Steve Flesher has an interesting post over at American Thinker about “rehabilitating” Sarah Palin, or more specifically, how she can help rehabilitate the GOP.
Goodness knows, the GOP needs all the help it can get. Between the very public “war” between Chris Christie and Rand Paul, the fall from grace of Marco Rubio, John McCain’s unveiled attacks on the only actual conservatives in Congress, and the lackluster, waffling of GOP leadership, the Grand Old Party is looking more old than grand.
Is Sarah Palin the answer? Or at least part of it?
Flesher, linked above, sure seems to think so:
In the Senate, Palin could serve as the bridge between Tea Party legislators like Ted Cruz and Rand Paul and establishment veterans like John McCain. As a result, the party may finally begin to “rehabilitate” itself as it makes a fundamental shift back to its own core principles by making the Constitution its roadmap.
Of course, it goes without saying that Sarah Palin doesn’t have to run for anything to be effective. That has been proven over and over again.
With all that being said, respected commentators like Bill Kristol could serve the party well by acknowledging the truth. The only ones in need of rehabilitation are the self-appointed experts in the GOP, not people like Sarah Palin who have actually gotten things done both in and out of public office.
He makes some good points throughout, and while, personally, I’m not sure compromising with the likes of John McCain will lead anywhere good, if anyone can bridge the chasm between the Tea Party and “establishment” republicans, it could well be Palin.
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No. But comedy gold, yes.
By the number of down votes this comment has received, I suspect that most people find your commentary to be comedy gold, rather than insightful?
That is totally true.
In fact, I added my very own down vote!
HA HA HA HA HA!
Those laughs for Sarah Palin, because that’s all you can do for comedians like her: laugh at the absurdity of anyone taking her seriously.
As funny as Obama’s “57 states,” Austrian language, “corpse-men”, the “bomb that fell on Pearl Harbor”, or the “intercontinental railroad”?
Though I guess the comedy “gold” in his case is tempered by his wholesale destruction of the American dream.
I doubt if Palin is up to that much of a challenge. The rot in the republican organization is deep. Intellectual rot and moral rot rule over any sense and character that she might inspire.
The GOP fears The Guv the way a cat fears water cuz she’s got a record of rooting out corruption, making sure heads roll, and seeing the corruptocrats off to jail.
Go, Sarahhhhhhhhh!
The Establishment will attack her like the MBs attack a Coptic church. Want a renewed gop, get rid of The Establishment. Outlaw all their advisors, make primaries gop only.
Won’t happen. The gop dies in 14 months…
The GOP is dead.
Maybe it’s time for a new conservative party?
Well, we should at least hold a wake before we bring in a new spouse.
Sarah Palin has been the answer since she arrived on the scene in 2008. She’s more than up to the challenge if she wants to run for Senate, Governor, or President.
i wish the Governor would run . Just for the fact of watching McRinos head explode . Thats a true start in the right direction imo !!
McRinos? Do they come with the Happy Meal?
More like an “unhappy meal”
I’m not sure she has the right temperament for the Senate. President, yes, but the Senate is a very different beast, which is why senators tend not to make good presidents. Still, if she wants to try, why not? It’s not as if anyone better is banging down the doors for that seat.
“…respected commentators like Bill Kristol…”
LOL
Palin could be part of the remedy for a party in trouble, but the party in trouble clearly doesn’t believe it is in trouble. Worse yet, this party which hasn’t any insight into the trouble it’s in sees Palin, Cruz, Lee, Rand, et al, as troublemakers.
They forgot to mention Frum.
I LOL, even as I wanted to bitch-slap him, when I read that absurdity about Palin needing to “rehabilitate” herself. What morons these guys are! Palin is the only GOPer who, from 2008 onward, was consistently and fearlessly calling out Obama. Where was Kristol, Noonan, Frum, and the rst of the faux intelligentsia when Palin was warning us about death panels, QEII, and such. She’s been consistently right about everything. Kristol and the rest wish they had half the integrity of Governor Sarah Palin. Heck, even as he’s blathering on about Palin needing to “rehabilitate” he couldn’t get the facts right about why she resigned. What a maroon!
