Palin Reemerges Into the Spotlight Via Facebook

By: Stephanie Condon
Topics: Republicans

(AP Photo )

The future of Sarah Palin has been heavily mulled over by many. The former Republican vice presidential candidate has yet to announce any plans for jumping back into national politics. She has a book deal, though she has not spoken very much about it. Unlike someone like Mike Huckabee, who could be a 2012 rival if she decides to run for president, she has yet to become a regular on cable television. And in fact, she gave up her bully pulpit as governor as Alaska.

In spite of all this, the charismatic Palin has stayed in the spotlight.

Over the past week, Palin has caused a firestorm of debate by ratcheting up the rhetoric criticizing certain health care reform proposals, accusing President Obama of planning to establish "death panels." Her description of the reform proposal has been widely debunked, yet the term has caught on with both liberals interested in debunking the claim as well as conservatives trying to perpetuate it.

Without a seat on the cable news circuit, without a political office to leverage and without any kind of formal structure through which to promote her ideas, there was one simple place through which Palin could spread her ideas: Facebook. The former governor has enthusiastically embraced Twitter, and this week she wrote multiple Facebook messages blasting the president's health care reform plans.

"The president is busy assuring us that we can keep our private insurance plans, but common sense (and basic economics) tells us otherwise," she wrote in a note on Friday. "The public option in the Democratic health care plan will crowd out private insurers, and that's what it's intended to do."

While Palin has aggressively jumped into the most controversial and pressing political issue of the moment, her Facebook postings do not necessarily mean she has any particular plans for herself, warns Fred Malek, a prominent political player who served on John McCain's presidential campaign team and knows Palin well.

"If she has something she wants to say, and she has a pretty hardcore group of loyal followers, then she has a great way to communicate with them" through Facebook, Malek said in an interview. He added, though, that "if she had a political strategy in mind, I would think she would have an organized a sequence of writings and thoughts to pass on. These appear to be more spur of the moment -- reacting to issues of the day rather than embodying any broad political strategy."

While Palin takes time to determine her political future, the social networking sites are the ideal place for her to remain in the public eye, according to conservative media strategist David All, because the Internet is already abuzz about her.

"One thing we do is just watch the organic interest for certain candidates and certain names (on social media), and she by far outpaces every other person," All said in an interview. "Whether that's positive or negative, people are talking about Sarah Palin. I think it's completely relevant to not be a modern ostrich and pretend it doesn't exist but to engage those communities and set the record straight when appropriate."

Palin has been able to create a narrative for herself through sites like Facebook, All said, both politically and personally.

"As a citizen, I think a lot of people find her fascinating," he said. "Here's a common sense conservative mother who was the governor of Alaska. They never got to know who the real Sarah Palin is. What she's doing now is helping tell the story of who she is."

Furthermore, it's arguable Palin has wielded some influence in Washington via Facebook. After creating dizzying controversy with her "death panel" comments, one of the Republican senators in a bipartisan group hashing out health care legislation said the group abandoned the idea that sparked the term.

Even the White House responded, through its own Internet communications, to Palin's false "death panel" claim.

"Here's the most powerful office in the land responding" to her messages on Facebook, All said.

Still, Malek said, if Palin wants to seriously pursue a national political career, it would take more than freqent Facebook notes.

"She would have to utilize not only social media but other outlets as well," he said.

Would Palin have been able to maintain such a high profile at this point in her career without social media?

"No, I don't think so," Malek said. "The instantaneous communication and ease of communication make it much easier to sustain a high profile and much easier to develop one."

All added, "She's not even a public official right now, so she can get away with saying a lot of things, and being aggressive -- and she has to."

All, however, suspects Palin's popularity would persist without social media. But the unfiltered platform gives her that much more leverage as a national figure.

"I don't think (there's) a shortage of interest (in Palin) from mainstream media," All said. "In fact, I think it's almost the opposite -- she's creating her own media."

Stephanie Condon
Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com.
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by mariesheila August 17, 2009 8:18 PM EDT: Sarah Palin is NOT writing her Facebook entries. Please, look at the word selection, the phrasing - it is NOT her word salad. As soon as some diligent investigative reporter determines who really is making her entries, will that exposure knock the cable media off its block to stop covering her ludicrous Facebook entries and calling them news??? One can only hope...; Reply to this comment

by erasmus111 August 16, 2009 3:24 AM EDT

by ladypirate2 August 16, 2009 2:17 AM EDT
Obviously we know more than you do!

