Posted on 07/11/2010 2:53:26 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
You thought pit bulls were tough? You don't want to mess with the mama grizzlies." Sarah Palin
Deep in the heart of darkest Washington, the mysterious beat of jungle drums pound in the humid heat of the night - boom, boom, ba-boom, boom, boom! The natives are restless.
From the screeches of the hawks in the Pentagon to the chatter of the monkeys in Congress to the bellow of baboons on the Senate floor, the message is relayed. Big-game hunter, Sarah Palin, the nemesis of moose and wolves, has decided to bag another kind of game and she has the administration in the cross-hairs. She's on her way, and she's bringing with her a sloth of mad mama grizzlies and a herd of stampeding pink elephants. Sarah and elephants and bears! Oh, my!
Alaska's controversial, rifle-totin' ex-governor has come out with a new ad that has set the Internet abuzz with speculation. The 1 minute 50 second video, titled Mama Grizzlies, is, on the surface, an appeal to American women and an endorsement of various Republican candidates for the upcoming November elections. It sounds, however, more like an early bid for the White House by Palin, herself.
In the time-honored tradition of the Republican Party, she attempts to gain points with voters (in this case, women) by referring to the past. By calling politically active women 'mama grizzlies' she reminds American women of their pioneering forebears. Those self-reliant females, who accompanied their husbands 'out West,' were well acquainted with the danger posed by grizzly bears - and were often as capable as their men of bringing one down with a Kentucky long rifle.
The country's folklore is filled with tales of such women. From sharpshooters Martha Jane (Calamity Jane) Cannary and Annie Oakley to rancher Margaret Heffernan Borland (who drove her own herds across Texas) to gunfighter Kitty LeRoy to stagecoach driver Mary Fields (Stagecoach Mary,) powerful, gutsy women, both heroines and villains, stride down the halls of US history and legend.
Children grow up hearing these stories, which have become an integral part of the American experience. These intrepid female forebears help the people define themselves. Their 'wild and woolly' pioneering past is one of the unique ways in which Americans differ from Europeans. It has become a part of the people's self-identification, their psyche. For a politician to refer to it is to push a national hot button.
Such ploys (referral to - and identification with - either the past or the 'perceived' past) have proved successful time and again as has been demonstrated by innumerable successful politicians. One example can be found in late President John F. Kennedy's reference to his administration's domestic and foreign programs as the 'New Frontier.' Another former US president, Ronald Reagan, continually alluded to America's self-reliant, independent past, using it -- and the values established by it -- to justify practically all his programs - from cutting government aid (Americans are self-reliant and don't want big government) to building up the military. Reagan was a master of the game and despite the fact that his economic policies quadrupled the national debt, recent presidential surveys reveal that he is fondly remembered as one of the country's greatest presidents. The truth is that he understood the American psyche and knew which buttons to push.
Sarah Palin, though new to politics, is obviously learning, as well. In fact, CNN's Rick Sanchez referred to her ad, which shows women carrying placards with messages such as "No Government Run Healthcare," "We Love Sarah USA" and the martial-sounding motto of the US Navy Jack, "Don't Tread on Me," as 'Reaganesque' in its appeal.
As has already been mentioned, ostensibly, the ad is an endorsement of Republican candidates for the upcoming November elections. "Look out, Washington," Palin warns "cause there's a whole stampede of pink (female) elephants (Republicans) crossing the line and the E.T.A. for them stampeding through is November 2, 2010." But even the most casual observer can see that it is really about Palin, herself.
Even the traditionally pro-Republican outlet, Fox News, observed that the video "smacks of a very early presidential campaign ad spot." In fact, it begins with Palin announcing: "This year will be remembered as a year when commonsense conservative women get things done for our country."
She then goes on to criticize the Obama Administration. "These policies coming out of DC right now, this fundamental transformation of America. Well a lot of women who are very concerned about their kids' futures are saying we don't like this fundamental transformation and we're going to do something about it," she states.
"There in Alaska," Palin continues, "I always think about the mama grizzly bears that rise up on their hind legs when somebody's coming to attack their cubs… You thought pit bulls (she was called a pit bull during the 2008 presidential campaign) were tough, well, you don't want to mess with the mama grizzlies."
Since her July 26, 2009 resignation from her gubernatorial post, there has been speculation as to whether the running mate to former presidential hopeful, John McCain, would seek the Republican Party presidential nomination in 2012. This past February, when Fox News asked her outright if she would be running for president that year, she answered that she would be willing to if she thought it was “right for the country” and that she would not close the door on the possibility. If her recent ad is any indication, Sarah Palin has already made up her mind.
