I posted yesterday about Ed Rollins being the latest of the “I knew Reagan” types to use a variation on Lloyd Bentsen’s “You’re no Jack Kennedy” line against Sarah Palin.
Rollins was Mike Huckabee’s campaign manager in the 2008 cycle, and guess who Rollins thought was the next Ronald Reagan:
“Governor Huckabee has probably inspired me as much as Ronald Reagan. He had an ability to connect with people and he was a great communicator. I’ve looked for a long time for another candidate to do that.
“People are always asking: ‘Who’s the next Ronald Reagan?’ Well, I was with the old Reagan. I can promise you that this man comes as close as I’ve ever seen.”
I have nothing against Mike Huckabee, and this is not an anti-Huckabee post. Rather, it’s friendly advice to all viable Republican candidates:
Run, don’t walk, away from Ed Rollins and the others who think that demeaning Sarah Palin is the best way to advance your campaign.
Other candidates are entitled to make the case why they would be a better nominee, and they should do so forcefully. But if they think — like Ed Rollins and Joe Scarborough — that insulting Palin is the way to go, then they have seriously misread the Republican electorate.
Without the enthusiasm of Palin supporters the Republican Party is nothing moving into 2012.
The campaign troops who will be in the field, on the telephones and at the fundraisers in 2012 will be the same troops who fought the 2010 campaign war. And those troops weren’t carrying Mitt Romney, or Mike Huckabee, or Newt Gingrich signs.
That doesn’t mean Palin gets the nomination just because she wants it, or that she is presumptive, or that her supporters constitute a majority of the Party.
It does mean that the Republican nominee cannot win against Barack Obama without the enthusiasm and support of Palin supporters.
So Mike, I wish you well. But if you start running, don’t let Ed Rollins catch you.
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Comments
Spot on analogy Professor, Republicans live or die on Palin's supporters. Discard them at your own peril DC elites…..
Heh. Ed Rollins recycling Ronald Reagan again and again for fun and profit. What a hack.
Exactly! Great advice. I'm a Palin supporter, and I don't see anyone in the cast of presidential wannabes who have the same skill sets as Gov. Palin. I'm not talking about her charm. I'm talking about her philosophy, her governing according to the Constitution, her lengthy experience in executive positions, and her zeal for reform and restoration. The litmus test, after I look at the person's background, is, what does the prospective candidate say about Palin? That tells me where the person's head is philosophically. Palin is my candidate of choice, and I'll work like a dog to help her be elected. The other candidates? No. I've no enthusiasm for the RINO GOP, a lot of enthusiasm for Conservative GOP.
A large part of why Rossi lost in Washington was that he blew off the Palin supporters, and failed to connect with the 12% in the top two primary who voted for Rossi's opponent in that primary, Clint Didier.
He lost a senate race that should have been low-hanging fruit for him… because disdain as a campaign tactic generally doesn't work well when directed at what is supposed to be part of your base.
Perfect! My sentiments exactly. I'm a diehard Palinite. But I admit she's got some rough edges with the general electorate. I lean Romney. But without us Palinites, Romney can't win. Somehow Palin needs to be involved – VP, Romney Campaign Chair, something.
Huckabee must already be acting on Rollins' advice. Yesterday, he was waxing on about why the establishment Republicans don't like him. Yeah, as if. Huckabee is an outsider. HA!!! Romney too? These guys are pathetic.
Palin attackers are people who've already bought into the "My candidate or bust!" attitude.
Really, Dondero, Romney? It does not compute for me that you call yourself a diehard Palinite … and run a Libertarian Republican website … and then say you lean Romney??????
Romney is about THE MOST Elite Establishment Ruling Class RINO candidate currently in the 2012 lineup.
How do you possibly equate Romneycare Big Government Mandated Healthcare with … Libertarianism?
??????
If Palin lost the primary, I'm sure she would back the winner, but don't count on her supporters to do the same. No more RINO! So we're going to try to win against obama using another mccain like candidate?
I've been keeping an open mind and we've been waiting for an obvious candidate to emerge, but I have to say that Palin has been fighting for us already. She stands up to the Obama administration, to the Reid/Pelosi Congress, and stands up for Americans in a way the other presumptive candidates have not done. Gingrich speaks out, of course, but I think his presidential day is past. Jindal has spoken out, but doesn't appear to be running. Some of the men seem weak and timid, while Palin is leading the fight because she's a leader. I don't think they can catch her in that regard. I agree with Juba – if these men and women attack Palin (other than on policy), they're attacking me and much of America while revealing a lack of character and lack of connection.
