"Palin-Heads" Could Fuel Palin Presidential Run
This story was written by CBS News digital journalist Scott Conroy.
If you close your eyes and think, "Diehard Sarah Palin supporter," an image of Kevin DuJan is unlikely to come to mind.
A 33-year-old gay man who works as a development consultant and freelance writer, DuJan has long considered himself a Clinton Democrat. During the 2008 primaries, he spent his weekdays running phone banks for Hillary Clinton out of his home in the Boystown neighborhood of Chicago and traveled to 26 states and Puerto Rico on behalf of the candidate.
But after Clinton suspended her campaign, DuJan made a dramatic about face and spent the general election volunteering for the Republican ticket.
Photo Gallery: Sarah Palin Through the Years
When John McCain named Sarah Palin his vice presidential nominee, DuJan was overjoyed, and Palin quickly became his new political idol. He is now eagerly awaiting the arrival of February 6, 2011, the date he has decided that Sarah Palin will announce her 2012 presidential campaign in Tampico, Illinois, to mark the 100th anniversary of hometown hero Ronald Reagan's birthday.
DuJan has even picked out the color he wants Palin to use for her presidential campaign logo (green, in order to dilute criticisms from the left that she is anti-environment).
"I make people in the neighborhood mad all the time because I'm not a liberal," DuJan says over coffee at Nookies Tree Restaurant, where the colors of the rainbow flag appear on nearly every corner and adult boutiques are easier to find than convenience stores. "Here in the neighborhood, if you don't toe the liberal line, they immediately attack you."
The website that DuJan founded in support of Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign, Hillbuzz.org, is now among the cadre of pro-Palin online destinations that serve as clearinghouses for news and analysis of all things Palin.
Dujan and four of his friends who live in Boystown shape HillBuzz with a relentlessly anti-Obama tenor and a promise that they will never forget how they feel Clinton was wronged during the 2008 campaign.
The five of them are all gay, and Dujan says that he often gets emails from social conservatives who previously held negative attitudes toward gay people that the Hillbuzz site, which speaks so favorably of Palin, had made them reconsider.
They share a conviction that Palin has taken over Clinton's mantle and will become the nation's first "madam president." And they intend to be at the forefront of helping her do so.
"I wish that we had started in 2006 for Hillary and had groundwork in place and really had our teams together," says DuJan, who has seen Palin speak in person about eight times. "There's only one other person I would do this for again, and it's Sarah. I'll go all in for her, too, in any way that I can."
Palin reminds DuJan of his aunts and grandmas that he grew up around in northeast Ohio, but he insists that it is not the mere fact that Palin is a woman that attracts him to her politically. He admires her accomplishments as governor, and at least as importantly, the fearlessness he says she exhibits in the face of the same kind of attacks that Clinton once faced.
Sarah Palin Says "Drill, Baby, Drill" Was Right, Backs Alaska Senate Challenger
Sarah Palin Slams Joe McGinniss for Comparing Her Tactics to Nazis
Wasilla Paper Warns Palin Author of Deadly Force Law
He is convinced that the media is little more than a propaganda machine for the Obama administration and lives in fear of a Palin nomination that might derail the president that they anointed.
"They just want to stop the woman," he says.
Early next year, DuJan expects to make the transition from online rabble-rouser to dedicated campaign worker.
A Passionate Base to a Presidential Campaign?
If Palin embarks on a presidential run next year, all signs indicate that it would be the fiercely loyal, yet decidedly nontraditional operatives like DuJan who would form the backbone of her campaign. Other Republican candidates will benefit from having more seasoned organizations, but none will surpass the fervor and energy that these "Palin-heads" are already providing on behalf of their political heroine.
But Palin clearly has the fire in her belly that is required for any would-be president and has indicated on many occasions that she is interested in the nation's top job. Ever since her days on the Wasilla City Council, she has benefited from being grossly underestimated.
Most importantly, there may be no other politician who retains the level of devotion that Palin enjoys among millions of Americans. They may be in the minority, but they are certainly not lacking in zeal.
"We would literally walk across hot broken glass for this woman," says Nicole Coulter (at left), a frequent contributor to the most prominent pro-Palin web site, Conservatives4Palin.com, which serves as an up-to-the-second source of news and analysis of all things Palin. "She represents something very powerful. It's deeper than politics. It's much, much deeper than politics. It's cultural. It's just this zeitgeist of raw emotion, kind of what our country is all about."
