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.
No, that is accurate. We have never seen an onslaught like this, and nothing like the incredible and constant creation of rumors and lies about Palin and her family, this nonstop.
“No, that is accurate. We have never seen an onslaught like this, and nothing like the incredible and constant creation of rumors and lies about Palin and her family, this nonstop.”
So, you’ve been around since the country’s founding? The assaults on Palin top the movie-death-threats Bush received? Being burned in effigy? Have you read the early American press?
Yes I know about politics and media and history and I share the widespread awareness even among some liberal writers that we have never seen anything like this unrelenting, intensity of the anti-Palin media, and she has never even run for President yet, much less is she a sitting President at this time.
Palin is having to fight this media fight purely on her own, with her own strength and leadership, with no power of the Presidential office or an official platform, she is fighting this media war purely as a private citizen, and with the support of conservatives and tea partiers.
Again, watching last night Sarah Palin’s speech in Minn.
and her interview on FOX after. This is the Conservative Republican who gets it and yes, can take on Obama and
will pull no punches.
OK, guys, I hate to do this to such nice sweet people like you, but it’s time to bring out the heavy artillery.
Here is a quote from Levi Johnston, the ex-deadbeat of Bristol. He says there was “not much parenting in that house.” Clearly not, since Bristol got pregnant and Levi was allowed to live there (avoid the appearance of evil, says the Bible). Lots of busy politicians are absentee fathers, like Reagan and Bush, but at least there was a mother home to take care of the kids. Why don’t the Palins prove Levi wrong (you guys offer no proof other than to say Todd quit his job — whoop de doo). Why not be a good example for stay-at-home dads across the country?
Quote from the Book of Levi —
“The Palin house was much different from what many people expect of a normal family, even before she was nominated for vice president. There wasn’t much parenting in that house. Sarah doesn’t cook, Todd doesn’t cook—the kids would do it all themselves: cook, clean, do the laundry, and get ready for school. Most of the time Bristol would help her youngest sister with her homework, and I’d barbecue chicken or steak on the grill.”
You take Levi Johnson as a reliable source?
Do you also trust Barack Obama to tell you the truth? Was Bill Clinton a straight-shooter, too?
Okaaaay, I'm gonna listen now, fer sure.
You have serious character issues, you need to develop some.
Sarah Palin answered Levi’s charge about the lack of parenting. I think is was a interview with Bill O’Reilly. She said it was all hogwash. To get that exact moment for you that she talked about it would take hours on the web. There is so much junk out there, it takes lots of time to get the truth.
Sometimes it is best not to draw attention to the subject by giving outlandish charges any response. She has been very controlled with any reaction to Levi.
#470 and still burning. I hate those boring threads where everyone agrees :)
In for some fun reading here!
LOL, that crazy Rab's needs a rubber room... but then why are his threads getting so many hits especially by that one freeper???
No mention of RP in that #122 comment about rabs?? Is this a slip?
Someone’s talking about ya without pinging ya.
"Nonsense."
Universal Technical Institute in Orlando just called and asked me to tell you to "stop stealing their debate team's arguments."
Palin detractors are crybabies. You’re exhibit A.
Lawrence, as usual you have nothing of value to contribute to this or any thread.
“Palin detractors are crybabies. You’re exhibit A.” Chunga
Palinstinians are goons....See exhibit B
“You may feel victorious in your constant bashing of Sarah Palin but in reality you are really hurting FR.
I’m not alone in withholding funds from a conservative site that allows the pro Ron Paul posters to bash the most popular representative of conservative ideals on a constant basis.
You certainly have a right to your freedom of speech, but I have control over my pocketbook.”
Extortion
Jesse Jackson shake-down artist
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