Memo to Andrew Breitbart; Updated
Earlier this year, I linked to a Palin-friendly interview Andrew Breitbart did on Neil Cavuto. In it, he set Gov. Palin a challenge:
Cavuto: "What should she do?"
Breitbart: "I think she just continues being Sarah Palin and I think that she needs to go out there and show that she has a fight in her because this is like Rocky Two: Can this person come back from a drubbing?"
After the launch of her mega-bestselling autobiography, her whirlwind book tour, her knock 'em dead appearance at the Gridiron dinner, and her awesome head to head with William Shatner on the Tonight Show, I think we can safely say the answer to that question is 'yes'. Or rather: hell yeah!
It might be a strange thing to say, but of these four, I actually think the Tonight Show appearance may turn out to be the most consequential in the long run. Her poetic mano a mano with Shatner was probably the first time since her GOP convention speech that she really connected with the broad centre of the electorate that judges politicians not so much on policies as on personality. And when I mean connected, I really mean connected. Not just showing a likeable personality - funny, smart, willing to have a laugh at her own expense - but connecting at a more basic level; the level which defines what really makes people American. Because to most viewers, show business is partly what America is all about. And let's be honest: when, if ever, do they get to see a politician who is perfectly at ease in the world of entertainment, who looks as happy on the Tonight Show reading funny excerpts from William Shatner's autobiography as she does giving a speech at a party convention? If Gov. Palin can get a liberal television critic like David Zurawik to confess that:
I think it is one of her better and funnier moments on TV. I love the bongo drums and bass reading Shatner gave her book, "Going Rogue," but she comes back just as strong with bongo, bass and flute. I love it.
Listen, there are a million things I do not like about Palin. But credit where credit is due, this is a nice, cool and comic touch for her "Going Rogue" media blitz. As light as this spot was, it gives me new respect for her.
She really must have hit it out of the park with the average swing voter. No wonder various Democrats mailed Politico's Ben Smith to tell him Palin was "scary good on Tonight." They realize what's going on here. Palin isn't a 50.01 percent, turn out the base, culture warrior, red state plus swing state candidate. Palin is a 55 percent plus, connect with the heart, all-American, blow 'em away landslide candidate.
Breitbart's dream is ultimately the same as hers. He wants to help conservatism reconnect with the broad center by wresting control of popular culture away from liberal Democrats. Well here's his chance. In Gov. Palin, you have a politician who's made for television. The camera loves her. Liberal television critics love her. Even the Tonight Show's LA audience goes nuts when they see her. If anyone can rally conservative spirits in the entertainment world, and help the right reconnect with popular culture, it would be her.
My suggestion: go ahead and throw a fundraiser with the Governor as your guest speaker, smack bang in the middle of Hollywood. Not only would you get all the big name Republican actors showing up - Bruce Willis, Sly Stallone, Kelsey Grammer, Jon Voight, Gary Sinise, James Wood, Clint Eastwood etc; you'd probably find that the lure of the cameras (and there would be many of them) would tempt out of the closet many a potential halfhearted Republican who would otherwise have been lost to your cause.
So there you have it, Andrew. You have your cause, you have your moment, you have your champion. Don't blow it.
Update by Doug: William A. Jacobson, in an article for Legal Insurrection, agrees with Joshua on the potential impact of Governor Palin's "scary good" appearance on the Tonight Show:
Palin's appearance on Conan's show was very, very different on a variety of levels. Most obviously, Palin was presented in a sympathetic, humorous manner, and allowed to present a side of her personality most media viewers never see. Palin was part of the show, not the target of the show.
Perhaps even more important was the context. The segment started out with Palin being mocked, mildly, by William Shatner, in the manner of making sentences from Going Rogue seem so silly when presented in Shatner's signature style. If that's all there was to the segment, it would have been par for the course.
By bringing Palin onto the stage with Shatner, and having Palin mock sentences from Shatner's own book, the show sent an enormous subliminal message: Perhaps some of the mocking of Palin that goes on in the entertainment media was not justified since anyone could be the subject of such mockery.
Palin thus took on the pervasive liberal and Democratic caricature of Palin, and did so in a humorous and sympathetic way. Palin was allowed to fight mockery with mockery. Touché.
Palin's appearance on the Conan show may mark a turning point. The mainstream media, very begrudgingly and in small steps, is shifting its approach to Palin as polls show Palin's popularity rising. Palin's appearance on Oprah brought the show ratings it had not seen in years.
Obama used his appearance on Oprah, and other entertainment media love, to establish his popularity. Which is why it damages Obama's image so badly when SNL mocks Obama. At this point, Obama needs the media more than the media needs Obama.
Palin, by contrast, established her popularity independent of, and despite, the entertainment media. When it comes to Palin, the entertainment media is following not leading. We have reached the point where the mainstream entertainment media needs Palin more than Palin needs the media.
Read the rest of Jacobson's piece here.
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164 comments:
Oh, my, Josh, you knocked that one out of the park, too. I still think that she will get 55+% of the vote in 2012. I think she is potentially bigger than Reagan. I think she will accomplish more than Reagan. I still love Ronnie, but he did the grunt work for her and was loved my many. She will build on that.
I cannot figure out why Republicans thought it was cool to stray away from the Reagan model of winning elections. It has been proven that straying away from Conservatism just gets Democrat elected.
One more suggestion. Algore wrote a poem about Climate Change that is so bad that it begs for a dramatic reading. Sarah, don't let anyone beat you to it. It is comedy gold!
That updated Jacobson piece is supurb. You must go read the whole thing!!
Sarah, go after ObamaCare and also Climategate, let them hear from you! Let's rock 'em!
Sarah 2012!
Free fall.
"<span>The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Sunday shows that 23% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-two percent (42%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -19.</span>
<span>
<p>Today is the second straight day that Obama’s Approval Index rating has fallen to a new low. Prior to the past two days, the Approval Index had never fallen below -15 during Obama’s time in office"
</p><p>
</p><p>http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll
</p></span>
I was blown away by the the segment on Conan, she is a superstar in front of the camera, and at home as well.
Did you notice how William Shatner looked at her ?
- Again, I say, like BOR, it was like an adoring, approving father who knows he's looking at greatness.
