Sarah Palin Still A GOP Star

Politico: Alaska Governor Steals The Show At This Week's Republican Governors Meeting

(Politico)  This story was written by Jonathan Martin.

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Republican governors gathered here to implore their beleaguered party to reckon with the demographic changes sweeping the country, improve their lagging technological capabilities and win their way back by offering ideas about pressing issues.

But that’s not why 220 members of the media descended on the waterside Hotel Intercontinental Thursday.

It was for The Sarah Show.

While her other governors diagnosed the GOP woes that led to their second consecutive electoral thrashing and plotted a way out of the political wilderness, Sarah Palin did neither.

Two events were added to the annual Republican Governors Association meeting especially for the Alaska governor and former vice presidential nominee, but her objectives were unclear and her message, mixed. For somebody who is now seen as a prominent leader in the GOP and perhaps the party’s instant-front-runner for the 2012 presidential race, it was a less than auspicious return to the Lower 48.

At a Thursday morning press conference, Palin indicated she wanted to look forward rather than back at her losing campaign with John McCain.

“As far as we’re concerned, the past is the past and we’re all focused on the future,” she said, surrounded by many of her fellow Republican chief executives.

But then, immediately after addressing reporters, she walked across the hall and delivered a speech before a session titled “Looking Towards the Future” that was largely a nostalgic trip back through the last two months, replete with mention of Joe the Plumber and the other memorable campaign trail moments.

She said at the press conference that the GOP governors “want to reach out to the new administration and offer our assistance, our support, offer solutions.”

“We’re here to help,” she said.

Then, opening her speech, Palin offered: "Let us resolve not to be the negative party."

But in the same speech she implicitly offered the same criticism of President-elect Barack Obama that Republicans leveled throughout the fall.

“We are not the many voting yea or nay or present,” she said of her fellow governors, a veiled reference to Obama’s “present” votes as an Illinois state senator.

And, in language that could have been taken directly out of her or McCain’s stump speech, Palin reminded her audience that Congress is run by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Rep. Barney Frank - to a person, the same three stock liberal villains Republicans invoked in the final weeks of the campaign to warn against full Democratic control of Washington.

Asked about what the party could do to appeal to women and Hispanics - two demographic groups which tilted toward the Democrats this election - Palin had little to say about a topic that has been a focus for many of her colleagues.

“You know, I treat everybody equally: women, Hispanics,” she said.

In her speech, which she delivered from notes, not a teleprompter, Palin talked only briefly about energy and health care, confining much of her policy discussion to generalities and vague mentions of “reform.”

“Let’s start talking about the conservative solutions to these economic challenges,” she said at one point.

Her uncertainty about just what kind of message, if any, to deliver was partially shaped by a desire not to further overshadow her fellow governors.

Coming off a round of TV interviews all week, Palin drew hordes of reporters who otherwise would have been unlikely to venture to a post-election governor’s conference of the minority party - including some U.S.-based correspondents for foreign publications.

Indeed, it was a meeting unlike any other that veteran Republicans had ever witnessed.

A portion of the hotel’s second floor was curtained off to allow CNN’s Wolf Blitzer to interview Palin and broadcast his show with a Biscayne Bay backdrop. And throughout both days, reporters and other onlookers kept a watchful eye in the lobby, hoping to catch the Alaska governor in person.

The Thursday press conference featuring Palin drew 23 cameras into a ballroom - more than the total number of reporters who met two other governors and two potential gubernatorial candidates in a small meeting room on Wednesday.

And even though she was joined by many of her other GOP governors, the four questions that were allowed during Thursday’s sub-10 minute press conference were all aimed at Palin - leaving her colleagues to awkwardly and silently stand behind her as though they were there present to lend her their endorsement.

Aware of the attention she had attracted, Palin repeatedly sought to shift the focus back onto the group.

“I want to put to good use my experience that I have as governor of an energy-producing state to help our nation become energy independent,” Palin said, briefly indulging a question about how she could establish her political credentials before catching herself.

