Posted on 02/17/2010 4:38:19 PM PST by JApost
The battle for 2012 began in Arkansas on Tuesday night when Sarah Palin brought her celebrity to an arena filled with state GOP elite and Tea Party commoners who had never attended a political event.
It was Palin’s first fundraiser for a state party in the country, although she charged a speaking fee rumored around $75,000. After costs, the party will gross about $400,000.
For all the red, white and blue pageantry, there was one noticeable absence: Mike Huckabee.
“Huckabee will be elsewhere in the country,” said Doyle Webb, state party chairman.
While governor, Huckabee dominated any GOP event, his star rising with each visit by George W. Bush, Rudy Giuliani or Dick Cheney. He entertained GOP movers and shakers at the governor’s mansion and took them duck hunting in nearby Stuttgart, the duck hunting capitol of the world.
Here on Huckabee turf Tuesday night, Palin obliterated any thought of the former governor. She received a .44 magnum as a welcoming gift, cementing her street cred with the Second Amendment crowd. Not unusual, except in Arkansas, Huckabee has always been the hunter-in-chief.
“Huckabee is focused on his show,” says one GOP insider. “He hasn’t even said he is running so I wouldn’t read too much into his absence tonight.”
Still, it’s never too early to start courting votes and currying favor for a potential presidential run. And Palin on her first visit to Arkansas performed such a task in spades.
People left an earlier meet-and-greet in tears. Women hugged her and said they wished she was their daughter. More women than men wore Palin buttons.
She said as much when she told the story of duck hunting with her father as a girl. When buckshot rained over her, she said she was scared. “It’s just buckshot, just duck,” Palin’s father said. “I apply to today with all the crap out there. It won’t hurt you.”
Palin often praised Arkansas, known as the Natural State, as being similar in values and landscape to Alaska. She mentioned Wal-Mart several times. The company was a sponsor of the event.
She stood patiently as the crowd called the Arkansas Razorbacks with the traditional “Woo Pig Sooie.” She took pre-selected questions from Webb about hunting, threats to the United States (terrorism is number one), and the Tea Party (she loves those people).
Arkansas historically votes Republican in presidential elections. The McCain-Palin ticket won the state by 20 percentage points in 2008. It’s also trending red for the 2010 midterms. And there’s no guarantee that native son Huckabee has the beloved reverence — or strong base — that propelled Bill Clinton to the White House.
But Huckabee isn’t just focusing on his television show or trips to Israel with Pat Boone. On Thursday, Huckabee visits his own battleground state.
He will campaign in South Carolina for Rex Rice, a state representative running for Congress in upstate Greenville. In 2008, McCain won South Carolina in the Republican primary but Huckabee was a close second
A press release points out that Huckabee has been shown in a hypothetical head-to-head 2012 polls as the Republican alternative to President Barack Obama..
But so has Palin. And Mitt Romney.
It’s too soon to know whether Palin or Huckabee will run in 2012. Confidants of both say they are focused on helping the GOP win in 2010, and making money with their books, television shows and speaking gigs.
As one veteran politico said at the Palin event, “She’s a rock star.”
That’s what they use to say about Bill Clinton.
Can any of you Huckabee or Romney supporters recall a similar response?
Did she announce she was running? Feeling like I missed something here.
Sarah Palin is the right answer to ALL the questions we have. And especially this one:
Is it 2012 yet?
Maybe leaving a performance of Huck’s band in tears? Or a Romney bill-signing ceremony when he was governor of MA? Perhaps that’s another kind of tears.
An earlier post show how the reporter at the event broke it down by racial content. He noted that the staged event only had 4 blacks. That struck me as odd, but then again, its representative of the past election where only 4% voted for the Palin McCain ticket. The left will make hay on this for sure, especially the 44 Cal. “Now she has a neat gun to shoot the polar bears”, wait, its coming, you can bet on it.
No announcement yet I’m just campaigning.
Does that sentence mean that she was moved by them saying that they wished that she was their daughter or that she left them in tears?
Huckabee, the other liberal from Hope. We need him as bad as Arizona needs McCain.
Whoa ... how great !!!
Well right after Sarah stepped down last year SHe showed up at a Major NRA event up in AK. They gave Sarah one of a kind rifle as well.
“Huckabee will be elsewhere in the country,” said Doyle Webb, state party chairman.”
~~~~
Guess who Huckster is having on his show
Sat ??? MECHELLE .. and her fat campaign.
‘Nuff said ???
The Fat Czarina.
“he mentioned Wal-Mart several times. The company was a sponsor of the event.”
OOOOh ... I like!
I took it that they were emotionally moved to tears. I saw it in the various coverage of her book signing tours. Women would break down crying after shaking her hand. Some would start crying standing in line as they were about to meet her. I don’t know what it is. They were overcome.
UGH. I read about that on Jake Tapper’s site.
Huckaboob will be all smiles.
Doubt if he’ll call her down for being a union shill.
Sarah talking to the people of Ark. while the Huckester
is having on his program Miss Boob Belt, Michelle.
Doesn’t that figure.
Anthony Imperato, President of Henry Repeating Arms presenting Sarah Palin with a custom Henry rifle on behalf of the Republican Party of Arkansas.
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