Wielding Ronald Reagan's Sword

-cross posted from Unsheathed

If Sarah Palin is our warrior today, then whose sword is she using? It is the same one used at the 1992 convention to attack liberals and then Governor Bill Clinton. I have emphasized the sarcasm and the barbs. You can see now where Governor Palin gets it from. Excalibur, once wielded by Ronaldus Maximus, is now firmly in the hands of Sarah the Great.

Reagan:

A fellow named James Allen once wrote in his diary, "many thinking people believe America has seen its best days." He wrote that July 26, 1775. There are still those who believe America is weakening; that our glory was the brief flash of time called the 20th century; that ours was a burst of greatness too bright and brilliant to sustain; that America's purpose is past.

My friends, I utterly reject those views. That's not the America we know. We were meant to be masters of destiny, not victims of fate. Who among us would trade America's future for that of any other country in the world? And who could possibly have so little faith in our America that they would trade our tomorrows for our yesterdays?

I'll give you a hint. They put on quite a production in New York a few weeks ago. You might even call it slick. A stone's throw from Broadway it was, and how appropriate. Over and over they told us they are not the party they were. They kept telling us with straight faces that they're for family values, they're for a strong America, they're for less intrusive government.

And they call me an actor.

To hear them talk, you'd never know that the nightmare of nuclear annihilation has been lifted from our sleep. You'd never know that our standard of living remains the highest in the world. You'd never know that our air is cleaner than it was 20 years ago. You'd never know that we remain the one nation the rest of the world looks to for leadership.

It wasn't always this way. We mustn't forget -- even if they would like to -- the very different America that existed just 12 years ago; an America with 21 percent interest rates and back to back years of double digit inflation; an America where mortgage payments doubled, paychecks plunged, and motorists sat in gas lines; an America whose leaders told us it was our own fault; that ours was a future of scarcity and sacrifice; and that what we really needed was another good dose of government control and higher taxes.

It wasn't so long ago that the world was a far more dangerous place as well. It was a world where aggressive Soviet Communism was on the rise and American strength was in decline. It was a world where our children came of age under the threat of nuclear holocaust. It was a world where our leaders told us that standing up to aggressors was dangerous -- that American might and determination were somehow obstacles to peace.

Palin:

Victory in Iraq is finally in sight ... he wants to forfeit.

Terrorist states are seeking new-clear weapons without delay ... he wants to meet them without preconditions.

Al Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America ... he's worried that someone won't read them their rights? Government is too big ... he wants to grow it.

Congress spends too much ... he promises more.

Taxes are too high ... he wants to raise them. His tax increases are the fine print in his economic plan, and let me be specific.

The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes ... raise payroll taxes ... raise investment income taxes ... raise the death tax ... raise business taxes ... and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars.

Reagan:

But we stood tall and proclaimed that Communism was destined for the ash heap of history. We never heard so much ridicule from our liberal friends. The only thing that got them more upset was two simple words: "Evil Empire."

We never heard so much ridicule from our liberal friends. The only thing that got them more upset was two simple words: "Death Panels."

But we knew then what the liberal Democrat leaders just couldn't figure out: the sky would not fall if America restored her strength and resolve. The sky would not fall if an American president spoke the truth. The only thing that would fall was the Berlin Wall.

I heard those speakers at that other convention saying, "we won the Cold War" -- and I couldn't help wondering, just who exactly do they mean by "we"? And to top it off, they even tried to portray themselves as sharing the same fundamental values of our party! What they truly don't understand is the principle so eloquently stated by Abraham Lincoln: "You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot help the wage-earner by pulling down the wage-payer. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves."

If we ever hear the Democrats quoting that passage by Lincoln and acting like they mean it, then, my friends, we will know that the opposition has really changed.

Until then, we see all that rhetorical smoke, billowing out from the Democrats, well, ladies and gentlemen, I'd follow the example of their nominee. Don't inhale.

Sounds like a line Sarah Palin could deliver, doesn't it?

Please watch Ronald Reagan's 1992 Republican Convention Speech. You will understand everything you need to know about Sarah Palin and our movement then.




Read about the Liberty's Lamp lines toward the end of the speech here.

Sarah Palin On Hannity's Radio Show 07/14/10

I've been busy, but hope to be back to more blogging soon.

Here's the latest from Sarah Palin on Hannity's radio program today via PalinTV.