- the same way Bill Kristol looks when people slam her
So, we know what happens when:
a. she is ignored or mocked - her supporters grow stronger
b. she is attacked - her support grows explosively
and we are at the cusp of seeing what happens when
c. those who secretly agree with her join her openly - her support grows exponentially.<span> </span>
Great observations, Joshua. I tend to agree with your assertion that the appearance on "Tonight" does more for her than almost anything else so far. Call it a sad commentary on our culture if you must, but it is a reality: Most swing voters are not very passionate about politics. They rely on sound bites and popular culture to inform their positions on specific candidates. I notice the significance of this is lost on the commenters at Politico (those who can actually sting together a coherent sentence, that is). As one commenter says, "Oh so this qualifies her to be president?" No, of course it doesn't. She's already qualified but the narrative thus far that many middle of the road voters have been fed has been controlled by the media. In this appearance Sarah has presented herself to these voters as likeable, funny, and real. That is often enough to get people to think, "Hey she's a pretty cool person" and they then take another look at her as a potential candidate.
I saw a comment somewhere this weekend in which some liberal asserted that she can never be president because she's too thin-skinned. I am mystified at how tone deaf some of them continue to be. She's thin-skinned??? She has taken more slings and arrows in the last year than any other politician in recent memory (or ever!) and she is still standing. Not only that, she's gaining in popularity. If this is not the very definition of tough, I don't know what is.
There is no-NO- stopping SARAH PALIN!
""But here's a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion. I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this country. Americans expect us to go to Washington for the right reasons, and not just to mingle with the right people.
Politics isn't just a game of clashing parties and competing interests.
The right reason is to challenge the status quo, to serve the common good, and to leave this nation better than we found it.
No one expects us to agree on everything.
But we are expected to govern with integrity, good will, clear convictions, and ... a servant's heart. ""
Sarah Palin 09/03/2008 -- VP Acceptance Speech
I think that these words drive Sarah and the most significant words she has spoken. This was a clear message to the media and to us all. And she has stood by those words.
aaahh... the Joy! Thanx Sarah :-)
The applause began when she walked on stage, and not when she was called by her name. She is already well recognized. Now she has to be well respected. And that is happening
I think we need to realize that a Palin presidency will be faced with many enormous problems.
The US was on an unsustainable course before Obama was elected, with increasing debt, increasing deficits, trillions in unfunded mandates, extensive military commitments, loss of industrial capacity, loss of jobs to outsourcing and out of control immigration, millions of illegal aliens, and the tentacles of Marxism/Leftism enveloping our institutions.
Captain Obama, having sighted the iceberg, turned the ship of state and headed right for it at full speed.
A President Palin will need to make drastic changes to the US. Just repealing Obama's mistakes won't be enough, because it would just return us to the same unsustainable state we were in before.
The bulk of government spending is in Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and the military. Everything else could be eliminated and we'd still have a deficit and a rising debt. That means these primary expenses need to be cut drastically.
Just some ideas...
* Means-testing Social Security, including for those currently receiving it.
* Privatizing Social Security, while people would still have to pay the FICA tax
* Limitations on tax credits to 2 children
* Raise taxes on the lower earning 48% who pay little or no tax now.
* Close most overseas military bases. Force our allies to pull their own weight.
Just some thoughts. But I think it would be a good idea for the Governor to develop these ideas through the issues institute she has mentioned and let the voters know what they would be getting if they elect her. Better to lose the election than to win on promises that everything will be OK, only to change policy after the election. That isn't the Governor's way. She needs to get the truth out there, because the truth will be very hard to take for many people.
If she can implement the necessary changes, the result will be a better, stronger, fiscally sound America, but the changes will not be easy and they will not be painless. And the only way she would be able to accomplish these changes is if she has a winning coalition of Common Sense Conservatives in the Congress with her. That's why the 2010 races are so important, and why the 2012 Congressional and Senate races are as important as the Presidential race. Sarah can't do this alone. She's going to need all of our help.
The lamestream media MADE Obama, on the othe hand...Gov. Palin is AUTHENTIC, the real deal.
awesome write up.
The Jacobson piece is spot on, especially the part about her mocking of Shatner's book shows that anyone can be subject of mockery. I didn't think her appearance on the Tonight Show would change some people's mind about her to this extent, but perhaps that's because I have been following her every move too closely, and have forgotten that most people only know Sarah from the bias media reports and a few moments from the intense 2008 election campaign.
I read a comment on another site where someone said Palin goes on Tonight Show to joke while Romney goes on shows to talk about serious issues, implying that Sarah cannot be taken seriously. As a former Hillary supporter who have followed her for years and suffered along with her all the drama, mocking and criticisms of her, let me tell you, DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE the importance of these "lighthearted moments" early on in the game. And it is still early for Sarah.
The Hillary campaign waited until 2 months before the Iowa primary to go on a "Likeability Tour", even I thought it was too little too late. Hillary has spent 15+ years in the media spotlight being a polarizing figure who, even as a respected senator, has never really been known to have a "lighter or softer" side. After her Iowa loss, she struggled in NH, the poll showed she was behind Obama in NH, and it took one unguarded "near tears" moment where she unknowingly won some voters (mostly women) over. A few days later, she shocked everyone, including her own campaign, by edging out a win in NH. But overall it was still too little too late for Hillary. You can't change an image in 2 months, especially not after 15+ years of negative impression.
It is important for Sarah to (re)establish her image first. Being "likeable" is a very important first step. It's like walking before you can run. She hasn't won people's votes yet, but she has given them (at least a few more of them) a chance to keep an open mind.
"Palin, by contrast, established her popularity independent of, and despite, the entertainment media. When it comes to Palin, the entertainment media is following not leading. "
WOW! what a scary accurate statement. I support her because I did my own research and found out what she stands for etc. I did not rely on any LSM to feed any crap and lies!
And frankly, I ignore any LSM story about her until I do my own research.
The next step will be when people look at her and realise that the LSM lied to them about Sarah, and deceived them infinitely about Obama.
Wonder if Letterman will have any comments about her utterly fantastic appearance on his rival's show......hope he chokes on his own sick "jokes"
Now it's time for her to do Leno......another kick in Letterman's arse.
