Now This Is Interesting

I don't know if you knew, but the Republicans in Pennsylvania's 12th District, previously held by the late John Murtha, have chosen their candidate for the special election to succeed him. Their nominee is a local businessman named Tim Burns, and if you've ever heard of him before, you probably live in the district. From my perspective, the important thing is not so much who he is, but what he said when they nominated him (emphasis mine):

"We have an opportunity to put a common-sense conservative in a seat that has long been held by a political insider," Burns told the crowd, referring to Murtha's powerful position as head of the Appropriations Defense subcommittee and close ties to Speaker Pelosi.

This dude is coming right out of the Sarah Palin playbook. The latter of those themes, of course, that of ordinary barbarians vs. the political elite, is neither new nor unique to her, but it's still as central to her message as it is to her political CV. The former, though, is Gov. Palin's phrase; the fact that we're seeing it pop up in the acceptance speech of a candidate in a special election in Pennsylvania tells me that it's catching on. It tells me that the banner she's been waving is one under which other Republicans want to march, and are choosing to march. Which is to say, it's a sign of the real and significant influence and leadership she's already exercising throughout the party.

Like I said yesterday, don't look to the polls to find out Gov. Palin's standing; look to the politicians and see what winds they're blowing with. If the folks who actually want to get elected (or re-elected) think the best way to do so is to have her campaign with them and to repeat her themes in their own speeches, that tells you all you need to know.