Really, Eric, how is Mitt a Libertarian Republican, he is endorsed by the Boston Globe
today, in part for putting forth a system that complicates things, immensely, and cannot be easily repealed
The Republicans can't win without Palin. Period.
Yes, Palin should not be the target of insults and attacks from fellow Republicans/Conservatives.
But she also shouldn't be given a free pass in all of this. She hurls her share of insults and/or ill-advised things to say.
My impression is that she spends more time defending herself against attacks and attacking Democratic policies than she does coming up with original ideas or plans for helping our nation.
Seriously, what platform is she running on,? What solutions has she proposed, besides opposition?
"Without the enthusiasm of Palin supporters the Republican Party is nothing moving into 2012."
"It does mean that the Republican nominee cannot win against Barack Obama without the enthusiasm and support of Palin supporters."
Sorry but Libertarians and indie-voters who helped a Republican congresswoman win in my Swing district by a tenuous margin would disagree.
The statement has the same flavor as Jim Demint's "…can't be a fiscal conservative and not be a social conservative."
Is the Republican Party about supporting First Principles or supporting a Personality Cult?
CHMusicus: you are voicing exactly the same bogus lie that the GOP establishment (aka Assistant Democrats) has been hurling at the Tea Party: we don't stand for anything.
There is nothing vague about the Tea Party. You just have to harvest that crop of potatoes you have growing in your ears and let the truth in.
What the RINOs are saying in code is that Palin and the Tea Party have no SOCIALIST solutions. The socialists's antennae are designed to not pick up our conservative signals.
Sadly, I have read more than one Palinista say that they won't vote if Palin is not the nominee. I find that very distrubing. While someone like Romney wouldn't be my first or even second choice I certainly don't think Obama would be the better option.
To complete my last comment, the reason the bipartisan establishment keeps claiming that conservatives have are not proposing any solutions is that were they to admit that we ARE, they would be opening themselves up to having to discuss our solutions. And we can't have that because the "one-world-without-borders" machinery is so close to closing the deal.
"Sadly, I have read more than one Palinista say that they won't vote if Palin is not the nominee. I find that very distrubing."
IMO, if anyone else is the nominee, it means we have let the Democrats and the RINOs and the MSM pick the Republican candidate again. I find that very disturbing.
We political consumers are too accustomed to not considering the conflict of interest inherent in engaging in punditry while in the bu$ine$$ of promoting and managing candidates. For the Rollins, Roves, Carvilles and Morris's in our papers and on our screens opining endlessly and rudely, who would have us mistake rough-and-tumble rhetoric for colorful, pugnacious sagacity, it's really only about the paychecks from their chosen team, (which can switch, as evidenced by a growing number of post-op trans-partied political operators…)
But while they have income riding on their ability to make or break kings and deals, we have a country at stake and can't afford their services any more. The old guard power brokers have broken too much, with, certainly, the gullible and irresponsible electorate's complicity. Now, a significant number of us same careless voters are using Crazy Glue and space-age epoxy to start putting things back together in a workable way. We're discarding the debris and wanting to guard the heritage that should most matter to us, especially now that it's perilously on the edge– our fine bone Constitution.
Why should we buy into the smash-ups and professionally endorsed and packaged inferior products Rollins et al. sell?
IMO, if anyone else is the nominee, it means we have let the Democrats and the RINOs and the MSM pick the Republican candidate again. I find that very disturbing.
So if someone like Mike Pence is the nominee it would have been the media choosing him? (I don't know if he will run) Believe it or not, there are some that question if Palin can overcome the negatives that she has among independents. It has nothing to do with disliking her message. It has to do with getting Obama out of office. If the economy starts to improve it will be harder to do.
Not all conservatives think alike, many would like to see Christie run. Christie is far from a social conservative and his views on gun rights will make many to take pause. I guess my point is that there is no perfect candidate and at this point we don't even know for sure who is running.
The only thing that I worry about is getting Obama out of office. My big concern is get control of the senate with strong fiscal conservatives to keep the herd in line. If Obama gets reelected Obamacare will never go away. The tentacles will become so deeply rooted that they will become next to impossible to remove. I don't trust the courts to do the right thing. Two so far have said the mandate is legal.
People who go around calling others "stupid" are only trying to make themselves look smart, and in a pitiful, ungentlemanly way.
