Republicans Who Eat Their Own!

Some of the most vicious and critical comments about Sarah Palin are from people who claim to be Republicans, our so-called friends. I think that the criticism of the Palin candidacy, by these “friends”, was taken right out of the talking points of the DNC or the venom of the MSNBC talking heads. Nobody, of substance, who supported the inclusion of Palin on the ticket, has claimed that Sarah Palin was the “only” one who could’ve been vice-president or who could’ve carried the cudgel for the conservative wing of the G.O.P. She represented what was missing in the McCain campaign, a real conservative voice. To equate her with the defeat of McCain is ludicrous. McCain would’ve lost by more votes than he did without her on the ticket; he was that bad as a candidate. I was energized when she was chosen because she was someone who finally addressed some of the conservative ideas that was missing with the “Democrat-Lite” rhetoric and policies of McCain. She was a definite asset and will be again in the future.

The news media and the Saul Alinsky bred members of the Obama team pulled out one of the “Rules for Radicals” that Alinsky based his philosophy on. That was to diminish your opponent by mockery and belittlement. She made mistakes, no doubt, but were they any worse than the mistakes of Obama or Biden who made plenty but were not reported or they were played down by a fawning media? Knowing what gaffe-a-minute Biden has turned into (or he was that all along), why continue to push the canard that she was stupid, ala the Tina Fey depiction on SNL? What mainly did the McCain-Palin ticket “in” was not Palin, but the candidate himself and the sharp increase in the price of energy and the economic meltdown in September. Even Jesus Christ would’ve lost under those circumstances.

So, I think it unfair that her opponents and G.O.P. “friends” who are perpetuating the idea that Palin was a disaster for the G.O.P. are not reading the “tea leaves” with any great insight. She was the “shining star” in an otherwise lackluster campaign. She, at least, was willing to get down and dirty to confront the obvious misinformation that the Democrats and the Obama campaign were passing out as the truth. McCain was wantonly passive in confronting the opposition.

I think her resignation, as governor, was a great decision on her part. She had become a lightening rod for her political enemies who relentlessly have been going after her because of the fear that her popularity might just spill over to moderate and independent voters, who are getting jaded by the failures of the Obama Administration. She will be a “rock star” around the country when she gives speeches or attends fund raisers for G.O.P. candidates, and when her book is published. Candidate in 2012, I doubt it? My favorite still is Mitt Romney, the candidate we needed (or still need) during these perilous economic times. Charlie Christ is definitely not the answer as he is “McCain-lite” and not someone who will energize the G.O.P. base. His campaign war-chest might pull him through in his race for the Florida senate seat, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

A return to the Gingrich inspired “Contract with America” is definitely something the G.O.P. needs to do. The local congressional candidate in the 22nd C.D., Lt. Col. Allen West, is the poster boy for what the G.O.P. needs to do to re-take the Congress. He isn’t afraid to say what he means and he means what he says with conviction and verve. He’s a leader and a man of integrity, something that is missing in most all our politicians today.

So, fellow Republicans, don’t fall into the trap of “eating your own”. The liberals “hate” Sarah Palin because she’s very attractive, she’s aggressive, a no-nonsense advocate, she’s anti-abortion and she has religious values – all things that are an anathema to the liberal establishment and therefore she must be marginalized. You are buying into that false premise and harming our chances to re-take the congress next year, if you continue with this cannibalization of Sarah Palin. SO KNOCK IT OFF!

Written by Chuck Lehmann