January 3, 2009

Attacking Sara Palin

I've tried to ignore the anti-Palin parade on the left. In some quarters it's infected the right. Still I've tried to ignore it. What Governor Palin does between now and 2012 will go a long way towards determining whether she was a conservative flash in the pan, or the next Ronald Reagan or something in between.

I like Governor Palin. Not because she is a plain-spoken average American and that makes her homey and relatable. I like Governor Palin because she is a red meat conservative. She embodies a lot of what the Republican party has let slip from it's grasp in the last decade. Not every position earns her a conservative 'gold star' but she certainly was spot on with respect to many issues;

  • Anti-taxpayer-funded-Wall-Street-bailout
  • In favor of energy independence
  • Pro-life
  • Firm believer in free market capitalism
  • Tough views on crime
  • Committed to providing strong education, including morals.
  • Worked for government reform
  • Pro free trade
  • Lifelong NRA member
  • Health care must be market-and business-driven.
  • Supports a path to citizenship, but no amnesty for illegals.
  • Favors tax cuts

That looks like a pretty solid batch of ideals. Not a lot on foreign policy in there, where she's deemed weaker by many. But hopefully conservatives do not fall prey to the left's groupthink on Sarah Palin - that she's a lightweight. That would be underestimating her ability, and playing into their hand of trying to discredit on of the GOP's star-power candidates.

And that's why I've stopped ignoring the Palin-bashing. She is not a perfect candidate. She may or may not be the GOP nominee for President in 2012. But she is smarter, more qualified and better able to lead than she is being given credit for in the MSM and to a lesser degree in some snobby conservative circles. My thoughts here are that the GOP and conservatives should not villify their own. There's plenty of liberals to get riled over, and we should focus our arrows at their short-comings, not our own.

Let's give Governor Palin a chance to prove herself and prep herself for her future candidacies and reserve judgement. In fact, let's reflect on the positive qualities she possesses, including her ability to connect and make a positive impression on the American public (absent the hyperbolic disdain she has and will continue to receive from the MSM).

2 comments:

  1. Good post. I agree. I was astounded to find how many snobby east coast Republicans simply hated Sarah because she did not attend an Ivy League school when I attended some post-election conferences.

    I was simply amazed at the utter snobbishness and frankly, anti-woman attitudes.

    I feel much better knowing that smart, good conservatives like John O'Sullivan and Mark Steyn love her - if only they were US Citizens!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Maybe it's a bad sign - I'm Canadian. It would seem that Beltway conservatives have fallen prey to the liberal mainstream media group-think that makes D.C. so ineffective at dealing with some obvious realities.

    Palin is likeable, not smug, and capable of winning if she doesn't misstep. That's why liberals wanted and still want to take her down befor she gets any more traction.

    ReplyDelete

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