Debate issues, discuss character, evaluate experience, get heated, stay calm, but below-the-belt slur and slander is, at best, often discrediting to the purveyor, and, at worst, a winning tactic that makes us all losers in the end.
That said, we certainly don't need positive emotional manipulation, either, as in the messianic hagiography masterfully designed by campaign managers and promulgated by a half believing and half cynical press that got Obama elected and us snookered. To me, it's less about his relative inexperience and everything to do with his decidedly leftist agenda that was lied about during campaigning, clear and simple. In fact, we're LUCKY this President has been politically inept in convincing Americans his way is right for us, or that it works, or that it's inevitable in the march of civilization.
Anyway, Palin needs to withstand good, hard scrutiny. So far, though, many of her critics come off as having even less class, scruples and IQ than the little they impute to her. I think she has a ton of common sense, good core political values, business savvy, chutzpa, resilience, and telegenic charisma, but there's a long way to go and other deserving potential candidates. In this day of TV voting, though, he or she had better give good screen, and, especially in this internet age, not be a phony.
I have nothing against Mike Huckabee, and this is not an anti-Huckabee post.
Would you be interested in my plan to turn lead into gold?
The people who attack Sarah as Rollins has done don't understand they make themselves look like fools and Palin as the better one in the process.
Ed isn't a RINO, he is a communist. Anyone who wants the same players to continue to dominate Washington, which in turn, will result in ever bigger government and control over the people, is by definition, a communist. It doesn't matter if they belong to the Republican party or the Democrat party.
I think Pence is running for Governor, but one is talking about how Dole and McCain were put up
by the party, and were subsequently fileed in the general
neither the Huckster nor Romney inspire any interest or enthusiasm on my part: both are RINOs, one is wild eyed zealot and the other just one of the herd of East Coast "elites".
if i can't be a fiscal conservative without being a social conservative in the GOP, maybe it's time for me to stop being a member….
I used to want Romney. But, he seems to be sticking to his Big Government mentality and mandated government health care nonsense. So, I no longer will vote for him.
At the moment, there is one I trust more than Palin. I do not want another "Reagan." He was great, and just the one for the times. There was only one of him.
What I want now is the next bold, unflinchingly American Leader who will do what is right for us and not just for a Party.
"People who go around calling others "stupid" are only trying to make themselves look smart, and in a pitiful, ungentlemanly way."
Thank you. I hate to see conservative sites devolve into HuffPost-like swamps of muck and mire!
I have a good suggestion for Team Obama in 2012:
If Sarah Palin is not on the GOP ticket, make her as an unofficial 3rd Party candidate. Instead of GOP candidate vs Barack Obama, the media will portray the race as GOP candidate vs Sarah Palin. The media can compare and cntrast the characters, policies and credentials of the GOP candidate vs Palin. The media will continue to shine the spotlight on Palin focusing her to criticise the Democrats so as to distract the attention from the GOP candidate making him invisible and non-existent. It will make the GOP candidate weak and impotent in the eyes of GOP supporters, and ridiculous and dumb in the eyes of ordinary American voters. If Obama cab achieve that, he would be able to split the GOP votes and suppress the GOP voters turnout. He’ll be re-elected whether the economy is good or bad.
One can argue whether Palin can or cannot beat Obama in 2012. But GOP ticket will 100% doomed if Sarah Palin is not the nominee.
CHMusicus wrote: "But she also shouldn't be given a free pass in all of this. She hurls her share of insults and/or ill-advised things to say.
My impression is that she spends more time defending herself against attacks and attacking Democratic policies than she does coming up with original ideas or plans for helping our nation.
Seriously, what platform is she running on,? What solutions has she proposed, besides opposition?"
You're joking, right? Palin being given a free pass? She has been on the receiving end of a colorectal examination by the Obamabots in AK, the Obamedia, RINO's, and every other anti-Conservative huckster to come down the pike. We know more about Palin than we do about Obama. We know more about Bristol Palin than we do about Obama!
Show me proof of Palin's "insults and/or ill-advised things [said]" and I'll show you endless proof of Obama's, Biden's, whomever's.
If you want to know her platform, go read her Facebook notes. She's not been hiding what she thinks or believes. Look at her open letter to the GOP freshmen, her platform is right there, as are her solutions. Obama is now telling us what his platform is, and it ain't the "centrist" one he's alleged to have run on.
