Posted on 08/03/2012 11:22:09 AM PDT by mandaladon
Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin — though derided on the left and recently dismissed by former vice president Dick Cheney as a poor pick in 2008 — is nevertheless proving her enduring power within the Republican Party in the most concrete of ways: She keeps picking winners.
Each of five candidates she has endorsed this year who have faced primaries or other campaigns have won, including former Texas solicitor general Ted Cruz, who Tuesday beat the state’s well-connected lieutenant governor for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate. In Palin’s biggest test yet as a kingmaker, she heads Friday to Missouri to stump for former state treasurer Sarah Steelman in a close three-way race to take on Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill in November.
It is an especially important race for Republicans, who believe that McCaskill is vulnerable and that Missouri represents one of their best chances for a pickup as they seek to win the four Senate seats they need to guarantee control of the chamber.
Polls have shown Steelman leading Rep. Todd Akin, who represents a suburban St. Louis district, but slightly trailing businessman John Brunner heading into Tuesday’s primary. She hopes Palin’s nod will be a critical validator of her conservative credentials, distinguishing her in a race in which the candidates have espoused virtually identical policy positions.
A 30-second ad featuring Palin praising Steelman as “conservative maverick” who will defend tax dollars “like a mama grizzly defending her cubs” is now airing in all of Missouri’s media markets. Steelman’s campaign is hoping that as many as 1,000 people might come out to see Palin at a Friday barbecue at a blueberry patch south of Kansas City.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Palin’s endorsement puts boots on the ground. Cheney’s endorsement... a small cricket chirps somewhere in the arena. Dissing Sarah P. is a gratuitous act designed to endear oneself to the liberal wing of the establishment. Dick can join Chris at the ninth circle. (see below)
Does she still own that home in Arizona? Call me crazy but I think she’s cooling her heels, while gaining political strength, until McCain decides to step down and then make her way to DC.
The nursing home queen Clarie needs to be voted out of office. Any of the three candidates running would be a far better representation for the state of Missouri.... Translation, I have yet to decide which of the three I will vote for come Tuesday!!!! Sarah’s visit notwithstanding.
The bottom line, she will have had a significant say as to the makeup of the Senate, and it will get Conservative enough to give Romney and McConnell (if he stays alive politically and isn't challeged), fits. And that works for me...
In Palin’s biggest test yet as a kingmaker, she heads Friday to Missouri to stump for former state treasurer Sarah Steelman in a close three-way race to take on Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill in November*****
Doesn’t sound like a huge test as I’ve heard Steelman was already favored to win the primary and then to smoke McCaskill.
Palin Power: Steelman’s Opponent’s Lead is an Expensive One
What could it possibly say about a candidate who spends $7.5M of his own money in order to win a Senate primary?
I concede that Sarah Steelman’s (Palin’s endorsed U.S. Senate Candidate) opponent in this race must be a successful businessman. He has accumulated a lot of wealth and I am sure he has his strong points.
But in order to catch up to Steelman and eventually surpass her in many polls, Brunner; who came into the picture much later than Steelman had, began spending mammoth amounts of his own cash on negative attack ads on Sarah Steelman just as David Dewhurst had to do in Texas.
Meanwhile, Steelman was out working the pavement and shaking hands with voters from all over Missouri.
While Brunner has held a lead over Steelman (the last poll has him six points ahead), it has to be noted that Steelman has spent a grand total of $800K of her own money on her campaign as opposed to Brunner’s $7.5M.
Undoubtedly, the six-point lead Brunner holds over Steelman is an expensive one. With Palin’s endorsement combined with Steelman’s earnest efforts to get to know the voters, Steelman is poised to provide a real challenge despite being massively outspent.
Regardless of Tuesday’s outcome, this single race alone (along with Fischer’s in Nebraska and Cruz in Texas) proves that Governor Palin does not jump behind the one who appears to be a shoe-in for a win as some of her critics contend. This is going to be a significant challenge, and the fact that Steelman was outspent to this degree (as Cruz was in Texas), including Brunner spending $2.5M alone in July continues to show the power of Palin’s endorsement which occurred the same month for Steelman.
Palin's endorsement means nothing to me, one way or the other.
Steelman was considered a favorite against McCaskill until Brunner got into this race.
Steelman's got the unions and trial lawyers solidly behind her in the Primary (they'll be solidly behind McCaskill in the General, at least the unions but some lawyers might stick w/Steelman) which goes to the point that genuine MO conservatives do not look favorably to a candidate who has has a cozy relationship with either group, and that candidate is Steelman.
Brunner has no such cozy relationship and lots of strong onservatives have been leaning favorably in his direction.
A good friend who has been involved in MO races for decades, tells me that Brunner gains every day, even now that Steelman's ads have been bashing him.
No proof here, of course, but the bets here are favorable towards Brunner even with Palin's support.
In fact Steelman has long favored Right to Work legislation. And still does.
Existing in the political world that I do, I would have though one or more of my "connected" Republican friends, who make it a point to research candidates before backing them - not because someone or other ask for their support.
The Chamber of Commerce ad claims "...Steelman stands with the unions against the business community." Or words to that effect.
In fact, Steelman has always favored Right to Work. And unions have taken her to task for it.
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