I was one of those democrats who was not that much a fan of Hillary's(though I really respected her), but I must admit that affected me, and then Michelle Obama's brother essentially ripped into Hillary for being a human and showing some emotion. He said "Hillary is an embarassment for women"
That did it for me, I knew Hillary's record was solid, she was a national security hawk, and I knew she was very experienced. But as soon as I saw her being attack unnecessaryly and so viciosously, I felt it was me being attacked. I feel the same way when Sarah is being attacked, its like they are attacking me.
I agree, though, I knew many repubs who very much respected Hillary during her run and changed their minds.
So, Sarah is doing the right thing, 2012 is a long ways away, and small and steady steps. Sarah , keep doing what you are doing!
And I also agree with the commentor above, the more the LSM attack her, her support grows stronger. and the legimatcy of LSM goes plummeting even more.
Which is why I absolutely supported Hillary and soon as the Un-democratic party stole delegates from her to GIVE them to the marxist in the WH, I knew there was no way I could vote for a democrat for the second time in my life.
And when Mccain picked Sarah, I knew instantly I would support that woman!
Does anyone have a link to that poem?
you are correct. I blurred Hillary into Bill until she came out as a separate person. I learned to respect her. Most importantly, I am convinced that Mrs. Clinton loves her country.
I think she should campaign on massively cutting back the size of the Federal Gov't, not just entitlements and military. She should cut everything out that's not vital to our national security. She should turn off the grant spigot that funds dumb research projects.
We need to privatize, privatize, privatize ...
And she needs to link energy development with a new emphasis on manufacturing.
I'm not a fan of tariffs, at all, but Sarah needs to start some kind of voluntary "buy America" campaign and connect the dots so people can see how we can "help ourselves."
re: thin-skinned, it just means this person listens to Chris Matthews or something.
RNC convention speech, in brain friendly format, here
If you ever want to get to it, go to my web site in my blog profile.
I like that she leveraged her appearance to draw attention to the Wounded Warriors project, and to spend some time with injured veterans. I think Sarah's entire book tour can be seen in context of her deep concern for the troops:
- book signing at Ft. Bragg
- book signing at Ft. Hood (donating royalties to victims of massacre)
- visit to Walter Reed
- Auctioning "Going Rogue" jacket for Wounded Warriors
- 2 book signings at bases in Alaska to wrap up tour
That is a WHOLE LOT of troop love ...
Romney supporters, can your guy match that? We know he's "smart" but why isn't he visiting the troops?
For Social Security the USA will need to increase the age. If you are 45 to 55, then you will need to be 66. From 35 to 45, then 67 and then 25 to 35 it will be 68 and so on. The age of eligibility HAS to go up.
There will need to be a Balanced Budget Constitutional Amendment passed. then, we need to cut back the spending (the side of being a fiscal conservative that killed GWB and the Republicans) until there is a surplus of 250 Billion per year. It will take at least 50 years to get rid of the deficit after Oba-Mao.
I'm just a simple American and i can see that spending more is NOT the answer.
When she appeared on The Tonight show Sarah RADIATED self confidence. She's always been great in my eyes but I think the book tour (with all the TV and radio interviews) has been perfect for her. She knows exactly what she is doing. She's like a snowball rolling down hill - growing exponentially as she rolls on...
OOO-RAH!
Thanks BiB...I like the way you broke down. Good stuff.
sarah 2012
Thanks BiB...I like the way you broke it down. Good stuff.
sarah 2012
One word Betsey, Bush. We went back to the Rockefeller GOP personas like Bush, Dole and George W.Bush. Reagan had to make his peace with them to unite the party in 1980. It will be interesting if Palin can resist this wing of the party and do what Reagan couldn't do in 1980, in 2012. By the way, a prime example of this wing are the David Frum's of the world.
Great job, Josh. I love this post
I agree with this post. I have been a Palin fan and yet the Tonight Show performance, as short as it was, blew me away. This woman is special and there is no one in here orbit on the GOP side and for that matter, I am just giving lip service to Obama in saying that he's even in her orbit. I really believe there is nothing that this woman cannot do as a public figure. She has talent and energy the likes I have never seen in a politician in my lifetime. If I am Obama and I saw what she was able to do during this book tour, which by the way is a trial run for her national campaign, I would immediately drop health care reform, cap and trade, and start freezing spending and cutting corporate taxes. I would move to the middle before the bloodbath of 2010. Because if Sarah is at the head of the Tea Party revolution in getting Reid and Pelosi out of power (Reid losing his reelection and Pelosi her speakership), she will be unstoppable going into 2012. She will be the undisputed head of the GOP. I am just amazed by this woman.
The age is already up. Imagine my surprise to find 15 years ago that I had to wait til 67 to receive the full SS amount. It was pro rated up until the baby boomers started receiving SS. I don't know what it is now. Baby boomers are going to have it raised probably even more. I never planned on getting Soc. Sec. Fortunately we saved and probably would have to give it up if it were means tested. It would make a dent in our monthly income and if hell care passes, we would be very disadvantaged because of end of life expenses. The one thing that really frosts me is that we never, ever planned on a Communist being in office when we were most vulnerable.
An email that brightened my day http://pawigosposts.blogspot.com/
She loves the troops and respects our military. This woman doesn't just talk the talk, but walks the walk. Romney has 5 sons and none them have served in the military. Palin has her only adult son in the middle of the action, serving in the Alaska national guard. Palin is pro-gun because she knows what gun ownership means, it means survival. She is pro-life, because she understands that ever life is precious and has purpose. She is a fiscal conservative, because she understands that government cannot solve all problems and that the economy thrives more when individuals, businesses, and organizations can spend their own resources as they see fit. She is a Christian and is unashamed to express her belief in God and what He has meant for this nation.
This woman is the real deal! She is not going to change when she gets into office, because her beliefs are ingrained in what she is and has always been. Conservatism for her is not a philosophy that she's had to study over many years, but a way of life for her.
For some reason Steven, I just get a feeling about Palin. She isn't like Bush, Dole or 43. I think she is her own person and the Party elites don't mean that much to her. Because she is removed from most of it in Alaska it isn't that big of a deal to her. She just does what she does. I have no proof of my feelings except that it is just intuition with me. I hope I am not wrong because I would be one disappointed person if it turns out like that. I think her definition of politics is right and wrong. Not Republican and Democrat.