The Daily Caller has an article about the interview where they link to The Right Scoop.

New Black Panthers Free to Intimidate at Will (Updated)

The Daily Caller is reporting that "NBPP Chairman Malik Zulu Shabazz said, '[Beck] can bring his Tea Party, and we’ll bring our party, and we’ll see Glenn Beck.' This is in reference to the Restoring Honor rally on 8/28 at the Lincoln Memorial. Sarah Palin is also scheduled to speak that day.

Because Eric Holder didn’t do his job, the New Black Panthers are now free to intimidate at will without fear of prosecution. This is an epic fail of the Obama administration in the protection of this country's voting rights and now will translate into a failure to protect free speech rights as well.

Where is the mainstream media, you know those idiots who thought the Tea Party was violent? This is the real deal here with these Panther thugs. This could set race relations back, way back.

Can you imagine if the KKK said they were going to show up at an Obama rally? The Black Panthers are nothing more than the black version of the KKK. Racism is racism no matter which color is doing it.

No one wants to see violence. It's time for the media and the Obama administration to stand up and either put these thugs away or keep them at bay. The government cannot be sending a message to the people that we need to handle this ourselves.


UPDATE: Blast from the Past. New Black Panthers were on Obama's website and then it was taken down. h/t @CrabbyCon (the retweet is here)



UPDATE 2: Do you remember right after the 2008 election and moreso right around the time of Obama's innauguration when the Tea Party was just getting off the ground and liberals were lamenting that Sarah Palin wasn't going away? The astroturfing of manufactured outrage that appeared in the comments section of articles was crazy. Well now it's real. Only, it's directed at the Obamas and the New Black Panther Party. Read the comments under this article. Those are real people folks. And they are not happy about the way the Obamas and the New Black Panther Party are damaging race relations.

UPDATE 3: Sarah Palin speaks out on the New Black Panthers Issue, praising Megyn Kelly's coverage of the voting rights case and also tweeting this:

I'm busy today so notify me asap when NAACP renders verdict: are liberty-loving, equality-respecting patriots racist?Bated breath,waiting...

Sarah Palin once again sees it like I see it. It's the same world view. It's the same political philosophy. When she runs for president, she will be an exact ideological match for me - and as such she will get my unwavering support. Sarah Palin is kicking ass and I'm just in awe of every minute of it.

Gone Fishing

Family's headed home for Bristol Bay commercial fishing season. Mission: slay salmon to help family biz hum along. Buy"Wild Alaska Seafood"! - Sarah Palin


I have a lot of work to do in my job and in my business. So, time is going to be tight for me for the next few weeks. I've got some productive things that have to be done with my business in the coming weeks because I have decided that I am sick and tired of having the water heater, the roof, the tub or the car go when I least expect it and when I don't have cash on hand to pay for it. I spend a lot of time supporting the conservative cause and of course the Palin cause not because I have a lot of time but because the darn woman is constantly working to help all of us make this a great nation again. It's only right that I do what I can. Now that she is going fishing maybe I can get some other work done.

It's not like I'm not going to blog or tweet. I promised someone an article which I will work on this weekend. And I have some Twitter friends who are going to the C4P meet and greet in San Diego this weekend as well. So I will be around. It's just that I may not be as crazy on here as I usually am after that for a few weeks.

Sarah Palin is a role model of success. I merely have a day job, a business and do some blogging. She works like an animal giving speeches, campaigning, raising money for candidates and causes, doing a documentary, being a Fox News contributor and working on a new book. Now I find out that she's going to take the next several weeks to work on her family business, commercial fishing. The least that I can do is take this opportunity to work on mine.

Luckily this time when the flimsily made tub (some people in America don't really give a crap anymore about workmanship) cracked, I chose the right credit card to use - the one who didn't screw me on my interest rate and the one who just sent me a letter increasing rather than decreasing my credit line. I like doing business with good people in America. It is my dream to make millions of dollars and never have to do business with anyone who does not have the right work ethic, commitment to excellence and the American spirit that is necessary to becoming successful in this great country of ours.

I also need this country to stay free market and not become a socialist state. So fighting for this cause is not just a political thing, it's a business decision. I am not in it for the mansions and the yachts. I'm in it for the freedom - freedom to travel and support the causes I want to support and freedom from, yes, the nonsense. I want America to do what it did in the 1980's again.

