain an utter fraud, and an utter coward. But guess what? I would be THRILLED if he did.
“Even still, they are two out of hundreds of issues that define a politician.”
‘
There is nothing more important than these two positions at this point in American history.
I will agree that we will not agree on Sarah Palin, and I will say that some friendships taint otherwise good judgments, doncha think?....*wink*....including those online.
In this election year, McCain absolutely will not be for amnesty or cap and tax. He's a solid conservative now that JD is on his sorry butt.
Unless the Indian reservations steal it for McCain, it's JD's win. The motivated vote in primaries.
You would think since Ron Paul got his own show on Bravo (Drag Race?) they would all be busy watching that.
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