Palins Decision And Hot Airs Response

How will Sarah Palins decision effect her if she does decide to run for national office? I dont pretend to know yet. I watched her speech and the reasons she gave seemed valid to me. Is there some scandal brewing behind the scenes that I don't about? I have no clue, but she's had her life put under the microscope like nobody else over the past 8 months so I doubt that's the case. The Democrats and the media (one in the same) will try to portray the move as erratic and a betrayal of Alaskan voters. Until proven wrong I'd like to take Sarah Palin at her word. She has never given me a reason to doubt her before so until proven wrong I'll take her statement over that of the DNC.

Public perception is going to be the final judge of this. Anybody who has been paying attention over the past 8 months knows that politics is a bloody sport. The media, liberal blogs, and DNC will try and nail her in the coffin over this. So Sarah Palin, who again has never given us a reason to doubt her is up against it. She's going to need help in getting her message across. She'll get that from the right wing blogs and talk radio. So I figured I'd head over to one of the most heavily trafficed blogs on the right, Hot Air to see their take on the issue. The only thing is, Ed Morrisey was already digging the grave. It was a post that could've, should've, and probably was written at the Daily Kos. Now, I'm not looking for someone to piss in my ear and tell me it's raining, but shouldn't we take Palin at her word until proven other wise? He took issue with her statement about being a lame duck. She would be a lame duck fighting frivolous complaints seemingly everyday. The ethics charges were not going to end, which was taking up most of her time as governor. No matter what she did more were going to come. Why not step aside and allow someone to be able to put full concentration on the job rather than be saddled with all that nonsense. Especially if you were only going to stay one term anyway.

It continued to be open season on her family and being in Alaska while holding the job of governor did not allow for her to fight back at full strength. Put yourself in Palins position over the past 8 months. They expolited the ethics violation laws in Alaska which basically tied her hands behind her back while she continued to get hit day after day. Is Ed upset that her hands are now free? Would he have allowed his family to take hits day in and day out?

Politics is a full contact dirty sport. The left loves to play it. The saying goes "don't bring a knife to a gun fight." Hot Air brought a spoon.

Now, I went to two other people for their take on the Sarah Palin announcement. After reading these, you might wonder why they are not working at the main conservative blogs. This is how it's done.

First, here is Lorna Badeo

Sarah Palin has done it again – captured all of our attention. While pundits are all over the spectrum on Palin’s resignation and announcement that she will not run for re-election, Palin supporters have her back with even more fervor. She told us Alaskans do things differently. And she has proven that. While many speculate that there is something deeper going on behind the scenes, those who follow Sarah know that this is classically Sarah - the Sarah Brand of doing things unconventionally but with a servant’s heart. The American political scene was forever changed on August 29, 2008. Sarah Palin is the political climate change. To outsiders what Sarah did today was “shocking”, “erratic”, and “with no real explanation”. To Alaskans and to her supporters, this was Sarah putting Alaskans first. This was not about “abandoning” Alaskans. This was about saving the Governorship from ankle-biting, tax payer money wasting, vengeful, jealous Palin-haters. Let the pundits keep searching for answers between the lines of Sarah’s words. They really don’t have to. Look at her words. Her heart is true. Sarah is true.

and Lindsay Janeway

She isn't done with politics in my opinion and she is far from done with the national scene - I think it's incredibly short-sided for Hot Air or anybody to make that assumption when they have no idea what her strategy or plans are. I would like to watch and see. She has come way too far and made too much of a difference for average people who were never involved before, to quit now.

Her speech sounded nothing of the sort - she started talking about national issues and how she wanted somebody to fight for individual freedoms and smaller government. She spoke about how she wanted to fight and contribute to candidates no matter what party as long as she believed in them. She is done with the establishment and she is done with both political machines.

Her family has racked up $500K worth of debt via frivolous ethics complaints based on a strict ethics law that was put into place for the right reasons but is now getting abused. Alaska doesn't have a loser pays law so they get away with it. These complaints have cost the state over $2M. She knows that it will stop and AK can be more effective and efficient if she went ahead w/ her other plans and let LT. Gov. Parnell take the reigns. He is not a national threat to Obama or the Dems or the Republican establishment for that matter - therefore he can get his job done.

I have a feeling that we will begin to see more of her down in the lower 48 and that she will start a grassroots effort and did exactly what she did for me to many others - she will make people get off of the couch and get involved with government.

Glenn Beck on twitter today praised her decision - she is no longer going to tow any party's line and will do what she believes in and stay true to her principles and values.

If she were to stay in AK and try to support other candidates while still governor she would rack up even more ethics complaints, cost the state more money, and her family more money, not mention one of these complaints could actually stick if she conducts politics outside of AK to promote a cause. There would be no way for her to build up a network of politicians and others to back her if she made a national run for POTUS or for the senate. She will also use this time to write a book and study policy and brush up on these things.

I could also see her attending tea parties and she may even make an appearance at the 9/12 march on DC. I think she will get involved and active but she will do it not as a politician, but as one of us - she has always been that way and that's what I love about her and do many other conservatives. She is the epitome of what is missing in DC and the more people see what the government is doing and the more they become disenfranchised with both parties the better her chances.