I was too young to really cash in completely on that round. Fresh out of college, I joined a company that had 50 employees. It exploded and ended up with over 1000 employees all because the policies of Ronald Reagan created an economy where money flowed to those who were willing to work for it. I didn't own that company, but the one I own now has a similar potential - only if the economic conditions are right. With Bob McDonnell as Governor of Virginia and Sarah Palin as President of the United States, conditions just may be right for going after that dream.

While Sarah is working on her fishing business, I'll be working on my business. If we all work hard and do what we have to do, and if we can get the bureaucratic tax sucking nanny state monster off our backs, we can all be successful. First we need to slay the dragon of big government. Then we need to unleash this industrial and entrepreneurial giant again and let it go.

Don't let the naysayers tell you that free market capitalism is not humane. It is those who stifle free enterprise who are inhumane. Vote them out. I want my country back.

Gary P. Jackson: The Day That Changed History

Gary P. Jackson of A Time For Choosing gives us an on the money analysis and recollection of the "Resignation That Stunned the Nation." It is a great read not only for Sarah Palin fans, but for anyone who would like to understand the truth about why she resigned and why it is now looked back on as one of the greatest political moves in modern times. One year has passed giving us the answers that many of us were looking for that fateful July 3rd in 2009. I'll let Gary explain:

Sarah Palin, this leader among men, told us exactly what she was going to do. She laid out the case that she had made up her mind not to run for a second term. She explained she didn’t care for lame duck politicians who spent their days wasting tax payer money going off on junkets and such. Sarah went into great detail about the damage Obama’s thugs had done, and the obscene amount of money they had stolen from the Alaskan people.

Lastly though, Sarah spoke to the future. Sarah told the Alaskan people that she would never stop fighting for them. She also said that she would go around the nation aiding Conservative causes, and help Conservative candidates who sought elected office.

This was an aggressive agenda, for sure.

Sarah saw what we saw though. She saw a very dangerous man in the White House whose agenda will destroy the Republic and the lives of all of us who live in this great nation. Though she’s never said it, I imagine she felt it was her duty to personally take this tyrant on. Damned good thing too, as so far, she is one of the very few who have had the spine to do it, and most certainly the only high profile leader to do so.

The phone was rather quiet at first. Neither Ron nor I knew exactly what to say. Stunned is the right word. We knew what she had been going through, better than most, and certainly understood that she did the right thing for the Alaskan people. But we wondered if the people at large would get it. We wondered if decent Americans would understand just how dirty Chicago politics are, and the price one must pay to fight evil.

Honestly, I still don’t know the answers to those questions, though I think most Americans get it.

One thing about it though, by the time we were done running all of the different scenarios by each other, and discussed future possibilities, we were in agreement that this was indeed a brilliant, and inspired move.One that would not only stop Obama’s thugs in their tracks, but frustrate the entire left from now until the end of time.

Since then, the brilliance of Sarah’s move has become more evident with each passing day.

For the Alaskan people, Governor Sean Parnell has proven to be quite capable, and hasn’t strayed from the Palin Doctrine of good government. The Alaskan people are well served, and they are millions of dollars better off than if Sarah had stayed and fought a losing battle.

Sarah has made good on every promise. She is one of the best spokesmen Alaska has ever had. I don’t know if you’ve looked, but shows about Alaska are everywhere, and quite popular. Sarah is about to add her own show about the great state to the mix.

Politically, Sarah Palin is a powerhouse. She stands head and shoulders above everyone else. Her endorsement of a candidate is coveted, and as Rick Santorum stated recently, the only one that matters. She has made a difference in some very high profile races, and chosen solid leaders to replace corrupt, out of touch losers,

Personally Sarah has done quite well, and she deserves absolutely every bit of it. Her first book sold over 2.5 million copies, was a number one best seller, and her tour had people camping out overnight, in terribly cold weather, just to get a chance to meet her. She has a second book due out this fall.

Sarah promised to speak out for causes that mattered and has raised a boatload of money for organizations she believes in. She’s raised a lot of money to support our troops, special needs children, pro-life causes, and education.

As a motivational speaker, Sarah is constantly in demand. Same goes for the political arena. She headlines everywhere to sell out crowds, as she delivers a message of real hope, and real change.