“You know, we’re going to focus here on what we can do as a team of Republican governors together,” she continued.

Palin’s fellow governors, among them many other potential 2012 presidential prospects, basked in the additional media attention she drew to the conference.

When asked, they offered measured praise about their Alaska colleague.

But they were visibly uncomfortable discussing her, not wanting to criticize a figure beloved by the party base yet also not wanting to pay tribute to a colleague whom some didn’t think was ready for prime time - or who could well be a rival in four years.

A Wednesday panel of governors and other conservatives ostensibly designed to examine where the GOP went wrong included virtually no mention of the person who consumed most all of the party’s oxygen from her August 29th selection through the post-election period and who played perhaps the most prominent role of any vice presidential nominee in recent political history.

Meeting with reporters later that day, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, and Meg Whitman and Rob Portman, who, respectively, are eyeing 2010 gubernatorial runs in California and Ohio, went from speaking passionately and authoritatively about the GOP’s challenges to an awkward near-silence, turning to each other and initially saying nothing when the dreaded Palin questions came about.

After the others had grudgingly taken a turn, Pawlenty, a finalist on McCain’s veep list, spoke up.

“You wanted me to respond?” he said with minimal enthusiasm. “Look at the time,” he joked before saying the requisite nice things.

But pressed on whether he would have been comfortable with her as president, Pawlenty punted.

“In his judgment, she met that criteria and [he] felt strongly about that,” the Minnesota governor said of McCain. “And so I would have to defer to his judgment in that process.”

Silence again permeated when a reporter asked if McCain’s campaign could have better prepared Palin for the public eye.

This time, it was Huntsman’s turn to break the uncomfortable pause.

“Whatever you say will be the headline, Tim, so go ahead,” he quipped, looking at Pawlenty.

Eventually, they lapsed into excuse-making and rationalization. Pawlenty fell back on a frequent Republican talking point during the campaign, noting that Palin’s experience made her no less qualified than Obama.

Whitman offered a sports analogy.

“John dropped Sarah into the ninth inning of the World Series, three runs down,” said the former eBay CEO and national co-chairwoman to the McCain campaign.

In interviews, the governors were guarded when asked about Palin’s political prospects going into 2012.

“I thinkher future largely will be driven by the ideas that come out of her system of governance in Alaska,” said Huntsman. “I really do think it’s going to be a meritocracy of sorts in the Republican Party. And that is looking to the best ideas, the purveyors and articulators of those ideas as opposed to just playing the random 'who’s up, who’s down' personality game.”

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said Palin helped the ticket but warned against any talk of the next presidential campaign.

“She’s normal, which is a big plus in politics,” said Barbour, a former RNC chairman. “And she’s got a future. But 2012 is off the screen.”

While the governors were publicly polite, their aides, advisers and other Republicans here at this tropical networking and strategy session looked on at the Palin spectacle with a mix of bemusement, curiosity and annoyance.

“She’s our Britney Spears,” one veteran Republican, who is close to a prospective future presidential rival of Palin, observed after hearing her speak. “It’s just this cult of personality.”

[evian_ycnan]

Sarah Palin is a reminder that, whether or not God exists, it would be better for His Reputation if he didn`t.

[sleepyric]

This woman is like the person you''ve met a few times, and don''t really like, and then they show up at your door, WON''T GO AWAY, and want to use your long distance to call California "for a few minutes". Kick her out, forget about her, good riddance.

[hatesthecolt]

I swear the media is adding new storied about here just to torture us.
Do they think we are actually reading them?


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Posted by azure11

Ummm, you''re here aren''t you??

[worstever2]

Sarah is a hot looking 40 something, that is a governor of a state, and understandably would command attention.

She is also ill informed and loves to whip up the faithful non-thinking republican soldiers with a microphone---- a relatively simple feat. A sixth grader could do it.

And any high school kid with a 30+ ACT could kick her pretty little butt in knowledge on a wide range of subjects.