Kudos to C4P for posting a Breitbart thread.
One thing that I have always appreciated about Hillary is that, sort of like Sarah, she is very much an open book. What you see is what you get. She isn't going to B.S. you to get your vote or anything like that. Like her husband, she isn't constantly with her finger in the air to see which way the wind is blowing. She has convictions and she sticks to them. Does that mean she's not pragmatic? I don't think so. I don't think that she's like Obama, so balls-to-the-wall committed to some radical agenda that she can't even entertain the idea of dialing it back. But I do believe she says what she means and means what she says and, although I disagree with her on most issues, I respect that about her. I wish she would get more credit for it.
Oops, I meant unlike her husband.
Agreed. She has moral authority on nearly every issue of consequence: the war, energy policy, abortion, political corruption, fiscal conservatism. It will be pretty difficult for Obama to argue her down in a debate.
Ronald Reagan was in the A list of Presidents and deserves to be on Mount Rushmore. Having said that as a senior citizen he was not going to get much better in performance, execution and mastery of policy.
In her mid 40's going into her late 40's Palin is going into her political prime. When a superstar goes into her/his prime you just know everything will be elevated to a rarefied air; there is far more upside to Sarah than there ever was with Reagan. And remember I did say Reagan belongs on Mount Rushmore.
THis already happened. I am 44 and it is 67. It could go up some more and if you went to the root of the formation it would be OK. They didn't pull 65 out of their rear end when it started. That was average life expectancy.
Since you posted it, Gallup has Obama at 48 approval today.
Her book gives us clues that she will follow in Reagan's footsteps to meet all of these challenges, starting with relying on experts within the private sector to help in sorting out this mess. As governor, she has -- like Reagan did -- purposefully looked to people with actual real-life experience in dealing with particular issues. She will surely do this again as president. The problems Obama and this Congress will leave behind will be formidable but not insurmountable. It will be tricky for Sarah because she is going to have to be the grown up and tell the voters what they don't want to hear. But if anyone can deliver bad news and make it sound good, it would be our Sarah. She will simply appeal to people's sense of pride as Americans. She will be the optimist about our future that Reagan was and that will win her the support of the people.
Terri, as I've been laid up these last few days after my knee surgery, my thoughts have frequently turned to the troops. I am blessed to have such good quality healthcare, and a supportive family. I think of the injured soldiers who have given so much for our country, who may feel lonely or unsupported. I think Sarah is an angel to many of them.
Okay. It seems a lot of people like her appearance of the show. but I don't think she should do anymore of this type of stuff too often. Why? Well the narative will become that she is another Obama. Nothing but a woman with an interesting background story and no accomplishments. It doesn't matter that its not true, that will be narrative. Now that she is changing a few strong perceptions, I think she should switch to something a bit more substantive to make people realize that as well as being a likeable person, she also a competent politician with sensible and good ideas to help the country. You know another Hong Kong type speech now could really help.
Plus, she auctioned off that dinner for $63,500 to benefit the Ride2Recovery program of the Wounded Warriors, plus she was honored by the Military Order of the Purple Heart for her support for their guide dog program. She also visited Alaska National Guard troops overseas, and visited the wounded in Germany.
Think about who the strong supporters of Sarah Palin are in general terms:
1) evangelicals
2) libertarians and secularists
3) independent conservatives
4) the conservative base of the GOP
5) former Hillary Clinton supporters
6) young females who see Sarah as a hero
7) fiscal conservatives
8) national defense conservatives
9) gun owners
10) Reagan democrats
What a conglomeration! And nobody else could assemble such a diverse group of people or hold such a group together under one tent.
I was looking at one of my favorite facebook sites for Tillamook cheese. There are 25000 fans there.
I checked the Romney for president 2012 site. There are 22000 fans.
Poor Mitt. The cheese factory has more fans. On the other hand. Mr. Cheese Loaf would make a great VP for Sarah.
oh man!
I just split my coffee, I'm laughing so hard. LOL!
add Palin Democrats and PUMAs (Hillary supporters who voted and support for Sarah )
Techno. I am a believer that all but DC are in play. Granted it would take extreme conditions but remember Conservatives outnumber liberals in all 50 States. I think in the primaries when all States are in play is a great way for her to go to these Statees and make headway. If Obama is stuck having to Defend an NJ, Ore Maine etc she can quickly shore up a FL, OH etc and go for the rout instead of the win.
Typical liberal: It takes a comedy spot on a talk show to make them respect her. Never mind her hard work or her record as governor or her thoughts on policy. It's all about the pop culture cred.
But hey, I'll take it. Whatever works. And it WAS a hilarious spot!
Well, the fact that she will have to spend more time talking about the issues has always been a given. Sarah HAS been talking about more substantive matters and I'm sure she will really intensify that effort in 2010. But I don't think she should stop doing light appearances such as the Tonight Show. She can do both. Of course, I'm not suggesting that she spend equal amount of time joking as the serious stuff. A LOT more time should be spent on the substantive subjects. But do not underestimate the importance of these "lighthearted" moments. Not everyone has seen her on the Tonight Show or even heard about it. She will have to continue to find venues to show people her human side.
Watch Mitt Romney try to be funny and "likeable" a few months before the primaries. It will be too little too late and will come across forced and pandering.
More light and funny moments will be necessary for Sarah. What will not be necessary are more public venting of the 2008 campaign and fights with Levi. There is a huge difference between those two aspects of non-issues related matters.
Bad as I hate to say it, we're just going to have to raise the age for soc sec benefits. And also retirement in fed and state gov't. I could have retired at 55 from my professor job. Potentialy drawing a gov't check for 25 years. That's gotta stop.
dr. v
al gore's poem:
<span>
<p>One thin September soon
A floating continent disappears
In midnight sun
</p><p>Vapors rise as
Fever settles on an acid sea
Neptune's bones dissolve
</p><p>Snow glides from the mountain
</p><p>Ice fathers floods for a season
A hard rain comes quickly
</p><p>Then dirt is parched
Kindling is placed in the forest
For the lightning's celebration
</p><p>Unknown creatures
Take their leave, unmourned
Horsemen ready their stirrups
</p><p>Passion seeks heroes and friends
The bell of the city
On the hill is rung
</p><p>The shepherd cries
The hour of choosing has arrived
Here are your tools
</p></span>
I think Hillary lost because the Obama crew "gamed" the caucus system with the left wing activists. It gave them momentum to show she was vulnerable.