If she does receive the 2012 Republican nomination, her campaign should prove to be an interesting one, indeed. Her life and political positions are a study in contrasts. This obviously strong, independent woman, who encourages strength and moral rectitude in her sister Americans, entered - and won - a beauty pageant (the 1984 Miss Wasilla Beauty Pageant.) She also entered the 1984 Miss Alaska pageant, in which she placed third. Such contests are disliked by both Christian evangelicals (many of whom are Republicans) and women's advocates. The first group deems such displays immoral; the second maintains that they exploit women.
And while on the subject of morality and family values, there's Palin's own daughter to consider. During the 2008 presidential campaign - in fact, on the opening day of the Republican National Convention, it was announced that the VP hopeful's 17-year-old daughter, Bristol, was expecting an illegitimate child. On top of that, there's Palin's admission to having smoked marijuana -- when she was younger, of course.
Those controversies might have been enough to sink a less intrepid politician, but not Sarah Palin. And they are not the only ones surrounding her. Another is her position on energy. Despite the political fallout from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, she continues to support off-shore drilling. In fact, when asked about the BP disaster, she said, “I repeat the slogan, 'drill here, drill now.” True to form, she also supports land-based drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
As far as global warming is concerned, she claims to be skeptical as to its causes, but admits that "man's activities certainly can be contributing to the issue." She even concedes that action should be taken; but fails to mention what kind.
Though there are some areas of inconsistency between Palin's professed beliefs and her personal life, firearms is not one of them. A Life Member of the National Rifle Association (NRA), she loves to hunt big game - caribou and moose, in particular. While running for governor of Alaska in 2006, she informed USA Today, “We hunt as much as we can, and I'm proud to say our freezer is full of wild game we harvested here in Alaska.”
Nor does the adventurous Sarah's enthusiasm for firearms stop with rifles. She interprets the Second Amendment (the right to bear arms) as including handguns and opposes bans on semi-automatic assault weapons.
As regards foreign policy, she favors the Bush Doctrine on preemptive military action. During an interview with ABC News' Charles Gibson, she said, “I certainly do believe in the right to take preemptive action to thwart an enemy's attack upon us.”
She also supports US military operations in Pakistan and has said that Obama would be reelected if “he played the war card.”
At the same time, she backs NATO membership for Ukraine and Georgia, saying that if Russia were to invade either one, once it became a NATO member, the United States should meet its treaty obligations, i.e. go to war with Russia!
Some love her; others hate her. But whatever the reactions, Sarah Palin never goes unnoticed. Unlike most politicians, she meets controversy head-on and appears to welcome it. Perhaps, her attitude is based on her political naïveté; but her opponents should not underestimate her. Despite her gaffes, she has popular appeal. The 'hockey moms,' 'Joe six-packs' and 'mama grizzlies' of America can identify with her.
In December 2008, Palin was chosen as one of the country's 'Top 10 Most fascinating People' for an ABC Barbara Walters special. Then, in April 2010, long after the McCain-Palin campaign ended, she was picked once again - in this case, by Time magazine, as one of the 100 World's Most Influential People.
The Democrats would do well to watch out. Despite her lack of political expertise - particularly in foreign policy, Sarah Palin's latest ad shows that she has found the American people's hot buttons and is learning how to push them.
She really should replace Steele.
The article writer does not live in the real world.
Carter nearly destroyed your country. Reagan saved it. (As if FReepers needed me to tell them that, LOL)
But no problemo with Obozo being a coke head?
that be the worst decision ever. Opening herself to ethics complaints about how she’s earning money while as RNC chairman, like when Steele went around trying to sell his book and not fund raising for the party. RNC chairman position would be a chain on Palin
I totally agree with you.
The debt was quadrupled by the congress who didn't live up to it's part of the deal to CUT SPENDING.......assholes as usual....I enjoyed the rest of the article...
That said; think Sarah has made up her mind as well; she just needs to see if it is 'pay back time' (on larger Repub clock) per her efforts this past year on Repub campaing trails helping effect Conservative change.
Just because she isn’t cynical doesn’t make her “naive”!
Amd she’s NOT inexperienced in politics!
Press TV is more or less straight up Ahmadinejad. Filtered through western luminaries like George Galloway and Max Keiser.
I stopped reading right there. The author clearly doesn't understand economics and government well enough to be worth my time.
Sarah Palin could be that person.
Iranian dissidents for Sarah? Kewl.
And the problem with referring to the past is?
If only those currently in power would have looked to the past before acting, we wouldn't be repeating the depression era once again.
That’s right....
The House of Representatives control the purse strings. During Reagan’s eight years in office, the democrats controlled the House for all eight years (and the rats regained the Senate in 1986).
Paging George Allen, please pick up the courtesy phone....
I detect a bit of muslim disdain for the Christian woman.
Agreed. It's a perfect fit.
Sarah Palin “new to politics”?
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