Sarah will always be kind to McCain because she is a gracious lady. I’m OK with that. The best thing she could do, I think, is to build up morale and get out the vote for 2014. She will do a fine job of it.
JOHN MCCAIN IS WAAAAAAAY beyond his sell by date.
All she needs to do is be more “moderate”.
Right.
In the HBO production of David McCullough’s “John Adams” Benjamin Franklin is quoted as saying, “I’m an extreme moderate. Anyone not in favor of compromise should be castrated.”
To which I would reply, “Dr. Franklin, would you be willing to compromise on that position?”
Today, compromise means not coming to an agreement on policy, but rather selling out one’s ideals. Moderation is code for having no policy positions.
As Ben Franklin said in that same film, “I don’t know what my opinion is, but I shall accompany you to find out what it may be.”
Palin wears the pants in the GOP family.
in order to be saved, there is a catch 22, you have to WANT to be saved. Palin has demonstrated over and over to the GOP that she is willing to help them, they have demonstrated over and over that they are not willing.
Sure, why not? Something has to be done or at least tried.
The GOP needs to get their crap together in order to take on Obama and his MSM water carriers. That’s really all he’s got left. Well, that and an executive branch that he illeagally uses to attack political opponents. It’s a shame that the GOP is proving to be ineffective in dealing with a politically crippled Obama.
The Statist, so called “Moderate” wing of the Republican Party don’t want reconciliation with Conservatives. They fight the Conservatives in Congress and in their base harder than they ever fight Democrats. They have demonstrated over and over that they will concede to the Progressives, cautioning that the timing is not right for a fight now, but that they will fight the next time. The right time for them never comes. They act like sell-outs.
I love Sarah and I will support her in whatever she does but the weak-kneed Rino’s need to be replaced not reconciled.
“One-Party Nation!”
Yipee! Where’s the party and the Pork trough?
Trad GOPpers are more concerned with grabbing the taxpayer wealth and are just hoping the Dems will still give them a cut of it!
“One-Party Nation!”
The GOP is in cardiac arrest.
Exhibit A: Ex-Aide to Cantor Backs McAuliffe in Va. Race
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2013/08/20/ex-aide_to_cantor_backs_mcauliffe_in_va_race_119656.html#ixzz2cZFuOIAU
There is not much distance between Cantor and this “ex-Aide”
The D’s will shit themselves laughing and celebrating if she comes within a mile of the election.
Just like in 2010?
Touche. That’s gonna leave a mark.
Just like the Carter campaign in 1980. HINT: They were OVERJOYED when Reagan finally emerged from the long primary fight as the general election candidate.
O.VER.JOYED.
History says, “Ooops.”
Enough with the conservative celebrity culture. We need to stop chasing heroes and heroines in every election.
None of these national political celebrities (be it Reagan, Palin, Cruz, Rubio, Rand) are the avatars of my freedom, liberty and way of life. None should be venerated as the personification of American Republicanism.
It is precisely this kind of hero worship that has bred the denominational strife, cynicism, easy disappointment and self defeating fantasies of a 3rd party among us.
None of these GOP celebs are capable of witnessing to our family, friends and neighborhood. That’s our job. We are ultimately the living, local point of reference of the ‘Republican Party’.
Republican = Res Publica = (Latin) The Public Thing. I own it. We own it. We are the bridge!
It’s true the Dems with their cult of personality meme have gotten really bad results. My problem with the Repubs is that they beat up on their own people so that the Dems can just sit back and laugh. Repubs play into the Dems’ hands.
Aucturian, I agree: Enough! Celebrities can be useful, but not when they dominate our culture. The sort of one-to-one witnessing you speak of is what we need to get American culture back on track. And it will take many years.
Valerie, I agree: personality cults don’t produce good leaders. But I don’t agree that we should shelter every politician with an R beside his or her name. We don’t get good leaders that way either.
