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I strongly object to using Sarah Palin as a scapegoat for McCain's loss

Posted on 11/05/2008 12:38:54 AM PST by mathwhizz

People here are saying here she's too right wing to ever win an election and doesn't have any credentials with independents?

Yeah, maybe after the MSM character assassination she went under but people have the memories of gnats and expectations for her will be non-existent if she runs for President. She's a quick study and will surprise a lot of people.

But do any of you know about her record in Alaska?

She challenged a corrupt incumbent republican governor in the primary with no institutional support and very little money and won. The Alaskan Republican Party hates her guts and that's a good thing! She then beat a democrat former governor of Alaska.

She raised taxes on the oil companies and cut every citizen of Alaska a check for $1300. Yeah, a lot of people don't like economic populism but it plays with lots of conservative democrats and independents.

She's a fiscal conservative that balances budgets and uses the veto pen and wants to streamline and minimize government.

She passed a $40 billion natural gas pipeline, a project that has been in the works for decades and every predecessor failed to get passed, the largest infrastructure project in US history. She did it in her first year as Governor.

Yeah, she's a social conservative but she's also a pragmatist. She's not against sex education in schools, or teaching evolution, or banning books, or any of the nutty things the liberals have been saying about her. Yeah, she's pro-life, so was Ronald Reagan.

I don't know if 2012 is the right timing for her. She is a woman and unfortunately there is a much higher standard necessary for a woman to cross that commander-in-chief threshold especially for her after she's been ridiculed so much by the media.

Her best bet may be to achieve a record of accomplishment in Alaska as a two-term governor and set her sights on 2016.

Given enough time and a serious study of national and international issues (lots of foreign policy trips, speeches at think tanks, appearances on FOX News and becoming a regular on the sunday morning shows, campaigning to take back the house and senate in 2010), she will rebuild her credibility with the American people.

And remember before Sarah became the pitbull with lipstick she was the pragmatic fiscally conservative governor of an energy state with 80% approval ratings which you need lots of independent and democratic support to get. That was her brand and if there is any crime the McCain people did to her was destroy that brand she worked her whole political career to achieve.


TOPICS: Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: mccain; palin
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To: DoughtyOne

It has taken a lot for me to admit that about Bush but I refuse to keep my head buried.

I remember the dark morning after Carter won and the one after Clinton won twice.

Congress and the President let us all down with their spending like drunken sailors with new programs.

I am a fighter and we live to fight another day!

You take care too!


61 posted on 11/05/2008 1:23:33 AM PST by PhiKapMom ( BOOMER SOONER LetsGetThisRight.com)
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To: awelliott

If anything I think Sarah was compromised in that she had to support positions that McCain took or advocated, that she was not in total agreement with, and I think that showed her uncertainty in her speeches and answers to questions on the subjects. Yes, Sarah was the only reason that the race was close. She was a way better VP candidate than Biden, the gaffe-machine. I agree with you that McCain should have attributed the blame for the meltdown to the Democrats instead of going populist about Wall Street. In addition you could tell that Sarah was not allowed to stray off the populism argument either.


62 posted on 11/05/2008 1:23:40 AM PST by techno
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To: LibLieSlayer; shield

LLS — very well said and you express my sentiments.


63 posted on 11/05/2008 1:24:49 AM PST by PhiKapMom ( BOOMER SOONER LetsGetThisRight.com)
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To: awelliott

I agree he didn’t lose it for lack of exposing the rev.... but that didn’t help.... as much as anything I think McCain appeared too jumpy in his decision making... that is indeed a common thing among mavericks (man I hate that word after this election) who tend to make those type of rash decisions in the heat of a battle, not steady well planned and thought out decisions... now I would rather have this type of person in the white house regardless cause they would be balanced by a good team but then would lead the team... whereas the obama type would and will let the team lead him...


64 posted on 11/05/2008 1:25:37 AM PST by toughwuss
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To: mathwhizz

I’m with you, but you know that the Rockefeller Republicans have already been preparing to toss her under the bus. Expect the attacks to be relentless in the next few days. I also expect a fair amount of Freepers to succumb to the same madness.


65 posted on 11/05/2008 1:32:38 AM PST by thecabal (We care a lot)
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To: mathwhizz

I didn’t vote for John McCain yesterday. I voted for Sarah Palin.


