Oct. 3, 2008
Palin, The Second Coming Of Reagan
National Review Online: Republicans Sigh In Relief As VP Nominee Embodies Spirit Of Comeback Reagan
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Photo
Republican vice presidential candidate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin speaks during a vice presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008. (AP)
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Timeline
Palin's Path
A look at Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's life and career
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Photo Essay
Sarah Palin
Alaska's youngest and first female governor tabbed to be McCain's running mate.
‘The moral elements,” Clausewitz wrote, “are among the most important in war.” He was talking about such things as morale, confidence, and devotion to a cause. With a moral advantage, an outnumbered force may win a surprise victory. Without it, well-equipped legions may go down to defeat.
That’s the significance of Sarah Palin’s debate performance. After all the lousy news of recent weeks, Republicans were starting to get gloomy. Mostly because of financial turmoil, Barack Obama’s lead in the polls edged upward. John McCain’s “suspension” of his campaign failed to have the desired effect, and his position on the Paulson plan put him at odds with many Republicans. Palin herself contributed to the gloom by giving awkward interviews on television.
On the morning of the debate, NBC’s Chuck Todd came close to declaring the race to be over: “All the trend lines are pointing in Obama’s direction. . . . [Pointing to a series of battleground-state polls] This should really scare the McCain campaign. This thing - it’s at a tipping point.” There was speculation that a poor Palin performance could decisively tip the election to Obama. Her supporters held their breath.
A few minutes after she walked onto the stage, they could exhale. They were watching the poised and feisty Palin of the Republican convention, not the hesitant Palin of the Gibson and Couric shows. The election wasn’t over yet.
She bolstered Republican morale in other ways, too. In politics as in war, you have to rally the troops against an opponent. You also have to pick the right target. Focusing her fire on Joe Biden would not have helped much, since most Republicans don’t have strong feelings about him. Instead, she went after the One. During the debate, she nodded to Biden while throwing verbal daggers at Obama:
As she did at the Republican convention, she reminded people at the grassroots that she is one of them. “I think we need a little bit of reality from Wasilla Main Street there, brought to Washington, D.C.” Once again, the liberal elites will sneer at her background as a hockey mom and small-town mayor. The more they sneer, the more they’ll fire up the Republican volunteers.
Nothing in politics touches Republicans as deeply as the memory of Ronald Reagan. A few weeks ago, Michael Reagan made a remarkable comment: “Wednesday night I watched the Republican National Convention on television and there, before my very eyes, I saw my Dad reborn; only this time he’s a she.” By making this comparison, he perhaps said more than he realized. The Gipper did not always shine in debates and press conferences. He made mistakes that worried his aides and political allies. Still, he had a way of coming back and reenergizing the ranks.
In the debate, Palin summoned up the spirit of the comeback Reagan. She invoked his name and even adapted his most famous debate line when she said: “Say it ain’t so, Joe, there you go again pointing backwards again.”
So Republicans again have something to cheer about. In such a hostile political climate, they will need it.
By John J. Pitney Jr.
Reprinted with permission from National Review Online.
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See all 110 CommentsPULEEEEEZ! QUICK I NEED A BUCKET!
I can tell you it is beyond foolish to think Democrats can deliver spit. Gimme a bucket, too! How many millions said "Oh Pelosi" 2 years ago? And what happened? The umpteenth speech about why it''s not her fault - it''s those other guys, blah blah blah.
I''m telling you there could be one Republican left in all of Congress and the Democrats would blame their utter failure and pathetic wretched incompetence on that one Republican. That is ALL you will get with Obama. If you think things can''t get worse than they are, just wait until Obama is President.
I can tell you it is beyond foolish to think Republicans can deliver spit. Gimme a bucket, too!
I''''m telling you there could be all Republicans in all of Congress and they Democrats would blame their utter failure and pathetic wretched incompetence on that Hilary Clinton''s errant husband. That is ALL you will get with MCcAIN/pain. If you think things can''''t get worse than they are, just wait until MCcAIN/pain is President.
The serious issue is that the McCain campaign is so desperate to win that they lobbied (successfully) to have the rules of this particular "debate" changed to allow for the mere recitation and parroting of memorized talking points and bromides as a substitute for an actual substantive discussion.
Shame on them. At a time when we are facing real, problems, they are playing a game that has as an end point only November 4. Is this country first? Which country?
Also if Mr. "O" is the best for this country, then why did Biden last night say "HE would be sitting by "O" to help him every step of the way through his duties"?? Can Mr. "O" not handle the job?
Anyone can speak publically with a script and enough practice.
--Pamela Rainsong
Posted by coppertales
What part of stupidity don''t YOU understand. A majority of one is essentially no majority, fool!!
Too bad the Alaska court was not so charmed to quash the Alaska legislature''s investigation into her many abuses of power.
If Mr. "O" were to place his hand on the "HOLY BIBLE" would his hand burn???????
If Mr. "O" were to place his hand on the "HOLY BIBLE" would his hand burn???????
Posted by supercan at 02:40 PM : Oct 03, 2008
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If I might interject in here; try reading The Bible.
Matthew 5: 33-37
33Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:
34But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God''s throne:
35Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
36Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.
37But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
These Are Jesus'' words. Better get it right. If he doesn''t swear on The Bible, I wouldn''t blame him.
One Rey-gun was enough. Unless we want to prosecute the Iran Contra case and have Sarah serve the sentence for Ronnie!
LOL!!!! It''s Reagan in Drag!!!
