Sarah Palin: Hell No I Wouldn't Raise The Debt Ceiling!

On Friday afternoon, Sarah Palin appeared on Special Report with Bret Baier. A wide range of topics were discussed:

Barack Obama's complete and total lack of understanding of how the energy markets work. The debt ceiling debate. What she thinks of the current crop of Republican presidential hopefuls. [and her own plans]

Sarah is none to pleased that Obama has already launched into campaign mode instead of doing his job, and how he may have illegally raised money from foreign donors using a shadowy credit card scam, something the FEC is looking into now.

She also scolds the Republican establishment for trying to mess with the nomination process. She wants everyone to have a fair shot.

I've noticed a different Sarah Palin since her event in Madison. When she said "Game on!" she meant it! Of course, she always says what she means, and means what she says. That's why she has such a large. loyal, and devoted following.

What I've noticed in her interviews, her Facebook notes, and even her tweets, is a very determined Sarah Palin. I've followed this lady since her early days as Governor of Alaska, and I'm seeing a Sarah Palin who is more forceful, more determined, and more focused when she speaks. She's in total control of every interview. She definitely has her game face on. It's no wonder her high school teammates gave her the nickname "Sarah Barracuda." There is a certain steely-eyed look about her.

Though she says she's still mulling a White House run, one can't help but sense she's got her mind made up. Sarah has repeatedly said there are simply far more important things to do right now, and presidential politics cause everyone to lose focus.

She's also pointed out numerous times that while it's way too early to start running, there is no one who excites her as a candidate, no one that she feels she could get behind, though she says it's too early for all of this too.

This Sarah Palin means business, and doesn't have time for any foolishness right now. This is a lady on a mission.

Video courtesy of our friends at SarahNet.

Good News! Political "Insiders" Think You Are Too Stupid To Understand The Issues

From National Journal:

When it comes to policy, the political class doesn’t have a lot of faith in the public’s IQ. In the latest National Journal Political Insiders Poll, a solid majority of political operatives—59 percent—said the public didn’t "know enough about the issues facing Washington to form wise opinions about what should be done." There was a sharp partisan difference between the two parties: By more than a 2-to-1 margin, Democratic Insiders believed the public didn’t "know enough," while a slight majority of Republicans thought they did.

One reason for the skeptical attitudes of the Democrats and the relatively sanguine view of Republicans is that they reflect the outcome of the midterm elections. "The guys who just got turfed out know that the public doesn’t know enough to make these decisions and the guys who got brought in know that it does," observed University of Wisconsin political scientist Byron Shafer. "There is a heavy shadow of the 2010 elections in these numbers."

[ ... ]

But some Democratic operatives are not so sure. "Though we claim to represent ‘the people’ we are much more likely to doubt their ability to understand public policy," said one party operative who requested anonymity to speak candidly. "Republicans don’t represent the people’s interests, but have more confidence in them."

To a point. Veteran GOP pollster Fred Steeper agreed that the high percentage of Democratic Insiders who said the public doesn’t know enough to form wise opinions was a manifestation of their disappointing 2010 election results. But he noted that there was also a large share of Republican Insiders—47 percent—who didn’t think the public knew enough to form wise opinions. "They’re right to be skeptical that 2010 meant people will be supporting the whole conservative agenda in 2011," said Steeper.

Read more here.

It must be pointed out the Republican elites think slightly better of us peons than the democrats do, as 52 percent of the GOP insiders think the electorate is well informed and has a grasp of the issues. On the other hand, a mere 28 percent of the democrats polled think you are smart enough to understand the glorious communist utopia they wish to usher in. A full 71 percent think you're a moron!

This is an interesting poll, if only because it leaves no doubt whatsoever what our "betters" think of us.

Now with that said, from personal experience I can say Conservatives that I know, and interact with online, are highly involved and know the issues well. They tend to read up on the issues, and research them fully. Many of them are, in fact, schooling some elected officials.

It also seems that the average democrat voter is either oblivious to the issues, or has most of the facts wrong, but I think this is more of a function of who they choose to get their information from, than their IQ. Garbage in, garbage out, as they say.