A light shines in the darkness of the Obama years. I wasn't following Sarah Palin the way Gary did prior to her selection as VP candidate. But I remember the despair and hopelessness as John McCain spoke to sparse rally crowds and conservatives grumbled about the impending Obama presidency. And I remember how that despair was washed away by the rekindling of my "Reagan heart" when I saw her speak at the Republican National Convention.

The morning it was rumored that Palin would be selected as the VP candidate, I scoured the web reading article after article. All I kept saying to myself was "this is too good to be true." When I went to the car, Rush Limbaugh was broadcasting McCain's introduction of her. It was real.

Everything I concluded was confirmed by the look in the eyes of the people as Sarah Palin delivered her RNC speech. If you had just seen the crowd without seeing or hearing the speaker, you would have thought Ronald Reagan had risen from the dead and was addressing the crowd. The reality of the situation was close enough, though.

When the election was over, I knew that getting through the Obama years was going to be tough, but not as tough as it would have been without Sarah Palin. When news of her resignation broke, there was that moment when it flashed in my mind "what if she's gone forever?" She quickly erased that fleeting moment of fear with her tweet and her Facebook posting telling us to hang in there and that "it was all good." My political world appeared to be crumbling and Sarah Palin told us not to worry. She told us to trust her and she was right.

I share Gary's heartfelt thanks to leader who has inspired us and given us hope in the darkest of times.

I have lived through 11 Presidents. I’ve seen poor leaders, as well as one great leader among them. I’ve seen a lot of pretenders to the throne. Never in the history of the Republic have we witnessed a tyrant like Barack Obama though. The amount of damage this corrupt Chicago rabble rouser has done is simply mind boggling.

Thankfully, we have a leader who is up to the task. Someone whose love for our country is above reproach. A true patriot, and a true warrior.

A lot has been said, and a lot will be said. In the end though, one must simply say: Thank you Sarah Palin.

You are a bright light in otherwise dark times. You are the one true leader this nation has. The one person who has the guts to take on Barack Obama with full force and never give an inch.

No matter how viciously you are attacked, you just come back twice as hard, landing blow after devastating blow to Obama and all of those who would seek to destroy America.

Thank you for unselfishly relinquishing power for the good of your neighbors, and thank you for never backing down against evil.

On July 3rd, 2009 you changed the world. You started writing a new chapter in history. A history that now looks to have a happier ending than it once did.

When Ronald Reagan passed in 2004, we were left alone in the political wilderness. President George W. Bush issued this statement: "Now, in laying our leader to rest, we say thank you." Yes, "our leader" was gone. The millions of us who still wanted it to be a shining city on a hill were now leaderless. Our (Republican) party floundered. The liberals seized the opportunity to gain control of the city which has gone into ruin and decay on their watch. But someone showed us a way out of the wilderness. Someone stepped up to be our leader. Her name is Sarah Palin.

We are finding our way out of the wilderness as she has leads our hearts back to that shining city. We can see it in the distance through the trees. We know we can get it back and rebuild it. We grow nearer to securing the first position in taking it back: the 2010 elections. After that, we can complete the job in 2012.
It would only be fitting that we put our shining city on a hill into the capable hands of one Sarah Heath Palin.

Ronnie, we are coming home.

Memories of the Fourth of July

Last Fourth of July reminded me of being at a barbecue at my uncle's house in 1980. It was the final year of the Jimmy Carter years and my first real recollection of having a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach about the state of my country. I was 16 going on 17 at the time. Charlie Daniels had a song out, America. I had been headed toward conservatism in the years leading up to this time, but I mark this song as the first time I officially considered myself "a patriot no matter what."

I still get chills when I listen to the song, especially now that it captures the same feeling today during the Obama years as it did during the Carter years. My country is a strong and proud nation. It has done great things. It has survived the Civil War, Pearl Harbor and WW II, the Cold War and 9/11. It has also come through some rough political times as well such as the late 1960's, the late 1970's and now the late 2000's. We have this uncanny ability to fall asleep at the wheel yet wake up just in time to keep the car from crashing into the guard rail. I know we can do it again.

In 1980, I shot my fireworks off at make believe Soviet divisions in Afghanistan. And despite my disgust at the Carter administration, I believed in the American people. I believed we would get the bum out of office. And we did. Five years later, it was morning in America. I graduated college and went wide-eyed into a world with unlimited potential. The economy was cranking, the job market was great and we were militarily strong. The Soviet Union was on the brink of collapse. What happened to that? Where did that go?

I cry about now, but  I know we have it in us to make it that way again.

