in the wrong era. Soundly refuting
liberals online since 2000. :)
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Audacity of Truth
Move Along:
""The whole issue of this - of talking points, frankly, throughout this process has been a sideshow. The whole thing defies logic. And the fact that this keeps on getting churned out, frankly, has a lot to do with political motivations."
Pres. Obama on GOP demands for Benghazi answers, 5/13/2013
So, did you hear Sarah isn’t running?
**Posted by Phineas
Let me be upfront about this: I’m disappointed Sarah Palin decided not to run for president in 2012. She’s been my preferred candidate since she was introduced to the nation in 2008 by John McCain and then made her brilliant (and I do not use that word lightly) acceptance speech at the Republican convention. I thought then and I think now she has “it” — what it takes to be a great president: strength of character, the right understanding of what this nation is about, of the proper role of the government, of our unique place in the world, and what it would take to make us great, again. If she had run this year, I would have crawled over broken glass and through a nuclear holocaust to vote for her.
So my disappointment is with her decision, not with her. Just so we’re clear.
Meanwhile, this provides me with a good chance to get a few things off my chest:
(Sleeps on it)
Nah. I was going to go into a long rant and diatribe about Palin-fanatics and Palin-bashers, but what’s the point? I’ll just leave it at what I wrote on Twitter last night:
One thing I’ve learned: among both Palin-critics and Palin-fans, there is an incredible number of self-righteous jerks.
And then there’s the mainstream media, which has spent the last three years largely successfully destroying the reputation of a good person, and large swathes of the Republican establishment, which let them get away with it or even joined in. You both have my contempt.
As for what Sarah Palin will do in the future, I don’t know. One of Jim Geraghty‘s correspondents, a Palin fan, thinks this is the end:
I still admire and respect her, and still think she is one of the most potent natural political talents in the country, but I think this starts the decline of her influence in American politics. She no longer has an obvious platform. I would be very surprised if she starts appearing more on Fox News and would be shocked if her contract is renewed. It’s pretty clear that she’s pissed at them, and Ailes made it equally clear in his interview with Howard Kurtz that he considers her a “branding problem,” and FNC appears to have turned against her. I would also be very surprised if her speaking engagements continue at anywhere near the pace of the last two years, and she can’t believe that she will continue to get the media coverage she has been getting. The media hates her and covered her primarily because she had a chance, no matter how improbable they considered it, of being the GOP nominee for President or even winning. Same for her Facebook postings. I can’t believe anyone in the media, liberal or conservative, will pay any attention to her now, nor do I think she will be that much in demand as a stump speaker for other candidates.
Maybe, but maybe not. After defeats in 1960 and 1962, most people thought Nixon was finished (1). Six years later, it was “hail to the chief!” Sarah Palin may vanish into Quayle and Ferraro-land, or she may refresh, reload, and come back in a few years stronger than ever (2). We’ll see, and I hope it’s the latter.
Meanwhile, we have a candidate to decide on and an election to win. Sitting out or third party is not an option; the nation cannot afford four more years of Barack Obama, even if the Republicans take control of Congress. Here’s my take on the current serious candidates:
Mitt Romney: I want to like Mitt, but he has so many moments that make me slap my hand to my forehead that I’m developing a welt. Steven Hayward brings up a couple of Mitt’s recent clueless moments. As president, I don’t doubt that he’d try to “reach across the aisle,” McCain-like, on key issues, and that he’d need a conservative Congress and an active base to keep him on the reservation. I do think, however, he’d be solid on foreign and defense issues.
Rick Perry: My second choice after Palin, probably the closest of the serious candidates to me ideologically. Yes, he does have serious questions to answer about immigration and the Texas Dream Act, and I think his position is defensible, but he’s handled it wretchedly and now has to dig himself out of a large hole. He also needs to show he really wants the job and isn’t another Fred Thompson, running because everyone else told him it would be a great idea. And we need to see better debate prep, if only because the nominee will have to dismantle Obama at some point.
Herman Cain: I want to warm up to him, but I’m having hard time. His answers on foreign affairs have been awful, his 9-9-9 plan, while interesting, is seriously flawed (you do not want a national sales tax and an income tax both), and I can’t escape a nagging feeling that he has the wrong temperament for dealing with a more assertive Congress. I get a “my way or the highway” vibe. Still, I’m open to being convinced.
The rest of the field is just window-dressing.
What do the rest of you think? Since we have to deal with what is, rather than what we’d (well, I’d) like it to be, which candidate floats your boat?
LINKS: Michelle Malkin had some nice things to say about Sarah Palin in the wake of her announcement. Professor Jacobson at Legal Insurrection is both more concise and more eloquent than I, and I agree with everything he wrote about this.
PS: You can bet Palin’s phone is ringing off the hook with candidates seeking her endorsement for the nomination. I would suggest to these political suitors, if you want to please those of us who looked to her for intelligent leadership on energy policy and who are aghast at the policies of the Obama administration, keeping her in mind for the Energy or Interior chairs in the Cabinet would be a very good idea.
Footnotes:
(1) No, I’m not saying she’s another Nixon. That’s Obama, if anyone. But Tricky Dick is a prime example of someone resurrecting a political career thought to be ruined.
(2) If she’s willing to do the work. I honestly wouldn’t blame her for walking away forever.
(Crossposted at Public Secrets)
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ST.. I agree with nearly every point because I, too, had secretly hoped …but knowing the viciousness we are now seeing on the Left–who can blame anyone for staying out of the fray? I have contributed on several occasions and see her as a hot draw for any campaign event she appears. But the LEFT is unrelenting about her because she actually is the REAL DEAL. Whenever you have someone who is real, stands up for their beliefs, and reaches the general public on some level–remember the Katie Couric interview and the condescending Charlie Gibson interview. I think we are at a crossroads and this next election will either seal the deal or be the first step back to our Constitution.