What? Did you just come off of Gilligan's island that you're unfamiliar with these things?
My greatest concern is that Palin may actually get the GOP nod, a move which I feel will echo the Reid/Angle election. As much as Palin fires up the base, I do not feel she is in any way electable, and the idiot Obama would be handed a second term. I don't think America can survive that.
The easiest way to get your name in the news, especially the MSM, is to bash Palin. Ed got what he wanted, his name out there.
Palin's platform? There's time. (I hope it's gutting the government).
The Republican party can't win without Palin supporters… true. It is also VERY likely Palin, should she choose to run, (she is going to)and win the Republican nomination she will need the support of moderates to win the general election.
She has a lot of work to do.
I quit paying attention to Ed Rollins when he started taking credit for Reagan's '84 win. My grandmother could have managed a win in that campaign. Show me one other decent win he has.
Sheesh.
And I'm not a Palin supporter, but I sure did tired of the gratuitous bashing of her.
Finally, I grew up in a 'hard rock' Baptist area, and I wouldn't trust Huckabee as far as I could [to quote my grandma] "spit a mouthful of needles."
I Have An Idea How About You Vote,& Support Whom You Want,& I'll Vote,& Support Whom I Want It Seems To Have Worked Well Before.So I Think I'll Take Palin 24/7,& Twice On Sunday.BTW Where Are These Christie,mitt Romney,Daniels,Pence,etc Now That You Want As A Candidate,Waiting In Line For Palin To Draw The Battle Field Plans Then Swoop In From Nowhere,& Claim Mrs Palin's Hard Work,& Thunder,Yeah That's It We'll Do The Same Thing That The Dems Did To SOS Clinton I Mean In America Isn't The Way We Do Things Here.
Why should Conservatives vote for people like Murkowski or Castle? When A Moderate win a primary, they expect the Conservatives to fall in line and vote for them, but when a Conservative win the primary, the Moderate throw a tantrum and refuse to vote for the Conservative. I'm sick of this one way relationship. If Conservatives do not win the primary, we should not vote for the lessor of evil
"She hurls her share of insults and/or ill-advised things to say."
I certainly love to what they were and when? She usually hurl them in RESPONSE TO AN ATTACK TO HER. They're defensive in nature. She doesn't attack fellow Republicans out of the blue
Reagan failed at reducing the the deficit. While he was a great communicator of the ideology, he failed at cutting spending. We don't want a repeat of that
Sadly, I have read more than one Palinista say that they won't vote if Palin is not the nominee.
Tell them, failing to vote against Obama is the same as voting twice for him: it is one less vote against him, and one more vote that can be freed up to cancel another vote against him.
Reagan failed at reducing the the deficit.
He doubled the tax revenue between 1981 and 1989. He likened Congressional spending to that of drunken sailors, except that was insulting to drunken sailors.
The left tells us by their reactions to our potential candidates who they fear the most. It is obvious by their hysteric reactions to everything Palin does that she is clearly the one they fear the most. It is obvious. They are telling who we should nominate. Wake up people! If we nominate anybody but Palin, then we have have accomodated the left's wishes.
I will vote for a constitutional conservative in 2012. I hope it's a Republican, but it could be a 3rd, 4th, or 5th party. I will never again vote for a "moderate," compromiser with socialism. I think that's how we got to this sad place in our history. We don't win just because the candidate has an 'R' next to their name.
If the Dem wins because we split the vote, maybe the GOP establishment will take us seriously in following elections and back constitutional conservatives.
Actions speak louder than words.
If you claim to be a Reaganite, but constantly break the 11th Commandment (Thou Shalt Not Speak Ill of a Fellow Republican)….
I need to read your more! As a Clinton Democrat Palin supporter, I totally agree with you. Mitt Romney, who foisted Romneycare, or the Republican version of Obamacare, on Massachusetts is not someone that I would enthusiastically support. As an aside, I can't think of one Democrat at this point in time, other than Hillary Clinton, that I could vote for. With that in mind, if the Republican party thinks that it can bash Sarah Palin, who I voted for in 2008, as the Democratic bigwigs did to Hillary Clinton during the same election cycle, then they will NOT get my vote. I was a solid Democrat up until 2008, and have voted a straight Republican ticket in 2008 and 2010, but it will stop. Palin deserves better than that treatment. This is about cleaning out the entrenched elitists from both parties. Get it GOP and Dems? ~Demogrunt aka nomobama