For you few thinking Reps.

She looks good in a suit, she looks good behind a podium and microphone.

Do you want her running the presidency in 4 years.

Oh *** ........ I just answered that myself.

You want anyone in the White House in 2012, as long as its not a Dem. you people would vote for satan the the GOP put him on the ticket.

pretty sad.

ask not what you can do for your country, ask how can we get out agenda in place.

[briannorwood]

Every time I see this woman, I just can help but think of Dan Quayle.

[inventagod2]

What''s a GOP?

[briannorwood]

TheMasses10:

Perhaps you misunderstand. The comparison I see is a vacuous politician --of little experience, little background information or apparent understanding of the complex issues and diminished intellectual capacity--plucked out of nowhere because of a youthful look to add a venier of vitality to an otherwise moribund candidate.

And like Quayle, had her initial imprint indelibly stamped into the national conscienceness as an empty suit (or in this case, Neimann Marcuss dress).

[ioweign]

She''s intelligent, hot and successful.

Posted by TheMasses10 at 03:11 PM : Nov 14, 2008


And has quite a bit of "luggage"...

[ioweign]

But, I am the most comfortable of the fact a Demoturd such as yourself knows nothing about real American women like Gov. Palin.

Posted by Obama_Dkhed at 04:19 PM : Nov 14, 2008



Do not let Northern Lite there get too close to a flame or heat - plastic melts...

[ioweign]

Sarah Palin Still A GOP Star

######


I know one Republican here in Minnesota that does see it that way...

[treknutz]

If you saw the video on the mini news conference yesterday, I thought Rick Perry was going to drop to his knees and plant his face in her starry persona.
But maybe that was just me! She seems to be lactating this for as long as she can. Hopefully the well will dry out soon!

[birdyspice7]

AWESOME!! If this is the best the GOP can do, then democrats will certainly win in 2012.

Sarah Palin, the gift that keeps on giving... to the Democrats.

[airboatboy1]

To bad she''s not giving her pregnant daughter, her special needs child and two other kids and husband half the attention she''s getting.

[daffy64]

To bad she''''s not giving her pregnant daughter, her special needs child and two other kids and husband half the attention she''''s getting.

---

You betcha!

[earache4]

"Sarah Palin Still A GOP Star"

WHERE''S LEVI!?!?!?!?!?!

[earache4]

What''s a GOP?
Posted by inventagod2 at 04:09 PM

Geriatric Oil Puppet....

[adenizard]

The saddest part is that none of the GOP members will admit that Sarah Palin is not up to the job. Sarah Palin needs to go back to school, get some knowledge before anyone will take her seriously. What was the poll revealed that she attracted more men voter from her base than women. We, women, would like to think that we get notice not only for our good look but for the way we handle knowledge on certain issues and how we can debate and fight for our causes. Sarah Palin does not seem to realize that. The GOP tolerates her for now until.....

[adenizard]

GOP = GRAND ''OLE PARTY!

[lmartink]

Sarah Palin should sit down, and in the words of Bill O''Reilly -- Shut up! She talks too much. And she doesn''t say anything.

This article missed on the point that a number of other GOP governors, far more qualified for high office than she is, weren''t very happy with this Paris Hilton of the GOP.

Some of these other governors may have ambitions of their own, and they do not appreciate being eclipsed by this bimbo. She is also so naive and inexperienced taht they can probably cut her to pieces when the time comes.

Palin''s prospects for the future are grossly overstated. Her popularity may be peaking right now.

[tretrelolo]

PLEASE,PLEASE,PLEASE TELL ME HOW ANYONE IN THEIR RIGHT MINDS COULD REALLY THINK THIS WOMAN IS QUALIFIED FOR HIGHER OFFICE. IT AMAZES ME HOW SHE GOT ELECTED MAYOR THEN GOV. MAYBE IT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE "AIP". THEY BACKED HER ALL THE WAY.

