Author of Palin Hit-Piece Claims to Speak for All Conservative Women

By Stacy Drake

Once again, Governor Palin is taking on some friendly fire from a conservative commentator. I did not add quotation marks to the word “conservative” because I have no doubt that this latest attack was delivered by an actual conservative. I don’t believe there is a difference in ideology between said commentator and the governor, but rather, this person is just uninformed.

I’m talking about Lisa Fritsch, who posted this long piece over at American Thinker. She starts her article by praising Governor Palin for staying relevant over the course of the last three years, but then states that the governor has yet to win over conservative women as part of her support base. Needless to say, I find that to be a ridiculous statement.

Fritsch then goes on to say that conservative women “adore” that:

… Palin is a wife and mother (including of a special needs child); she hunts, fishes, and does things even men cannot do; she plays several sports; and, as if to put the ribbon on top of it all, she is beautiful.

But:

As much as conservative women admire and respect Sarah Palin, Palin’s intellect and intellectual stamina stops short at her own base and platform. The brilliance does not translate beyond her (and our own) comfort zone. She lacks the ability to cross over and present herself in the wider social and political strata. Just as love isn’t enough to sustain a marriage, Tea Party-speak isn’t enough to win the presidency. The depth required of a president and commander in chief is missing.

It is ludicrous and somewhat narcissistic for anyone to speak for an entire group, such as “conservative women.” I know plenty of conservative women who support Governor Palin strongly, and I know some who don’t. We are not a monolithic bunch. Next time Lisa should try adding the word(s) “some,” “a few,” or perhaps “I” for a more honest assessment. And yes, we do admire the governor’s family, but to say that conservative women “adore” Governor Palin because of her recreational choices and her looks is shallow and just plain wrong. Why would we care what Governor Palin looks like, or use that as a basis by which to judge her at all? And yeah, the hunting is cool, but it isn’t the reason we support her.

Then, to say that Governor Palin’s “intellect and intellectual stamina stops short at her own base and platform,” is a statement only someone who isn’t familiar with the governor’s record could make. It is a narrow and hallow critique, not rooted in any sort of understanding of how Governor Palin operates as an executive. And based on the feedback, there is no doubt that most who attended the RightOnline screening of The Undefeated this weekend in Minneapolis would disagree. Lisa Fritsch is a victim of overexposure to LSM narratives, and not someone who has studied Governor Palin in any depth.

Fritsch continues her ‘I am all conservative women and we don’t think Palin is up to the job,’ post by bringing up the Katie Couric interview from 2008 and Sarah Palin’s Alaska on TLC as proof. So, if I have this correct, that means anyone who has ever had a bad moment during an interview, or anyone who used their voice to promote the state they love, is disqualified to run for high office… Well, why is Barack Obama sitting in the White House then?

Next, Fritsch states that Governor Palin is being “coddled” by FOX News. There are two problems with this statement. First, while a few people at FOX have been fair with the governor, their DC based political commentators for the most part, have not. Secondly, Governor Palin is currently under contract with FOX News, so to insinuate that she is avoiding doing interviews with other networks for any other reason, is just dishonest. The governor isn’t afraid to step outside of FOX to speak with journalists, and anyone who kept tabs on her recent bus tour knows that.

Fritsch then goes on to compare Governor Palin with the 2008 version of Barack Obama. She wrote:

Because Americans have already taken a chance on the outsider who promised that charm and wit could make up for lack of experience in the line of fire and depth and expertise in foreign affairs, the conservative voter is especially turned off to this strategy of going with a candidate who lacks a serious résumé. In the game that is the presidential election, you must not only be the able to show us the how, what, and why, but you must also be able to explain all of them convincingly and without defect.

Lisa, with all due respect, please educate yourself about Governor Palin’s “serious résumé” before you waste your time writing the next lengthy Palin hit-piece. It would save you (and me) the trouble, considering your point has no basis in reality. It is insulting to ignore Governor Palin’s record of executive leadership and then claim it is the equivalent of a Junior Senator with a short history of voting “present.” Again, this section says more about what Lisa Fritsch doesn’t know about Governor Palin, than it does about Governor Palin herself.

Fritsch ends her piece by stating that she has “questions” regarding Governor Palin, then adds this insulting line:

These questions lean toward the juvenile context which that Rush caller suggested; they cast Palin as a candidate for high school prom queen, not president of the United States.

Perhaps those questions could be answered by doing some actual research. But instead, Lisa Fritsch would rather rely on played out narratives as the basis from which to judge Governor Palin. This is exactly what I was talking about the day when I wrote how it “drives me nuts” when conservatives fall for bogus media-driven memes. This woman took the effort to write paragraph after paragraph repeating garbage she picked up from the press to discredit and diminish Governor Palin. She never cites any portion of Palin’s governing record to make her case, but instead recycles attack lines that were mainly created by the left. All while purporting to speak for every conservative woman, no less.

Well Mrs. Fritsch, you do not speak for me. I know Governor Palin’s record and I understand her character well. She is a responsible leader and a proven reformer, unlike Barack Obama or any current GOP candidate for that matter. She stands for commonsense conservative principles, and YES, has the record to prove it… Look it up!

[It should be noted the editors of American Thinker felt it necessary to correct at least one misstatement made by Fritsch with a strong rebuff .... Gary]