Ultimately it will be the undoing of the democrats. Hillary would have governed more centrist. Obama is hamstringed by the left wing of the party now. It will destroy his presidency.
dr v
Three new tweets: (for some reason, I have to send them one at a time.)
<span><span><span>...this yr;wanting kids (especially!) 2remember true Reason 4 the Season.This is most beautiful time of yr n Alaska&reminds how blessed we r</span><span><span>24 minutes ago</span> <span>from TwitterBerry</span></span><span>
</span></span><span><span>
</span></span></span>
Techno,
you are right about young voters.
Sarah was severely attacked for the way she handled Bristol's pregnancy. I think young people see that and are not stupid. Sarah stood by her daughter and was not critical of her. Many young girls would have wanted that from their own mothers, IMHO.
Obama was cool and received votes. Sarah is facebook cool. She is twitter cool. This will pay off with the young people.
Not to mention her role model status.
We're still looking at mostly white people. Sarah, and the Republican party, need to reach folks of color. They need to figure out a way to make their message resonate with people of color.
dr v
<span><span><span>Waiting to get on military base...thinking of obligatory Christmas prep still undone,desiring less materialistic/more meaningful season(more</span><span><span>27 minutes ago</span> <span>from TwitterBerry</span></span><span>
</span><span><span></span></span><span><span></span></span></span><span>
</span></span>
<span><span>Heading 2 Eielson Air Force base,Anchorage, 4 book event;military's call 2 keep this military personnel only,so we'll do public event later</span><span><span>about 1 hour ago</span> <span>from TwitterBerry</span></span></span>
I also meant to add, that the reason Sarah resonates is she is NOT selling herself, she is selling American ideals and ideas. Yes, it 100% also helps to see a woman finally as president.
But she is not a cult figure to be worshiped as Obama's lunatics fans do, Sarah is a leader who is supported by millions of people b/c she adheres to principles.
So, for me, I know where I disagree with her on, and I know where I am in completele agreement with her on. And the issues that I agree with her on FARRRR outnumbers the disgareements I have with her.
I'm not expecting unicorns and lollipops from Madame '45. I just want this country put back on the right track of fiscal disciple, strong national defense, strong indiv rights, no judicial actisivsm... etc Will she make mistakes, of course, but her goal and vision for America is what the founders envisioned! and therefore it is the right one!
Agree she should campaign on massively cutting the Federal government. Devolve responsibilities to the states, and then from the states to the individual. Cut the Federal Government down to its Constitutional responsibilities ONLY. Need Constitutional Amendments for a balanced budget, term limits for Congress and Senate, and to narrow the scope of the Interstate Commerce clause. Also fix the birthright citizenship misinterpretation that allows anchor babies for illegal aliens.
But those items I mention constitute most of the budget. The government has overpromised and overspent for decades. Social Security is run like Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme, except the returns aren't nearly as good. We will all need to share the pain. Eliminate the debt over 50 years. Sarah will need to preach the gospel of independence and self reliance.
latest twitters from governor:
<span><span>...this yr;wanting kids (especially!) 2remember true Reason 4 the Season.This is most beautiful time of yr n Alaska&reminds how blessed we r</span> <span><span>31 minutes ago</span> <span>from TwitterBerry</span> </span></span>
<span><span>Waiting to get on military base...thinking of obligatory Christmas prep still undone,desiring less materialistic/more meaningful season(more</span> <span><span>35 minutes ago</span> <span>from TwitterBerry</span> </span></span><span><span>Heading 2 Eielson Air Force base,Anchorage, 4 book event;military's call 2 keep this military personnel only,so we'll do public event later</span> <span><span>about 1 hour ago</span> <span>from TwitterBerry</span></span></span>
"<span>It will be tricky for Sarah because she is going to have to be the grown up and tell the voters what they don't want to hear...."</span>
Agree with everything here. She needs to tell the people these things, but emphasize that life will be much better once we go through the hardship. It's like a diet or an exercise program. It's hard, but it has to be done. The end result is a better, stronger America.
OMG. They'll have to do something to "hide the decline".
I'm black. Sarah has many many non-whote supporters. This country is 75% white, majoroty of her supporters will be white. But people like Michelle malkin, as asian are millions in number who support sarah.
All Sarah has to do is stay true to her American ideals, and people will come. And certainly give speeches to hispanic grps, AA grps, but as a black american I can tell you, the AA community is deep in kool aide, there is no point in expecting their votes. Hispanic voters, I work with many hispanics in my biz and they have much in common with Sarah, like "Tito the builder", they love sarah, her pro-america ideas
techno,
you missed the group that will carry Sarah to an effective first 100 days in office:
- Reagan Republicans inside DC
yes, they like her, not 100% lock stock and barrel, but most now see her as we do.
:-)
Too late. Beck had either Stu or Pat (whichever one does the best ManBearPig imitation) do it and then Rush read it to the piano music from Love Story.
Great write up Joshua! I mentioned a a day or two ago on a previous thread how Andrew Breitbart had said that the popular culture is defined by liberalism, inorder for conservatives to get anywhere in the future we would have to take back the culture from the left and we have to define the culture becuase for too long the left has decided what is and what is not cool in our popular culture, thanks for pointing this out
Bill, I have you bookmarked.
Gosh, I so wish to know who your inside guy is. :)
Not that it would amount to any attention from Obama, but the media would go wild if Sarah called for getting out of the UN and calling out the UN for what it is -- a corrupt organization of the worst globalists just licking their chops to get control over the US and taxpayer money (that's all on loan already!). Globull warming has been a dream of the US's for a couple decades now.
I have been thinking couldn't we make social security a choice? On your tax forms every year there could be a box that you could check whether you want to pay extra taxes for your own social security account. And I was wondeing if anybody could specify this for me, someone on free republic about two months back said that Alaska had opted out of Social Security in the 70's is that true? I wish I could opt out of social Security becaue I can save my money better than the government can.
ROmney is not trustworthy.