PS:IS THERE STILL GOING TO BE A WEDDING FOR HER DAUGHTER, NOW THAT GOV. PALIN WON''T BE V.P. PALIN?

[dibs977]

It''s like a bad dream. Palin says nothing or something inane and people still think she is a star. I just don''t get why any intelligent person thinks she is qualified for any public office. She has the qualities of unmitigated brass and arrogance---and some people seem to think that means something positive.

[terrorislame]

Playboy offers Sarah Palin Big Money !
She make take it,...
Saying " I`ll use it to fund ''Like maybe an Open Door '',.."
This Could be Very Interesting,..Especially if they up the ante !

[dibs977]

OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT BUSH
Dear President Bush,
Palin said she lost the election because of you and not due to any of her blunders. Please President Bush---please--put this disrespectful person in her place. Show us you have the power to squash such disloyal Republicans. If you do, I promise that I will change how I feel about you --even though I am a loyal Democrat---and so will millions of others. I promise a new respect and love for you.
Signed,
A Democrat.

[jamshied]

THE SIMPLE OBSERVATION IS THAT IF PALIN REPRESENTS PART OF PRESENT AND FUTURE LEADERSHIP OF REPUBLICAN PARTY,
THEN IT SHOW THE POOR STATE OF THE PARTY AND IT IS NOT A MYSTERY OR WONDER TO KNOW WHY THEY ARE LOSING.

SARAH PALIN IS NETHER THE PROBLEM NOR IS A SOLUTION TO REPUBLICAN FAILURE. BUT IT IS THEIR FUNDEMENTAL SOCIO-POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY THAT HAS BECOME OUTDATED AND EXPIRED. THEY ARE STIL HEAVILY INVOLVED TRYING TO LEGISLATE RELIGION AND THEIR VERSION OF MORALITY INSTEAD OF CONCENTRATIN ON RUNNING AND ADMINISTERATION OF THE AFFAIRS OF COUNTRY.

IN THIS DAY AND AGE, RELIGION AND RELIGIOUS MORALITIES ARE MATTERS OF PERSONAL AND PRIVATE NATURE.
MORE THAN 200 YEARS AGO THE FOUNDING FATHERS OF AMERICA WARNED US AGAINST RELIGIONS GETTING INTO BUSINESS OF GOVERNMENT. IT WAS A GIANT LEAP THEN. TODAY SECULAR GOVERNMENTS ARE SPROUTING AROUND THE WORL AND WE CANNOT AFFORD TO LET BUNCH OF POLITICIANS INJECT THEIR RELIGIOUS IDEALOGY, IN THE NAME OF CONSERVATISM, INTO GOVERNMENT.
THAT IS WHAT IS WRONG WITH REPUBILANS. IT IS A PROBLEM IN THE CORE.

[collis12]

Aren''t you people sick of this woman yet? How long must we endure her shameful display of ineptitude, her unabashed ignorance of all things important and relevant, her clearly defined attachment to underhanded, nasty campaign slanders. How could anybody really entertain the thought of this person holding any office with real power?

[bjcone8559]

"Sarah Palin Still A GOP Star"

WHERE''''S LEVI!?!?!?!?!?!


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Posted by earache4


Now that he no longer gets his allowance from the RNC, that little redneck ran away. Sarah will move Bristol, the ''First Duuude'' and the rest of the gang to Key West whre she can keep an eye on Castro for us. You betcha... Gosh darnit.

[earache4]

Give it up republicans, she''s not getting any smarter....

[zorar-2009]

Get the Hook!

[daffy64]

Britney Spears is a great comparison. Except Britney can probably name the newspapers she reads (if any).

