Monday, November 24, 2008

Sarah is Immortalized in Doonesbury

by TheTruthSquad

When I was just a boy, Gary Trudeau immortalized another great woman Republican.  He used Congresswoman Millicent Fenwick (R-NJ) as the model for Lacey Davenport.  He has been getting some mileage out of our favorite governor recently.  Thanks, Gary, for making Sarah a counterculture icon, but MFP has a few bones to pick with you.

Above is today’s rendition of Doonesbury.  The idea that underlies today’s strip is that Sarah Palin is out there forcing herself on the nation.  That is poppycock.  In the strip, she is on television speaking at the Republican Governor’s Conference.  Attendance at the conference is, like it or not, part of her job.  She is a Republican.  She is a governor.  It’s not as if she is pressing the flesh in New Hampshire, South Carolina or Iowa. 

She wasn’t forcing herself on the nation when she pardoned the Thanksgiving turkey.  She was appearing on a local news show intended to be seen by only a few thousand Alaskans, at least until Hate Nation got ahold of the footage.  The footage of the turkey non-story is posted at least sixty times on You Tube.  The same video!  Sixty times!  She didn’t come out of Alaska to get to us; liberal pyschopaths went into cyber-Alaska to beat her up.

The fact is that Sarah Palin is the most popular Republican in the nation, and one of the best known persons of any gender on the planet.  She has demands for her time to last until the next millenium.  She is not forcing herself on us.  We are looking to her.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Mike Huckabee must Have been in Iowa when they were teaching Republican 101

by Charles W. Fairbanks

Mike Huckabee just can’t seem to get over the fact that he (1) did not win the GOP presidential nomination in 2008; and (2) was not chosen as the GOP vice presidential nomination in 2008.  At a time when Republicans should band together, he continually takes the bait from reporters who want to divide Republicans.  First there were disparaging comments about Governor Palin in his new book.  Now, he has taken the bait dangled in front of him by a writer from the New Yorker.

One of the MSM’s favorite hobbies is to ask Republicans questions designed to get them to say something at least mildly disparaging about another Republican.  They make you feel comfortable, then hit you with the question.  It is Republican 101.  Don’t take the bate.  Almost every major Republican to be interviewed on the national stage has remembered that basic concept.

Did I say “almost”?  Wait, I meant every major Republican but one.  That one is Mike Huckabee. 

When asked to describe his reaction to Governor Palin’s nomination, his answer was :  “Hey, wait a minute. She’s wonderful, but the only difference was she looks better in stilettos than I do, and she has better hair.” No sour grapes there.  Where was he when he was supposed to be taking Republican 101?  Iowa?.

Mike Huckabee has a lot to offer the Republican Party and the nation.  He appears to be an energetic man, a kind man and a man of values.  The Republican Party needs Mike Huckabee, but we need him fully on board.  For him to be the leader that he can be he has to bury the hatchet with Mitt Romney, John McCain and others, and he needs to put the dagger that he wields from time-to-time on Sarah Palin away.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Palin, Romney and Huckabee Top the List of GOP Favorites for 2012

by John Philoponus

Sarah Palin came out on top for the second time in a major poll of 2012 GOP presidential preferences.  The Gallup organization polled 719 Republicans and Republican-leaning independents between November 5 and 16, 2008.  Gallup found that Palin had a slight edge over the other potential candidates among the conservative Republicans that tend to be the largest voting block in GOP primaries.  Her support among moderate and liberal Republicans is positive, but needs reinforcement.

Mitt Romney is the only candidate with strong support among moderate and liberal Republicans.  Eventhough he didn’t win the nomination, Romney earned the respect of millions of Republicans during the primary.  Mitt is the ideal family man.  HIs resume as a chief executive is impressive, both as the Governor of Massachussets and as the Chair of the Salt Lake City Olympic Committee.  He is telegenic and well-spoken.  Of late, he has helped his prospects by coming out strongly against a bailout of the Big Three Auto Makers.  Strong support among moderate and liberal Republicans translates into support in the northeast and the west coast.

Huckabee is the enigma.  He has positive support among conservative Republicans.  The question about Huckabee is something that this poll does not appear to measure.  It is clear in the conservative blogosphere that he inspires very strong loyalty.  He also inspires very strong opposition.  As a former evangelical Protestant minister, Huckabee draws a very strong evangelical vote, which makes him strong in many states where evangelicals dominate the primary and caucus process.  It is this identity voting that is not good for the GOP, and in the end will not be good for a Huckabee candidacy.

This poll was taken before Bobby Jindal declared that he was not running for president in 2012.  He has declared that he will seek a second term as governor of Louisiana.  That is probably just as well.  Republican voters don’t seem to think that he is ready to run for president.

It is not clear that Sarah Palin is going to run for president in 2012.  She has a lot to prove in the time between now and then.  First, she has to execute well as governor and win re-election in 2010.  With four more years executive experience, she will be an even stronger candidate if she chooses to run.