I think Judd Gregg would be an ideal VP for her. Experience, gravitas, northern state roots, establishment cred etc etc. Plus, he's a strong fiscal conservative. He was picked by Obama himself, so they can't diss him now. He'll reassure older Republicans who are skittish and bring in many moderate independents as well.
I would love to know what's rolling around in the egomaniacal head of Obama. On one hand, his popularity is dropping like an anvil, but on the other, he's beholden to Soros, the far left and the globalists who put him in office and are setting the agenda. Does he keep digging or triangulate like Clinton did?
I'm a week from 51 and I plan on dying working. It's the only thing I can be relatively sure of.
We'll just chisel Madame 45 into her own rock all by herself. ;o)
Big props to you!
We have been good for Sarah.
We, the people who appeared by the thousands at every booksigning.
We who spent the night outside in a line.
We who shook her had and encouraged her.
She needed it. She needed us.
We have been good for Sarah.
And it shows.
Take a bow.
Sarah needs us. We need Sarah.
As a #1, #3, and #7 on your list, I wholeheartedly concur, Techno! :)
here is a pic to prove that an empty suit sits in the WH http://hillbuzz.org/2009/12/13/praise-be-joyous-obamamas-to-us-all/
Dang! I'm 5 of 'em!
He should be on the list.
Well said. Thank you for supporting Gov. Palin.
lmg, I agree with all of your cuts, but would add doing away with NPR, public television, the EPA and the NEA. All the fed jobs that Obama doled out that didn't exist before he came to town? Gone. And the line-item veto he promised? Sarah would have the emergency situation (heck, we already do!) to implement all these things.
As for getting America to "make stuff" again, she's already said that she wants the US to become a producer nation rather than a consumer. She has also said she wants to stress vocational training for those who don't want to go to college but to the trades instead. I think she gets a lot of advice on these kinds of things from her dad.
Cheese is wholesome and delicious!
"At this point, Obama needs the media more than the media needs Obama."
"We have reached the point where the mainstream entertainment media needs Palin more than Palin needs the media."
------------------------------
Those two sentences best sum up the convergence of Obama's approval ratings and Sarah's favorability rating. As Sarah holds no political office at the moment, her approval rating cannot be polled. However, as she continues to write op-eds that are the most read at the WSJ and the WAPO as she has done in recent months, her supposed lack of political legitimacy will precipitate amongst the skeptics. Many of us, of course, have known this all along. And as I believe Recovering Democrat first said,"we liked Sarah before it was cool". Being the big nerd that I am, I enjoy being part of the political trendsetting group of ordinary barbarians.
Love her tweets about Christmas. Several years ago, I convinced my family that we should forego the gift giving and donate the same money we would have spent on gifts to charities of our choice. Of course, the young ones stlll get presents, and we grownups also usually buy ourselves a little something nice as well and show it off Christmas morning, but the focus is on giving to those who really need it. I really don't "need" anything, and if I want something, it makes more sense for me to buy it myself. This saves everyone the headache of trying to think of a gift for someone, and allows us to make a difference where it really counts, which is more in the spirit of the season I think. And I'm not anti-gift or anything; if I see something during the year that I think someone will like, I buy it and give it to them then. Seems to have more meaning that way.
Oops, and most definitely #6!
2009 is over. But is it history?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/11/AR2009121102590_2.html?hpid=opinionsbox1
"One can imagine similar scenarios for just about every big story of the year. If the lousy economy carries the Republican Party through the midterms and into the White House with Sarah Palin at the helm, 2009 will be cast as the key moment when a barnstorming book tour "changed the country." If not, another narrative may emerge -- how Palin, Limbaugh & Co. dragged the GOP down into ideological incoherence. Either tale will do, and either will feel authentic."
The first or second time in over 30 days.
Rogue #2 at Amazon.
For the moment.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/books/ref=pd_dp_ts_b_1
(Probably #1 among all online sellers.)
We decided to forego the stress of preparing a huge family meal on Christmas and now head down to a local homeless shelter around 3pm and serve dinner there all evening. When we get home we eat cold cut sandwiches and grocery store potato salad on paper plates and talk about our experiences and the different people we met and how they got to where they are...
Let's get busy!
if Limbaugh and Palin are dragging the GOP into ideological incoherence, then it is time for the GOP to go. Without them, the GOP has no principles.
Little brown lumps.
I think I'm 7 of them ;)
It already is up; I'm 62 and can't retire until 66. One thing you are not understanding is that people who have worked physically demanding jobs their entire life cannot continue working until 66 or older...the body wears out. Also, if they can spend trillions of dollars on everything else then I am not convinced they cannot fund social security. One of the reasons it may be in trouble is the government, under Bush, started borrowing money from the ss fund and spending it on other things. Also, they are putting people on ss who are not retired for all kinds of reasons. Do you have any idea how many people in this country are on ss disabililty? I swear about 50% of the population.
People in the baby boomer generation have spent their entire lives supporting those older than us and those younger than us and now that we are getting older we are getting thrown under the bus. Sorry, but I am not going under that bus willingly.
Sarah needs to just stay on her message. As a person of color - I believe there is already a ground swell for those of color who get it. Recently, Glenn Beck has a group on and there are the "Black Republicans" too. Don't worry about the color, again appeal to voter's based on principle. Nobody gonna promise any more roses and sweet heart kisses. It must be principle and what's good for the country as a whole. Sarah will do well enough!!
wow! you must be a girl or something!
Haha. Oh, boy! I heard Rush read part of this the other day. I think it would be fun if Sarah re-wrote her Wapo op-ed as a poetic response to Algore's global warming poem.
The polar number are growing.
But even so, you're still moaning.
Climate change and weather is cyclical.
But your version of global warming is fictional.
I created a climate change subcabinet for the nation's only arctic state.
Yet your to chicken to face up to the truth of climate gate.
In the last line, your=you're. Sorry. Poor grammar, Whitney.
Oblaaaabla.....The Man Is A Ledgend In His Oun Mind. (I, ME, MIND)
sarah 2012
As to Hollywood, I say let the dead bury their dead. If it's not a cartoon, it tanks. She shouldn't run from them, just treat them like the clowns and non-entities they are.
