Yes, Palin is Loyal, but to What and to Whom?

NewsReal ^ | 2010-04-07 | John R. Guardiano

[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.

[ansel12]

Mitt Romney of the “Sanctuary Mansion”, famous for using the same illegals for 11 years and two national scandals, speaks on immigration.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpUNVRNVk-E&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rr6-CcOJPw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLVL_8wKjdY&feature=related

[marajade]

I applied for employment with the Phoenix PD. I was denied because of my background. I had previously worked for the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Dept.; Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office; San Diego County Sheriff’s Dept., and the Phoenix City Prosecutor’s Office.

While I was waiting to undergo my background investigation I overhead a Phoenix City Police Lt. bragging to another detective that a candidate was undergoing a lie detector test and she was going to be his secretary. That Lt. also told that Det that he was banging her.

Don’t talk to me about corruption, ok.

[McGavin999]

And who says he isn't? The thugs? The rag?

As to your "names names" post, how about you post the proof that Joe has broken the law? Hmmmmm?

BTW, you have successfully hijacked this thread, you've earned your money for today at least.

[McGavin999]

LOL, just because your a failure you expect me to believe something you conviently “overheard” to justify the fact that you couldn’t pass muster? LOL

[marajade]

Sheriff Joe is under grand jury investigations. How many, I don’t know.

[redangus]

When have I ever admitted to being a MittBot? I think you are confusing me with someone else you know nothing about. I have said some nice things about Mr. Romney, often in response to statements made by people like you who are afflicted by MDS, but I don’t consider that sufficient reason to be called any (fill in the blank)Bot.

My perception of Sarah is colored only by her own ambition. I think it is fine that she is grabbing the gold while she can, as I said. However, bottom line she is a self promoting politician who is loyal only to her own future. That is very nature of politics.

As for Mitt, yep he is also an ambitious politician who promotes himself and his future. Again the very nature of a politician.

[marajade]

i’m just saying because of that... I don’t trust the City of Phoenix Police Department.

[jonrick46]

I am thinking of what is happening now. If we can't elect our candidates now because of the Hispanic vote weighing so heavy in today's electorate, how will we fix this mess with our conservative candidates? They will vote against them and guess who will game the system? Democrats who will make sure those "60+ million" guarantee Democrats forever.

By the way, I object to your insulting word "turds." These are human beings and they deserve our respect. They are running away from this:

Things are going bad for Mexico. As many as half of Mexican citizens believe their country is on the edge of disintegrating into chaos and violence. Many send family members into the United States to bring in money to stave off starvation for families in Mexico. Drug dealers are killing off the police and rival gangs. And mothers and their daughter are being raped and forced into prostitution. The United States with our Christian kindness needs to find a way to help our southern neighbor. If we don't, their problems will soon be in our own neighborhoods.

[McGavin999]

I’m sorry, your are an attention hog and I’m bored with this.

[marajade]

BTW, I later cleared background investigations for the Arizona Department of Corrections and the AZ Dept of Juvenile Corrections.

Yeah, I’m an attn hog.

[order66.exe]

Was that sort of nasty tirade really warranted, especially as I was effectively AGREEING with you? Holy smokes, what do you say to those who actively disagree with you?! If you have some information you’d like to share about Ms. Palin that would help all of us who perhaps don’t have the leisure time to “read her many articles each week...or the texts” of all of her speeches, it would make a great read.

[ansel12]

However, bottom line she is a self promoting politician who is loyal only to her own future. That is very nature of politics.

You are way off base, she is the hardest working conservative in the land, and her 18 years in politics is a record of service and accomplishment, and loyalty to the voters, she never profited, that is how she became the most popular Governor in America.

The money she is making this past year is natural money, like being the second biggest author of 2009 even though her book was non-fiction. I don't recall someone making it to the vice presidents slot for one of the major parties that has had such a modest income in modern times, if ever. Her school teacher parents, her oil field husband, and her income in office, and their part time seasonal fishing income was a pretty lousy financial history for someone that had attained the status of the most popular governor in America.

[SoCalPol]

The articles, texts to some of the speeches, etc. are also on her FB also videos.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Hey, SJB...

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

I’m a big fan of Sarah, but I’m starting to have some reservations about her as a Presidential candidate

Another noobie 'concern' troll crawls out of the woodwork...

[ansel12]

“When have I ever admitted to being a MittBot? “

LOL, I looked at your history, and you are a romneybot, and an anti-social conservative, and naturally anti-Palin, as someone with those politics would be of course.

[Admin Moderator]

Knock off the name-calling and personal attacks!

[Pelham]

Did someone forget to lock the gate over at WideAwakes? It looks like that crowd of losers has slunk back to FR.

[Chunga]

Both of which are being cosponsored by Graham.

Yet you want to downplay the role of the RINOs in such perfidy.

Sad.

What's sad are your dumbass attempts at TRAULLing. You're pathetic.

This whole board despises Lindsey Graham. Most of this board despises John McCain's support of leftist policies.

Your attempts to portray Palin as a RINO and your rude behavior toward real conservatives on this board would piss me off if they weren't so stupid. But what else can one expect from an antiwar, nonconservative, libertarian Truther?

[presently no screen name]

When a SARAH thread is up, the cockroaches come running from anywhere.