Posted on 01/05/2012 5:56:32 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
For the past four years, she has swayed, danced and dodged around the Conservative Political Action Conference, but, this year, Sarah Palin says she has committed to deliver the keynote address Feb. 11, the last day of the conference. ABC’s The Note recounts the rocky history between the former vice presidential candidate and CPAC’s sponsor, the American Conservative Union:
She declined to keynote the event in 2011, citing a scheduling conflict. But her refusal to participate fueled speculation that she wasn’t going because of GOProud, a gay Republican group, that planned to attend. She denied that was the case. Her political action committee, SarahPAC, did sponsor a reception at the convention.
In 2010, Palin cited ACU’s business dealings, particularly those of its then-chairman David Keene, as the reason for dodging CPAC.
In 2009, she initially accepted an invitation to kick off the convention, but then dropped out, saying that she had to attend to the “duties of governing.” She sent a taped message instead.
And in 2008, Palin cancelled her speech just two weeks before the event. By then, she had not been named Sen. John McCain’s vice presidential candidate, but in 2007, the man who would eventually become her running mate was booed by the crowd.
Why now? It’s fun to speculate. Could be that she’s keen to recover her standing in the CPAC straw poll, in which she’s fallen over the years. Could be that she doesn’t have quite so many opportunities to nab headlines as she once did. Could be that she thinks CPAC could be an ultra-dramatic setting to drop an endorsement. Or it could be that she still believes strongly in the message of limited government that she’s articulated from her first day on the national scene — and sees this as a timely opportunity to remind voters of that message.
It’s certain, though, that she’s still a lightning rod for emotion and opinion. As just one recent example, her remark to the effect that Michele Bachmann should drop out of the presidential race drew exceptional cheers and jeers. Today, Twitter and the blogosphere are alight with folks who say they’re excited to hear Palin speak at CPAC and those who say they saw this coming and, frankly, consider Palin a little passé.
Before I went to Ames, Iowa, this summer, I thought I was indifferent to the Sarah Palin appeal. But on a hot day in August, I wandered around the Iowa State Fair for an hour in a vain attempt to catch a glimpse of her. That taught me she matters to me — if for no other reason than that she matters to y’all. I’m still not always sure why — but I’m always curious. CPAC will be my first time to hear her live — and I confess: I’m excited.
No, that loser Keene’s gone. He was her big hang-up.
Why now? For one thing, she can square it with her conscience, since the jerk who kept putting GOProud at the center of attention has been ousted. He almost succeeded in destroying CPAC by making it into advocacy central for gay activism. I don’t blame Sarah for not saying why she was avoiding the last few conventions, but she was certainly right to do so.
And now that the puke has been cleaned up, hopefully things will be different at the next CPAC convention.
as if a sarcasm tag is needed
Pay attention, Tina, and you will see how it’s done!
Sarah! Endorse Newt or Ricky S.... NOW!
Time to make a decision or go away.
“Santorum or Gingrich endorsement? Something else?”
Yes, something else. In the media hype over picking a presidential nominee, everybody else seems to be forgetting we are also selecting candidates in these primary electios for Senate and House, not to mention statehouses, Governors etc.
My prediction is Palin will continue where she left off in 2010 when her party-building efforts led to the Republican majority in the House and the historic Tea-Party turnaround.
Santorum... I appologize for not having all the bells and whistles the other posters do, yet I do believe in Rick Santorum for our next CIC.
Let’s hope she can set CPAC back on the right path. Pun intended.
Accurate statement, gbc.
Spoken like a partisan-warped Cainservative.
LMAO!!!
Hate to poop on your cupcakes, but I'm pretty sure she's going to announce her surprise candidacy there. She did promise that, if she ran, we could expect a very "unconventional" run. This would fit.
Very nicely, indeed...
8^\
(P.S.) To all the Palinophobic nanny-complex wannabe-mommies and the "Stop with the teasing, I just can't take it any more!!!" drama queens out there, don't waste yout time telling me to "Let it go."
For as long as I draw breath, I will do everything in my considerable power to see to it that Sarah Palin runs for President in 2012.
If she doesn't end up President, it will not be because I didn't give it everything I could. And nothing is going to change that... least of all some Palinophobic nanny-complex wannabe-mommy, or some "Stop with the teasing already, I just can't take it any more!!!" drama queen.
8^)
February 11 is her birthday. I would love for her to either announce on endorse on her birthday.
Are you O.K.?
Thanks. We really need a veto proof Congress, just in case Mitt gets the nod (he is every bit as dangerous as Obie).
I was a huge Palin supporter, but rejected the notion that she would be as effective as a private citizen, as she was as a potential presidential contender. Doubt me? Ask yourself why the media is no longer going after her? The answer is easy...they NO LONGER SEE HER AS A THREAT AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN.
While i know it won't happen; if she did announce that she changed her mind and decided run, everything would change. Folks would cling onto every word she says.
Just my 2 cents.
Um, she was never a presidential candidate. She was the Republican vice presidential nominee in 2008, is that what you’re referring to?
In some ways, Milt is more dangerous than Mr. Obama. He will be painted as a “conservative Republican” by the media (see Nixon, Dubya and Bush 41 as examples) and every “reach across the aisle” fiasco will be ascribed to his being conservative. Lose/lose.
Agree.
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