Once you say Sarah could do x, y and z in Hollywood, you're conceding that the only way to take back the culture is on their turf and that they ARE the culture. The "culture" isn't located in NY and Hollywood. The anti-culture is. They're Huns! They're teetering and ready to fall. They only need a good shove. She's got the ability to change the whole shebang. As to "David Zurawik's" opinion, you wouldn't believe how much I don't give a damn about it.
For God's sake, these are the people who think George Clooney's the new Cary Grant! (as movie after movie bombs). I say start changing the entire frame of reference. The Mid-West and Alaska are cool. Breitbart should start a Big Wasilla site.
This will all take a little time, but the time to start is now.
No prisoners!
I live about 100 miles from the Tillamook Cheese Factory (been in there twice) and that is HILLARIOUS!!! Thanks for sharing that fact. LOL |^D
Oblaaabla....The Man Is A Ledgend In His Own Mind. (I, ME, MINE)
sarah 2012
Al Gore is a poet
He doesn't even know it
But his feet do
Because they're Longfellows
Al Gore is such an idiot.... a rich idiot but still an idiot...
It would also be funny if she went back on Conan and read it Shatner style ;)
Someone played flute during her skit. Perhaps, she should have joined in?! LOL.
Still #1 in non-fiction at Amazon, GR is #3 at BN, but #1 in non-fiction. Still #1 at Borders, #1 in non-fiction at Books a Million, #1 in new releases both at Walmart and Target, and #1 at Hastings in the biography and hardcover catagories.
My bet is that GR will return to the #1 slot at Amazon within a couple of days, maybe sooner.
Laura Ingraham's auction update: Gov. Palin's red jacket is now up to $36,500 with 4 days 18 hours to go.
I am going to guess that Gov. Palin didn't go to California just to do a 2 minute segment on the Tonight show... I have a feeling she taped other interviews that will be aired in the future...
No need to kick Letterman when he's down. Besides, there is danger of Sarah becoming viewed as a celebrity instead of as a serious political leader. We're not electing a Comedian-in-Chief.
Yeah, I don't get it. Sesame Street and Dora the Explorer have to be hugely profitable in their merchandising. Why would tax support be necessary to fund those programs?
dr v
maybe one with Tammy Bruce in LA???
and aren't some of her book people in San Diego... maybe she met with them?
Here's a video of the CNN debate between Debra Saunders and John Avarosis on her op-ed (the video is by Media Matters but it's the video).
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200912130001
Mitt must have not said anything particularly interesting on MTP. I haven't seen one account of his comments (or anybody's comments on MTP) that have been quoted anywhere in political blogosphere.
The problem with debating Obama is that he will lie and the media will not call him on it, leaving it up to Sarah, leaving no time for her to make her own points. Frustrating. Need a better format for these "debates". We never had such a bald-faced liar to deal with before.
Very true, I haven't read a thing. Do you think Palin will go on the Sunday talk shows any time soon?
She needs to hold off Twilight, U for Undertow, and Dan Brown to get the record all by herself on the USA Today list.
Going on 5 years that my brother, sister and I do not exchange gifts. My older sister REFUSED to be a part of it because she said she loves to give and receive gifts. So now we only give to my mom, dad and older sister, plus the young niece and 2 nephews - and the dog. The brother-in-laws also agreed to the "no gifts" plea. We get together for all of the holidays and just enjoy each other's company. We cook our big meals together and then dive right in for eating!
As to the ones who do get gifts from me, they know everything I give is handmade. I excel at cooking and baking, so they know they will receive a culinary gift from me. And my niece loves it because she's a vegan (yes, we live in California), and she knows she'll always get something tasty from her aunt. It's a challenge trying to cook vegan (vegetarian is easy; vegan - aarrgghhh), but I always manage to outdo the previous year with something better. Even the dog gets a homemade treat, from homemade Frosty Paws to his favorite, meat cupcakes with mashed potato "frosting".
I can't tell you how non-stressful the holidays are now, including Christmas. We all just pitch right in and no one complains about the load or doing their part. Each Christmas is much more extraordinary, especially as our parents age. Blessings all around. :)
I am not looking for her to pander to people of color. What I am saying is people of color have been turned off the Republican brand. In the South (where I am) people of color just won't vote Republican. Because republicans typically oppose things like Affirmative Action, Democrats are able to convince them that Republicans are ANTI color.
I agree that conservative principles are good for everybody, not just middle, white America. But I think sometimes you have to be proactive. Just like Gov Palin is being proactive against the media's caricature of her as 1)too dumb to be president or 2)an attack dog.
dr v
He was on against Granholm. Mitt should have destroyed her! I'm guessing race42012 will have it up soon.
what's Tilla mook cheese?
dr v
(we eat hoop cheese here in the south)
I love cheese. Ask my scale.
Look at this.
AP fact checkers for GR: 11
AP fact checked for climategate: 5
http://thevimh.blogspot.com/2009/12/going-rogue-11-climategate-5.html
Talk about priorities!!
hubby says it's pretty this time of year because their Christmas lights are on 24/7.
HA!
dr. v
Ditto. I like that guy from Georgia, too. But she doesn't really need a Southerner on the ticket. She'll be a slam dunk below the Mason Dixon.
dr. v
Hmm, doesn't beat Sarah's line:
If God didn't want us to eat animals, why did he make them out of meat?
dr. v
<span>This is what I said here before on another thread...</span><span> JMHO, But Rush Limbaugh and Will Shatner are good friends. not great, but good. Rush was Will's first guest on his new show, Shatner Raw Nerve on the BIO ch. this past week. Rush has been talking about this all week long on his show . So i"m thinking Rush likes Sarah to make New Friends, on the Left.so what you get is this Late Show. I mean this hold late show was out of the Blue right. JMHO. P.S. WOW! But Sarah looks BEAUTIFUL.
</span>
<span>sarah 2012</span>
Whitney, you have a gift!
I think she should announce her running mate at the same time she announces her own candidacy. Then they can cover twice the territory.
I like Allen West - kickass military man, and a proven leader of men. Could step in as CinC in a heartbeat.
John Bolton, though I'd rather see him as Sec of State. Turn the State Dept upside down and shake it until all the communists fall out.
Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan. Young, articulate, funny (appears on Red Eye), conservative, intelligent.