Of course she is.
But the GOP leadership has no intention of winning a national campaign. It would upset their apple cart, and make them work for a living, and be held accountable for their actions.
The GOP is a dead party; they are a wing of the Democrat party now. The Tea Party candidate can win a national election, not a GOP rino candidate.
RE: “It would upset their apple cart, and make them work for a living, and be held accountable for their actions.”
Touche!
When people call Sarah Palin “stupid”, “dumb” or “ignorant” I ask them to provide examples.
They will undoubtedly show their own idiocy by quoting Tina Fey. I’ve actually heard that (I can see…) as a Sarah Palin quote, and I live in Israel!
Then, ask them to provide 3 examples of things that Hillary Clinton has accomplished.
-The North Koreans are our allies. HO HO HO HO
-Paul Revere warned the British. HEE HEE HEE
-Sputnik bankrupted the Russians. HA HA HA HA
-We should create laws based on the God of the Bible and the 10 commandments,” Sorta like the Muslims do in Iran. HEH HEH HEH HEH
-The founding fathers recited the phrase “Under God” Ii the pledge of allegiance.
I’d go on but my sides are splitting with laughter…
And you wonder why the nation at large thinks Conservative are a joke, when you seriously suggest incompetents fools for public office?
This is the best you can come up with? An outright lie,(“under God” remark), instances in which she was actually correct (Revere, Sputnik, a simple verbal slip (Korea) and your own false equivalency?
How about:
“The Middle East is obviously an issue that has plagued the region for centuries.”
“No, no. I have been practicing…I bowled a 129. It’s like — it was like Special Olympics, or something.”
“Let me be absolutely clear. Israel is a strong friend of Israel’s.”
“On this Memorial Day, as our nation honors its unbroken line of fallen heroes — and I see many of them in the audience here today — our sense of patriotism is particularly strong.”
“In case you missed it, this week, there was a tragedy in Kansas. Ten thousand people died — an entire town destroyed.”
“The point I was making was not that Grandmother harbors any racial animosity. She doesn’t. But she is a typical white person, who, if she sees somebody on the street that she doesn’t know, you know, there’s a reaction that’s been bred in our experiences that don’t go away and that sometimes come out in the wrong way, and that’s just the nature of race in our society.”
“One such translator was an American of Haitian descent, representative of the extraordinary work that our men and women in uniform do all around the world — Navy Corpse-Man Christian Brossard.”
“We’re the country that built the Intercontinental Railroad.”
“I’ve now been in 57 states — I think one left to go.”
“I think when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody.”
Of course, life can be tough for someone born four years before he was conceived (born in 1961, he claimed in a speech that his parents got together and conceived him as result of the march in Selma, Alabama – which happened in 1965).
Sides splitting yet?
All Obama quotes in case anyone hasn’t been on earth for the past 6 years.
Dude, you’re on a roll this week. Better play the lottery!
“Troll out the barrel, and we’ll have a barrel of fun!”
This one is as bad as that kid from Wisconsin back during the 2012 primaries.
I firmly believe the best way that Governor Palin can help the GOP is to hoist high her “Sarah Palin 2016” petard.
“For tis the sport to have the enginer Hoist with his owne petar” ~ William Shakespeare
This.
After first presiding over another landslide conservative election in 2014 as in 2010.
Well, the GOP can always call on Tina Fey. Or a cardboard cutout.
Oh, and it won’t be Hillary Clinton, either. If the dems thought Hillary was “potential” they’d have knocked Biden off the ticket in 2012.
Two parties. Two females. And, a public that’s pretty angry at politicians, in general. A serious politician is going to be fiscally conservative. The type that can balance a checkbook. And, run a State. Since the competitions will be among governors. (Chris Christie is a player who has potential.)
While for the democrats, the Cuomo family is going to try and reach for the prize.
