Posted on 06/11/2011 1:36:32 PM PDT by Brices Crossroads
While I freely concede that both Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry have a right to run for President, it is impossible to overlook the fact that their recent benefactress, Sarah Palin, is rolling out her own Presidential campaign at the same time. This would not generally be extraordinary. In politics, alliances are sometimes (although not regularly) forged and broken. However, in my forty years or so of close political observation, I cannot remember an analogous situation in which the beneficiaries of one politician turn on their benefactor (especially a benefactor as conspicuous as Palin) so shortly after having obtained and used the benefactor's endorsement and appearances to secure both campaign cash and votes. In fact, not since Judas hustled away to the Chief Priests from the Last Supper has there been such a propinquity between the favor and the betrayal. I predict that this disloyalty, spotlighted by the freshness of the favors spent upon these two by Palin, will sour the stomachs of GOP primary voters who tend to place more emphasis on character, which is to say: loyalty. Americans despise disloyalty. Disloyalty and its associated character flaws are a tragedy in a human being, but they are a catastrophe in a President. The association, in the American psyche, of disloyalty and the traitor, Benedict Arnold, bespeaks the level of national revulsion with this particularly poisonous character flaw.
Michele Bachmann, by all accounts, faced a tough reelection fight against State Senator Tarryl Clark, a more attractive and far better financed ($4 million war chest) candidate than she had faced in in 2008, when she narrowly beat lightly regarded and under-financed lobbyist Elwyn Tinkenberg by less than 3% of the vote. At Bachmann's request, Palin rode to her rescue early, appearing on her behalf at a packed rally of over 10,000 in Minneapolis on April 8, 2010, which was nationally televised on Sean Hannity's FOX program. Bachmann parlayed Palin's endorsement and high profile support into a fund raising bonanza of $13.4 million, which she used to swamp Clark. Indeed, the lopsided money advantage freed her to travel around the country campaigning for others and posing as the real TEA party heavyweight. Armed with this Palin-generated largesse, she easily beat Clark by 12%, the largest margin of victory in her career, including her two state Senate Races. Now she is using the balance of these "thirty pieces of silver" to pay odious characters like Ed Rollins to smear Sarah Palin as "not serious" and too lazy to "gain substance" in contrast to Bachmann, who "ha[s] worked hard" and been "a leader of the TEA party". Such treachery, which is both frank and fresh, makes me and every fair-minded person (whether pro- Palin or neutral) sick to our collective stomachs.
Rick Perry similarly faced a very competitive GOP primary against a sitting U.S. Senator, who is more liberal than he, and a solid conservative, Deb Medina, who was very popular with conservatives in Texas and nationally. In essence, he was squeezed from both directions, a challenge on the left and on the right. As she did with Bachmann, Palin went to Perry's aid early and often, endorsing him in the summer of 2009, ahead of the March 2010 primary. The first poll of Perry (by Rasmussen on September 16, 2009), which included both Hutchison and Medina, showed Hutchison pulling ahead of Perry 40-38, with Medina in single digits at 3%.
Perry crowed ad nauseam about Palin's endorsement in order to prevent Medina from gaining real traction and eclipsing him among conservatives. At the time of the endorsement, Perry had this to say about the value of Governor Palin's endorsement and their warm personal friendship:
'Facing a tough Republican primary fight next year in his bid for a third term, Gov. Rick Perry of Texas is brandishing the heavy artillery: Sarah Palin's endorsement of his campaign."If there's a bigger endorsement in the Republican universe, I don't know who it is than Sarah," he declared in a telephone interview over the weekend. He described the Alaska governor and 2008 vice presidential nominee as a "close personal friend" who knows my heart."'
As Matt Lewis observed in the article, "Palin's nod is indeed an asset for Perry, helping him cement his appeal to social conservatives in the Lone Star State." While Perry never again fell behind, even Palin's endorsement could not totally blunt the momentum for Deb Medina, who continued to rise in the polls, reaching a high point of 24% on February 7, 2010, three weeks before the primary, and reducing Perry's showing to 39% (Hutchison had 28%). Enter Palin again. She appeared at a nationally televised rally in Houston that drew over 8000 people on Super Bowl Sunday, February 8, 2010. After the rally, Medina never again broke 20 in a poll.
With Palin's conspicuous and staunch support, Perry barely beat back the challengers in March 2 primary, winning 51% to 30% for Hutchison and 19% for Medina. Even with Palin's support, Medina nearly forced a runoff, so great was conservative revulsion with Perry in Texas. Had Palin backed Medina as strongly as she backed Perry, it is quite possible that Medina and Hutchison would have been in a run off, and Perry would have been odd man out. Had Palin done nothing for Perry, it is a foregone conclusion that he would have faced a tough runoff. In other words, Perry owes Palin his political hide.
As I said at the outset of this article, both Perry and Bachmann are free to run for President or any other office for which they are constitutionally qualified. The First Amendment however also grants observers the right to express themselves on both the timing and the circumstances of their putative candidacies as well as their previous interaction with "close personal friends" who come to their aid. In assessing both Perry and Bachmann, conservative voters should ask themselves the following question: "In light of how these two have conducted themselves toward Sarah Palin in the last year or so, do you trust either of them---should they be elected--not to double cross you?"
I believe that question answers itself.
