Culture of Eruption: Conservative Palin critics are “coming out of the closet”

… Erick Erickson, Ann Coulter, and Laura Ingraham – just to name a few**. Read Erickson’s lengthyΒ write-up to get a gist of the chief criticisms conservative pundits are starting to voice about the next possible GOP candidate for President.Β  Chief among them: The waiting game, the electability issue, and the fanatical nature of some of Palin’s more diehard fans – which Erickson compares to the PaulBots.Β  In the interest of fairness, at that same Memeorandum linkΒ are rebuttals to the criticisms from Stacy McCain and Professor Jacobson, among others.

I was on Twitter this past weekend doing on impromptu “live tweet” of Palin’s big Iowa speech, and wasΒ vocallyΒ critical of it.Β  I found thatΒ a lot of the criticisms she threw out aboutΒ the current crop ofΒ GOP candidates (which she did not name) to be hypocritical in nature.Β  For example, she complained about the “vague generalities”Β other candidates were allegedly spouting rather than “specifics” yet her entire speech wasΒ a “vagueΒ generality” with no specifics at all.Β  In fact, had I read her speech rather than hearing it, and had IΒ not known it was her who was going to give it, I’d have thought any number ofΒ politicos could have written that speech.Β  It was your standard red meat stump speech.Β 

I also objected to the speech being billed by the Iowa Tea Party as one where a “major announcement” was set to take place, which gave false hopes to people who do not follow politics as closely as you and I do that she may announce her candidacy.Β  Critics of my criticism stressed that Palin “made no such claim” and my response was “maybe not, but she should have made it clear to organizers that they needed to clarify/retract the claim” – and that she had the clout to do so since 1) she was the main attraction and 2) she had enough pull to get Christine O’DonnellΒ yanked off the list of people scheduled to speak Saturday.

To put it mildly, my criticisms were NOT well-received.Β  In fact, I probably lost a few Twitter followers that day because of it – even though I stressed to people reading what I wrote that I was one of the staunchest Palin defenders out there, with an archive full of posts to prove it,Β while noting thatΒ the Palin bumper sticker from the 2008 McCain/Palin campaign (with Palin’s name the more prominent of the two) still rests on my back bumper.Β  But it’s just not enough for some people.Β  I think most Palin supporters are a lot like myself and my co-blogger: Supportive but willing to criticize whenΒ we feel we shouldΒ should.Β  In other words, she’s not put on a “can do no wrong” pedestalΒ  – which is how we should view all candidates.Β  It is only a small militant segment who thinks she can do no wrong, and they are quite vocal – these are the types of people Coulter and others are complaining about.Β Β  I found it hilarious that some of these folks were calling Palin’s veiled digs at other GOP candidates as “bold” but characterized my criticisms of this strategy as “divisive.” Seriously?

ButΒ myΒ biggest issue with PalinΒ at this point is the fact that she is, for now at least, a “sideline critic.”Β  It’s easy as an admittedΒ potential candidate to be critical of those who have already declared because theyΒ really can’t respond to you without elevating you to a position you’ve been up in the air about.Β Β Β  Yes, she has said before that it would be “later in the year” before she madeΒ a decision, but she hasΒ teased with the summerΒ bus tour and with the visit to Iowa the week of the famedΒ Iowa straw poll, she’s become more vocal on Facebook, etc without actually throwing her name in the ring, and participating in debates and public forums.Β Β  Why do all this and not declare? Why not go ahead and join if it is your intent, so more than just the conservative base can get to know you? My friend Darcysport, a fellow Palin supporter, said it well on Twitter this weekend:

Sorry. I don’t see the courage in taking shots at the field from the sidelines while delaying declaring your candidacy. I don’t like it.

And:

@irishspy Again, what I’ve had a problem with is the pot-shotting. Get in or help the team. Going on too long, IMO.

IrishSpy is, of course, Phineas, who I am sure will weigh in with his own opinions on this. :D

I know fellow GOPΒ candidates are going to take shots at each other – that’s the nature of the beast.Β  But when you’re on the outside looking in, teasing your supporters with bus tours and visits to key primary states, and taking shots at those who already have declared – it just doesn’t feel right to me.Β Β  And I’d feel this way if any of the other candidates who are popular with the baseΒ had put out similar feelers for the last year had still not yet declared.Β  Until you are in the game, theΒ name of the gameΒ is to keep people unified behind the central goal: Defeat Obama.Β Β  Once you jump in, however, all bets are off.Β  But even then, GOP candidates still should be careful that they don’t spin a candidate’s perceived weaknesses because it will, in turn, give too much (Β /New Tone)Β ammunition to Democrats.Β  As an example, if Palin were to jump in the race, I could very well see another candidate trying to label her a “quitter” for resigning from the Governor’s office.Β  It’s a term I strongly disagree with as a description of what she did, and I’m hoping that – should she jump in the race – other candidates don’t spin it that way.

In other words,Β  GOP candidates and supporters of the GOP alikeΒ should be ableΒ criticize eachΒ other without being our own worst enemies. That is something I hope we can all agree on.

I’m sure some people will read this and suspect that I have “fallen for the media meme” and/or will conclude that I am a “RINO”Β when nothing could beΒ be further from the truth – this blog is a testament to how I don’t follow the “media meme” and to how I’m certainly not a “RINO” simply because I don’t march lock step with the base on every issue.Β Β Β If my near 7 years of touting conservative ideals at this blog and relentlessly criticizing the left and the MSM hasn’t convinced some people that I’m not a “RINO” who isΒ prone to falling for “media memes”, then I really can’t help anyone who feels that way.

At this point I am in no candidate’s camp, but I am leaning towards Perry currently.Β Β But,Β even if my preferred candidate does not make it beyond the primaries, I will supportΒ whoever does – because defeating Obama is Job One.Β  In the end,Β after all the bickering and infighting is done, that is all that really matters.Β Β Β Should Palin run and eventually become the nominee, I would enthusiastically support her and work like a tigress to help get her elected by way of continuing to destroy MSM/left-wing-driven myths about her as I have for the last 3+ years.Β  I believe she has so much to offer America, and her devotion to this country is second to none.Β  But I will also criticize herΒ when I feel it’s necessary.Β  NoΒ politico/candidate/prominent political public figureΒ should beΒ beyond criticism.Β Β Β Β  Anyone the base sets up as being that way risks turning that person – whether they like it or not –Β Β into a right wing version of President Obama in terms of the mindlessΒ adoration factor – something Erickson talked about in his piece.

Anyway, I’ve gone on long enough. It’s your turn.Β  Oh, and make sure to watch the debate tonight, which will be at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.Β Β Β The eyes of the nation will be onΒ GovernorΒ Perry, as this will be the first debate he has participated in since declaring his candidacy.Β  The debate starts at 8 ET and will be broadcast on MSNBC.Β  C-SPAN will have post-debate reax.

** Footnote: I am not a huge fan of any of these conservative pundits.

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