Pat Buchanan: What's the Mama Grizzly Up To?

Townhall ^ | June 11, 2010 | Patrick J. Buchanan

[Freddd]

Game changer.

[Brices Crossroads]

“no politician in memory has conducted a more brilliant pre-presidential campaign,”

And this assessment is from a man who worked for both Reagan and Nixon, two excellent politicians, who each won 49 state landslides. He also observed at close quarters JFK, another gifted politician of the 20th Century.

He doesn’t quite get it right in Iowa. Branstad is as conservative as VanderPlaats. And while he may be right that Romney’s staff and Branstad’s staff are “wired” (his sister Bay is a Romneybot), Branstad cannot deliver Iowa to Mitt. But Vanderplaats (who is for Huck) could have been of great assistance to him in the Iowa Caucuses had he been elected governor. If VDP were governor, and Huck eked out a win, it might make the nomination struggle more protracted.

Buchanan also notes the defeats she has pasted on Newt and Cheney (and Huck) in the endorsement wars. This shows she is taking on the Establishment on ground of her choosing and defeating them every time.

[tenger]

Name a politician who has NOT resigned a position for something higher? They all do it on both sides of the aisle. Yet we don't call them quitters, do we?

I personally think that if they go for a higher position while still serving the term, the opposition should be able to fill the position. You'd have far fewer jumping ship for that higher position and they'd have more to risk. They should also have to resign before campaigning for office.

But that's just me.

[Bigtigermike]

Yep, Martinez in NM is for the WEST PRIMARIES including Carla...that’s where Mitt is putting his hopes on after the Northern States according to his advisers...I knew that when Sarah endorsed Nikki that it was more than just another kindred spirit, SOUTH CAROLINA is a make-n-break for most candidates

Here on paper is how things MAY look as of right now:

1. First in the nation is Iowa - Palin

2. New Hampshire - Mitt/ Palin second

3. Next up-S.C. primary - Palin, thanks to Nikki

4. Final primary before Super Tuesday is Florida- ???

5. Super Tuesday- Mixed bag

6. West Primaries - Mitt needs to win big out there to survive

[hedgetrimmer]

Yes, and now we know why she endorsed global socialist billionaire Fiorina. She wants Fiornia’s money backing her presidential bid, and she just got a guarantee of quid pro quo.

[Brices Crossroads]

“Name a politician who has NOT resigned a position for something higher?”

As Longstreet told Lee at Gettysburg, “Not retreat. Redeploy.” This is what Palin has done. Lee refused to take this advice and spent his army on a fruitless, futile endeavor to capture a place of no military significance where the ground favored the Union. He stayed where he was and got slaughtered. Palin has maneuvered in the face of the enemy and repeatedly outflanked them.

[Clyde5445]

If I am not mistaken the Western Primaries were moved ahead of Super Tuesday. The GOP changed the schedule on them. All indications are Sarah is rather strong out west as well.

[Brices Crossroads]

“New Hampshire - Mitt/ Palin second”

For two reasons, I think Palin will win New Hampshire. First, it is a retail politics state and Mitt stinks at retail politics, while Sarah Palin shines.

Second, her win in Iowa will generate such momentum and press (nothing succeeds like success) that irt will sweep her to victory in NH. Mitt is not nearly strong enough to overcome such momentum. Unlike Huck, she is not a regional candidate.

When she wins NH, it will be over effectively. At that point, the also rans will be running for VP.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Yep, Palin is Stonewall Jackson at Chancellorsville.

[Clyde5445]

Sarah in one nite smoked Huck and check mated Mittens. Now what Sarah did was put the potential Gov. in a very tough position on who they will support in there respective states.

[Brices Crossroads]

I think that is a pretty fair military analogy to what she is doing now. The Second Corps is deployed int the woods, about to attack the 11th.

Her success is sowing confusion and fear in the Establishment as well. They are grasping at straws. ( I read somewhere that when Jackson’s old Corps attacked on the first day at Gettysburg, it was against O.O. Howard’s 11th Corps, which they had badly mauled at Chancellorsville. Many of the 11th Corps soldiers saw the flags of Jackson’s army approaching and were so terrified (because of what had happened at Chancellorsville), that they dropped their guns and ran.

Sarah Palin lives inside these guys’ heads in much the same way. SP says to Obama, you need to meet with the BP CEO (which he hasn’t done in 57 days), and the next day he sets a meeting. Their whole political existence is one big series of reactions to what she says and does. I have never seen the beat of it in all my life.

[Al B.]

This shows she is taking on the Establishment on ground of her choosing and defeating them every time.