“Sadly, thus far, even some good loyal supporters have missed your point. Rick Perry is well aware that he is being drafted as part of the Stop Sarah campaign by the desperate GOP-E.”
Not at all, Onyx. I think I am right about Perry, but even if I am not, I am going to pose the question. If someone had recently helped me save my job, I would be disinclined to compete against that person for another job. there is overwhelming evidence that Michele Bachmann is in bed with the Establishment. Her hit man Rollins outed her last week. There is, as you say, much anecdotal and other evidence that Perry is being groomed as the next hope of the Establishment to derail Palin. if it is not true, then the speculation about him in this article is harmless. If it is, however, it raises questions about both his character and his veracity (since he sore up and down when running for Governor last year that he would not run for President in 2012).
I’m not sure what you’re trying to say.
Your article is disjointed and flabbergasting. You might have done better allowing your analysis to cool for a week or so and then editing, instead of running it hot off the emotive press.
Now don’t go getting your hackles in an uproar. I’ve done the same thing many, many times. I’m just offering measured criticism.
“What if Palin is not running, only running interference?”
Having watched Palin closely for the last three years, I do not believe she has it in her character to lead her supporters to believe she will run, only to pull the rug out from under them. There is no one who can take her place and she knows this. Moreover, if she lets us down, she lets her country and the military she loves, down. I do not believe it is in her DNA to do this.
“Your article is disjointed and flabbergasting. You might have done better allowing your analysis to cool for a week or so and then editing, instead of running it hot off the emotive press.”
Very simple. The article assumes all three are running. If that doesn’t happen, then it will be inapposite.
The analysis is based upon an assumption of facts which have not yet crystallized. Sorry if you don’t lie the prose, but it is not disjointed at all.
But again, I'm just offering a possible alternative reality here... she says 50/50, so what's her plan for that other 50% chance? I'm quite certain Sarah Palin has a strategic plan whether she decides to run or not run.
A "not run" reality surely involves Sarah endorsing and campaigning for the right candidate.
Bachmann has indicated she is running...
You set the bar higher for Palin than you do Bachmann.
Palin must "declare" a run, while Bachmann only needs to "indicate" a run.
Neither have declared and both have indicated a run.
Our next nominee and president shouldn't need to have somebody run "interference" for them.
If Bachmann and Perry were silent after Tucson, that is awful indeed. I know a lot of Freepers assume something didn’t happen if they don’t hear about it. Not saying you are, you may well know the deal....
So I had not assumed they left Palin out to dry — but if you are correct on their silence, that is awful indeed.
Rick Perry is well aware that he is being drafted as part of the Stop Sarah campaign by the desperate GOP-E.
The GOP-E knows that Romney’s one day $10 Million haul was chump change compared to a one day haul Sarah Palin will get the day she announces, so those good-ole-establishment-boys looked around and thought “gee, what about Texan Guv Rick Perry and that oil baron money...” for a compromise candidate who could help us STOP SARAH and also hurt Romney!
NO SALE HERE!
BRING ON ALL THE COMPETITION!
GO SARAH!
He wants to poison the well with barely mentioned breaches of trust that aren’t real issues.
In fact, I had to look carefully to discover the author’s evidence of discordance.
Sure, Rollins is a toad but he didn’t attack Palin on Michelle’s orders. That’s the Ed rolls. He’s very competitive and probably thought it was okay to run his mouth.
His crime was dealt with and surprisingly he retreated.
This article has a title to gin up synthetic back stabbing, which isn’t happening and is way short on specifics of the claim by the title.
So while the author answers with a pretentious George Will “The question answers itself” it begs the question:
“We weren’t listening much less paying attention to your glorious intellect. What was the question?”.
She has a big movie coming out in July. There is no way that she can run with that movie being released. It would cause every candidate to have a two hour movie about themselves.
“So anyone who might seek the Republican nomination is being “disloyal” to Palin on the off chance she might decide to run herself?”
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That is not what the article says, and you know it.
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LOL
Yes it is. Hell the title of the article declares it “Bachmann and Perry...Turning on Palin?”
“So anyone who might seek the Republican nomination is being “disloyal” to Palin on the off chance she might decide to run herself?”
*********************************
That is not what the article says, and you know it.
*************************************************
LOL
Yes it is. Hell the title of the article declares it “Bachmann and Perry...Turning on Palin?”
Isn't Rollins employed by Bachmann?
Has Bachmann given any indication that she didn't like the type of attack that Rollins made?
“So anyone who might seek the Republican nomination is being “disloyal” to Palin on the off chance she might decide to run herself?”
LOL
Yes it is. Hell the title of the article declares it “Bachmann and Perry...Turning on Palin?””
Forgive me. Do you have trouble reading and understanding English? Neither the article nor the title addresses “anyone” other than the two putative candidates (BACHMANN and PERRY, not ANYONE; there..put it in caps for you in case you missed it this time too) who accepted and raised money and support from Sarah Palin.
It doesn’t mention Newt Gingrich or Herman Cain or Tim Pawlenty or even Mitt Romney. I don’t have time to go over things with you and spoon feed you or your buddy.
A family bus tour and independent documentary film are not a campaign.
Yeah Baby!!!
I double posted!
This story is meant to sow conflict among conservatives.
A lot of recent stories have this same theme, so it may be coordinated.
Don't take the bait!
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