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The Top 10 Conservatives Of 2009
Townhall.com ^ | December 29, 2009 | John Hawkins

Posted on 12/29/2009 4:54:13 AM PST by Kaslin

Let's face it: if you're conservative, you're not going to get your proper due from the mainstream media for your accomplishments. Case in point: Barbara Walters named Michelle Obama the most fascinating person of 2009. Really? Based on what? Her big arms? Her terrible fashion sense? The fact that she's married to the worst President in American history? I mean, you could understand if Walters named Michelle's husband the most fascinating person of 2009. He is at least the President and it is fascinating to wonder if there's anything going on in his head beyond clichés about hope and "must read teleprompter" repeated over and over. Of course, Barack Obama was Barbara Walters’ most fascinating person of 2008. Wonder who'll be next in 2010? Joe or Jill Biden? In any case, just in case no one else does it, I want to give a little credit where credit is due to some of the conservatives who made a real difference in 2009.

The Honorary Mentions

10) Andrew Breitbart: Andrew Breitbart has really come into his own this year. He now has two huge successful blogs: Big Hollywood and Big Government -- with Big Journalism soon to come. Breitbart was also instrumental in getting James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles' outstanding reporting about ACORN into the hands of the public. Conservatives could use another dozen media entrepreneurs like Breitbart.

9) Marco Rubio: When the establishment Republicans at the NRSC coronated Charlie Crist with their endorsement, many people figured it was over for Marco Rubio. Crist was a popular, ideologically ambiguous Florida governor with a penchant for fundraising while Rubio was merely a young, charismatic conservative leader who was reaching out to conservatives. A few months later, after some aggressive campaigning by Rubio, he's done the cover of National Review, he's headlining CPAC, and he's already tied with Crist. This race in Florida isn't just about Rubio and Crist; it's about who runs things in the Republican Party: the conservative base or the sort of elitists in charge at the NRSC. Rubio's waving the banner for the base and he's going to win.

8) Rush Limbaugh: It goes without saying that Limbaugh makes a big splash on the radio, but has a radio host ever been such a pivotal player that a presidential administration treated him as a huge threat? Perhaps the fact that Rush's ratings went up while the Obama Administration targeted him might explain why fighting with radio hosts is usually something Presidents avoid. If only Obama had as much enthusiasm for going after terrorists as he did for going after conservatives like Rush Limbaugh, we'd have the war on terror won in no time.

7) Jim DeMint: Nobody in the Senate has been more true to conservative ideals or fought harder against the Obama Administration than Jim DeMint. He has no official leadership post and lot of establishment Republicans curse his name, but in the fight against socialism, DeMint is the guy who always seems to be on the front lines trying to encourage other Republicans to follow him into battle.

6) Carrie Prejean: Carrie Prejean never sought to involve herself in the battle over gay marriage when she entered the Miss USA contest, but after being asked a question about the subject and politely stating her opposition, she was thrust into the spotlight. Many people might think a bikini model with racy pics and "sex tapes" in her past might make a poor spokesman on an issue -- and they may be right. However, the extraordinarily vile, over-the-top and perverted attacks on Carrie Prejean by gay marriage supporters fully revealed an extremely ugly side of a movement that too many Americans falsely view as victims. Prejean's respectful courage under fire in difficult circumstances helped make that possible and she deserves to be honored for standing up, not kicked under a bus.

The Runners-Up

5) Dick Cheney: There was a time when former Presidents and Vice-Presidents stayed away from the political arena out of respect for the men who followed them in office, but after years of meddling by Jimmy Carter, Al Gore, and Bill Clinton, Dick Cheney has decided that if the rules don't apply for Democrats, they shouldn't apply for Republicans either. Cheney has not only done an excellent job of defending the Bush Administration's foreign policy, he has also been an extremely effective critic of the Obama Administration's poorly thought-out national security decisions. Americans should be grateful that there's still a Vice-President who's serious about defending America from attack. Too bad he's not the VP who's in the White House.

4) Sarah Palin: Quitting her job as governor of Alaska may turn out to be a mistake, but if it is, at least Sarah Palin is making the most of it. Her book tour was a tremendous success, not only in the book-selling department, but in repairing her image. Moreover, she was one of the most effective Republican voices in the health care debate and in an innovative move, she did it from her Facebook page. If Sarah Palin can be as successful in 2010 and 2011 as she was in 2009, we may be calling her President Palin in 2012.

3) Glenn Beck: Beck's ratings exploded in 2012 -- and no wonder. He has a unique charismatic style and he has become one of the Obama Administration's most fierce and effective critics. He created his own 9/12 movement, did a comedy tour, blistered ACORN, and knocked off Obama czar Van Jones. It has been a big year for Beck and hopefully, there will be more big years to come.

2) James O'Keefe & Hannah Giles: Who would have ever thought that a couple of kids in ridiculous outfits would end up doing the best reporting since Woodward and Bernstein? O'Keefe and Giles posed as a prostitute and pimp trying to set up a child prostitution racket, and they managed to get ACORN employees in at least 6 cities to help them out on hidden camera. The resulting scandal badly tarnished ACORN's reputation, cost it a considerable amount of money, and made it so radioactive as an organization that it was made it into a South Park episode. If O'Keefe & Giles were liberals who had targeted conservatives this successfully, they'd be getting fawning mentions in the media, Pulitzers, and their own hokey, romanticized made-for-TV movie -- and they'd deserve it all.

