Posted on 08/26/2010 2:33:36 PM PDT by dselig
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has used her Facebook page and Twitter feed to make high-profile and often winning endorsements in the 2010 cycle. But more than her 'batting average' for picking winners -- which many commentators have focused on -- it's her ability to totally change the dynamic of a given race that sets her apart not only from current GOP rivals but even most other politicos in recent memory. Whereas others can provide an incremental push to unknowns and incumbents alike, only Palin has demonstrated the ability to pluck a candidate from virtual obscurity and rocket them to political stardom -- and, often, to an unexpected win.
The three most prominent examples are Nikki Haley in South Carolina, Karen Handel in Georgia (though she eventually lost her runoff) and Joe Miller in Alaska. Each benefited from national media attention after Palin declared them the better Republican candidate using chirpy verbiage as only she can. Others, such as Carly Fiorina in California and Rick Perry in Texas, were more straightforward, and the candidates were likely to win anyway.
It seemed like Miller was cruisin' for a bruisin' on Tuesday, but he's leading Sen. Lisa Murkowski by 1,668 votes with absentee ballots still outstanding. Palin recorded a last-minute robo-call for him, and the Fairbanks lawyer seems poised to be the nominee. He's never held office.
This may make Palin the breakout kingmaker for the GOP, with all the weight that could carry come 2012 if she decides to mount a presidential bid. Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) makes endorsements all the time and they rarely get much traction in the press (let alone with voters), but when Palin declared that Kelly Ayotte was a strong "Mama Grizzly," it became an entire hoopla.
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee also endorsed Miller in Alaska, but hardly anyone noticed or credited him with Miller's surprising come-from-behind (probable) victory -- it was all Palin. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney backed Haley in the spring, but Palin's endorsement moved the needle amid allegations from a blogger claiming he'd slept with Haley.
And, after all, it was Palin who waded into the New Hampshire Republican Senate primary where other contenders fear to tread. On July 19 Palin endorsed Kelly Ayotte while Pawlenty and Romney are remaining neutral in the 4-way primary. "Kelly is the strongest commonsense conservative who can win in the fall," Palin wrote on Facebook.
Palin was also the first to take a gamble on Minnesota gubernatorial nominee Tom Emmer, giving him a boost that allowed him to win over conservatives at the state party convention in May. Pawlenty only endorsed Emmer as his replacement after the convention. And Haley's backing in the critical early presidential state of South Carolina would likely be a huge boost for Palin come 2012.
And one can't forget Rand Paul, the GOP nominee in Kentucky who Palin embraced early on over Washington's favored candidate Trey Grayson. Paul took the Palin endorsement and ran with it, heaping praise on her and gaining tea party attention. The same goes for Sharron Angle, who defeated the strong favorite Sue Lowden earlier this summer thanks in large part to Palin's endorsement largesse.
Of course, it's even a little ironic, given that Sen. John McCain elevated Palin to rock star political status by picking her for his running mate in 2008. (Palin also endorsed McCain, who just won his primary on Tuesday.)
As the former governor declared at the Tea Party Nation convention in Nashville this winter, she finds tough primaries to be "beautiful."
This year, there are going to be tough primaries. And I think that's good. Competition in these primaries is good. Competition makes us work harder and be more efficient and produce more. I hope you will get out there and work hard for the candidates who reflect your values, your priorities, because despite what the pundits want you to think, contested primaries aren't civil war. They're democracy at work and that's beautiful. It's not clear if there's a method to Palin's Mama Grizzly strategy, what with Politico reporting earlier this summer that her endorsement came as a shock to Wyoming's state auditor Rita Meyer. (Meyer lost the gubernatorial primary anyway.) Handel, on the other hand, courted Palin, and the endorsement and subsequent joint rally was a big factor in her prevailing in that competitive primary (though not the runoff election).
