Posted on 01/10/2011 12:19:03 PM PST by SeekAndFind
With a long list of enemies, a taste for incendiary rhetoric and responsibility for a campaign website graphic that placed gun-sight logos on a map of targeted congressional districts, it didn’t take long for Sarah Palin to get pulled into the orbit of Saturday’s massacre in Tucson, Ariz.
So far, the former Alaska governor has said little, posting only a brief message on her Facebook page Saturday offering condolences to those affected by the shootings. But the rush on the left to affix some of the blame on her for the assassination attempt on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords has suddenly turned the tragedy into a defining moment in Palin’s meteoric political career.
Whether she defends, explains or even responds at all to the intense criticism of her brand of confrontational politics could well determine her trajectory on the national scene — and it’s likely to reveal the scope of her ambitions as well. (See: Giffords's shooting sparks national debate)
Palin didn’t respond to an e-mail Sunday afternoon. Her advisers are furious that she’s being linked to the tragedy but recognize the delicacy of the situation and are trying to assess how best to halt it from spiraling further without making it any worse.
Part of Palin’s quandary is rooted in the unique spot she occupies. Since her resignation from the governorship in the summer of 2009, Palin has played a role that is part talk show personality and part political figure. It’s a positioning that has served her well, creating personal wealth and celebrity appeal while energizing her core supporters. (See: Liberals blame Palin)
But now, for the first time, Palin is being forced to choose between the public and private spheres she operates in. If she has any intentions of running for the presidency, she must begin to appeal to the country’s broad political center. And in the wake of Tucson, that task just got harder.
The other option is to simply remain in the private sector, where she can continue to issue the envelope-pushing jeremiads and employ the overheated rhetoric that appeals to her loyal base, sells her books, draws TV viewers and makes her irresistible to a sound-bite-hungry media.
Either way, she’ll have to show her hand, signaling whether she wants to be Ronald Reagan or Rush Limbaugh. (See: Carney: Palin should 'say she was wrong')
Palin’s allies point out the unfairness of the situation, one that may force her to respond to a tragic event in which there is so far no evidence that deranged shooter Jared Lee Loughner ever even mentioned Palin’s name, let alone found inspiration from her “targeting” of Giffords.
After all, they say, numerous Democrats have used targeting and bull’s-eye imagery in the past. And many Democrats, including President Barack Obama, have also used incendiary and provocative language on the campaign trail. The president himself, Palin defenders have noted, said: “If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun.” (See: Parties split on gun rhetoric's role)
“Gov. Palin does not promote flag burning or extol ‘The Communist Manifesto’ as Loughner did, so the fact that some folks are trying to link her and others to this tragedy is tragic and shameful in and of itself, not too mention worthy of the bad political spin Hall of Fame,” said conservative PR executive Greg Mueller, voicing the anger of many on the right. (See: Left, right struggle to define Loughner)
But if Palin wants to be the next Reagan, a conservative who managed to expand his appeal, she would be well-served by taking her cues from the Great Communicator, who was often at his rhetorical best at times of tragedy.
“Gov. Palin should not overreact to this but, rather, rise above the ugly political blame game,” counseled Mueller, a veteran of past GOP presidential campaigns. “Her statement yesterday calling for prayer, peace and justice was right on point. She should avoid responding to the radical left and some in the media seeking to perpetuate and lay unjust blame. If she decides to speak further, I am sure she, like other dignified national leaders, will call for allowing justice to take its course and frame this for what it is — a violent attack on the sanctity of human life and a tragedy perpetuated by a deranged and sick young man.”
John Weaver, a longtime Republican campaign strategist and a Palin skeptic, also complained about treatment of her in the wake of the shootings, saying that Loughner’s “actions can’t be placed on anyone’s doorstep.” (See: Loughner is an Army reject, political 'terrorist')
“But if Gov. Palin doesn’t want to be criticized, then she should continue her commentary but dial back the anger,” Weaver said.
There’s no lack of interest in the question of what role, if any, her polarizing politics have played in shaping a fractious political environment where passions are sometimes expressed through violence.
Consider these metrics: As of midday Saturday, Google trends showed that Palin ranked as the sixth-most popular search on “hot topics” and “Sarah Palin crosshairs” was No. 9 on the list of “hot searches.” Further, Facebook’s Randi Zuckerberg told ABC that the top question being asked on Facebook Sunday was: “’Is Sarah Palin to blame?”
Few Republicans would speak openly about the political stakes for Palin, but privately, a number of strategists said that the mere existence of these Internet searches and questions underscored challenge fo her.