In 1986, I was outside with friends shooting off fireworks. I had to go to the bathroom so I went in my house. Ronald Reagan just started giving his "Statue of Liberty" speech. I sat with my parents for entire speech, hiding the tears that started streaming down my cheeks as I beamed with pride and joy over my great nation and the great man who now led it. All was well with the world. God that felt great.

The Fourth of July following 9/11 was a defiant one. I was on my in-law's at the time boat and we were on the lake as the fireworks display started. I felt good because I knew we were taking action in Afghanistan and that George W. Bush had America's back. I knew we would not falter and we would not fail. I still felt good about America. I was not a Bill Clinton fan by far, but I thanked my lucky stars that he listened to Newt Gingrich and signed off on the Contract For America.

Last year was the roughest Fourth of Julys I can ever remember.  I had my Palin shirt, my Gadsden flag and a cooler full of cold beer and good food all ready. Even though it was the beginning of the Obama years, I wasn't going to let his America - a lackluster apologetic weak excuse of a nation - interfere with my celebration of my America - the shining city on a hill. It was going to be my way of declaring Sarah Palin as my real leader and the successor in my heart to Ronald Reagan. I was at Virginia Beach when a friend of mine called me on the beach to tell me that Sarah Palin had resigned.

When I went up to the deck, Stuart Varney replayed Sarah Palin's speech on Fox News. I watched stunned as the pundits talked about a possible FBI investigation and how the frivolous ethics violations had cost her and the state of Alaska a fortune. I was alone in the wilderness. Obama was leading my country off a cliff and my leader just stepped down from her position of power. I felt like I wanted to throw up.

There was a 5 minute period during the entire time I was at my friend's condo when his son was not on the laptop, so I read everything I could about her resignation the next morning which was July 4, 2009.

Sarah Palin called her minions in off the ledge with a tweet (link no longer available - emphasis is mine): "Critics are spinning, so hang in there as they feed false info on the right decision made as I enter last yr in office to not run again...." On her Facebook page, she wrote (emphasis is again mine):

I am now looking ahead and how we can advance this country together with our values of less government intervention, greater energy independence, stronger national security, and much-needed fiscal restraint. I hope you will join me. Now is the time to rebuild and help our nation achieve greatness!

She put her resignation speech on her Facebook page underneath the headline which included these words: "it is good, stay tuned." I read the speech and this line jumped out at me (emphasis not mine - Sarah capitalized the word TRUST):

I do not want to disappoint anyone with my decision; all I can ask is that you TRUST me with this decision - but it's no more "politics as usual".

I'm a political science guy who was taught from the textbook in college. It would have been easy to draw a conclusion that she was done. A friend told me it was her "Checkers" speech. It would have been just as easy to get off the emotional rollercoaster of being a Sarah Palin fan at that point. But she said the right words when she was talking to her fans. She was talking to us. She was talking to me. She was asking me to hang in, join her, TRUST her. And like I did before when the media lies were going un-debunked before the Palinista presence we have on the web today, I decided to listen to her.

I wrote:

Take a deep breath. There are 3 1/2 years left until the 2012 presidential election. A lot can happen. Sarah Palin holds the answer. Whether it works or not is totally up to her now. With more freedom to control her brand, her future will no longer be in the hands of an unchecked hostile media that spreads lies about her.

We will be participants in a future political science lesson that has yet to reveal its answer to us.

I deferred the future to Sarah, knowing that the only way to explain the resignation could not be done until after the fact. Now that it is after the fact, I can explain it. I also know that I was right to trust her.

I put on my Sarah Palin shirt last Fourth of July and flew that Gadsden flag that day. When someone commented on my shirt "looks like your girl's in trouble," I hid my concern and simply told him, "nah, she's just getting ready to run in 2012."

Now that the emotion and the uncertainty of last year's Fourth of July is over. Let's do this again right this time. I'm wearing the shirt again this year and this time I'm really going to enjoy it.

It's a year since Sarah resigned. Since then she has made over $12 million dollars and her PAC has donated tens of thousands to political campaigns across the country. She is a best selling author, Fox News contributor, professional speaker and a documentarian. Did I mention she's in the top tier of contenders for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012? Resignation, smesignation.