Like hamiltongrad, you're a mental case.

Reply to this comment


by erasmus111 August 17, 2009 4:27 PM EDT: Ignorance. : )


by Omni-Present101 August 16, 2009 12:55 AM EDT: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=125478331&blogId=505402623

For ?Death Panels' Before She Was Against Them?

Palin Endorsed End Of Life Counseling As Govern

In recent weeks, right-wing groups have been pushing the myth that health care reform will somehow kill seniors. One of the most high profile voices pushing this lie has been Sarah Palin, who claimed President Obama will institute bureaucratic ?death panels.? Today, again on her Facebook page, she continued the attack.

Though some Republicans have rebuffed this absurd, inaccurate notion ? like Johnny Isakson (R-GA), who called such talk ?nuts? ? others, like Newt Gingrich, have piled on to agree with Palin.

However, on April 16th 2008, then Gov. Sarah Palin endorsed some of the same end of life counseling she now decries as a form of euthanasia.

In a proclamation announcing ?Healthcare Decisions Day,? Palin urged public facilities to provide better information about advance directives, and made it clear that it is critical for seniors to be informed of such options:

WHEREAS, Healthcare Decisions Day is designed to raise public awareness of the need to plan ahead for healthcare decisions, related to end of life care and medical decision-making whenever patients are unable to speak for themselves and to encourage the specific use of advance directives to communicate these important healthcare decisions.

WHEREAS, one of the principal goals of Healthcare Decisions Day is to encourage hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, continuing care retirement communities, and hospices to participate in a statewide effort to provide clear and consistent information to the public about advance directives, as well as to encourage medical professionals and lawyers to volunteer their time and efforts to improve public knowledge and increase the number of Alaska's citizens with advance directives.

WHEREAS, the Foundation for End of Life Care in Juneau, Alaska, and other organizations throughout the United States have endorsed this event and are committed to educating the public about the importance of discussing healthcare choices and executing advance directives.

Though this proclamation is now deleted from the Alaska governor's website, it shows that Palin's current fear-mongering is purely political. Palin is not the only conservative leader completely flip-flopping on this issue. Merely months ago, Gingrich too endorsed end of life counseling. At a conference in April of this year, Gingrich said advance directives can ?save money? while also helping to ?decrease the stress felt by caregivers.?; Reply to this comment


by Omni-Present101 August 16, 2009 12:54 AM EDT: http://trueslant.com/matttaibbi/2009/08/12/newt...

Newt Gingrich Changes What's Left of his Mind on End-of-life Care

More than 20 percent of all Medicare spending occurs in the last two months of life. Gundersen Lutheran Health System in La Crosse, Wisconsin has developed a successful end-of-life, best practice that combines: 1) community-wide advance care planning, where 90 percent of patients have advance directives; 2) hospice and palliative care; and 3) coordination of services through an electronic medical record. The Gundersen approach empowers patients and families to control and direct their care. The Dartmouth Health Atlas has documented that Gundersen delivers care at a 30 percent lower rate than the national average ($18,359 versus $25,860). If Gundersen's approach was used to care for the approximately 4.5 million Medicare beneficiaries who die every year, Medicare could save more than $33 billion a year.

via Health Care Rx: Across the Country, Some Systems Are Getting It Right ? Newt Gingrich.

That was Newt Gingrich just a few months ago praising the ?Advance Directives? practiced by a hospital in Wisconsin. Advance Directives are another word for the end-of-life consultations that the teabggers have been flipping out over of late. Gingrich loved them a few months ago. This is Gingrich a few months before that, responding to a PBS query:; Reply to this comment


by Omni-Present101 August 16, 2009 12:52 AM EDT: http://www.dailykostv.com/w/002042/

Sarah Palin does not have an Original Thought on the Issues. She Heard Gingrich and ran with it [Sad] Newt's Key Word [Down Syndrome] was all that was needed to set her off !!

