"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler
Here is Rick Santorum talking to Stephen K. Bannon, producer of the Sarah Palin documentary The Undefeated, about Palin’s praise for Santorum last week:
If some of our readers would care to transcribe this interview in the comments, I’d appreciate it.
When Sarah Palin singled out Rick Santorum for praise last week during her appearance on Sean Hannity’s Fox News program, she got a lot of people’s attention. Danny Yadron of the Wall Street Journal and Kathryn Jean Lopez of National Review took notice, as did America’s leading practicioner of Neutral Objective Journalism.
Far more important, however, was the attention Palin’s praise generated among her most loyal admirers:
For Santorum … her words may have been answered prayer, providing the underdog candidate with the kind of fundraising boost his low-budget campaign needs in the final weeks before the Iowa caucuses.
“Our small dollar donations have just dramatically increased, which is, you know, a great sign for us… and I think Sarah Palin’s comments were absolutely critical to that,” Santorum said, adding that there has also been a noticeable “spike” in traffic to his campaign website. …
Please read the whole thing. Since Palin broke her supporters’ hearts with her Oct. 5 announcement that she wouldn’t be a candidate in 2012, a lot of pundits seem to have decided that she is no longer politically relevant. Yet Palin still has a powerful influence over the many thousands of grassroots conservatives who admire her and some of them — especially including Lisa Graas — are quite literally praying that she’ll make her magic happen by endorsing Rick Santorum.
Crazy? Yeah, but crazy things have been happening all year in the fight for the Republican 2012 nomination, And you know if Sarah Palin were to shock the world with an endorsement before the Iowa caucuses, outraged reactions from “experts” like Karl Rove would be like a gift-wrapped present under somebody’s Christmas tree in her home on the shores of Wasilla’s lovely Lake Lucille. I’m just sayin’ . . .
You can say that’s just crazy-talk, but it’s not crazier than this: Only one candidate in the 2012 Republican presidential race has visited all 99 counties in Iowa, and he’s also the only candidate who knows the title of the national anthem of Vanuatu.
I’m not kidding. Continue reading Rick Santorum: Praise by Sarah Palin ‘Absolutely Critical’ to His Money Surge →
Has the fight for the Republican 2012 presidential nomination already become a two-man race between Mitt Romney versus Newt Gingrich? Not according to Sarah Palin, who singled out former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum for praise during her appearance Thursday night on Sean Hannity’s Fox News show.
“There is still a lot of fluid dynamic going on in this race,” Palin said, adding that if Republican voters “start shifting gears and deciding they want ideological consistency, then they’re going to start paying attention to, say, Rick Santorum.”
The former Alaska governor and 2008 vice presidential candidate went on to praise Santorum for being consistent on issues including his support for Israel and his pro-life stance:
TRANSCRIPT:
Sean Hannity: All right. If, if – if you were to assess – first of all, two questions in one: Do you think this come down to Newt versus Romney? Do you think any of the other candidates can emerge? And two, because they’re leading in the polls right now, a quick synopsis of the strengths and weaknesses you see in Newt and Romney.
Sarah Palin: I don’t think it has come down solidly to Newt versus Romney – no, not yet, because there is still a lot of fluid dynamic going on in this race. And if voters kind of start shifting gears and deciding they want ideological consistency, then they’re going to start paying attention to, say, Rick Santorum, who has been consistent on being a hard-liner against Iran, to help protect Israel. He’s been consistent on wanting to protect the most vulnerable and the sanctity of life. He’s been consistent in saying, we need to slash the federal income tax – I say we need to do away with it, that’s the only way to re-industrialize America and create jobs. People will start paying attention to some of these other messages from some of these other messengers, like Rick Santorum – you’re going to see that happen, still, in the next 32 days.
Palin followed up her appearance on Hannity’s show with a message sent to her nearly 700,000 Twitter followers:
Glad Santorum wants to re-industrialize USA w/ eliminating the corp income tax on manufactures.
Palin’s boost for Santorum drew attention from such campaign observers as Danny Yadron of the Wall Street Journal and Kathryn Jean Lopez of National Review. Many of Palin’s supporters had hoped she would be a candidate for president this year and were disappointed by her Oct. 5 announcement that she would not run. Her praise for Santorum comes at a key point in the campaign, barely a month before Iowa Republicans cast the first actual votes for delegates in the Hawkeye State’s Jan. 3 caucuses. There may yet be an opportunity for Santorum, as blogger M. Joseph Sheppard said in highlighting Palin’s comments:
“If Gingrich, who is now starting to feel the blowtorch . . . falters then, who knows, Santorum might be in a position to be the next Non-Romney.
“Certainly Santorum is unencumbered by any personal baggage. If his social views come under attack whilst he is rising, should he rise, then there would be little effect on his rising support as everyone is well aware of his right to life beliefs.”