Back to our Ruling Class, and specifically the 47 percent of the Republican Party members who think we don't "get it." These are the same people who stood by and supported "progressive" Republicans [and so-called "compassionate conservatives"] as they took us down the road to ruin. These are the people who have served as facilitators while democrats pushed their socialist agenda on us all. These are the spineless go-along, get-along, reach-across-the aisle, "useful idiots" that allowed it all to happen. Not only did these little elites fail to fight the left, in most cases they eagerly joined them!

These are the same people who continually tell us people like Mitt Romney, Mitch Daniels, Chris Christie, and other liberal democrats pretending to be Republicans are the answer to all of our woes. The same people who tell us that Sarah Palin is unelectable, and Conservatives like Jim DeMint, Michelle Bachmann, and Rand Paul, to name just a few, are dangerous and extreme!

All hail the mighty squish!

These are the same "thought leaders" that said Ronald Reagan was a loser too. This is the sort that thought running Gerald Ford, who lost to Carter in 1976, instead of Ronald Reagan, was a swell idea in 1980!

Point is, when these "thought leaders" tell you what to think, who to vote for, and so on, know many hold you in contempt, and almost all of them are wrong on the issues more than they are right.

Better to continue to inform yourself to the issues and use your own head than be swayed by the political elite.

The National Journal Political Insiders Poll is a regular survey of political operatives, strategists, campaign consultants and lobbyists in both parties. Below are the names of the Insiders who surveyed. Some you'll know, some you won't.

Democratic Political Insiders:

Jill Alper, John Anzalone, Brad Bannon, Dave Beattie, Andy Bechhoefer, Cornell Belcher, Matt Bennett, Mitchell W. Berger, Mike Berman, Stephanie Bosh, Paul Brathwaite, Donna Brazile, Mark Brewer, Ed Bruley, George Bruno, Deb Callahan, Bonnie Campbell, Bill Carrick, Guy Cecil, Martin J. Chavez, Tony Coelho, Larry Cohen, Jerry Crawford, Brendan Daly, Jeff Danielson, Peter Daou, Howard Dean, Scott DeFife, Jim Demers, Tad Devine, David Di Martino, Debbie Dingell, Monica Dixon, Patrick Dorton, Pat Dujakovich, Anita Dunn, Jeff Eller, Steve Elmendorf, Carter Eskew, Eric Eve, Vic Fazio, Peter Fenn, Scott Ferson, Jim Fleischmann, Tina Flournoy, Don Foley, Jeffrey Forbes, Don Fowler, Vincent Frillici, Gina Glantz, Niles Godes, John Michael Gonzalez, Joe Grandmaison, Anna Greenberg, Stan Greenberg, Pat Griffin, Larry Grisolano, Michael Gronstal, Lisa Grove, Marcia Hale, Jill Hanauer, Dick Harpootlian, Paul Harstad, Laura Hartigan, Doug Hattaway, Mike Henry, Karen Hicks, Leo Hindery Jr., Harold Ickes, Marcus Jadotte, John Jameson, Steve Jarding, Jonathon Jones, Jim Jordan, Gale Kaufman, Lisa Kountoupes, Kam Kuwata, Celinda Lake, David Lang, Penny Lee, Chris Lehane, Jeff Link, Bill Lynch, Bob Maloney, Steve Marchand, Jim Margolis, Paul Maslin, Keith Mason, Susan McCue, Gerald McEntee, Tom McMahon, Phil McNamara, David Medina, Michael Meehan, Mark Mellman, John Merrigan, Steve Murphy, Janet Napolitano, David Nassar, Marcia Nichols, John Norris, Tom Ochs, Tom O’Donnell, Scott Parven, Jeffrey Peck, Debora Pignatelli, Tony Podesta, Jack Quinn, Larry Rasky, Mame Reiley, Steve Ricchetti, Will Robinson, Steve Rosenthal, David Rudd, John Ryan, Michael Sargeant, Stephanie Schriock, Wendy Sherman, Terry Shumaker, Sean Sinclair, Phil Singer, Erik Smith, Doug Sosnik, Greg Speed, Darry Sragow, Ken Strasma, Katrina Swett Sarah, Swisher, Doug Thornell, Jeffrey Trammell, Ed Turlington, Rick Wiener, James Williams, JoDee Winterhof, Brian Wolff, Jon Youngdahl, and Jim Zogby.