[holdfam1]

So sad the way this woman has been destroyed. I don''t care for her politics, but she was able to come out of nowhere (on her own merits) and successfully run a state. People love to call her hateful, but their are more hateful people in Obama''s life than in any politician''s I can think of. They call her a liar, but Obama is selling tax cuts while admitting he''s going to reverse the Bush cuts (which would, by default, be a tax increase). He''s selling himself as a moderate when everything we learn about him says otherwise. He talks "change" but so far has hired all Clinton cronies.... Palin is called stupid, but I''ve yet to see Obama in a press conference were he didn''t umm umm umm uum then insult 90yr old first ladies and talk about dogs. Bottom line is neither of them are perfect (Obama or Palin). Palin was just unfortunate in being a Republican after 8 years of a terrible Republican presidency.... If Obama rules as a moderate (which we need) he''ll have my vote in 2012, but the next 4 years (with a leftist Congress) will be interesting and a tremendous test on his ability to be moderate.

[earache4]

...On the bright side, she''ll have more time to plan her daughter''s shotgun wedding...

[jimsusancan]

The Republican Governors need to give their heads a shake and start thinking how dumb they looked. Imagine folks of their stature not being able to put this Palin nonsense behind them. All they need to do is to dial up the radio planked interview of Sarah Palin to hear how incompetent she is. That Quebec radio stuff is real and not made up. She is a complete moron and why are they not noticing it? It is horrifying for the GOP Party.

[hairyonetooo]

The reason the GOP lost the election is simple. The American people are getting tired of being told that you have to be "born-again evangelical christian white KKK/Aryan Nation type" to be a good patriotic citizen. According to the GOP/Republican/christian mantra you have to belong to this group and be racist and bigoted to be an American. If you happen to be a moderate Republican and possibly Jewish, black, hispanic and are not a christian fanatic you are no good to them at all

[hairyonetooo]

The Republican Governors need to give their heads a shake and start thinking how dumb they looked. Imagine folks of their stature not being able to put this Palin nonsense behind them. All they need to do is to dial up the radio planked interview of Sarah Palin to hear how incompetent she is. That Quebec radio stuff is real and not made up. She is a complete moron and why are they not noticing it? It is horrifying for the GOP Party.


GUESS WHAT WE''VE HAD A MORON FOR PRESIDENT FOR THE LAST 8 YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ANYTHING WOULD BE AN IMPROVEMENT

[hairyonetooo]

...On the bright side, she''''ll have more time to plan her daughter''''s shotgun wedding...
Posted by earache4 at 01:52 PM : Nov 15, 2008

I think maybe the shotgun wedding is off. It seems there is a small matter of a DNA test that shows that the young man may not be a "Daddy" after all. I dont
think he wants to be herded into something that he is not responsible for. I really doubt that there will ever be a wedding.

[hairyonetooo]

Actually I would put Palin on the same intelligence level as Bush and McCain, but then that''s not a compliment to her.

[hairyonetooo]

The Bush but ******* will soon be on their way to Saudi Arabia(no extradition treaty with the US) and of course he does have the 10 page single spaced pardons list that he will sign on 1/19/09

[hairyonetooo]

She%u2019s our Britney Spears,%u201D one veteran Republican, who is close to a prospective future presidential rival of Palin, observed after hearing her speak. %u201CIt%u2019s just this cult of personality.%u201D

No I think that''s wrong, Palin is more of a Paris HIlton type airhead(she may be a natural blonde also) like what McCain described.

[robert2237]

hairyonetooo- Your statements of the rep. and KKK etc etc. kinda makes me wonder if any of you know anything about the Dem. party or the Rep. party history. Just fast, Dems. were the party against any racial equality for blacks, not the rep. party. During the Jim Crow era it was the Dems. in charge of the goverment not the Reps. the public officals who stood in the door of schools and stated they would not let blacks go to school there were all Dems. Even today if you really look you will find signs of Dem. party racial speration in the party. They are the ones who do not think minorities can complete with the whites, lower requirements for them in schools jobs, etc. I am a independent but I do not believe we have to lower the requirements since I feel all people are capable of anything they want. But if some of you would really looking into the history of the dem. party you might find something you don''t like. Don''t forget that Bush appointed more blacks to higher offices than any other President in history. If you are going to be making statements then make sure you know what you are talking about. The KKK is a southern operation and since most in the south at the time it started was Dems I would expect that most memebers are Dem. but would have to check that out and I really don''t think spending the time on a orgiz. like them is worth the time.