Of course, other national politicians attract passionate support, but with Palin's biggest fans, the devotion to the former Alaska governor resides on a deeply personal level that seems unique in American life.
"She's our family, and you protect your family; it's like the mafia," Coulter says. "She's just one of us, and when they insult her, they're insulting millions of us."
Copyright 2010 CBS. All rights reserved. If you close your eyes and think, "Diehard Sarah Palin supporter," an image of Kevin DuJan is unlikely to come to mind.
A 33-year-old gay man who works as a development consultant and freelance writer, DuJan has long considered himself a Clinton Democrat. During the 2008 primaries, he spent his weekdays running phone banks for Hillary Clinton out of his home in the Boystown neighborhood of Chicago and traveled to 26 states and Puerto Rico on behalf of the candidate.
But after Clinton suspended her campaign, DuJan made a dramatic about face and spent the general election volunteering for the Republican ticket.
Photo Gallery: Sarah Palin Through the Years
When John McCain named Sarah Palin his vice presidential nominee, DuJan was overjoyed, and Palin quickly became his new political idol. He is now eagerly awaiting the arrival of February 6, 2011, the date he has decided that Sarah Palin will announce her 2012 presidential campaign in Tampico, Illinois, to mark the 100th anniversary of hometown hero Ronald Reagan's birthday.
DuJan has even picked out the color he wants Palin to use for her presidential campaign logo (green, in order to dilute criticisms from the left that she is anti-environment).
"I make people in the neighborhood mad all the time because I'm not a liberal," DuJan says over coffee at Nookies Tree Restaurant, where the colors of the rainbow flag appear on nearly every corner and adult boutiques are easier to find than convenience stores. "Here in the neighborhood, if you don't toe the liberal line, they immediately attack you."
The website that DuJan founded in support of Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign, Hillbuzz.org, is now among the cadre of pro-Palin online destinations that serve as clearinghouses for news and analysis of all things Palin.
Dujan and four of his friends who live in Boystown shape HillBuzz with a relentlessly anti-Obama tenor and a promise that they will never forget how they feel Clinton was wronged during the 2008 campaign.
The five of them are all gay, and Dujan says that he often gets emails from social conservatives who previously held negative attitudes toward gay people that the Hillbuzz site, which speaks so favorably of Palin, had made them reconsider.
They share a conviction that Palin has taken over Clinton's mantle and will become the nation's first "madam president." And they intend to be at the forefront of helping her do so.
"I wish that we had started in 2006 for Hillary and had groundwork in place and really had our teams together," says DuJan, who has seen Palin speak in person about eight times. "There's only one other person I would do this for again, and it's Sarah. I'll go all in for her, too, in any way that I can."
Palin reminds DuJan of his aunts and grandmas that he grew up around in northeast Ohio, but he insists that it is not the mere fact that Palin is a woman that attracts him to her politically. He admires her accomplishments as governor, and at least as importantly, the fearlessness he says she exhibits in the face of the same kind of attacks that Clinton once faced.
Sarah Palin Says "Drill, Baby, Drill" Was Right, Backs Alaska Senate Challenger
Sarah Palin Slams Joe McGinniss for Comparing Her Tactics to Nazis
Wasilla Paper Warns Palin Author of Deadly Force Law
He is convinced that the media is little more than a propaganda machine for the Obama administration and lives in fear of a Palin nomination that might derail the president that they anointed.
"They just want to stop the woman," he says.
Early next year, DuJan expects to make the transition from online rabble-rouser to dedicated campaign worker.
A Passionate Base to a Presidential Campaign?
If Palin embarks on a presidential run next year, all signs indicate that it would be the fiercely loyal, yet decidedly nontraditional operatives like DuJan who would form the backbone of her campaign. Other Republican candidates will benefit from having more seasoned organizations, but none will surpass the fervor and energy that these "Palin-heads" are already providing on behalf of their political heroine.
But Palin clearly has the fire in her belly that is required for any would-be president and has indicated on many occasions that she is interested in the nation's top job. Ever since her days on the Wasilla City Council, she has benefited from being grossly underestimated.
Most importantly, there may be no other politician who retains the level of devotion that Palin enjoys among millions of Americans. They may be in the minority, but they are certainly not lacking in zeal.
(Nicole Coulter)
Of course, other national politicians attract passionate support, but with Palin's biggest fans, the devotion to the former Alaska governor resides on a deeply personal level that seems unique in American life.
