You Betcha: Palin Endorses Rand Paul in Bitter Kentucky GOP Senate Primary

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Maybe she did this just to make Allahpundit’s head explode:

National political icon and conservative leader Sarah Palin has endorsed Dr. Rand Paul in his bid for United States Senate from Kentucky.  The Paul campaign has received a generous donation from Governor Palin’s PAC.

Palinistas + Paulistas = Wow. The Kentucky primary is extremely bitter (53 comments on that thread) and the last thing I expected was for Palin to get herself involved in that feud.

UPDATE: Scott Brady at Conservatives for Palin says, “Rand Paul has solid conservative positions on the major issues,” and quotes more from the Paul campaign’s press release:

Dr. Paul was recently identified as one of the five most important candidates to support by Dick Armey, Freedom Works and the National Tea Party Movement. Dr. Paul has also received endorsements from Concerned Women for America, Gun Owners of America, Steve Forbes and RedState.com.
Recent independent polls show Rand holding a double digit lead in the Republican primary and large leads over either Democratic opponent. Rand Paul has raised over $1.8 million dollars, including over $650,000 in the fourth quarter of 2009.

These are bandwagon arguments and I don’t suspect they will placate Kentucky conservative Lisa Graas and other such supporters of Bill Johnson, to say nothing of Trey Grayson’s supporters. Meanwhile, it seems Allahpundit has been stunned into silence.

75 comments

  3. I can see Sarah aligning with Rand’s views on taxes and the Federal Reserve but not his opposition to the war in Iraq and the Patriot Act. Maybe the ophthalmologist thing got to her.

  4. I can see Sarah aligning with Rand’s views on taxes and the Federal Reserve but not his opposition to the war in Iraq and the Patriot Act. Maybe the ophthalmologist thing got to her.

  5. Most of the anti-Rand commentary I have seen stems from distortions of his positions by his opponents. They make him out to be some sort of Dove, but he would have went into Afghanistan, and would have forced our leaders to a Declaration of War with Iraq (you know, that pesky U.S. Constitution we often side-step).

    To me, there is a big difference between disliking a candidate because his positions suck (frankly I’m pro-Constitutional Conservative which is Rand), and distorting/attacking because you like the other guy.

    For that matter, I agree with Bill Johnson on most of his positions, but his his double-barrel double-0 buckshot smear campaign painting Rand Paul as some dope-smoker/pro-choice advocate turned me off to him completely.

    I think Buckley was right (in the linked blog post from 1/26), but the blood feud is going to keep a lot of people home unless the partisans take a sober look at the positions, and not what the pontificators want you to believe. Sarah Palin clearly gets it.

  6. Most of the anti-Rand commentary I have seen stems from distortions of his positions by his opponents. They make him out to be some sort of Dove, but he would have went into Afghanistan, and would have forced our leaders to a Declaration of War with Iraq (you know, that pesky U.S. Constitution we often side-step).

    To me, there is a big difference between disliking a candidate because his positions suck (frankly I’m pro-Constitutional Conservative which is Rand), and distorting/attacking because you like the other guy.

    For that matter, I agree with Bill Johnson on most of his positions, but his his double-barrel double-0 buckshot smear campaign painting Rand Paul as some dope-smoker/pro-choice advocate turned me off to him completely.

    I think Buckley was right (in the linked blog post from 1/26), but the blood feud is going to keep a lot of people home unless the partisans take a sober look at the positions, and not what the pontificators want you to believe. Sarah Palin clearly gets it.

  9. This may come across as not serious enough or glib or whatever, but…. you can’t make everyone happy all the time.

    Shit, I’ve been unhappy since early November 2008.

  10. This may come across as not serious enough or glib or whatever, but…. you can’t make everyone happy all the time.

    Shit, I’ve been unhappy since early November 2008.

