Palin Has Everything that Counts

American Thinker ^ | October 03, 2008 | Kyle-Anne Shiver

[vietvet67]

I must admit to being quite taken aback, last week, by Kathleen Parker's insistence that Sarah Palin do the Country and her Party the favor of withdrawing from this race.  One is left to only imagine whether Ms. Parker is of the same mind today, or whether she will now be sending this advice to Joe Biden instead. 

As for me and my vote, Sarah Palin has everything that counts.  She has had my admiration since day one, and I've seen nothing of significance to change my mind.  I read Kaylene Johnson's biography, Sarah, this week.  It's the portrait of the hockey mom, "who turned Alaska's political establishment upside down,"  a woman who has produced some rather extraordinary accomplishments for her family, her town and her state, in that order, taking one thing at a time.  According to those who know Sarah best, she has done it not so much with extraordinary talent as with personal drive and hard work.

The kind of effort most Americans value most.

For all the talk about the smallness of the governments Mrs. Palin has run successfully, one might get the idea that it's harder to sit among a large group of Senators on the Hill in Washington, D.C. than being on the hot seat all along in a mayor or governor's office.

Well, that's pure poppycock.  

We don't need any more proof than the recent revelations of hidden-in-plain-sight shenanigans of Congress -- up to their eyeballs in Freddie/Fannie corruption! - to know which job is hardest.  It's a whole lot more difficult to be constantly exposed to watchful constituents in one's own hometown and state, than it is to be ensconced on the Hill hundreds or thousands of miles from the taxpayers.

To listen to Governor Palin's critics lately, though, one might imagine that none of her real accomplishments, nor the honesty and integrity evidenced by Mrs. Palin in office, actually count any more.  Sarah Palin has proven her qualifications by actually making decisions that have borne real fruit -- results.  And proven results certainly matter to me.

When I saw Sarah Palin make her national debut at the RNC convention, and again in her first major debate last night, I found her to be quite the American version of Margaret Thatcher.  Thatcher, too, faced scathing derision from her country's press and from her opposition, much of it focused on the issues of small town vs. big city and commoner vs. elite. 

And, like Palin, Thatcher rose above it all with grace and made her case to the actual voters, who elected her again and again, until the Iron Lady became the longest sitting Prime Minister in more than a Century.  What  did Margaret Thatcher credit with her amazing success?

Thatcher said simply, in much the way I expect Sarah Palin will:

"I just owe almost everything to my father and it's passionately interesting for me that the things that I learned in a small town, in a very modest home, are just the things that I believe have won the election."   

And as the first female Prime Minister of England, Margaret Thatcher, also said, "Any woman who understands the problems of running a home will be nearer to understanding the problems of running a country."  Then, she set about proving her own words true.

Despite her harping critics, Maggie Thatcher proved to be a most able leader upon the world stage, even at a time of rather perilous threats on many fronts.  When besieged by naysayers, she once remarked, "If my critics saw me walking over the Thames they would say it was because I couldn't swim."  And after watching Sarah Palin last night, I would say that she agrees with Maggie. 

Don't let the naysayers ever get you down.

Peggy Noonan was actually one of the first journalists to pronounce that McCain's pick of Sarah Palin signaled the end of his presidential quest.  Oddly enough, however, Peggy Noonan sang quite a different tune some years ago, when she declared "character" alone as the essential requirement in a President.

"In a president, character is everything. A president doesn't have to be brilliant... He doesn't have to be clever; you can hire clever... You can hire pragmatic, and you can buy and bring in policy wonks. But you can't buy courage and decency, you can't rent a strong moral sense. A president must bring those things with him... He needs to have, in that much maligned word, but a good one nonetheless, a "vision" of the future he wishes to create.. But a vision is worth little if a president doesn't have the character-- the courage and heart-- to see it through."

Well said, Ms. Noonan.  When did you lose your way?

My favorite part of the debate last night was when Governor Palin reminded us all of Joe Biden's characterization of paying more taxes as "patriotic."  Sarah Palin's authenticity is the most powerful gift she has, in my opinion, and she smiled right into the camera, looked with a mischievous grin, and said that plans for the redistribution of wealth were not how we real Americans in the middle-class see "patriotism."

Can you say moose-in-the-headlights Biden? 

Why does everything with liberals always come down to throwing money at problems?

It wasn't hard to see why Joe Biden has been a Senator and never really in charge of anything on his own.  He came across as someone, who did little more than rehearse a role for public performance.  Governor Palin, on the other hand, is the professional politician's worst nightmare.

Just as Margaret Thatcher pulled the rug out from under a lot of old hands in England, here comes Sarah Palin going right over the heads of  media elites, who think they are charged with the responsibility of telling the rest of us what things to consider when casting our votes.

No one thought Maggie Thatcher, raised over a grocery store in a small town, could be the first female Prime Minister of England, either.  But the Iron Lady did quite a splendid job.  And I predict that Sarah Palin will as well. 