No candidate in the Republican race has campaigned as hard in Iowa as Santorum, who has visited all 99 counties in the state, and will return to the state Sunday as part of his “Faith, Family and Freedom Tour.” In an appearance Thursday on MSNBC, Santorum told Andrea Mitchell: “We will do well in Iowa — I have no doubt about that. . . We’re going to surprise a lot of people on [Iowa caucus] Election Day on January third.”
A Catholic father of seven, Santorum ranks low in polls but has strong support among social conservatives, including an Iowa evangelical minister whose endorsement was announced in a press release sent by the Santorum campaign Thursday night:
SANTORUM RECEIVES ENDORSEMENT
OF INFLUENTIAL IOWA EVANGELICAL LEADER
Influential Iowa Evangelical Leader, Pastor Cary Gordon
Stands With Santorum And Will Formally Announce
Via Text Message to 788,000 Registered Voters
Verona, PA – Tonight, Iowa evangelical leader, Pastor Cary Gordon announced his endorsement for Republican Presidential Candidate Rick Santorum for President of the United States.
Senator Santorum said: “I am truly honored to receive this endorsement tonight. Pastor Gordon is a leader for God’s truth in Iowa and the nation – and has stood tall against the forces that have pushed the redefinition of marriage. His work in Iowa has helped ensure that the traditional American family is defended and protected. I am humbled to have such a stalwart defender of traditional American values by our team’s side as we work to return our nation to the values that made our nation the greatest in the history of the world.”
As detailed by Jennifer Jacobs of the Des Moines Register, influential Sioux City Pastor Cary Gordon endorsed former Senator Rick Santorum for President of the United States:
Sioux City Evangelical Minister
to Endorse Rick Santorum
By: Jennifer Jacobs, The Des Moines RegisterSioux City evangelical leader Cary Gordon, who played a role in the defeat of three Iowa Supreme Court justices in last year’s elections, will endorse Rick Santorum for president on Friday.Gordon will make his endorsement via a text message Friday morning to 788,000 cell phones owned by registered Iowa voters or by residents of Iowa’s 5th Congressional District.He is pastor of Sioux City’s Cornerstone Church and president of PeaceMakers Institute. He is steadfastly opposed to same-sex marriage and abortion.Gordon told The Des Moines Register today that he also will spell out reasons why he favors Santorum – and rejects Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney – in a 20-minute video.
UPDATE: The text above has been edited to reflect a change in the video selection, substituting the YouTube clip for this video from the Media Research Center of the entire Palin/Hannity interview. The exchange in which Palin brought up Santorum’s name occurs at the 8:37 mark of this video:
In a statement on his campaign Web site, Santorum said: “I am grateful to hear these kind words from a strong, conviction conservative like Governor Palin.”
RECENTLY:
by Smitty
I don’t know if Quigley’s sad little attempt at divide-and-conquer in The Hill is worth a RTWT, but these lines are a hoot:
Because right now the hard-hat Republican base has commandeered the party. It retreats to a degenerative state and doesn’t have a chance against President Obama. The varying support and lack of coalition around a candidate is nature’s way of saying something’s wrong.
There had been an allusion to the 70’s distinction of “hippies v. hard hats” earlier in the article. Quigley seems so scared of saying Tea Party, in his attempt to goad Sara Palin into declaring a run:
Sarah Palin, still a paid commentator I believe for Fox, should go direct on Judge Andrew Napolitano’s show — he the honest, courageous dean of free comment today — and say this: “I am thinking of entering the Republican primary campaign.”
A sentence so tortured, it looks like one of mine.
The Left cannot seem to grasp that a vocal chunk of Americans really care more about liberty than this or that personality. You read the news: the Attorney General is a thug, the Federal Reserve is expending the last of our economic vitality on Europe, the Middle East is on the brink of a full-on regional war, the welfare state entitlements are strangling any future hope. You realize that statesmanship is more about having the correct principles and being committed to them than it is about having excellent sound bites and a swell personality.
I’m writing Sarah Palin in during the primary, and I hope she doesn’t declare until the last legally possible moment, mostly in protest and rejection of the existing, defunct political system.
via Ginthegin
by Smitty
Via Michelle Malkin, here is the mighty Sarah Palin ad, which appears to have been uploaded on 22 November. I am sure that Ladd Ehlinger could have done something with a bit more zip to it. This appears to be a straight up the middle play. On the one hand, this egalitarian statement is what America in general, and Sarah Palin in particular, are all about: get the substance right, and understand that the anti-elitism is a style of its own.
That said, my newfound irritation with Romney’s diction helps me understand where some people are coming from about Sarah’s tone and accent. The fact that my mother (who lives in Idaho) could do passable voiceovers for Sarah (who is from Idaho) does mitigate a lot of the distraction for me, but this clip puts Sarah’s folksy cadences right out front.
I’d still love to see her on the ticket. Unsure with whom, though. Oh to be the fly on the wall when the GOP delegates look at the primary returns and realize that, no matter her conditions, they should have coaxed her into running.
by Smitty
via Surber, here is the ad:
He says:
My take on it is simple: If she is on the ballot in the West Virginia primary in May, I shall vote for her. She is my first choice.