NRO is simply priceless... Biden wins the thing hands down and the NRO calls it a victory - just because Palin didn''t totally screw up... she recited her memorized talking points well. She must have really endeared herself to the republican base when she said "nukular" - just like Bush. Pathetic - LOL but oh so funny!!!
Palin - keep it up girl, you''re the best chance Obama has of winning the White House!!
What could we have done with that trillion dollars, I wonder?
And all because, when he said he believed in ''small government'', he was lying. I wonder who else is lying?
maybe she could team up with Elisabeth Hasselbeck from the View for a new Fox show called "Neo-***". They both are equal in their political qualifications.
But time is running out and this election IS going to turn on the economy. Republicans need to print out Obama''s platforms and print out McCain''s and then put yourselves in the shoes of the average American whose household income is around $50,000k and see which platform leaves them better off.
There''s no Monica Lewinsky fatigue this time around, there''s not as much fear of a terrorist attack or wartime violence this time around. Peoples'' emotional panic is all tied to the economy.
A true maverick can''t rely just on his past actions - McCain''s got to DO something to BE a maverick. There was a Southern blue dog Democrat swing voter telling me as much last night. People want to see somebody who touts bipartisanship reach out and bring a Democratic economic expert on board to come up with specific policies that address the growing gap between rich and poor and the decline of real wages, for example. If you believe more money isn''t the solution to improving education, then you have to demonstrate commitment to improving it with an alternative plan. Reassure people that if you''re going to repeal the tax deduction for healthcare that you''re then not going to repeal the individual tax deduction that''s supposed to replace it as part of the spending cuts, etc.
Posted by SamTheTVCat at 05:26 PM
Oh please. Don''t kid yourself. Palin is an absolute joke, and everyone but the most bitter republican partisans knows this as irrefutable fact. She''s an embarrassment, but she''s all the neocons have. I''d laugh if it wasn''t so pathetic.
Posted by Toby2957
Do you feel threatened that if people take a liking to her that might sway voters? Doesn''t say much about your faith in your candidate that you have to resort to name-calling after I just listed the fundamental flaws of McCain that virtually assure his defeat . . .
Who''s name-calling? I simply find it nearly incomprehensible that any rational mind could possibly support Palin. Therefore, I must conclude that they have other reasons to support Palin. Bigotry, hatred of minorities and religious fervor come to mind. There''s a lot of that in the neocon ... err.. republican party.
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Posted by SamTheTVCat at 05:26 PM : Oct 03, 2008
Says you and 35% of debate watchers. 51% saw something different. Biden won, plain and simple. The American people are moving past the idea that they want a President or VP that they would like to have a beer with. That is what got us to where we are today.
The surprise is - that most Americans are realizing that they have nothing in common with leftist liberal loonies, and are repulsed by them.
But keep up your hate screed, liberals - you just hasten your own demise.
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Posted by OneAmerican6 at 05:44 PM : Oct 03, 2008
The only loony here is McCain. He is the one who put this obviously unqualified in a position to be the PRESIDENT of the United States. Shame, shame on you John McCain!
PALIN: You know, Katie, I said thanks but no thanks to that road to nowhere. I told congress if the chicken needed a road to cross, we''d build it ourselves. As a Mayor and Governor of Alaska I have executive experience managing chicken coops. And as you know, up here in Alaska, I can see the other side of the road from my house. And when that chicken, you know, raises its head and walks across the road into, you know, our airspace then its all about reform and lower taxes. And that''s why in a Palin/McCain administration, we like democracies and want freedom for all chickens. But we should never second-guess Israel if they wanted to send their chickens across the road. And it''s about jobs too...jobs and chickens.
I think macain lost it when he picked her as a VP canadate.
McSame/Palin''s platform is the radical right wing agenda. McSame is no longer McCain, he''s completely reverted to type, and Palin is scary beyond all belief. She''ll be rolling around on the oval office floor speaking in "tongues". It is quite simply not possible to be patriotic American and vote for McSame. The ONLY reason anyone might want to vote for McSame is if they hate minorities and/or want to advance a radical religious agenda (Much like Iraq has done in their government).
Stop the hate. Be a patriot. Vote Obama/Biden 2008!
Posted by Toby2957
The only hater I see in this comments section is you.
President Palin? YIKES LOL!!! Now THAT''s scary!
McCain graduated from the US Naval Academy 894th in a class of 899. He wrecked five jets before they finally got rid of him. Obviously he is not the brightest bulb on the tree. He was shot down by an out-of-date Soviet missile by men with no experience in anti-aircraft warfare because he did not follow the rules of evasion taught in flight school. Lets just say the man has only one oar in the water.
He disses three out of every five people on the face of the earth by referring to all Asians as "*****." He said: "I hate ***** and always will." He may be viewed as a "hero," but I do not think being shot down qualifies him for the job of president. And I don''t think he will do much for American - Asian relations should America screw up and elect this clown.
McCain''s flight instructor: "One of the worst students I ever had."
TIME for John McCain and Sarah Palin to "REFORM the CORRUPT WASHINGTON!"
GO-----JOHN MCCAIN!!!
GO-----SARAD PALION!!!!
Posted by OneAmerican6
I guess it is what it is - the more she gets portrayed as something she''s not, the more chances she gets to serve out to self-proclaimed ***** Tina Fey a slice of humble pie. She''s going to be lathered up with humiliation and narcissistic rage on Saturday LOL . . .
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