Sarah Palin is the perfect balance to McCain's experience and wisdom.  She is fresh, genuine and as American as apple pie.  Smart as a whip to boot.  She evidences the spark of true humility, a willingness to learn from others, and the character so necessary for sound judgment. 

In everything that counts, Sarah Palin has what it takes to make a great Vice President.  And someday, she'll make a terrific first female President of too.

I hope I live to see it.

Kyle-Anne Shiver is a frequent contributor to American Thinker.  She blogs at kyleanneshiver.com.

[Aussiebabe]

Kathleen Parker would do her country and party a favor by withdrawing as a writer.

[imintrouble]

That donation picture reminded me of something.

Close your eyes readers and remember the two voices of recent days - Barney Frank and Sarah Palin.

Who should we believe? Who has intellect and honesty?
Who cares about the nation and all of its people - not just a special few? Who should be the kind of politician we need right now - before we sink into socialist surrender?

[imintrouble]

Apology - a picture of Barney Frank was up - but I see it has been replaced.

[agere_contra]

I’m quite happy for Palin to be likened to (an early) Thatcher. I think Palin will be as transformative.

[AIM-54]

But will McCain step up and start playing this game?

McCain’s campaign has been pathetic so far. It’s all Sarah.
He cannot count on Sarah carrying him across the finish line. Somebody needs to give him a swift, hard kick in the pants and get his head in this game.

His ‘My Friends’ BS has got to stop.

[SaintDismas]

Barney Frank got his ass kicked last night but good on O’Reilly’s show. With me, Billo is a love/hate relationship. Last night I loved him again. (til he pisses me off again)

[bitterohiogunclinger]

The response from everyone other that Obamabots is overwhelmingly in favor of Palin. One of the most telling interviews after the debate was Greta's interview of one of the men Palin defeated in the Governor's race in Alaska. He was unabashedly praising Palin and proud of her accomplishments. How refreshing to see honesty.

[stockpirate]

McCain is his own biggest problem. When he starts using socialist speak it cancels out Palin.

McCain needs to move to a place he doesn’t like being, to the right.

His vote for the bailout cost him a ton of support.

His not pointing at the guilty allows the left to blame him and repubs.

[backhoe]

McCain is his own biggest problem. When he starts using socialist speak it cancels out Palin. McCain needs to move to a place he doesn’t like being, to the right. His vote for the bailout cost him a ton of support. His not pointing at the guilty allows the left to blame him and repubs.

For whatever it's worth around here, I agree by 110%.

[Coldwater Creek]

DITTO!

But, short of a dead woman or live boy, “ACE” has my vote.

[Tax-chick]

I must admit to being quite taken aback, last week, by Kathleen Parker's insistence that Sarah Palin do the Country and her Party the favor of withdrawing from this race.

That's because you're a nice woman who is content with her accomplishments, Kyle-Anne. Kathleen Parker is not.

[stockpirate]

I think a lot here agree too.

He claimed he is a fiscal conservative. His vote on the bailout shows he is a fiscal Marxist.

So I’m seeing this election as a pro-war socialist vs a pro-war Marxist.

[JaneNC]

Rudy knows. I loved what he said after the debate. He said he has never seen a better debate and she rose to the level (or exceeded) that of Ronald Reagan. I agree.
No one like her. No one.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

Sarah Palin Song

[iopscusa]

That’s an understatement; BillO is a love/hate relationship...loved the BillO rant at Barney!

[Doug TX]

Add Kay Bailey Hutchison to that list. She bailed on Palin almost immediately after her announcement.

[Shery]

Kathleen Parker should know better than to think that because Palin didn’t do well ‘in her eyes’ with Comrade Couric doesn’t necessarily mean that she’s through, politically. Obama showed us that without a teleprompter, he cannot carry a sentence to completion, but few mentioned that his campaign was over and he should step down. Palin still holds the experience edge over Obama, any way you look at it, unless you count experience for the presidency meaning to know how to shake down local or state governments. but even then, Palin displayed very good skill in getting energy money for her state of Alaska. So, even at that, Obama is in at a draw, not more experience.

It seems that Kathleen Parker is now becoming the George Will, who became like Anthony Sullivan, who is no longer considered a conservative voice now. Sad to see it come, but I’ve wondered at more than one of her articles this year. I see the middle-to-left slide coming on. Oh, those who think that they are being so objective, soon to find themselves over the line.

[backhoe]

DITTO! But, short of a dead woman or live boy, “ACE” has my vote.

I hear ya- the more I see of The New, Improved Black Jesus and his lunatic followers ( Blue shirts? Choruses? Hitler Youth, anyone? ), the more I realize I have to hold my nose and vote for McCain & Palin. Probably be the only one in my city, dammit.

[ROLF of the HILL COUNTRY]

I think you mean “anti-war marxist”...