As a supporter from Day 1, I fully expected her to run. I am sad today, and truth be told, caught off guard a bit. But life goes on. I still love and support her, and understand and respect her reasoning. We will all move on.
My concern for the country however, is heightened. I can only see myself supporting Cain (of whom I have doubts given his lack of governmental experience -that being needed for pushing agendas through), or Perry (boy, he’s got some damage control to do -and I want to see how he regroups). Santorum? Going to take a deeper look, but it’s a pretty steep hill for him.
Damn!
Herman Cain wants to reform the tax code. His 9-9-9 is based on that reform. People are forgetting that. He likes the Fair Tax. His criticism regarding Romney’s plan is that Romney bases his on the current tax code. The tax code is ridiculous. I want someone in office who is sensible. Name me one governor past or present who has foreign policy experience! We need Israel! Palin could never have won.. she would have been crucified in the public arena!
I don’t worry so much about Cain’s governmental experience. He has had plenty of experience WITH government – he was the chairman of the Kansas Fed, after all. And frankly, if there’s an area of government that needs some serious oversight, it’s the Fed.
On the other hand, I still don’t know why he was asked to resign from Godfather’s. I can’t find word one about it anywhere, and that bothers me just a little bit.
Beautifully said, ST. Palin has not been destroyed, but most definitely, has been damaged by the most heinous, soulless pack of liberal jackals in the media and politics I’ve ever witnessed. I respect her choice, and believe that her time will come. She said her family comes first – amen to that. Frankly, I’m relieved she’s not running this time around. She will definitely be extremely effective doing what she’s been doing to galvanize the tea party movement, to expose the hypocrisy and lawlessness of the Obama administration, since leaving the liberals’ mounting litigation crap in Alaska. I love Sarah dearly, but acknowledge that even the strongest person can’t fully deflect the penetrating wounds of the “slings and arrows” from the death threats, the liberal op-ed attacks, late-night TV slams, etc. that she and her family have endured for the past three years. She’s mortal, after all. But Palin still has more humor, strength, integrity, common sense, and courage than most would have after all that the vicious, vitriol-spewing liberals, MSM, and corruptocrats in DC have put her through.
Sarah will triumph in the end, I have no doubts. In fact, by her very decision to not run, she has triumphed, doing what is best for her and her family right now. She’s following God’s direction for her. Bless this awesome woman.
She could of handled it differently, hitting a wall at 80mph is not a good thing. I respected her for her record and leadership and she didn’t go around lying to people. She will not have the same influence as before, she has told us it wasn’t a good bet. Even if she lost it would of helped the debates and in turn the country. I guess she listened to Ann Coulter and took the cheer leading route, we thought more of her, I guess we shouldn’t have. Yeah, it sucks but hey I’ll get over it and move on. I just wished she didn’t “act” like she was really running, and she did, because she made this decision a while ago. Live and learn, thanks for the post.
I don’t think she made this decision a while ago. In fact, I don’t think she made it until after Perry stumbled so seriously and Cain surged. Above all else, through her career, she has shown an ability to recognize talent and place competent people around her. I suspect that she likes and admires Herman Cain (although you won’t her her bad-mount Perry or Romney exactly). If she thinks he’s got a better shot, because he’s competent and isn’t carrying her negatives, then why wouldn’t she throw her weight behind him?
And why is the 9/9/9 plan bad? We are in a fiscal crisis. Whining about it now won’t help. We need a strong leader who will pare down the size of the government, with or without the help of Congress.
I am strongly favoring Herman Cain for the basic reason he comes from the business side not out of the political backroom.
His 9/9/9 plan is remarkable. It will get rid of the tax burdens on business and individuals by ditching the progressive income tax rates, Medical and Social security pay roll deductions and replacing them with a simple 9% income tax rate for all people. Everyone will have a skin in the game. No more deductions. A savings for business with a simple tax to pay. No paying accountants to look for loopholes. No capital gains tax. No death tax. The 9% sales tax applies to what you buy…you control the amount you pay in this regard. We are a consumer society and this reflects that change.
I think if you want serious change Herman Cain is your man!
I loved Sarah, too, but I completely understand why she is choosing to take a pass on running. Any sane person would not want to run after what the MSM did to her and her family.
Phineas great article!
I’m a huge Sarah fan, but I never thought that she really would run for President and thought she would be much more effective in a support role.
I have never seen any one person draw so much ire and disdain as Sarah has, especially from inside the Republican Party. I guess the closest comparison would have to be Hillary, but she never took shots from the inside. Normally very astute Republicans and Conservatives allowed themselves to be manipulated by the bile that the dims and the msm would put out almost as a daily ritural. It was so disappointing to see.
Where I may part company with you is her future. I believe this opportunity for both Sarah and Christie was a once in a lifetime shot. The Republican Conservative “bench” is pretty deep right now and looks good for the immediate future. I think Sarah’s choices for the immediate future is run for the Senate from either Alaska or in Arizona. Then again she could sit out and await a appointment to the next Republican Cabinet [Energy - Interior ?].
I’m really concerned about the Fox and Ailes situation. Ailes has been a lifetime warrior for the cause in New York and has never backed down. His current interview and his decisions regarding Beck and Sarah are troubling. What will he do with the rest in that lineup? It seems he has raised the white flag under extreme pressure from the left wing loons.
I actually heard on Public radio an announcer say that “Sarah Palin was not running which meant at least one person in the family knew when to quit, all 15 brain cells of her!” I couldn’t believe the absolute disregard for this woman’s following and her wonderful achievement from activist to Alaskan Governer. This angers me so…insidious comments. The media has to stop, really!