The Winner

1) The Tea Party Movement: Is it fair to choose a growing, thriving, leaderless mass of American citizens who've sprang up across the country as the conservative of the year? I think so. In the past, those of us on the Right have mostly left the political rallies to liberals. However, the radical and dangerous socialistic impulses of the Obama Administration have panicked the American people and caused conservatives across the country to come together in the streets to say "enough is enough."

The Tea Party movement has been mocked, slandered, and smeared at every opportunity for a simple reason -- it's getting members of the "silent majority" who make the country work, out of their armchairs and into the streets where they're being inspired to go to Townhall meetings, call their congressmen, and vote. Today's political landscape will probably look very different after November of 2010 and the Tea Party movement will deserve a lot of the credit.


TOPICS: Editorial
KEYWORDS: 2009review; johnhawkins; manoftheyear; teaparty; topten

1 posted on 12/29/2009 4:54:15 AM PST by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

Pretty good list but, IMHO, Sarah was the winner. OK. So it’s not really humble but it’s still my opinion which is, like Rush’s, rarely wrong.


2 posted on 12/29/2009 5:08:44 AM PST by InterceptPoint
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To: Kaslin

On one hand it is incredible that Mark Levin would not make such a list.

He only had the #1 non-fiction bestseller for three months!
(”Liberty and Tyranny”, it might ring a bell?)

His radio show is so successful that in 2009 he expanded it from 2 to 3 hours. And there are other accolades I could mention.

But on the other hand, I think his lack of name recognition in the MSM and in pop culture is a blessing for him.

He really doesnt need to have a higher profile. There are enough marxists in power who know who he is, and they will be gunning for him if the unFairness Doctrine ever comes into being.


3 posted on 12/29/2009 5:15:04 AM PST by Canedawg (FUBO)
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To: InterceptPoint

Good list bttt


4 posted on 12/29/2009 5:15:44 AM PST by Guenevere (....)
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To: Kaslin

Nothing against the Tea Party Movement, but when you name a top ten list of conservatives, you usually name people, not groups.

When Time Magazine named the computer “Man of the Year” it started going down hill. It hit bottom when they put reflective material on the cover and made each of us “Man of the Year.” Such self-effacing mockery is not a good long-term strategy. They are finding that out now.


5 posted on 12/29/2009 5:22:32 AM PST by Dr. Sivana
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To: Kaslin

The Big Wee Wee should be given some type of special recognition
for so clearly demonstrating why we need conservative principles.

6 posted on 12/29/2009 5:37:25 AM PST by Zakeet (America needs ObamaCare like Helen Thomas needs a Halloween mask)
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To: Kaslin

List is crap... here is the real deal!

1) Rush Limbaugh
2) Sarah Palin
3) Dick Cheney
4) Mark Levin
5) Michelle Malkin
6) Rush Limbaugh
7) Sarah Palin
8) Dick Cheney
9) Mark Levin
10)Michelle Malkin


7 posted on 12/29/2009 6:06:43 AM PST by LibLieSlayer (hussama will never be my president... NEVER!)
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To: Kaslin

Not bad! I don’t think Carrie Prejean can live up to the expectations. Mark Levin should be there instead.


8 posted on 12/29/2009 6:21:34 AM PST by Tolik
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To: Kaslin

Tom Sowell is still number one IMHO.


9 posted on 12/29/2009 6:23:47 AM PST by Hawthorn
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To: Kaslin
..Sarah Palin and Andrew Breitbart along with the undercover kids should be at the top IMO

Poor Carrie was a tragic story of exploitation by herself and of herself by others--no way should she be there...

10 posted on 12/29/2009 6:48:35 AM PST by WalterSkinner ( In Memory of My Father--WWII Vet and Patriot 1926-2007)
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To: Kaslin

IMHO - Rush and Beck should NOT be on the list until he and other talking boobleheads address the news surrounding the Birther issue in more then a passing manner.


11 posted on 12/29/2009 6:56:27 AM PST by stockpirate (Dec. 24, 2009, the day liberty in America died to applause in the US Senate. Republicans helped)
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To: Kaslin

I’d add Greg Gutfeld and SE Cupp.


12 posted on 12/29/2009 6:58:42 AM PST by isom35
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To: Kaslin

What about Jim Thompson?


13 posted on 12/29/2009 7:42:57 AM PST by freespirited (People talk about "too big to fail." Our government is too big to succeed. --Chris Chocola)
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To: Kaslin
1) The Tea Party Movement

Good choice for first place.

14 posted on 12/29/2009 7:46:48 AM PST by highlander_UW (...one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a congress - John Adams)
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To: Hawthorn

Thomas Sowell, absolutely. Michelle Malkin is also on my list.


15 posted on 12/29/2009 12:32:53 PM PST by yeff (Yuor biran has teh alibtiy to mkae oderr out of caohs)
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To: Tolik

I'm sorry. What was the topic?

16 posted on 12/29/2009 12:45:19 PM PST by grand wazoo
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To: grand wazoo

not guilty!

what was the topic you said?


17 posted on 12/29/2009 4:24:20 PM PST by Tolik
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