Tuesday, September 25, 2007

RUDY & SARAH: VICTORY in 2008

Sarah Palin and husband Todd in Dillingham, Alaska, with Alaska Teacher of the Year Ina Boucher



Diana Lynn Irey, Washington County (PA) Commissioner who gained a national following in her heroic campaign against John Murtha, is endorsing Rudy Giuliani for President. In 2006, Giuliani campaigned tirelessly for two conservative Pennsylvania Republicans: Senatorial candidate Rick Santorum and gubernatorial candidate Lynn Swann. Thanks Rudy. In the words of Sarah Palin (spoken about her son), "We have your back."



John Hawkins August 10, 2007 column (J.C.'s Corner) in "The Forgotten Street" gives a salute to Sarah Palin and the grass roots effort (led by Adam Brickley at http://palinforvp.blogspot.com).

He also mentions as possible females for higher office Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutcheson and Tennessee Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn. I am opposed to either Kay (whom I like a lot) or Marsha (who is a fine congresswoman) getting consideration for higher office.

It makes no sense -- check out the Cheney fiasco -- to nominate people for Vice-President who have no chance, either because of age, health problems, or lack of energy -- to have a opportunity to run for President. That eliminates Kay Hutcheson.

What about Marsha Blackburn? She's only 55 years of age and she has a good record as a Tennessee state Senator and as a congresswoman, where she's been cited as one of the best "new" representatives. She's pretty, blonde, and relentlessly Republican.

However, Rep. Blackburn won her congressional seat in one of the most Republican districts in America -- an area stretching from the suburbs of Nashville to the suburbs of Memphis. In other words, she represents the classic GOP base: people who are white, generally affluent, and almost reflexively Republican.

Early in the presidential campaign,Blackburn was a staunch backer of Mitt Romney. Later, she switched her allegiance to her home-state candidate Fred Thompson.

To win elections -- and to avoid repeating the disaster of 2006 -- Republicans don't need to solidify the (Southern or Southwestern, white,well-off, significantly evangelical) base. Frankly, attractive as she is personally and politically, Mrs. Blackburn doesn't really add strength to the Republican ticket.

Exactly who is she going to attract that we don't have already?

In the coming election, a Republican who wants to win must contest effectively in states like Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and -- yes -- in Hillary's New York. The Republican Party in Ohio, usually a must-win state, is in disrepair, and Hillary will carry that state. She may also carrry Florida and Colorado, both with big Hispanic bases mainly ticked off at the Republican Party's stance on immigration.

Since 2004, the number of people who identify themselves as Republicans has declined by about 10%. The number who identify themselves as Democrats has risen by about 10%. Also, the number of Independents who lean Democratic has increased substantially.

In New Hampshire, three-fourths of the Independents say they will vote in the Democratic primary. Let me beat the networks by about 14 months and "declare" the Sununu Senate seat in New Hampshire lost. The Virginia Senate Seat vacated by Republican Warner? Also a sure loss against an extremely popular Democrat.

Republicans have problems with the following voting segments: Blacks, Hispanics, young people (voters under 35), women professionals (teachers, journalists, doctors, lawyers), gays (about 5% of the electorate in most states), and younger evangelicals. (In 2006, Democrats got 27% of the evangelical vote, up from 21% in 2004).

A person like Mrs. Blackburn might help some with female professionals, but I see her as a net negative with the other key groups.

Traditionally, the Republican Party has nominated aging male Caucasians. All too often, as I've said before, the vice-presidential choice has been an individual who's one or more of the following: aged, or corrupt, or unelectable. When asked why he put Agnew on the ticket in 1972, Nixon replied, "Because no one in his right mind would want to assassinate me." Maybe that comment gives some insight into Bush, Sr.'s curious allegiance to the intellectually challenged Dan Quayle.

Recently, the web site race42008 had a discussion about the GOP's presidential nominee's "need" to have a Black running-male (there being no Black females imaginable) on the ticket. The participants came up with every conceivable Black other than O. J. Simpson and Michael Vick. It was a sad display of tokenism and political naivete.

But why Sarah Palin? She's scrupulously honest, which puts her at odds with the state's pervasively corrupt Republican office holders. She's able to win elections against both powerful Republicans (Frank Murkowski) and Democrats (Tony Knowles). She's completely uninterested in using political office to enrich herself and her family.

She's BOTH a female professional AND a working mother. She's not only FOR the "workingman," she's married to one (commercial fisherman and oil field production worker). She's a devoted Christian whose religious beliefs have NOT curdled into sanctimony and self-congratulation.