  12. Agree entirely with Chuck’s comments. Rand Paul is a great candidate. Bill Johnson seems fairly solid on many issues, but his smearing of Rand (plus the fact he has no tractions in the polls) disqualifies him. Trey Grayson is a hackish Mitch McConnell puppet.

    It is very encouraging to see an alliance between the Palin and Paul supporters. I don’t agree with either of them on everything, but both represent a welcome challenge to the worthless Republican establishment.

  13. Agree entirely with Chuck’s comments. Rand Paul is a great candidate. Bill Johnson seems fairly solid on many issues, but his smearing of Rand (plus the fact he has no tractions in the polls) disqualifies him. Trey Grayson is a hackish Mitch McConnell puppet.

    It is very encouraging to see an alliance between the Palin and Paul supporters. I don’t agree with either of them on everything, but both represent a welcome challenge to the worthless Republican establishment.

  18. Over at LGF, poor Charles Johnson is hissyfying over this endorsement, slamming Rand Paul as a “paleo-nutjob” because of his opposition to the illegal USA PATRIOT Act, torture, and Neocon “nation-building.”

  19. Over at LGF, poor Charles Johnson is hissyfying over this endorsement, slamming Rand Paul as a “paleo-nutjob” because of his opposition to the illegal USA PATRIOT Act, torture, and Neocon “nation-building.”

  20. Sarah Palin has sold out to the money machine in defiance of Reagan conservatives in Kentucky. Johnson is supported by Sue Jaycox who organized the first Louisville Tea Party and also Debra Tennison, who heads up the Central Ky Tea Party. I know a lot of things I can’t report publicly. Just watch what happens. Her credibility has just been destroyed in Kentucky. Her base will abandon her and the Paulites, who hate her anyway, won’t be supporting her for president either. Too bad. I guess it’s a good thing for her that Kentucky isn’t that important in presidential elections. She can afford to stab us all in the back and it won’t hurt her chances too much. She can now rake in money from Campaign for Liberty people. It’s all going to be a lucrative investment for her, I’m sure.

    I *can* report that the Palin Twibe has been deleted along with all feeds and Facebook group. The blog is open to authors only and will be deleted in one week to give authors time to copy any content they may want to keep. The Palin Twibe account will be deleted in one week, as well.

  21. Sarah Palin has sold out to the money machine in defiance of Reagan conservatives in Kentucky. Johnson is supported by Sue Jaycox who organized the first Louisville Tea Party and also Debra Tennison, who heads up the Central Ky Tea Party. I know a lot of things I can’t report publicly. Just watch what happens. Her credibility has just been destroyed in Kentucky. Her base will abandon her and the Paulites, who hate her anyway, won’t be supporting her for president either. Too bad. I guess it’s a good thing for her that Kentucky isn’t that important in presidential elections. She can afford to stab us all in the back and it won’t hurt her chances too much. She can now rake in money from Campaign for Liberty people. It’s all going to be a lucrative investment for her, I’m sure.

    I *can* report that the Palin Twibe has been deleted along with all feeds and Facebook group. The blog is open to authors only and will be deleted in one week to give authors time to copy any content they may want to keep. The Palin Twibe account will be deleted in one week, as well.

  22. Two words: aw yeah!
    Three more: audit the Fed!

    I’m a proud paleo-conservative. I know. I know. Who really thinks the Founders were basically right? Who still thinks people can govern themselves without “experts”? Who could possibly think that most big business activity isn’t capitalist but mercantilist? Me, that’s who. And lots of other people, like Rand Paul.

    There’s a very revealing aspect to all of this, beyond the election. The paleo-conservative’s vision is substantially different from the neo-conservative’s. Where does Palin really stand, then? Interesting.

    Palin is getting more, and more attractive to me. I didn’t think it possible.

  23. Two words: aw yeah!
    Three more: audit the Fed!

    I’m a proud paleo-conservative. I know. I know. Who really thinks the Founders were basically right? Who still thinks people can govern themselves without “experts”? Who could possibly think that most big business activity isn’t capitalist but mercantilist? Me, that’s who. And lots of other people, like Rand Paul.