The only “potential” Chris Christie has politically in the GOP, is in regards to his donut consuming potential. As far as conservative/libertarians are concerned, he’s deadweight.
Carol, you’re totally ignorant of Governor Sarah Palin’s record of achievement and it shows.
The only achievement she had in office was to match her IQ to her breast size.
“A serious politician is going to be fiscally conservative. The type that can balance a checkbook. And, run a State. Since the competitions will be among governors.”
You do understand you are describing Governor Palin there, right?
Right?
[…] “Senator Palin” Could Help Revitalize A GOP That Seems To Have Lost It’s Way: She could drive Democrats mad by saying she is now more […]
Marco Rubio didn’t “fall” from grace.
He jumped.
Palin doesn’t need to rehabilitate herself with most conservatives, but her treatment by the left & media (as if there were some line of distinction) from the time she was nominated for VP did real damage with the general electorate and the LIVs.
The bigger question is if she even wants a Senate seat. It requires you spend a great deal of time in DC, for one thing, and it may be the case she makes far more on her own with more flexibility. Also, elite as the Senate sees itself, any former Governor is going to feel diminished. Once you’ve been The boss, 1 of 100 is a big step down. And nobody has to answer to you.
IAC, “reaching” McCain may be beyond reality. He’s in his final term, unencumbered by any need to keep a voting coalition together at home, so is free to spend his time burnishing his “maverick” legacy. Any chance of either reeling him in or convincing him to retire early might depend on the long shot of beating his BFF, Graham.
I think Senator is considered higher than small-state governor. One problem is that her knack is for executive action; she may not be a good Senator. Also, she might not win.
Of course, Alaska has two Senators, but only one Congressman.
Alaska is not a small state.
The # of people is not the measure.
At one point, Alaska was providing almost 20% of the nation’s oil. That is not small.
That’s exactly my thought. She’s a great executive. She was a good mayor, a good governor, and I believe she’d make a good president. But legislatures are different, and I don’t know that she would make a good legislator. But compared to the clowns already there, how bad could she be?
The rift between the old main street GOP, the Reagan conservatives, and the libertarians exists, and is a problem, but it was always there and is being magnified in intensity by the pain of losing last year. But after the divisive 1964 nomination fight, it was even worse. And we came back to win five of the next six Presidential contests.
It’s good to have this fight in the off year after the Presidential election. Next year’s midterms are a series of individual, localized campaigns and don’t depend on national party unity so much. Victory has a wonderful way of putting balm on old wounds; if we capture the Senate, people will be looking to work together.
There will always be all-or-nothing partisans of each wing of the party, too, but their inability to reach out in any circumstance keeps them weak.
One problem is that many libertarians insist on misrepresenting themselves as either Conservatives – or worse, Reagan Conservatives – or Constitutionalists, when they are neither. Ron Paul left the GOP after seven years of Reagan, explicitly in protest over Reagan’s policies. Worse, at least the vocal ones are not only isolationists, but actually have Barack Obama’s view of the US.
Anyone who wants America involved with the world is a “neo-con”. What would they have called Ronald Reagan?
In my view, economics is the least of my interests in deciding my vote – security first, and morality second. Economics third, sorry.
Sarah Palin has to want to save this country by first being a bridge between the Ronulans and the old Reaganites. She can only do that through elective politics.
The notion that Palin can stay on the sidelines and act as a referee is attractive to some Palin partisans, but as time goes by, other candidates present themselves and Palin herself gets farther away from her actual time in office. Why listen to Palin when you can listen to Ted Cruz or Scott Walker, who are actually in office and helping to pass legislation if you are a conservative activist?
The problem that Palin has is while she has a voice, it will grow weaker over time unless she chooses to acquire political power by getting back into the game of elective politics. She could do very well in the Senate as an ally of Cruz, Paul, and Mike Lee. She could even run for POTUS.
Whatever she chooses to do is preferable to standing on the sidelines being a supporter of other people’s ambitions. Talent like Palin’s comes along once in a generation, and it would be a crime against politics for her to waste that talent.