GOP Political Insiders:

Dan Allen, Stan Anderson, Gary Andres, Saulius (Saul) Anuzis, Rich Ashooh, Whit Ayres, Brett Bader, Mitch Bainwol, Gary Bauer, David Beckwith, Paul Bennecke, Clark Benson, Wayne Berman, Brian Bieron, Charlie Black, Kirk Blalock, Carmine Boal, Jeff Boeyink, Ron Bonjean, Jeff Buley, Luke Byars, Nick Calio, Al Cardenas, Danny Carroll, Ron Christie, Jim Cicconi, Rob Collins, Cesar Conda, Jake Corman, Scott Cottington, Greg Crist, Diane Crookham-Johnson, Fergus Cullen, Tom Davis, Mike Dennehy, Ken Duberstein, Steve Duprey, Debi Durham, Sara Fagen, Frank Fahrenkopf, John Feehery, Don Fierce, Mindy Finn, Mindy Fletcher, Carl Forti, Alex Gage, Bruce A. Gates, Sam Geduldig, Adam Geller, Benjamin Ginsberg, David Girard-diCarlo, Bill Greener, Jonathan Grella, Lanny Griffith, Janet Mullins Grissom, Doug Gross, Todd Harris, Steve Hart, Christopher Healy, Ralph Hellmann, Chris Henick, Terry Holt, David Iannelli, Barry Jackson, Clark Judge, David Keating, David Kensinger, Bruce Keough, Bob Kjellander, Ed Kutler, Chris LaCivita, Jim Lake, George S. LeMieux, Steve Lombardo, Kevin Madden, Joel Maiola, Gary Maloney, David Marin, Mary Matalin, Dan Mattoon, Brian McCormack, Mark McKinnon, Kyle McSlarrow, Ken Mehlman, Jim Merrill, Lisa Camooso Miller, Tim Morrison, Mike Murphy, Phil Musser, Ron Nehring, Terry Nelson, Neil Newhouse, David Norcross, Ziad Ojakli, Jack Oliver, Todd Olsen, Connie Partoyan, Dana Perino, Billy Piper, Van B. Poole, Tom Rath, Scott Reed, David Rehr, Tom Reynolds, Steve Roberts, Jason Roe, David Roederer, Dan Schnur, Russ Schriefer, Rich Schwarm, Brent Seaborn, Rick Shelby, Andrew Shore, Kevin Shuvalov, Don Sipple, Ken Spain, Fred Steeper, Bob Stevenson, Eric Tanenblatt, Richard Temple, Heath Thompson, Jay Timmons, Warren Tompkins, Ted Van Der Meid, Dirk van Dongen, Jan van Lohuizen, Stewart Verdery, Dick Wadhams, John Weaver, Lezlee Westine, Tom Wilson, Dave Winston, Ginny Wolfe, and Fred Wszolek.

Washington Times: Sarah Palin The Ronald Reagan Of Our Time

There have been a lot of positive stories about Sarah Palin over the past week including many stories comparing Sarah favorably to the great Ronald Reagan.

Reagan's son Michael told Megyn Kelly recently the other presidential wannabees simply do not have the passion Sarah brings with her. The passion for America, the passion for the Constitution, the passion for the American people. No one else has it.

As readers know, there is a movement among the Republican establishment to try and derail Sarah Palin before she can mount a run at the presidency. This is the same tired old nonsense the elite Ruling Class Republicans tried against Ronald Reagan. History shows it was a complete failure, but the Republican establishment can never be accused of being exceptionally bright, or possessing the ability to learn from it's own mistakes.

Stacy Drake wrote an expose on the GOP elites that you must read, here.

Charles W. Dunn at the Washington Times has a warning for the GOP Ruling Class elites as well:

Hell hath no fury like a Palin scorned


Insiders planning to dump her had better think again

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." The Republican establishment would do well to learn from William Congreve's famous line in "The Mourning Bride" (1697) and even more from the accurate reading of his line: "Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned / Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned."