[farouk7]

See Cindy with her new lover in a lip-lock. Just go to National Enquirer or Huffington post.

O'' Johnny boy shouldn''t be surprised, that''s how he met her.

www.nationalenquirer.com

www.huffingtonpost.com

[farouk7]

it started was Dems I would expect that most memebers are Dem. but would have to check that out and I really don''''t think spending the time on a orgiz. like them is worth the time.

Posted by robert2237 at 02:28 PM : Nov 15, 2008
__________________

You are correct, as far as you go. But today it is the Republican party that are the party of exclusion. All you have to do is watch ANY republican rally and all you will see are WHITE faces. You will not see any blacks, Asian, Native American, Latinos, etc. As an example, take a look at the Chambliss rally with John McCain blowing his horn. ALL WHITE.

[tallyman2008]

Was it done with a straight face when someone above said:

''... it is going to be a meritocracy of sorts in the Republican Party.''


Please, are you so stupid you think we THAT are stupid ?

The rest of us do have access to a dictionary, i.e. from Wiki:


''Meritocracy is a system of a government or another organization wherein appointments are made and responsibilities are given based on demonstrated talent and ability (merit).''

''Not by wealth (plutocracy), family connections (nepotism), class privilege (oligarchy), cronyism, popularity (as in democracy) or other historical determinants of social position and political power.''

''In a meritocracy, society rewards (by wealth, position, and social status) those who demonstrated talent and competence, demonstrated through past actions or by competition.''

[tallyman2008]

errrrr ....

Where is that Editor when needed ?

Correction:

''Do you really think we are THAT stupid ? ''


(no, I am not, but will fix my typos, tyvm ;-)

[earache4]

Begs the question of all GOP candidates:

Are you smarter than a fifth grader?

[dibs977]

Palin has shown her disloyalty and disrespect to the Republicans by attacking Bush. She blames Bush for her losing the election instead of looking at her own blunders. She lacks humility and respect for others. How anyone can like someone like her is beyond me. She seems to be good at one thing--attacking others.

[dibs977]

Aren''''t you people sick of this woman yet? How long must we endure her shameful display of ineptitude, her unabashed ignorance of all things important and relevant, her clearly defined attachment to underhanded, nasty campaign slanders. How could anybody really entertain the thought of this person holding any office with real power?

Well written! Thanks Collis12!

[dibs977]

Thanks "jamshied" about your comment---saying the religion and morality is personal and private. We need to have separation of church and state. Bible thumping is an act of hate and fear and is not about what Jesus taught anyway.

[american999]

In my observations of Gov. Palin, it appears she has too much of a mind of her own, doing what she wants to do, shooting off at the mouth, etc. During the campaign, Palin demonstrated her mavericky ways by refusing to stand on stage with pro-choice candidates, sneaking off to call radio stations on her own, hijacking the RGA convention, sending out a babble of contradictory messages, etc.

Palin says "Maverick," but the GOP says "Alienating." If she doesn''t learn to play the game and make nice with her colleagues, she won''t garner enough support to get past even the primaries next time. Certainly she''s generated great enthusiasm among the conservative base, but it''s another thing to convince and win over your peers. In addition to building up basic knowledge in national and international affairs, she will have to earn the trust and respect of her GOP colleagues by setting aside her ego and working with teammates.

She already threw the McCain campaign under the bus this time, along with the GOP and even the great state of Alaska (just glance through any blog on Alaska Daily News). After all that abrasion, I can''t imagine her being able to win a 2012 nomination for president, or anyone who would want to her as a VP pick.

On a side note, I''m a new fan of Pawlenty and Jindal. They might just win me back to the GOP column.

[Stratmaster7]

If Sarah Palin is what they have to offer as their "star", the GOP party is dead and gone.

[earache4]

Where''s Levi?