66 posted on 11/05/2008 1:33:15 AM PST by Riley (The Fourth Estate is the Fifth Column.)
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To: LibLieSlayer
Bush owns most of the problems we have had and that we will face. I supported him to the fullest extent of the law both times... I HAVE EARNED THE RIGHT TO SAY he is a failure at the Presidency and a failure for Conservatism. He was great in the WOT... Iraq and Afghanistan on a whole... he did the right thing on taxes... but his cronyism and refusal to defend himself and by projection defend those of us that defended him... and by being the fiscal liberal that he is... he failed us horribly. He owns this defeat as much as mclame does... even more so!

I couldn't agree more. I voted for him twice, donated for him twice, and supported his campaigns in other ways. While I'll always be thankful that I never had to utter the words "President Gore" or "President Kerry"; there is no doubt that President Bush has been a disappointment to conservatives.

President Bush is a fine man who was dealt a very bad hand. He'll leave with some accomplishments that most conservatives appreciate and should not dismiss: the appointment of judicial conservatives; an aggressive defense of our nation in the War on Terror; support of lower tax rates, and principled, consistent opposition to the dirt-worshipping environmentalists' agenda (something that McCain would have abandoned). However, his record on spending and illegal immigration, combined with his reluctance to defend his administration from attacks from within that would have once been considered treasonous are worthy of nothing but contempt from conservatives. They weakened his base of his party, emboldened his enemies, and confused a new generation of voters by blurring the distinction between Repubicans and democrats.

There are two lessons that I hope Republicans have learned from this. First is that when you hear "conservative" candidates use code words such as "a kinder, gentler nation" and "compassionate conservatism", then it's time to keep shopping, provided that viable alternatives exist. The second is that any attempt to "reach across the aisle" is suicidal. It's good in theory, but requires that those who inhabit the other side of the aisle are honorable. In the case of the democrats, that has not been the case for a long time, which is why I will never vote for a democrat under any circumstance; even at gunpoint....

67 posted on 11/05/2008 1:35:33 AM PST by awelliott
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To: PhiKapMom

President Bush allowed the opposition to frame his own arguments, initiatives, and policies and never fought back. The popular caricature of him of a bumbling idiot was the result of his refusal to call people out on their lies and half-truths. This is what the new tone got us - a punching bag.

It was obvious fairly early into the first term that “compassionate conservatism” evidently meant “fiscally liberal.” The bleeding had begun in the first term, we made it past 2004, we were in critical condition in 2006 and Code Blue by 2008.

I don’t blame Sarah Palin one bit. John McCain is horrifically destroyed without her. The fact that the incumbent president had to hide during the campaign is a tragedy. It’s his own doing - his approval numbers would have been much higher if he simply listened to his base.

We need a communicator who isn’t afraid to trim the budget, shrink government, step on toes and pick up the veto pen - and not necessarily in that order.


68 posted on 11/05/2008 1:36:30 AM PST by scott7278 ("Before I give you the benefit of my reply, I would like to know what we are talking about.")
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To: mathwhizz
Palin was savaged. Frankly, she was not mentally ready for the task given to her by McCain.

Now that she has been seen on a national stage I think what will really matter is how well she does in AK for the rest of her term that is, unless, Stevens wins and is expelled from the Senate and she appoints herself to take his term. That could be exciting but I'd think she'd prefer to stay in AK.

I don't know that she ever had the ambition to be in the White House and that's a very important factor.

I wouldn't expect her to run again soon.

69 posted on 11/05/2008 1:37:25 AM PST by newzjunkey (Under construction.)
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To: mathwhizz

McCAIN and hese advisers who are the MAIN and FIRST responsible want to make us look in another direction...

McCAIN has been lame untill in defeat yesterday. He never went on OSAMABAMA(who is a “smart man”!!)and hese fellow scums...
S.PALIN represent a sane america and she fought rather well in this campaign.McCAIN’s meeting were boring instead!

I remember that famous meeting were republicans(labeled as “angry” by the demoncraps MSM)asked McCAIN to get OBAMA...
Mc SAID “YES” but he never really did it.

It will be a hard and tough time and S.PALIN could help to rebuild a strong conservative party


70 posted on 11/05/2008 1:38:48 AM PST by Ulysse
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To: mathwhizz
Let us not follow the 'Left' here. Obama is already claiming the next 'two' terms. It is important for Palin to be denigrated/demonized until totally dismissed, from consideration for higher office, next time around.

She is NOT the reason; she is 'good enough' for the Left to still want to erase. . .

71 posted on 11/05/2008 1:40:14 AM PST by cricket (America's Freedom Rings! T hank You ~ U..S.A. Military~)
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To: scott7278
We need a communicator who isn’t afraid to trim the budget, shrink government, step on toes and pick up the veto pen - and not necessarily in that order.