The AP buys into the lies of "global warming" so, in their eyes, there was no need to fact check climate gate. In the same vein, due to their belief in global warming and the massive number of trees that have died due to Going Rogue, they felt the need to devote the extra fact checkers to her book.
I agree!
We have our Christmas on Christmas Eve. We usually put up our tree on that afternoon. We read the birth of Christ passage from chapter 2 of Luke. Then we open gifts. Except for the young ones (only one now), they're just "happies", not expensive stuff. Then we eat an hor's douerves type of meal. I make sausage balls, BBQ weenies, cheese log, veggies and dip, stuff like that. Very quiet and low key.
The next morning we get up to Christmas stockings. Once again just full of fun and/or funny stuff. For my grown daughters, I've started giving them nice tree ornaments, I think it will be a nice keep sake. Hubby usually gets a pair of funny boxers. Gloves, I tune cards, their favorite candies, maybe a gift card to Red Lobster or something like that. They really love digging into those stockings.
This year I plan to give each one a donation to Heifer Int'l in their name. Heifer is just down the road from us in Little Rock and they've taken a hit in this economy. Had to lay off quite a few folks. Thought that would be a good gesture.
dr. v
and the South!
We're cool too.
Don't you know, people are moving here.
Despite katrina, tornadoes, and 100+ Farenheit summers.
Those other places must be REALLY bad.
dr. v
5 of them for me too - and I'm no girl!
The federal funding for public broadcasting is very small compared to what it once was. Local stations have to rely on listeners to keep things going.
Means testing for Social Security would be disastrous. Look at the demographics of Palin supporters. It has been tried before and is a sure fire way to lose votes. A small percentage of social security income is taxable if you have other income, so some of it comes back. Maybe the percentage included in taxable income could be raised.
Judd Gregg would be pretty good. I also think Rudy would be good too. Michele Bachmann and Lynn Cheney would be excellent in their somewhere. Chief of Staff and Secretart of State? Jim DeMint and Paul Ryan might be good in there somewhere too.
She talks very well about Hillary. I wonder if she would be considering keeping her as SOS if she's elected. I have no idea what I'm talking about or if Hillary would want to do this. It's just curious how well she speaks of Hillary. However, I cannot wait until they have their cup of coffee. That'll be awesome!
tillamook is a town on the Oregon Coast ans was the name of the Tribe that lived there when Lewis and Clark arrived.
They make a cheese which is famous and beloved on the west coast. Costco carries it.
The facebook site has great recipes BTW
Re: BO's new Rasmussen low, wonder how tonight's twofer:
1. 60 minutes (AGAIN!) and
2. ABC's Oprah love fest
will affect Rasmussen over the next 3 days?
My guess is, not so much ...
From the leaked bits, it's not policy, just more cult of personality stuff. Axelrod is gonna' go back to the "but this guy is so cool, just ignore those policies" approach as often as he thinks it'll work.
I think it has just stopped working.
Thanks for digging that up. You know that after Christmas for some family fun Sarah has to give it a try. I was cracking up when Rush was reading it. Sarah could really give it some pizzaz. It really needs it. If Al answers Sarah on her smack down, this poem could put him over the edge with her rendition of it!
Would you use the same media but change the location of production? This seems like a big order.
I'm 2, 7, and 8!
His media card is dog-eared.
Won't be long before it quits working and won't swipe.
O is bad for ratings = media moves on.
And "too chicken".
Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
I thought the same thing when I saw the 60 Minutes promo: AGAIN??? How many times has he been on this year? At least three or four, and that's just regular one-on-one interviews. How many more segments have been devoted to him or his administration in some other way. It's ridiculous. I used to lampoon 60 Minutes because it seemed every week there was another story about the Middle East/Muslims/etc. Now it's like every week there's another angle on the president. Enough already!
Rudy cheated on his wife, had her and his kids evicted from Gracie Mansion so he could live with his mistress (who he later married), and is estranged from his own children. Not exactly an example of family values.
<span>Rudy cheated on his wife, had her and his kids evicted from Gracie Mansion so he could live with his mistress (who he later married), and is estranged from his own children. Not exactly an example of family values.</span>
Hillary has been, IMO, a lousy Sec of State. She seems to have been marginalized and unofficially replaced by John Kerry.
I guess we won't be hearing too many more Tiger Woods analogies from you Techno, will we?
My concern is that commonsense conservatism will carry on long after 8 years of Sarah Palin in the WH. Sarah is certainly not Bush or Dole. I think what Steven meant is that Bush succeeded Reagan and, as a result, true conservatism receded. Hence, in the comments i hv read abt Sarah's potential choices for VP, i hv been very concerned that our vision has not extended beyond Sarah. I believe her choice must not be someone who is a lukewarm conservative at best. I hope Sarah's takeover or cleansing of the Republican party will be so strong that she does not hv to unite the party by choosing a VP who is less than the mirror image of her in values and principles. Instead, she will be able to select someone who will carry the torch of conservatism after her tenure.
The Cabot of the west, as it were.
Lipstick, it may taste a little different from dad's, but it will taste just as good. As long as you include the love.
Sarah's son Track is Regular Army.
wise, you would not know him, but he knows who you would know :-)
I am a #2-#3-#7-#8-#9......
;-)
<span>"I used to lampoon 60 Minutes because it seemed every week there was another story about the Middle East/Muslims/etc. Now it's like every week there's another angle on the president."</span>
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
From FR:
From Breitbart.TV
EXPOSED! Expanding Medicare has been Obama's Plan to get to Single Payer All Along
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406912/posts
Lol-Guest! You ARE cool in the South! I lived in NC for four years. Great people (pretty girls too). I'd add the Southwest--anywhere but NY/DC/CA. Problem is that too many of US are moving there--bar the doors!!
Sandra, I don't necessarily mean move the production locations (yet). Just stop looking at them as the people who define the culture. Seems like they tell us they do and we accept it. No mas! Hollywood makes increasingly bad movies that no one sees and the media in NY/DC have been exposed as incompetent, dishonest hacks and clowns. WE define what the culture is, not them! We've all got to start thinking that way.
"Fire" in an apartment upstairs. Firemen banging around. Some lady probably got her fingernail caught in the microwave or something--and I'm up at 3:00 in the morning! Geez.
.
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