By: Steve Flesher
As you know, Newsmax is currently profiling many individuals who are recognized as potential presidential candidates for 2016. iizthatiiz reported on their showcasing of Governor Palin’s positions on many issues. As such, Newsmax has followed up their original article with a presentation of what is perceived as being Governor Palin’s strongest hurdles that she’d likely face if she chooses to announce a run for president. They are listed as follows with my responses:
1.) The mainstream media. "The mainstream liberal media has Sarah Palin in their sights and are eager to shoot her down at the slightest opportunity. There appears to be no line the media and entertainment liberals will not cross."The mainstream media is a problem for any presidential candidate who runs on the GOP ticket. Do "binders full of women" or "war on women" ring any bells? It’s true, there is "no line the media and entertainment liberals will not cross" when it comes to Governor Palin which has always said more about them and their obvious perception of her as a political threat to their peaceful world of good old boys than it says about her. I guess one can call this a "hurdle" but one could also call it an asset for two reasons. First, Governor Palin is more vetted than any candidate ever, her skin is thicker than any potential GOP candidate one can name, and she continues to make great achievements despite the media’s attempt to assassinate her strong record of reform and accomplishment. Second, it might not be a bad idea to have a stark contrast for the American people to see during a national election when they compare how the media will treat a liberal woman like Elizabeth Warren versus what we know to expect from them where a conservative woman is concerned. Additionally the media’s attempt to slander Governor Palin during a presidential run would ultimately have to boil down to a regurgitation of old talking points which have become pretty weak sauce at this point. The real story here is how attacks fire her up and strenghten her as opposed to discouraging her.
2.) Communication style. "Sarah Palin’s unique vocalisms are often the target of detractors who cannot get past her folksy manner of speech."Well perhaps her "detractors" are elitists who run candidates like Mitt Romney or hope for candidates like Jeb Bush. Her "folksy manner of speech" combined with her undeniable record of accomplishments speaks volumes and connects to millions of ordinary hardworking Americans who love this country and want to see Obama’s fundamental transformation of the country they love stopped in its tracks. It’s who she is — a straight-shooting reformer who calls it like she sees it. Again, this is an asset, not a "hurdle."
3.) Divided conservatives. "Sarah Palin is a polarizing figure in that people seem to either love her or hate her. While she has a very large and devoted conservative base, which includes the Tea Party, conservatives are divided on what role Sarah Palin should play."They then go on to quote a piece from an article written over at The Week (who should probably consider changing their name to The Weak). Just yesterday I posted a new poll from CNN/ORC reflecting Jeb Bush as the new frontrunner for the GOP yet highlighted how the same respondents don’t seem to agree with him on any issues. I think it’s probably safe to assume that some of these "conservative" writers at The Week are probably among the few that do agree with him on those. They go on to quote a Red State article that says:
"Sarah Palin like Ronald Reagan understands that presidential elections are won in the grassroots campaign trenches found in Ohio counties and Pennsylvania coal fields … America’s conservatives know full well that Sarah Palin also knows how to use a microphone. Much like, Reagan, Palin is committed to let millions across the nation speak through it in 2016!"One gets the impression that The Week would have had very little good to say about Ronald Reagan who faced the establishment favorites in his own primaries. To say Governor Palin faces a hurdle because of this also acknowledges that the same would occur in the case of Senator Cruz or Joni Ernst who’ve both been endorsed by Governor Palin and have overcome them. Her unwillingness to go along to get along with the GOP’s establishment is an asset to the majority of grassroots voters.
4.) 2008 election: "Some conservatives say John McCain’s pick of Sarah Palin as his running mate cost him the election and gave America Barack Obama. Former McCain advisor Nicolle Wallace has repeatedly trashed Palin. However, Breitbart reports this as an attempt to cover up Wallace’s inept campaign advice that contributed to the election loss."The only time McCain’s numbers went above Obama’s in the general election of 2008 was right after the convention and the introduction of Governor Palin as his running mate who ultimately carried the weight of that ticket’s momentum on her shoulders. Ultimately her star was used inappropriately as many staffers clutched onto its coattails and went on to sell her out for their own gain. For example, Nicolle Wallace’s continued bashing of Palin has reaped rewards for the failed staffer with attention at MSNBC and a spot on ABC’s The View. That’s the same media described above who view Governor Palin as a political threat. Incidentally after Wallace was brought on to The View, ratings took a "drastic plunge."
5.) Overexposure: "Sarah Palin was the governor of Alaska and the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee. She has been a Fox News contributor, has written three New York Times best-selling books, is the executive editor of the Sarah Palin Channel, the host of "Amazing America" on the Sportsman Channel, and Time Magazine listed her as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. While these are all impressive accomplishments, the media has continuously targeted Sarah Palin and her family, and her detractors have an arsenal of vitriol to use against her in a political campaign."One thing they failed to mention is her political action committee and her continued activism which has taken up as much (if not more) of her time as her other projects have. Accordingly, Governor Palin has spent more time on the ground talking with Americans in flyover country than most D.C. politicians. She does this while she honors vets, speaks at various conservative events, and campaigns for candidates that she endorses. In 2008, the narrative on Governor Palin suggested that she didn’t know enough about the lower 48 or international affairs to be VP. Now that she has given speeches in Hong Kong, met with Netanyahu in Israel, and has probably been in every state across this nation multiple times since then, it looks like the critics who viewed her as an unknown in 2008 are prepared to punish her unique talent for tapping into pop culture as a famous conservative by claiming she’s been overexposed. The bottom line is no conservative has defied the intentional attacks of the mainstream media, fully represented the grassroots on issues, desires to reform the corruption in DC from top to bottom, connects to average hard working Americans, can get so many good conservatives elected to office, and successfully utilize pop culture to their advantage like Governor Palin has done.
If these are her hurdles, she’s in pretty good shape to run if and when she chooses.
Conservatives 4 Palin.