    There’s a very revealing aspect to all of this, beyond the election. The paleo-conservative’s vision is substantially different from the neo-conservative’s. Where does Palin really stand, then? Interesting.

    Palin is getting more, and more attractive to me. I didn’t think it possible.

  30. They’re doing backflips over this at freeper-land. Not.

    Boy does she get under the skin of people that want her to do things the way they want ’em done. My guess is she’s met with the man and finds his positions more in line with conservatism.

    So far the only people who are leaving her bandwagon seem to be people who prefer leading their own. No great loss there.

  31. They’re doing backflips over this at freeper-land. Not.

    Boy does she get under the skin of people that want her to do things the way they want ’em done. My guess is she’s met with the man and finds his positions more in line with conservatism.

    So far the only people who are leaving her bandwagon seem to be people who prefer leading their own. No great loss there.

  32. Lisa,

    I understand that your heart is in the right place, but your description of Rand Paul’s anti-abortion stance comes straight out of a left-wing play book!

    Please disagree, but don’t misrepresent. If the right continues to fall into this cheap tactic nonsense, the country is gone for good.

    God help us all!

  33. Lisa,

    I understand that your heart is in the right place, but your description of Rand Paul’s anti-abortion stance comes straight out of a left-wing play book!

    Please disagree, but don’t misrepresent. If the right continues to fall into this cheap tactic nonsense, the country is gone for good.

    God help us all!

  34. Lisa spent the last week claiming that Rand Paul’s people were liars for insinuating this endorsement was coming.

    An apology would be the conservative thing to do. You know, personal responsibility and all that.

  35. Lisa spent the last week claiming that Rand Paul’s people were liars for insinuating this endorsement was coming.

    An apology would be the conservative thing to do. You know, personal responsibility and all that.

  38. lisa g’s post makes her sound like a whiner.

    don’t like whiners.

    hey lisa. just represent your candidate and stop whining.

  39. lisa g’s post makes her sound like a whiner.

    don’t like whiners.

    hey lisa. just represent your candidate and stop whining.

  40. Lisa has been caught lying before on blogs.She claimed she didn’t spam for Bill Johnson will mutliple Google Accounts (a violation of Google TOS) then later admitted to it.

    Plus she says she supports amnesty, bailouts, etc.. which are anti-tea party anti-conservative positions.

  41. Lisa has been caught lying before on blogs.She claimed she didn’t spam for Bill Johnson will mutliple Google Accounts (a violation of Google TOS) then later admitted to it.

    Plus she says she supports amnesty, bailouts, etc.. which are anti-tea party anti-conservative positions.

  42. Lisa (aka Whiner),
    Love the “take your ball and go home” mentality…Pub/tea blood feud in KY means the dem wins by the skin of a Johnson whiner’s teeth.

  43. Lisa (aka Whiner),
    Love the “take your ball and go home” mentality…Pub/tea blood feud in KY means the dem wins by the skin of a Johnson whiner’s teeth.

  48. Tim writes: Lisa has been caught lying before on blogs.She claimed she didn’t spam for Bill Johnson will mutliple Google Accounts (a violation of Google TOS) then later admitted to it.

    Tim, you are a LIAR. I comment under my own name everywhere with the exception of HotAir where I comment as ‘gocatholic’ and I NEVER EVER hide my identity. You are a liar.

  49. Tim writes: Lisa has been caught lying before on blogs.She claimed she didn’t spam for Bill Johnson will mutliple Google Accounts (a violation of Google TOS) then later admitted to it.

    Tim, you are a LIAR. I comment under my own name everywhere with the exception of HotAir where I comment as ‘gocatholic’ and I NEVER EVER hide my identity. You are a liar.

  50. For the record, I was going to support Rand Paul until I interviewed his campaign manager and campaign coordinator and was appalled by what they told me.

    I just love the “whiner” comments. If they only knew. Sigh.

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