Free Republic

Loved this... "While some conservatives are sure to be disappointed by the donations to two pols they consider to be Vichy Republicans, the relative few who will be genuinely outraged probably weren't that firmly entrenched in the Palin camp to begin with. On the other side of the coin, the donations will quite likely sit well with moderates and independents, two demographic groups which Sarah Palin knows she must improve her standing with in order to win a general election." So if you are against helping RINO's get reelected, you "probably weren't that firmly entrenched in the Palin camp to...

We all loved Sarah. She rescued the sinking McCain campaign, said all the right things and holds pretty much the same positions of most FReepers. They all love Obama. He rescued the sinking DNC, said all the right things and holds pretty much the same positions of most liberals. Dems, liberals and the MSM are condemned for their all consuming adoration, virtual blindness to any mistakes or faults and slobbering worship of the man. Yet when the same thing happens to Palin it turns into a virtue. Sarah was a real coup for conservatives. But when she announced her resignation...

Now that we sit her in incredulity as Doug Hoffman wanders off into the sunset, maybe it's a good time to take a moment and think about what just happened. Modern politics is not won with torches and pitchforks from half way across the country which is what was attempted here. No, Scozzafava should never have been handed the nomination but it was an isolated, freakish situation brought on by the sudden departure of the incumbent and exasperated by everyday political insider dealing. To claim that it was an example of how GOP politics work everyday is hyperbole by those...

Sarah is now unelectable on a national stage. The “quitter” specter will hang around her neck like “swimmer” does to Ted Kennedy. You’ll be able to spot the realistic, clear thinking conservatives because they see and admit this early so we can put it behind us get on with identifying the candidates who can win in ‘12. BTW - This doesn’t rule out a tangential private career ala Newt or a run for a House or Senate seat (although I don’t know where at this point) but as a national candidate she is toast. That so many conservatives can’t see...

Introduction to the Project: (This is a completed live blog. I have decided not to correct most typographical errors or “fix” it. Some was done as late as 3 AM as I finished the book, but I felt the authenticity of the moment generally better than a smoothed out version.) I have defended Sarah Palin on numerous occasions against critics. I thought some conservatives turned on her too soon and that her executive experience outweighed any negatives known about her. I certainly did not think flubbing some interviews made her unfit to be a chief executive. If one were to...

I think it is a good Q. Huck was polling at least 8-10% of GOP voters, it's interesting to know whether those votes now go to the other evangelical Sarah, someone else or whether it puts Hucksters in the undecided column!

Intro and Chapter 1Chapter 2 On Aristotle Palin begins her second chapter with a quote from Aristotle. I think I must be going mad, but I cannot remember this quotation either. Where is it? I cannot find a reference in any book I own . . . but then I am writing this as I read her book. Can someone help me? Did Aristotle say, ” Criticism is something we can avoid by saying nothing, doing nothing, being nothing?” I want a reference to the text. It is surely not possible that in less than one hundred pages that Palin...

Chapter 2Chapter Three Palin runs and wins an election for governor in this chapter. The pace of this book reminds you of how young Palin really is for national life. She truly is an outsider. She hates “deals” and “power brokers.” Post-Obama and the Great Recession it would be foolish to dismiss this authentic rage. She sounds most herself when she hitting corrupt special interests that lock people out of decision making. She sounds least like herself when repeating 1980’s Republican bromides. Palin is a populist of the heart, but too sensible to let her populism take her to the...

Chapter 3Chapter Four At last the chapter for which we have all been waiting: Sarah Palin is picked as McCain’s running mate. For those of us who were Palin fans before the announcement it is is interesting to read what was happening behind the news stories. Palin was treated badly by the media. They sneered at her like she was a Window user at a Mac convention. She was hit harder than anyone I have ever seen . . . and the McCain camp was not ready. They mishandled the issue of her daughter’s pregnancy by not getting ahead of...

Chapter 4Chapter Five I have changed my mind about one issue by the end of this book. Palin’s resignation as governor now makes a good deal of sense to me. The media pressure and ethics complaints did not fade away and she was no longer able to do her job. I thought her resignation nearly a “deal breaker,” but that was a hasty judgment on my part. Surely the day will come when the media will tire of kicking Palin and then she will get peace. Some will argue that Palin is getting rich off of her media exposure, but...

Chapter 5Chapter Six Here at last I will get to read the Palin agenda for the future. If she is going to run for President, here is her manifesto . . . but there are too few pages left for that. Here at least I will get a glimpse of what she wants for the nation. I will not demand too much of this chapter and will hope that at long last I can see the glimmers of a plan, a platform, a plausible path to the White House. Of course, if she is not running for office, or even...

Chapter 6In Summary: Ten Things I Learned From Reading Going Rogue This was a bad and unhelpful book. It was not bad because it was simple. Goldwater (or his ghost) used fewer pages in Conscience of a Conservative and said more. It was not bad because it was autobiographical. Though I don’t like his politics, President Obama confessed more and said it better in Dreams from My Father. If you don’t believe that this book is bad, then read (really do!) Ronald Reagan’s autobiography Where’s the Rest of Me? Ronald Reagan showed more substance in his delightful book written mostly...