We already have Ann Coulter. We don’t need another one. We need a Reagan Conservative with real political power. Palin is that person.
You absolutely nailed her predicament. Thanks.
I always get a chuckle out of “advice” offered to Sarah to “rehabilitate” her.
Were it not for Sarah Palin, Ted Cruz would not be a Senator.
That. Is. A. Fact.
By staying out of elected office, she does not have to compromise.
I will back her in whatever she decides to do and not do.
“…respected commentators like Bill Kristol…” (from the original article)
Respected? Really?
In addition, Juan McInsane is a leftwing, big govt socialist/islamic terrorist supporter infesting the GOP. No one, including Sarah, can ever change those stripes.
That would be a bridge too far. I want the old guard out and the new guard in.
Bye, Bye Karl Rove, Chris “Compromise” Christie, Jeb “Been-there-before” Bush, Scott “Purple” Brown, Core curriculum, etc.
Sarah is better at gutting the house and the senate and bringing in the right people.
Sarah Palin is a born leader – an executive. Forcing her to become a member of the Senate “club” would be like pounding a square peg in a round hole. I just can’t feature her at the podium saying, “My good friend Harry Reid…” It would destroy her. I’m against it.
I agree; but if she wants, let her try. How bad could it be? And she might surprise us with her adaptability.
Sarah Palin no longer builds bridges to nowhere – which is what the establishment GOP is.
You know, using the term “Bridge to nowhere” really grates on me. It wasn’t a bridge to nowhere, it was a bridge to the Ketchikan airport which was on the opposite side of the river from the town. In many Alaska towns the airport is their only lifeline to food and medical care. One can argue whether the a bridge was really needed to replace the ferry, but we conservatives freely let the liberals Alinsky us on that one.
Once again, well said. It wasn’t a bridge to an uninhabited island, it was a bridge from that island, to a town with a substantial resident population and an even greater number of tourists passing through. An uninhabited island, but, as you say, the site of the airport which is the principal way in and out of the town. The bridge was at least as justified as any other such project. Palin was right to support it at a time when money was being handed out for all sorts of infrastructure. But she also recognised that the money shouldn’t be being handed out in the first place, so when she saw the tide turn against it she was smart enough to move with that tide.
I’m not interested in rehabilitation of RINOs.
I’m interested in replacing them …all of them.
The worthless GOP Establishment can all move to Iceland for all I care now.
The strength in Palin runs deep, evidenced by the fact she is effective in whatever role she takes, from governor, VP candidate, talking head, conservative proxy and commentator, etc., etc. That strength is what frightened the Dems and their media guard dogs so very, very badly in 2008. They are still scared of her.
She’d be a major conservative asset in the House, in the Senate, on a national ticket, on Fox, supporter on the campaign trail (remember 2010), so I don’t much care what role she sets out for herself.
There are many who do not like her, but few who can coherently articulate why.
As a Sarah Palin supporter, however, not through the traditional C4P rose colored glasses, where cult like platitudes stink up the air similar to those who adore Obama, I must say that she would be failing her conservative principles by bridging the gap between conservatives and lefty rinos.
We need to realize that there is little difference between the two. Republicans either need to stand up for conservative principles or join the dems.
I would love it if Palin became a senator in Alaska, or as some have suggested, McCain retires and Brewer appoints Palin to serve out the remainder of his term prior to running for reelection. Somehow, however, I don’t think McCain’s ego will
allow him to retire.
I also love Palin on the sidelines, telling it like it is.
I seldom watch Fox unless Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Mike Lee or Palin are on (and a few others).
Either/or….just not as president. Right now, I am glad I am not subjected to her “Kardashian like” family antics, in particular, the older one, holding on to her mom’s political coattails in order to achieve her 15 minutes of fame with or
without her baby daddy.
If I ever run for office, for God’s sake don’t support me if the above is an example of your support.
Zo tells it like it is about Palin….like clubbing a liberal baby seal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Vv0M07CAXs