Observations: “The Undefeated” Sarah Palin
- July 1, 2011 -
Last night, I was fortunate enough to see the “rough cut” version of the film The Undefeated. The movie officially opens on July 15th in select cities across the country (click here to see scheduled showings).
The Undefeated chronicles Sarah Palin’s journey of leadership from her days on the Wasilla City Council, through her abridged - yet extremely productive - gubernatorial term, and into her most recent role as a national Conservative leader.
THE FILM
As someone who did her homework when Governor Palin was selected to run with Senator McCain in 2008, I considered myself quite familiar with her record of achievement in Alaska. She tackled big issues that her predecessors avoided, and she was unabashedly prone to challenging the “status quo” in the name of bettering the lives of her constituents.
These unique (for a politician, anyway) traits are what led me to evolve my opinion of the governor, considering her more than a gifted communicator - she also gets things done.
Despite this background information, however, The Undefeated enabled me to see Governor Palin with new eyes. Though I was well-versed in many of the details of her political career, it was considerably more powerful to hear multiple, detailed interviews with other members of the Palin administration.
The litany of observations offered from those on the inside of Palin’s team revealed her to be a strong leader, devoted to Alaska’s citizens and the state’s future. In story after story, the picture of Governor Palin became clear: she has a servant’s heart and a lion’s will. Whatever the personal or political costs, she won’t back down and she won’t retreat from a course she feels is right.
JULY 15TH
The Undefeated officially opens in theaters across the United States on July 15th, 2011. If the reaction of tonight’s audience is any indication, this independently financed documentary is poised to make a strong impact with viewers.
I do not exaggerate when I say that people who walk into the theater with skepticism about Sarah Palin’s capacity to achieve higher office may very well walk out asking, “When is she going to announce?” and “How can I help?”.
Between now and the 15th, I hope that each of you will extend an invitation to your circle of friends and acquaintances to join you in seeing this film.
Sarah Palin has been mocked and vilified like no other politician in modern history. The unique circumstances in which she has found herself since 2008 have necessitated a unique approach to the telling of her story. Most political figures don’t have a feature-length film in their arsenal of story-telling tools.
But, Sarah Palin isn’t “most political figures.”
Whether you love her, or hate her; or, dismiss her as inconsequential, The Undefeated will give you unprecedented insight into the events and issues that shaped Sarah Palin into the Conservative firebrand she is today.
After July 15th, there will be no excuse for anyone to plead ignorance about Sarah Palin’s record. The only question that will matter is: Now that I have this knowledge, what am I going to do with it?
- tdc
MORE RECENT NEWS. JUST BECAUSE…
- Sarah Palin challenges President Obama to “toughen up” on Iran - via thehill.com
FILM TRAILER
The Fed, QE2 and Sarah Palin’s Common Sense
There are several articles out this weekend discussing the policies of Ben Bernacke and the The Federal Reserve. All of this is in anticipation of Bernacke’s press conference this coming week - on Wednesday.
One the most comprehensive articles is posted at Business Insider, authored by Dian L. Chu.
An excerpt from Why The Fed Must End QE2 On April 27th:
When Transitory Turns Self-Fulfilling
The problem for the Fed is that this goes beyond current inflationary effects in the economy, but future expectations of inflation in the economy. And none of these are transitory in nature once they get embedded in the psyche of investors and consumers. The only way they were doused in 2008 when they were at these exact levels was a near historic crash in the financial and housing markets.
Absent of some similarly extreme deflationary event, inflation and expectations of inflation are only going to feed on themselves and become even more firmly entrenched in the economy, negatively reinforcing investors and consumer’s asset allocation and spending habits.
This all becomes self fulfilling in nature, and the real nasty part about inflation is if you don`t head it off early, once it gets even a little momentum, it becomes much more difficult to control and manage. This is where the fed is right now; they are at the cusp of losing control of their handle on inflation with their incredibly dovish stance towards inflation.
Read the entire article at Business Insider…
In addition to this, the NY Sun has posted an editorial piece asking how it is that Sarah Palin was able to predict the ineffectiveness of the Fed’s policies - particularly QE2. That article is titled Sarah Palin for the Fed? and is well-worth a read.
All of these articles point to less-than-ideal economic conditions for the United States in the future - unless someone at the Fed begins to accept the reality of our current situation.
We can only hope…
- tdc
*Note: Thanks to Conservatives 4 Palin - they have a good round-up of these articles and more at the link
*Photo credit: uk.ibtimes.com
Palin has a strong executive record of nonpartisan governance and doing what she believed to be right, from which Alaska benefitted, thereby making her a threat to those who make their living and receive gratification by controlling others.
She has endured some of the most heinous media attacks in history, and I ask: Why? What has she done to warrant any of it? Who in all of recorded history has received such unwarranted or warranted venomous attacks? Eliot Spitzer gets a television program. Jim McGreevey is forgotten. Ted Kennedy is idolized. Sarah Palin? Demonized. What is the media’s true objective?