I’m even simpler: I’ll write the lady in, if possible. A lot of people, like Teach in the comments, are miffed that she took so long to bow out quietly. Maybe that’s her final word. Even if it is, the dangling threat of her lives rent-free in the mind of the Left. Let’s keep the mind-frak going, and fight for the Constitutional restoration we need, ye patriots.
Previously:
Via GinTheGin on Twitter, Conservatives4Palin reports:
Your contributions have made it possible for us to run the Palin reconsider television ad next week in the Sioux City, Iowa market. Thanks to everyone who chipped in to make it possible.
You’ll be able to see the ad that will be shown on televisions on KCAU-TV across the Sioux City, Iowa market on this blog and on youtube when it goes up next week. If you have any ideas on how to get this story more attention, let us know and feel free to push it yourself to people who may be interested. The target date for this ad going up is now November 29th as the Thanksgiving holidays pushed our initial target date of November 28th back. At the very latest, we expect to get it up on the Sioux City market on the 30th.
What we do next after the television ad goes up is a more difficult question. If this ad is able to build some momentum for the Governor, the best way to keep that momentum going may be to commission a national GOP primary poll that includes the Governor as one of the options. We’ll see if it’s possible given our resources. We’re open to other ideas but the greatest challenge may be that time is running short for her to reconsider.
Sarah is now a fortnight past the magic Reagan date (13 November) for declaring candidacy. Sure, I’ll write her in during the primary, and support whoever wins. Yeah, it would be 47 kinds of swell if this advertising campaign proved more of a Doolittle Raid on our Ruling Class Overlords than an exercise in tilting at windmills.
However, the tsunami of hormones that would be unleashed if Sarah were to enter the race is non-trivial. I really don’t want to consider her at the top of the ticket for more than about a one minute thought experiment. And that is merely to wonder if the the head ‘splosions on the left would reach critical mass, so that the rest of the Left could join Thomas Friedman in singing the China Syndrome Blues. Walking back the hyperbole, one could envision the winner of the GOP primary, especially in the case of Newt, trying to offer her the VP slot, to polish the résumé for a 2020 run. Because, whoever is going to be on the GOP ticket, the Tea Parties have got to ensure some continuity. Recovering from the Progressive hangover is going to be neither quick nor painless.
Besides: is there really better blog fodder than Sarah Palin news?
Update: now a Memeorandum thread, and via the Des Moines Register:
The ad is set to air beginning on Nov. 30.
Palin, a conservative superstar and media phenomenon following the 2008 campaign, flirted with a presidential bid for months, but announced she would not run in a letter to supporters in early October.
The ad buy was announced this afternoon in a blog post on the Conservatives4Palin website. It is possible due to continued contributions to the organization, which is unaffiliated with Palin and her political operations.
The group acknowledged that convincing Palin to run now is a long shot.
Theory: this is a little shot o’er the bow for the Dems, in case they hoist the Hillary flag.
That’s one way to get the first female president: both parties nominate a lady.
by Smitty
Without comment:
More at HillBuzz.
by Smitty
For a printout and a quick glance, The Tea Party Budget scoops Congress in general and the Stupor Committee in particular. Sure, #OccupyResoluteDesk, as well.
To achieve these goals, our plan, among other things:
- Repeals ObamaCare in toto.
- Eliminates four Cabinet agencies — Energy, Education, Commerce, and HUD — and reduces or privatizes many others, including EPA, TSA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac.
- Ends farm subsidies, student loans, and foreign aid to countries that don’t support us — luxuries we can no longer afford.
- Saves Social Security and greatly improves future benefits by shifting ownership and control from government to individuals, through new SMART Accounts.
- Gives Medicare seniors the right to opt into the Congressional health care plan.
- Suspends pension contributions and COLAs for Members of Congress, whenever the budget is in deficit.
Kind of like the ancient military recruiting ad: “What a great place, it’s a great place–To Start!”
This blog calls on all the GOP candidates to either (a) substantially adopt this plan or (b) offer substantive reasons why not. Note that (c) ignore it will be interpreted as an admission of “Yes, I’m a Ruling Class Tool”.
Sadly, I don’t expect any of the GOP candidates to locate the intestinal fortitude to do much with this. Which is why I’ll probably write in Sarah Palin in the primary.
Admittedly, Ron Paul has already offered ideas along some of these lines. Running with this could be Rick Santorum’s breakout chance, since Herman Cain is all about Cool #9.
As far as people already in office, the gutless surrender monkeysSenate managed to wet itself rather than pay attention. No sympathy here. If you’re an organization like the U.S. Senate, headed by Gollum Reid, and you’re the better part of a thousand days into blowing your job off, you look really, really stupid if you admit that some common-sense conservatives could do in 36 pages what your impotent organization couldn’t even get halfway to failure on for less than 2,000.
via Instapundit