In 2010, I will shoot off my fireworks off at make believe Taliban and al Qaeda strongholds in Afghanistan. And despite my disgust at the Obama administration, I believe in the American people. I believe we will get the bum out of office. Five years from now, it will be morning in America. And kid's who weren't alive when Reagan was president will be able to graduate college and go wide-eyed into a world with unlimited potential. The economy will be cranking, the job market will be great and we will be militarily strong. The terrorists will be on the brink of collapse.

It will be morning in America again. Sarah Palin will give her "Statue of Liberty" speech and we will beam with pride and joy over our great nation and the great woman who will be leading it.

-cross posted from Liberty's Lamp

UPDATE: Special thanks to Conservatives4Palin.com for the link.

Quote of the Day 07/01/10

Adrienne Ross offers the best articulation and explanation of how Sarah Palin brings out the best in positive people and the worst in negative people:

After searching for a while, the interviewer discovered one tiny American flag in the midst of the haters. The sound of it waving in the wind certainly wasn't loud enough to drown out the man who declared he hated the Constitution. No wonder they don't like Governor Palin: she stands by our beloved Constitution. She's an American through and through.

Now, the Governor had a crowd of supporters gathered, as well. The difference between them and the anti-Palin people was glaring. Pro-Palin people were carrying flags, singing "God Bless America," and reciting the "Pledge of Allegiance." They were smiling, civil, and respectful. They demonstrated a clear love of America. When asked why Governor Palin had their support, they spoke intelligently of her support for our troops, her belief in our Constitution, and her position as a mom and role model. In spite of having Gatorade thrown at them, as one supporter claimed, they were happy and expectant of great things ahead--unlike their adversaries, who seemed quite miserable and dissatisfied with life. How sad that their worldview doesn't seem to offer them more hope and joy. When juxtaposed with the light emanating from Governor Palin and her supporters, the Left's darkness is that much more obvious.

That about says it all. Read the full article and see the video here.

Preparing for 1980

Since the inauguration and early bumblings of Barack Obama, it has been an observation that many of the things that are happening today parallel much of what has happened in the late 1970's. Consider this era "Jimmy Carter II." We all know who got elected president after Jimmy Carter I. But for those who are not as old as I am to remember or who never really heard about it in detail, there was Ted Kennedy who ran against Jimmy Carter in the presidential primary at a time when the Democrat party was split over whether or not Jimmy Carter should get a second term. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to Hillary "Ted Kennedy" Clinton who could be running against Barack Obama in the 2012 primaries.

The latest statement from her husband, Bill Clinton, should tell you something. The Clinton's don't wing it. They do things for a reason. While Hillary Clinton is expanding her areas of discussion as secretary of state, Bill is laying out what the president should do and trying to bring stability to a currently nervous and split Democrat party in advance of his wife's candidacy. We have liberals who want the president to pull out of Afghanistan and we have moderates who are getting nervous that he might be too radical for this country. At some point, these two elements are going to have to clash.

Will the Democrat party risk its very existence on hope and change, fundamental transformation of America and ultimately socialism? Not if the Clintons have their way.

Why did Ted Kennedy run against Jimmy Carter in 1980? Bungling and the opportunity to finally grab that brass ring he had so longed for. Why will Hillary Clinton run against Barack Obama? Bungling and the opportunity to finally grab that brass ring she has so longed for.

Hillary will raise the issues on the minds of many Americans. She will point out Obama's foreign policy failures. She will refer back to her chastising of then Senator Obama for naievite about wanting to meet with dictators like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. She will revive the theme of her husband's campaign in 1992: it's the economy stupid. And the battle for the hearts and minds of the Democrat party will be on.

Hillary Clinton will not get the nomination. The power of the incumbency combined with the power of Obama's Chicago political machine will stop her. But it will be close. And it will open wounds in front of the American people who will be watching the process with great interest.

What will the mainstream media do? They will expose themselves as Democrat hacks with some speaking out on behalf of their beloved Obama while others will choose to get behind Hillary. Either way, the media is filled with Democrats. So enjoy the fight on screen there as well if Hillary runs.

The excuse to support Hillary? She would have a better chance to beat Sarah Palin in the general election. The media will go nuts with analysis, regurgitation of Democrat talking points and their usual mockery. The excuse to support Obama? Don't worry about Sarah Palin. She's a grade B movie actor with no foreign policy experience hockey mom with no national experience. He's finally figured out the job. He screwed this up. Let him fix it now.

Either way, the American people will wake up and see the Democrat circus for the farce that it is.