"Stop Sarah Palin" is the battle cry of establishment Republicans, according to Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei in Politico: "Top Republicans in Washington and in the national GOP establishment say the 2010 campaign highlighted an urgent task that they will begin in earnest as soon as the elections are over: Stop Sarah Palin."

While Mrs. Palin is no Ronald Reagan, she does possess many of Reagan's attributes, which she could turn loose on the Republican establishment.

Sarah Palin and Ronald Reagan appear poles apart in their backgrounds, but appearances are deceiving. Before coming to the center stage of national politics, Mrs. Palin was a small-town mother of five and governor of Alaska, and Reagan, a Hollywood actor and governor of California. But these and other dramatic differences mask surprising similarities, which could merge at the intersection of time and circumstance for Mrs. Palin, especially if the Republican establishment continues to scorn her.

Critics contended that Ronald Reagan was nothing more than a third-rate Hollywood actor who lacked the intellectual depth and educational training to serve successfully as president. Now they say much the same about Sarah Palin.

Reagan jumped high over this low bar of expectations, leading an insurgent conservative movement into the White House. Already two years away from 2012, Mrs. Palin has become the "rock star" of conservatives and the Tea Party movement, drawing crowds far larger than Ronald Reagan ever dreamed of drawing at this stage in his career.

Mrs. Palin appeals to the very same people Reagan appealed to, including conservatives of several persuasions - economic, political, religious and social. She is the one person in the Republican Party who has burnished credentials in all spheres of the conservative coalition. Her every word commands center stage on television.

Reagan was not a "policy wonk." Neither is Mrs. Palin. Like Reagan, she does not devote herself to the minutiae of public policy details, but rather, she leads by instinct, based upon her guiding principles of right and wrong. When Reagan's advisers tried to prep him for presidential debates by reading thick manuals, he refused. Rather, he brought to the debates a set of well-honed conservative principles. So far, Sarah Palin looks like she is cut from the same cloth.

Reagan and Mrs. Palin have "skin comfort." As former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown said of her Republican National Convention address: "Her timing was exquisite. She didn't linger with applause but instead launched into line after line of attack, slipping the knives in with every smile and joke. She delivered it like she was just BS-ing on the street with the meter maid. She didn't have to prove she was 'of the people.' She really is the people." Likewise, Reagan exuded that same comfort with his persona whether delivering major speeches or dealing with members of Congress.

Reagan and Palin beat the odds. Coming from the small town of Dixon in the midst of flat Illinois cornfields, raised by a very religious mother whose training led him to become a Sunday School teacher of grade-school boys, a graduate of a tiny and little-known religious college, Eureka, Reagan hardly had the pedigree to become president of the United States. Neither does Saran Palin. Her small-town background, a degree from the out-of-the-way University of Idaho and sportscaster start - the same as Ronald Reagan's first job after college - hardly qualified her to become mayor of Wasilla or governor of Alaska or a vice-presidential nominee.

In 2010, no prospective Republican presidential candidate has collected more IOUs than Sarah Palin, whose endorsements and encouragement have propelled many otherwise unknown candidates and likely losers into creditable and more often than not victorious races for office. Reagan collected his IOUs in 1980 after traveling the country on behalf of conservative candidates.

Time and circumstance merged for Ronald Reagan. They could for Sarah Palin, too, especially if the Republican establishment scorns her as it did Reagan, knowing, "Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned / Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned."

Charles W. Dunn is a professor of government at Regent University.

There are many more similarities between Ronald Reagan and Sarah Palin. Something else one should consider as they contemplate all of this. As we all know, growing up, Sarah Palin was a book worm. She studied the great literary works, of course, but she also studied Ronald Reagan. Learned from Reagan. Learned from his successes, learned from his failures.

Sarah Palin brings with her a unique set of life experiences, having grown up in the rugged last frontier, couple with the common sense that also made Reagan one of our greatest Presidents, and you have a powerful leader who can certainly make a great President in her own right.

This is why the radical left, as well as elements of the Republican Party want to stop her. Sarah Palin connects with the American people because she is one of us. A local gal done good. The epitome of the great American story. Like Reagan, Sarah Palin is living the American dream and proving that, with hard work, anyone in America can succeed, whether they come from the plains of Illinois, or the last frontier.