…
She is a strong woman with convictions and a belief in the U.S. Constitution, and the American will and spirit of the Founders that cannot, and will not, be broken — regardless of what the bitter media sends her way.
Click the link above to read the entire well-written editorial.
(h/t The Right Scoop via Twitter)
- tdc
*UPDATED* tucker carlson and his unfortunate tweet
UPDATE: March 1, 2011
A few minutes ago, Mr. Carlson apologized for his language last night. Via Twitter:
At this point, there’s not much more to say, except - Thank you, Mr. Carlson! I’m happy that this episode has ended on a positive - and mature - note.
- tdc
Generally speaking, I have nothing against Tucker Carlson.
He founded the Daily Caller website, which I read regularly, and seems to be a pretty good political analyst. That said, I was pretty shocked to see a tweet from him this evening in which he used the term “MILF” (if you don’t know what it is, Google it) in reference to Governor Sarah Palin.
The story Carlson was referencing was a CNN write-up about the former governor’s poll numbers in Iowa. It was all perfectly fine until you got to the end of Mr. Carlson’s tweet and saw the word “Milfistan”. The original tweet has been deleted, but I managed a screen cap of a couple of retweets and responses (the second one is my own):
I assume he was trying to be funny, but it just ended up being rude.
Using that unfortunate term about any woman is simply tasteless, and I would expect more from someone like Tucker Carlson. I’m not calling for him to make some grand apology to Governor Palin, or the Twitterverse, for that matter. But, since the original tweet was deleted, someone must have clued him in.
Thus, it would be nice if he acknowledged his lack of judgment in referencing a word that only boys - not men - find appropriate (or, in Opposite Land, somehow complementary).
More importantly, the reason I am even bothering to write this post is to call attention to the fact that we should all be mindful of the language we use. Hyper-sensitivity is never a good thing, but when someone like Governor Palin (or Michele Bachmann) has been routinely objectified as a means of diminishing her political and governing skills, it’s important to speak up and point out what a slippery slope we’re on.
If you *must* use locker room language, save it for the locker room. Don’t display your inner-most Neanderthal to your 23,000+ Twitter followers - some of whom will take the opportunity to offer their own crass retort. Surely, we can expect more from you, Mr. Carlson - can’t we?
- tdc
February 23, 2011 - “Mike Gallagher Practically Endorses Sarah Palin for President”
This audio clip is one of the first by a national talk radio host who very nearly endorses Governor Palin for president. He says Palin is “the perfect candidate” who “connects with millions of people” and drives the Left crazy.
Further, Gallagher makes the important point that those of us on the Right should not make the mistake of making her “failure” a self-fulfilling prophecy. Palin, in Gallagher’s view has the charisma, strength, and experience to win against Barack Obama.
This is a great clip and Gallagher lays out a passionate case in support of Governor Palin’s qualifications to be the next president of the United States.
“It’s time for us to stand up for somebody like Sarah Palin.”
- tdc
gallup poll reveals statistical tie for palin, romney, huckabee
Today’s Gallup poll for likely 2012 GOP presidential candidates reveals a close race between Governors Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, and Sarah Palin. The poll was conducted with Republicans and “Republican-leaning” Independent voters and asked which candidate the voter would be “most likely” to support.
It’s interesting to note the shift that has occurred in recent months, as indicated in the chart below:
You will see that Huckabee’s numbers have increased 4% since the fall of 2010, perhaps due to his recently released book, Simple Government: Twelve Things We Really Need From Washington; while Mitt Romney’s numbers have decreased by a similar amount, 3%, in that same time period. By contrast, Governor Palin’s numbers have maintained a steady trend since last September - a remarkable feat considering the constant barrage of negative press directed her way. The latest, of course, being the leaked manuscript by a former aide (blogger Stacy Drake has a straight-forward post on this matter at Big Government).
Though daily and weekly polls are nothing to hang one’s proverbial hat on, reviewing the trends revealed in these statistics can be useful for understanding the mood of the average voter. Poll numbers can certainly be illustrative in pointing out preferred candidates and those with the highest name-recognition. However, these numbers are also instructive in revealing falsehoods (or wishful thinking) that are simply not the reality of the situation.
In the case of Governor Sarah Palin, the prevailing meme in mainstream press is that she is polarizing, disliked, and disrespected. This week’s Gallup poll, however, shows a different trend. Despite the efforts of those who would banish her from the political scene, Governor Palin remains a strong, steady presence - she manages to persevere in the face of extraordinary odds.
Regardless of who enters the race to become the GOP presidential candidate in 2012, the numbers released by Gallup today should be a reminder that this election will not be a foregone conclusion - in the primary or the general election.
Voters’ opinions are fickle and the majority of Americans don’t pay much attention to politics outside of a few weeks before a major election. The most important thing for conservatives to do between now and November 2012 is to remain strong and steady, continuing to persevere through the blitz that is sure to come from the other side.
- tdc