Quite frankly, if Hillary Clinton wins the nomination by some freak accident, it would make for an interesting scenario. We might have a woman versus woman battle for the presidency. Or, the sense of urgency to remove Obama would be gone and Palin could take the Reagan route by waiting until she was a little older and let Hillary clean up part of the mess first. It raises the question is this 1964 or 1980? I lean heavily toward 1980, but I never rule out 1964.

Hillary is still a Democrat and would not revive the shining city on a hill. But she would be in a less dangerous position since her job would be to do some clean up work, unlike in 2008 when she was in a position to institutionalize the moderately left socially liberal welfare state with its crony capitalism face that says "look, we're still free market here."

I told friends in 2008 if Hillary wins the primaries, she will institutionalize liberalism. If Obama wins, he will come in radically hard and do his damnest to install socialism but he will be too wet behind the ears to make it work. What Hillary would do had she been elected in 2008 would take 25 years to undo. What Obama is doing (as I had anticipated), I said, will take about 5 years to fix.

Thus, the first term of any new president in 2012, whether it be Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney or some Joe off the street will be to clean up the mess. It will not be until the next president's second term that that individual will have a chance to shine. Reagan cleaned up Carter's mess in 3 years. Reagan is Reagan. Only Palin would have a remote shot of doing that, but chances are she would need her whole first term just to right the ship.

Obama will be renominated. If the Republicans are smart, they will read not only the playbook, but the history book. The strategy: let the Democrats divide and fight in front of the American people while the Republicans unite behind a Reagan-like figure such as Palin and take the center not by selling Palin as the next savior, but by getting the center to vote for her as the lesser of two evils in their minds.

Ronald Reagan did not win in 1980 because America loved him. He won in 1980 because America was sick of Jimmy Carter. It was only later that America would find out how great Reagan was and re-elect him in 1984. The same will be true for Sarah Palin.


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Still Not Sure About Palin yet?

Recently, this blogger wrote a post praising Townhall for showing courage in an article about the 100 conservatives most hated by the left. I contrasted that with the views of two pundits who expressed concern about Palin's electability due to the damage inflicted on her by the media. This was to demonstrate how we conservatives could stiffen our spines and act on the strength of our convictions rather than cower to the fears caused by damage already done. Even people who are not in the tank for Palin are beginning to see it: she's not weak, she's feared.

I'm not one who will automatically dismiss someone just because they don't hang out as deep in the Sarah Palin tank as I do. I listen to what others on my side say about her. I know there is not total agreement as to her credentials just yet. But, when I see intellectually honest and non-PDS infected debate, I can respect that.

A Palin skeptic just put out a piece that leads me to believe that there is still hope for good folks who may not be ready to take that Palin plunge just yet. Dave Gaultier is the kind of guy I would put into the "good conservative" but not yet ready to drink the Palin kool aid column. Here are the money lines of what he wrote (emphasis added):

Palin voices her strong support for Israel and for the U.S. taking a leadership role in the world while making sure that she is on record agreeing with the Pauls that empire building has to be a thing of the past. That makes her foreign policy quite distinct from both the realist Bush 41 and the idealist Bush 43 and is a lot more like Reaganism than NeoConservatism.

All of that said, there still remains the question of whether Sarah Palin would be a viable general election candidate given her tumultuous national political career thus far. I don't think that question has a clear answer. I do think that a fully operational Palin campaign would unite all elements of the Republican Party given what I've seen of her ideology thus far.

Time will tell whether Palin continues to emerge as a sort of First Principles classical liberal, as well as if her high negatives are set in stone, sort of like a Dan Quayle, or whether she's more like Hillary, who went from being the shrill ex-wife of every man in America to the hero of Reagan Democrats during the 2008 campaign season. In politics, anything can happen, and if Hillary can go from being a bra-burning, '60s feminist to a working class heroine, maybe Sarah Palin can make the same kind of transition in the minds of those who currently view her as suspect: white-collar, educated independents who despise Obamanomics. And while Palin has allowed folks with their own agendas to define her for far too long, as she begins to voice her true views on the issues, she seems to be in line with the majority of Americans who are returning to a small government philosophy in response to the economic and international malaise that has been aided and abetted by big government. If Palin does choose to run, she will do so in a manner that has thus far not been expected by the political or media establishment on either side of the aisle, and has the potential to make the entrenched interests on both sides quake as she presents the nation with what establishmentarians fear the most: an electable champion of freedom.