Complicating Palin’s predicament, Giffords herself had specifically warned about the potential impact of Palin’s cross hairs graphics after she made the governor’s list.
“When people do that, they’ve got to realize there’s consequences to that action,” she said on MSNBC in a March interview about what she called “Sarah Palin’s targeted list.”
The skeletal organization surrounding the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee hasn’t helped quell the controversy.
Adviser Rebecca Mansour sparked only more attention to the former governor when she made the case Saturday to talk radio host Tammy Bruce that the cross hairs were actually something different.
“We never ever, ever intended it to be gun sights,” said Mansour. “It was simply cross hairs like you’d see on maps,” she said, suggesting that it is a “surveyor’s symbol.”
But Palin herself, however, had in the past tweeted about the map in questions and referred to the targets as “bulls eye[s].”
Democrats have been more than willing to pile on.
“The phrase ‘Don’t retreat; reload,’ putting cross hairs on congressional districts as targets — these sorts of things, I think, invite the kind of toxic rhetoric that can lead unstable people to believe this is an acceptable response,” said Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday.
Rep. Robert Brady (D-Penn.), a streetwise Philly pol, went further, telling CNN that he would introduce legislation making it a federal crime “to use a language or symbols that could be perceived as threatening or inciting violence against a Member of Congress or federal official.
“You can’t put bulls eyes or cross hairs on a United States congressman or a federal official,” Brady said, adding, “I understand this website that had it on there is no longer in existence. Someone is feeling a little guilty.”
The mere fact that Palin, who isn’t one to hold back in the face of such a sustained attack, hasn’t yet responded to any of the criticism suggests she understands the high stakes of the situation and the choices in front of her. Still, once the Tucson tragedy begins to fade from view, the same incentives for bombast and scorched-earth rhetoric are likely to return.
“The fact is that politicians say these things because they work,” said Republican consultant Todd Harris. “The public, or at least segments of the public on the right and the left, respond to it. It raises money and builds organization.”
Andy Barr contributed to this report.
There is absolutely no link between this event and Sarah Palin.
This so-called atheist even has a “skull shrine” in his yard...
The fact is this had zero, absolutely nothing to do with Sarah Palin. Nothing whatsoever.
It is sort of like the old hobo trick of making rock soup.
Literally create a scandal out of thin air.
You had Sarah Bernhardt telling Palin she would be gang-raped if she came to NY plus all the other leftys attacking her along with the ruling that hanging Palin in effigy was politically free speech and these fools have the gaul to complain?
For the moment, the DNC has damaged its brand...badly.
They are dying to criminalize political speech, the very kind of speech the 1st amendment specifically sought to protect.
They are dangerous fascists and tyrants to their very souls.
Of course not, which raises the question:
What kind of publication is Politico that it wants so desperately to create one?
Only one way to respond: Criminally prosecute and punish those found guilty of libel and slander.
It’s the law.
This article is a disgusting abomination. Sarah Palin has never dealt in hate or hateful rhetoric, and had ZERO to do with this incident. Those writing these articles are sick opportunists.
The Politico was created by former Washington Post “journalists” is my understanding.
The liberals are digging themselves the same kind of hole they dug at the Wellstone funeral. The proper response is to not respond at all and let them keep digging.
Emotions are a cash cow for every candidate or wannabe, but taking Politico sponsored advice would be like parking our brains in the middle of a six lane during rush hour. We elect to keep our brains and manage our emotions to our own benefit, for driving back the marxists so comfortably ensconced in Washington and mainstream media.
Well, Politico was part of this lying propaganda mob scene. And they really, really wish it would work against her.
Past history suggests that Sarah is a good deal smarter than they are. If anything, I suspect this will wind up helping her. Especially with Boehner knuckling under to the mob like a good little boy.
Nothing but a leftist witch hunt.
“....posting only a brief message on her Facebook page Saturday offering condolences to those affected by the shootings.”
This is early Monday for God’s sake! While others were using this for politics starting on Saturday, Sarah’s reaction is the only appropriate one!
Accurate but irrelevant.
Sarah, as the article says, is going to have to figure out how to respond to the media-spread perception that there is a link.
I don’t think ignoring it will make the slander go away. I suspect it will be viewed as proof that the slander is accurate.
The Lefties are fond of self-fulfilling prophecies aren’t they?
“We say Palin’s involved. She refuses to respond to use which means she’s involved because she is refusing to respond.”
Go on offense! (oops, is that too "incendiary"?)
Politico past it’s turning point a while back. It is nothing but a site owned and controlled by the DNC.
Obama controls TV and Fox is only marginally better. TV will work full time 24x7 to destroy her. I dumped OBama TV over a year ago.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.