3 Days Prior to Palin's [Fear Mongering] about something that does not Exist in the Pending Health Care Reform Bill...

Newt Gingrich made such a False claim.

1. Rahm Emanuel's Brother is [Not] President Obama's Chief Executive Adviser and Never has been, which ABC News George Stephanopoulis Pointed out to Mr.Gingrich, though Newt Lied and said just that 3 Days Earlier at a town hall meeting.

2. The Fear Mongering is to Gin The Crazies who will Oppose Anything President Obama does or says, because they were Against Him from the very begining.

3. Sarah Palin Did Not Research, she ran with Newt Gingrich's Words and Did Not Rely on Sitting Down and Researching for herself. She's Finished.

4. People who Critically Think, will Never Vote for this Hollow, Floating, Bubble. She has a degree in Journalism, yet she Does Not Read or Investigate, to Separate fact From Fiction.

Note: Alaskan Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski Read & Researched and said it was [Wrong to Fear Monger] using [Death Panels] as a talking point.

Rep.Sen. Johnny Isaakson also said it was Ridiculous, he should know, he Endorsed the Language in the pending bill.; Reply to this comment


by Omni-Present101 August 16, 2009 12:50 AM EDT: Republican Credo: Fear,Hate,Dread,Doom & Gloom.

The So Called [Republicans]

Actually Dixie Crats

In 8 Years as President, Did Reagan get Rid of Government Run, Single Payer Health Care called...

[Medi-Care]

Ans: No

Did Republican Presidents, Richard Nixon 7 Years, Gerald Ford, 1Yr. Or George H.W.Bush 4 Years Or his son, George W.Bush Jr. 8 Years, Get Rid of Medi-Care, Medi-Caid, Indian Health Services, VA:Hospitals, CHIP: Covering Poor American Children...

Ans: No

Did they get Rid of the IRS [No]

Or the Federal Reserve [No]

Did they start the Flat Tax [No]

What do you know, Majority of the USA has been Under Control of Republicans, the Presidency, Congress and Senate and what have they Accomplished ?

Not a Thing

Bush Extended Medi-Care Part D [Fact]

Medi-Care:A Government Run Single Payer Plan and Rural Republicans Think,Medi-Care & Medi-Caid are Not Government Controlled [Jeesh]; Reply to this comment


by notworried August 15, 2009 11:38 PM EDT: I think Sarah Palin was looking for some payback and she got it, I have been wondering how the goverment can even bring up a bill that includes Euthinasia, When the goverment proscuted Dr Jack Kevorkian for doing assisted suicides and they made the remark that what he was doing was immoral and wrong,; Reply to this comment


by Clearsop August 15, 2009 3:09 PM EDT: I'm not here to argue with conservatives who believe Palin best articulates their views. When I hear Shara speak, I think only conservatives would be wowed by Shara's comment of her native language.

Shara, if you picked up a magazine once in a while and practiced reading, you might know these death panels where copied from the Medicare prescription drug act passed with the votes of 104 republicans. Bush signed it. Bush wanted to murder grandmothers?; Reply to this comment


by citizen_us123 August 15, 2009 3:08 PM EDT: by the_majesty August 14, 2009 6:53 PM EDT
Sarah Palin is a True American Patriot. SHOOTING HELPLESS WOLFES FROM HELICOPTERS
She stands up for our Rights and Freedoms. BY QUITTING AS GOVERNOR.
She supports the United States Constitution. BY HAVING A HUBBY THAT WANTS TO SECEDE?
As Obama tries to take our Rights and Freedoms. JUST HOW MIGHT HE BE DOING THAT?
I will stand with Palin to save our Freedom. AND MAKE SURE EVERY SCIENCE BOOK STATES THAT THE WORLD IS FLAT!; Reply to this comment


by Hosheen August 15, 2009 3:07 PM EDT: Is it any wonder the "Queen of the Airheads" would choose "Airhead Central" as a place for her relentless self-promotion?

The idea that even one American would give this woman two seconds of attention is a sad commentary on the state of the intellect of the USA.

H.L. Mencken had it right. "No one ever lost an election underestimating the intelligence of the American voter." I'm sure Sarah has taken those words as a message of hope.; Reply to this comment