I found it fascinating that somebody like Pat Buchanan -- who despite his shortcomings is very politically astute -- is just now snapping to the fact that Sarah Palin is seriously positioning herself to run for president.

Considering that her sister Bay Buchanan is wired into Team Romney, this may account for the recent flurry of activity from Mittens....they've been caught flat-footed and are in scramble mode. It may also account for the rumor I heard this morning that Team Romney is moving in to Nevada to co-opt Sharron Angle's campaign.

[Al B.]

her sister = his sister. Sorry Pat.

[LonePalm]

It appears that Sarah Palin has read and taken to heart the lessons of Sun Tzu and Miyamoto Musashi.

I would not be surprised to learn that she has read de Tocqueville, Machiavelli, and Talleyrand.

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[mountainfolk]

Sarah took the KICK ME sign off her back, spoiling the game for her enemies on both political sides. She would not have gained anything for her state or herself by continuing to facilitate their conventional approach to destruction of opponents, i.e. ridicule, false legal entanglements, lies and rumors regarding family etc. Finally, we have a leader who fights back, not just for herself but for the rest of like minded citizens. Sarah has shown that we do not have to let the enemy define the game and set the rules. I hate that McCain is the beneficiary of her loyalty, but that does not impact on my admiration for Sarah and her energy and strength of character.

[AFreeBird]

It has truly been a sight to behold. And even if the left backed off completely now; it’s too late. They done poked mama grizzly with a stick one too many times.

[jpsb]

"Palin has maneuvered in the face of the enemy and repeatedly outflanked them."

That is exactly my take too. In Alaska she was trapped and besieged by operatives of the progressive left. Going broke defending herself from worthless ethics complaints, 3,000 miles away from the real action in the lower 48 and unable to advance a conservative agenda. In one brilliant move reminiscent Alexandra the Great she destroyed the enemies battle plan and has taken control of the war. Sara is running in 2012 and she is building an army of loyal lieutenants.

[Pollster1]

Good article, and illustrates why I don't think Palin is quite what many hope her to be. And I do not respect her for quiting.

I'm not thrilled with her decision to leave office, although that view is softening as I see how much she is doing for America, but I (mostly) agree with her political endorsements. She did a good job of picking the strongest conservative who had a chance of winning. Frankly, in a couple of cases, I think she put conservatism ahead of the chance of winning a general election by too much. My hope is that she correctly judged the extra boost that her endorsement and Obama's unpopularity will give in the general election and not just in a primary, but we may lose a couple of races we could have won with a more moderate but still pro-gun, pro-life fiscal conservative. Her loyalty to McCain is not my style, although I can forgive loyalty, but for her other endorsements I'd rather win on the big issues (or on as many big ones as possible) than lose with someone who agrees with me 100%.

[Lakeshark]

So, Pat is saying that Palin is more about her own personal election chances than the good of the country?

He doesn't even hint at that. All he's saying is her ability to set the stage for a run at the republican nomination has been excellent.

He destroys those great intellects who call her a quitter, and reminds them she's in the drivers seat at this point.

The only problem I have with his points is who is making them........:-)

[Psalm 144]

Wow, Jeane Kirkpatrick, haven’t thought of her in years. Now there’s one tough old broad, lol. She was hard to like as a person, but was I ever glad to have her on our side and in the role she played, in that place and time. We owe her a debt of gratitude.

*********************

I had the good fortune to hear her address a small group.

Tough as nails, yes, far more engaging in person than over television though. She was one of those rare people who is utterly focused, and with an intelligence that just crackled. She was a natural leader and would have made an outstanding executive.

The address was at an entrenched liberal, major university during the peak of the Nicaraguan Contra episode, when the Democrats were assisting the Latin American Communists, and had not yet made the Jihadist friends they enjoy now.

A group of several dozen ‘protesters’ tried to disrupt the address, shouting and chanting, waving crayon signs, etc. etc. The media of course lapped it up, focusing on these ragbags (one of whom I had had aspirations towards, until I saw her there).

Kirkpatrick looked up from the podium at the ragbags, and glared at them.

They.

Shut.

Up.

Utter silence ensued, while she continued to regard then like a falcon assessing fieldmice. She then glanced back down at her notes, resumed where she had left off, and finished the address without further interruptions. The media reported the address and the disruption of course. They omitted the sheer force of personality smack down on the riffraff.

I have been priviledged to hear Kirkpatrick, Buchanan, and Scalia in person. They were each impressive, and each more personable than television conveys. Kirkpatrick though, was the undoubted alpha. She had the bearing and implacable confidence that I have only seen elsewhere among old school combat veterans.