The less courageous who fear "the polarization and media smear factor" are missing the fact that the left and the media establishment fear Sarah Palin more than we fear what they can do to her. She is their biggest threat and therefore that already makes her our most dangerous weapon.

Greta Van Susteren explains this with precision when says this of a DSCC email she received:

As I looked at the money solicitation and pic of Gov Palin, I thought 'they must be afraid of her.' You don't see a picture of Gov Romney or Gov Jindal....but rather Gov Sarah Palin. The covert message is, 'if you don't give, she could win.' If they feared someone else, that other person's picture would be there. The Dems are using her to raise money.

This reminds me of something Rush Limbaugh has always said: the opposition will tell us who to nominate because they will tell us who they fear the most.  The left and the media establishment are not just at war with Sarah Palin, they are at war with all conservatives (Sarah Palin is the voodoo doll that represents this and that's why they stick so many pins in). Palin herself has always said the attacks on her are really attacks on the message. Doug Brady of Conservatives4Palin makes a similar point to the one Galtier so eloquently made in his piece when he writes Attacks on Governor Palin are Attacks on Conservatives.

The Left is well aware of the fact that Governor Palin is the one individual with the platform, gravitas, and determination to effectively criticize Obama's policies. While the other so-called leaders of the opposition cower in the shadows, terrified of criticizing The One for fear of alienating the mainstream media, Sarah Palin is working tenaciously on a daily basis to lead the fight against Obama's determination to take us down the same fiscal path as Greece or, perhaps even more dire, California.

There's the courage issue again. It raises the question if we can't stomach the media torrent on her now, how would be able to stomach the media vitriol that would quickly move from her to whoever else would take her place as the biggest threat if she was not chosen to be the nominee in 2012? I say screw it and have a set now when it counts and stand up for Sarah Palin and our philosophy.

Yes, putting up with the attacks on Sarah Palin requires courage and require us to be able to stand up and not let the media win by destroying her or by making us believe she's damaged. It's almost as if we should elect Sarah Palin president just to stick it to the mainstream media and give them the Palin presidency they have stooped so low to prevent just as payback for their lies and smears. Anything less would be a victory for them.

I have been known to be quick to unsheathe the rhetorical sword and to be a little too happy on the rhetorical trigger when it comes to those who diss Palin. After watching Palin get beat on by the lamestream media the way she has, one can't help but to feel like an abused animal ready to show teeth and pounce at the slightest provocation. She is us and she is willing to fight for us. This explains why Palnistas are willing to fight to the death for Sarah Palin. Sarah Palin is willing to fight to the death for our conservative values. What if all conservatives were like that?

I know there are conservatives out there who will support candidates other than Palin for the 2012 presidential nomination. We don't have political parties and primaries in this country so a small group of people can get together in a back room and select our candidate for us. We're also not robots. The competition that the primaries will bring will be Palin's and all the other candidates' opportunity to prove to us who should lead us into the ultimate battle for that shining city on a hill.

We have a strong bench this time around - much stronger than the bench we had in 2008. If Palin can beat this bench in the 2012 primaries, many more will be able to trust fully in her ability to be president. It's going to require her army to fight hard and for her to run a good campaign.

If Sarah Palin has to build a tent big enough to get the votes needed to win the nomination, This blogger sure as heck better be able to build a tent at least big enough to get this blog a few back links and a mention or two on Twitter where I storm in on the ever coveted 2000 followers mark (almost enough to drown out the sound of crickets on my Twitter page). This blogger will continue to pay attention to the conservative voices that are out there even if they are not yet convinced of Palin's viablity. I know they are fair and intellectually honest because they are conservatives. They may still question her, but they don't trash her. She has not evolved to the point in their minds where they can get behind her yet. But she can still get there.

If you want to know what we're going to have to endure, I can tell you about the sweaty palm moments of Troopergate, the VP debate, the resignation and all the lies that have been printed about her in the media as "breaking news." Taking the country back is going to be nail biting, edge of your seat kind of stuff whether you like it or not. We can't be out on the ledge every time the MSM says something bad about Sarah or any other conservative for that matter. Trust me on this. Faith, a few bottles of Jim Beam, a heart full of political courage and a mind full of political armor says we can handle the ride if Sarah Palin is given the chance to lead us to victory in 2012.