"She's our family, and you protect your family; it's like the mafia," Coulter says. "She's just one of us, and when they insult her, they're insulting millions of us."
- no previous page
- next
1/3
Popular in Politics
- Obama forgets to salute while boarding Marine One Play Video
- The Ted Cruz conundrum 103 Comments
- Senators lack votes on immigration despite progress
- IRS' Lerner was asked to resign, refused: GOP Sen. 207 Comments
- GOP Rep.: Obama elected because of Reagan's immigration reforms
- Petraeus biographer regrets affair
- As summer approaches, sequestration threatens holiday fun
- Obama prom pictures surface
When Bush was sworn in on January 20, 2001, the national dept was $5,725,776,738,304.64.
When W. left office on January 20, 2009, the national dept was $10,626,877,048,913.08.
The growth in the national debt during Bush's presidency: $5,101,100,310,508.44
During much of Bush's tenure, he had a Republican majority in both the House and Senate.
The continuing debt committed to by Bush for Tarps, Iraq (the SOFA treaty), the housing bubble, bank bail outs and Afghanistan all committed to on Bush's watch.
Then we have the recession that occurred during the Bush administration. Economists will tell you the government has to spend during a recession. Case in point President Truman and the great depression.
Then we have the auto industry. Maybe you would be happy if all the people they work for GM and Chrysler lost there jobs. Tell me how that would have effected the economy. The list go on.
If you thought President Obama could fix all the damage the Bush administration caused in 8 years in a year or so your crazy. And if you think a republican or a teabagger can fix things by saying no, giving tax breaks to the rich and smaller government then your also crazy.
What Do You Think Tea Party Movement Is About?
By you decide.
Small government and fiscal responsibility 7% (31,930 votes)
Exposing Democrats' socialist agenda 1% (2,594 votes)
Voicing outrage at out-of-touch politicians 3% (11,970 votes)
Fruitless mix of racism, conspiracy theories 89% (389,584 votes)
Other (add your comment) <1% (1,751 votes)
Total Votes: 437,829
Thank you for voting!
For those who don't think that even Fox viewers are dumb enough to shoot their own party in the foot, feast your eyes directly at the source:
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2010/02/09/think-tea-party-movement/
The media tries to discredit and portray Sarah Palin as "FAR RIGHT." But in reality, Sarah Palin is mainstream; every position she has is supported by the MAJORITY of America. Lets list a few.
-----
Jim, I think perhaps you need to rethink some things because Sarah doesn't need help from the media to discredit herself and she wouldn't have it any other way. With no malice I will say Sarah is not the sharpest knife in the drawer and not only is she aware of it she reinforces it.
Have you ever wondered why Sarah left the Governorship? Sarah found a vacant niche in American politics and has exploited the discomfort of primarily Southern White Americans, (over 55 mostly retired with incomes in excess of $200,000.00 per year) who are very uncomfortable with having a liberal black president. They pay her very well to be very loud and disruptive.
If there was ever a person who the phrase "she is laughing all the way to bank" was written for it was Sarah. She is way past the days when she needed the GOP to pay for her wardrobe. So please, do not confuse her with that sweet little girl from Alaska anymore; Sarah has gone Hollywood.
I may be wrong, but, I do not think Sarah will run for president for several reasons. She has established herself as a pundit for the right and in the process she has become a power broker within the party. That is not a role the establishment and party moderates feel comfortable with. She has caused far too many problems for the Republican Party both its leadership and incumbents and sooner or later there will be a quite but resounding backlash from that group.
There is also the problem of her grassroots supporters and even the candidates because they do know when to keep their mouths shut. It's one thing to attack the views of voters like myself; after all I am a devout liberal, but Sarah devotees go after any moderate Republican they sniff out accusing them of being liberal. You cannot disenfranchise your party members are they will either not vote or they will vote for another party ? case in point here in Florida ? your guy has split the Republican party and we could get a Democrat in office.
The Republican Party has spent years trying to rid itself of the mantle of pro big business and the party of rich-and-white. It has garnered the votes of conservative Blacks and Hispanics. Then the TEA Party give them Arizona and Kentucky. These are not mistakes you can call a shot in the foot they were a shoot to the heart of any election hopes Sarah had. The TEA Party can carry a congressional district or even a state but you cannot win a national election without being able to split the minority vote - there are no minorites left for the TEA Party.
No, Jim, I do not think Sarah will run for president at least not as a Republican because she is stacking the deck against herself.