According to the Washington Post's nifty Sarah Palin endorsement tracker, 20 of her favored candidates have won primaries and only 10 have lost so far this cycle. Of her other endorsements, 12 are undecided before an upcoming primary or are general election candidates in the fall elections. As Fox declared in June, she's "still got it."
Palin bashing in 5, 4, 3, 2 ...
Palin shoulda told McCain that his type of maverick is not welcome at the new GOP corral.
Ummm.. no.
Fiorina was far behind Campbell in the polls, when Sarah Palin endorsed her. Why don't these people at least do some research before they write these articles?
Fiorina was consistently in the 20’s when Palin endorsed her and not the frontrunner.
Palin never has endorsed Angle.
Palin has recently come out with an endorsement for Angle. I almost missed it, myself.
Why don’t these people at least do some research before they write these articles?
**********
Facts inhibit their creativity.
I know this may be a fine point. Palin has agreed to campaign for Angle but I don’t remember her saying that she ENDORSED her.
Indeed. But I don’t recall someone campaigning for someone they didn’t endorse. Maybe WJC, or someone. LOL
I imagine it’s possible that SP’s PAC hasn’t made a decision to contribute yet, and that would constitute an “endorsement.”
Honestly, I have no idea!
Sarah sux...if you're a union thug!
I want Boxer out. Fiorina can take her out.
I think Sarah does not do things happenstance. I really think she purposefully has NOT endorsed Angle because of Angle’s pronouncements of Social Security or other controversial positions. She knows her opponents could use Angle’s words against her. Thus nowhere has she come close to writing or saying she has endorsed Angle.
Palin had sent Angle $2500.00 a while back but has now revealed that she is going to endorse Angle soon and help her campaign.
What?
No mention of her support for McCain?
Gee! He won, didn’t he?
I wonder why they would leave that out.
As she said the other day she went all around the country saying he should be President. It wouldn’t make much sense for her to all of a sudden say he shouldn’t even be nominated for the Senate.
Besides she’d have been forced into making a pick anyway. If she remained silent the press would hound her every day and would say she was his running mate but now won’t even say whether she supports him for Senate.
It was basic manners for her to support him. He picked her over plnety of other very strong names, made her a natl force, is most responsible for her adding 25M or more to her account and her securing her family’s future for ever, etc... The least she could do was endorse him. She’d appear as a completely ungrateful you know what if she didn’t.
Also, McCain is still quite popular among the NH GOP. Couldn’t hurt if he were to show up at a town hall or event at some point. Have to keep that door open.
Besides, don’t get too upset, she’ll name him SecDef or SecNavy in 2013 and do what everyone wants and get him out of the Senate.
Besides, McCain isn’t even really a major GOP figure anymore. He’s not in the Senate leadership. He doesn’t set policy. He’s finished as far as his natl ambitions so the media doesn’t pay much attention to him anymore. At best he’ll remain a greybeard on defense issues, the Carl Levin of the GOP. It’s not like he’ll be in control of anything.
With him in the Senate there may be chance that if the GOP ends up with say 50 seats that he could convince Lieberman to pull a Jeffords and flip control. No one else could do that.
It’s the McConnells, the Cornyns and the Kyls who run the show in the Senate. I have a feeling if things go well you’ll see some of the young turks like say Rubio, Paul, Demint, Angle, and some of the newer folks assume a larger role.
McCain is in the twilight of his career. I wouldn’t worry about him too much.
Two things here:
(1) JD was a fricking joke who would have lost a one-man race by himself even without the Palin endorsement.
(2) Odds are that McCain won't be the POS turncoat that he is now, and if Palin runs and wins the WH she'll have a senior Senator who help pass her agenda.
((((((((Palin Ping)))))))
New Mexico Governor: Martinez (R) 48%, Denish (D) 43%
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2578145/posts
Hey gang, you’ve been pinged by a fake freeper (McAmnesty McRedux)
McAmnesty McRedux is as real as you and I. You’re gonna feel him for 6 more years...barring any unforeseen circumstances. We could hope.
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