Amen. Bush was none of those things.

72 posted on 11/05/2008 1:42:05 AM PST by newzjunkey (Under construction.)
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To: scott7278

Remember when Bush said he shouldn’t have called those countries Axis of Evil? Or when he just took N. Korea off the list?

Your comments about him are so right. He never fought back — he let the Dems and media get by with the lies.

Without out Sarah it would have been a blowout. Look how she was handled at the beginning instead of allowing her to be herself.

Want RNC scrubbed clean. At RNC they are too quick to give positions to recent college grads in positions of authority who come into your state and tell you what to do. We had them in OK for a special election and they were arrogant.

They need some older people that have been in the trenches and know how to do trench warfare at RNC. Their training classes are enough to make you ill not to mention RNC Voter Vault is a bad joke. Personally I think they are pretty worthless organization and have gotten worse in the last four years which I didn’t think possible.

This let’s be nice is not meant for politics. Dems go for the jugular and Republicans shake hands. I want elected officials that will go tit for tat and stop this let’s be nice.


73 posted on 11/05/2008 1:48:50 AM PST by PhiKapMom ( BOOMER SOONER LetsGetThisRight.com)
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To: TheFourthMagi

And Amen!

LLS


74 posted on 11/05/2008 1:52:13 AM PST by LibLieSlayer (GOD, Country, Family... except when it comes to dims!)
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To: PhiKapMom

You know what they say about great minds! :-)

LLS


75 posted on 11/05/2008 1:53:19 AM PST by LibLieSlayer (GOD, Country, Family... except when it comes to dims!)
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To: goldstategop

Truer words were never spoken. If the GOP has a future, it is with Sarah at the helm. Who does NOT have a future is the RINOs and neo-cons. Sarah truly is the only reason it was as relatively close as it was - the base would have stayed home otherwise.


76 posted on 11/05/2008 1:54:58 AM PST by tgusa (Gun control: deep breath, sight alignment, squeeze the trigger ....)
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To: awelliott

I agree with your every word FRiend.

LLS


77 posted on 11/05/2008 1:55:26 AM PST by LibLieSlayer (GOD, Country, Family... except when it comes to dims!)
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To: PhiKapMom

I remember those days too. I remember seeing Nixon hounded out of office. I see folks act as if he was the worst President we have had. And I realize, if they only knew. Johnson, Carter, Clinton... Nixon was a choir boy compared to Clinton. He was a choir boy compared to this guy.

We have lived to fight another day.

I don’t honestly know where we are headed now. My gravest fears concerning Clinton did not materialize. I am hoping my gravest fears here don’t either. We shall see.

Will we have an opportunity to fight another day? Is this where God withdraws and watches as evil plays out?

I shudder to think what our national policy towards Israel will garner from Our Heavenly Father.

Thank you for the comments.


78 posted on 11/05/2008 2:00:04 AM PST by DoughtyOne (Our nation is uncomfortably close to having B.O. We need to use a Republican roll on by 11/04.)
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To: goldstategop
Agree completely. I was never a fan of McCain's but I planned to vote for him regardless. Gov. Palin energized the ticket. Gov. Palin is the hope of the GOP.

Let's hope to God we get to vote for her in 2012. Sorry, sleep deprived and still shocked by the stupidity of most Americans.

79 posted on 11/05/2008 2:17:04 AM PST by RepublicanChick (That one will never be my President!!!!)
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To: PhiKapMom

McCain tried to go with the mantra of “I’m not Bush.” But he ran his campaign the exact same way that Bush governed - the “nice guy” routine.

I heard one commentator talking about how we still don’t really know who Barack Obama is. That’s the fault of McCain. I saw flashes of spunk, but never any concrete evidence that things were going to be different.

Then, he began to echo Barack’s theme of change. Neither candidate could provide specifics as to what that change entailed, only generalized soundbites. It was up to McCain to demonstrate leadership, and give people the answer to the question, “Why should I vote for you?”

If Obama went with the theme of change, McCain should have gone with the theme of restoration. Being nice, appearing to follow the other candidate’s message, and voting the same way for the bailout was a disaster. Like it or not, the “3rd Bush Term” angle Obama took worked. McCain did nothing to prove otherwise.


80 posted on 11/05/2008 2:19:52 AM PST by scott7278 ("Before I give you the benefit of my reply, I would like to know what we are talking about.")
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