She not only "supports" our troops, but also has a beloved son -- Track -- who's one of them. She's an expert on energy and the environment, two of the great issues of our time. She's a lifetime advocate of the sanctity of life and gun rights, but does a minimum of pandering on either.

That's why I support Sarah Palin for vice-president and, in God's own good time, for President. Those with eyes to see detect signs there of another Washington, Lincoln, or Reagan. She's a person whose communication skills and character have earned her the nation's highest approval ratings.

She's a breath of fresh air in a political atmosphere -- Republican and Democrat -- that's generally stultifying.

The new national polls are coming out today. The Democratic version shows Hillary Clinton increasing her lead over Obama and Edwards, in keeping with her Gallup Poll ranking as the most popular woman in America -- Oprah is second.

The Republican Poll is as follows:

Rudy Giuliani 30%
Fred Thompson 22%
John McCain 16%
Mitt Romney 09%
Mike Huckabee 04%

One notable point in the poll is that Thompson is taking support from Huckabee. I'm hoping that Mike, a wonderful man, will read the handwriting on the wall and throw his support to Rudy Giuliani. When the time comes, I believe John McCain, a true American hero, will do the same.

George W. Bush, who knows something about winning elections, has said that the national polls are very important this time around because the primary itself will be "a national one." He's referring to the fact that 60%-plus of the nation will vote from the Florida primary (January 29) through Super Tuesday on Feb. 5.

In Pennsylvania, which will hold a "late" primary, Giuliani seems to have an insurmountable lead.

I strongly urge people interested in voting in the general election for someone other than Mrs. Clinton to back Rudy Giuliani. He's already focusing on the Democrats and has completely refrained from attacking Republicans.

I also urge Republicans to ask (beg?) Rudy to choose as his running mate Sarah Heath Palin.

Anyone who has seen Sarah in action will recognize that she will never be "Rudy's token." With her, Rudy will have his hands full, which is as it should be. I don't expect her to discard any of her core beliefs.


Together, they can supply dynamic leadership in a time when the country desperately needs it.

Stephen R. Maloney
Ambridge, PA

From today's Anchorage Daily News (http://adn.com): Following in the footsteps of North Dakota. Gov. Sarah Palin has been picked to serve as chair of Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission in 2007-08, according to a state-issued press release. Palin succeeds North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven as head of the group, which promotes the conservation and efficient recovery of the nation’s oil and natural gas resources.
NOTE: MUCH OF MY EFFORT BETWEEN NOW AND SUPER TUESDAY (FEB. 5, 2008) WILL BE ON BEHALF OF RUDY GIULIANI'S CANDIDACY FOR THE REPUBLICAN NOMINATION. AT THE SAME TIME, I'LL DEVOTE AS MUCH TIME AS I CAN TO THE OTHER CANDIDATES I SUPPORT, ESPECIALLY GOV. SARAH HEATH PALIN OF ALASKA AND DIANA LYNN IREY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
Evangelical Extremism is Destroying Mike Huckabee's campaign:
On Mike Huckabee's main blog today (Tuesday), he reprints a letter from Dr. L. White, a Lutheran pastor in Houston. I urge you to read it -- and also read some of White's anti-American tirades. Here's my response to the White letter and his other writings, especially "God and Caesar," which is available at: http://mtio.com/articles/bissar55.htm

I've posted a comment on Gov. Huckabee's blog about Dr. Laurence White. I don't know whether it will get printed. I've probably written enough about Dr. White, a thoroughly evil egomaniac.
In his essay "God and Caesar," White compares America to Nazi Germany, saying the following: "America finds itself today in the midst of a moral catastrophe. We have cast aside the most basic standards of human decency. We have broken marriages and fractured families. Our youth are losing their way and often their lives in a maze of alcohol and drugs. We live in the midst of a culture that mistakes lust for love and tolerates the vilest perversions as acceptable alternate lifestyles while pestilence stalks the land. Our public schools have become facilitators for fornication and procurers for the abortionists knife. America has sown the wind of immorality and we are reaping the whirlwind of destruction and death. We have degenerated into a nation rolling in luxury, reveling in excess, rollicking in pleasure, revolting in morals, and rotting in sin. Personal responsibility, duty and honor have been abandoned in our mindless pursuit of instant gratification for our every desire."
Frankly, people who agree with Dr. White should not spend time blogging for Mike. Rather, if things were anywhere near as bad as he says, the proper response would be to engage in violent revolution. Dr. White's extremist comments are the kind that influence "pro-life-killers" like Eric Rudolph and Paul Hill.
Why is an attractive and articulate candidate like Mike Huckabee getting only a dismal 4% in the latest national polls? I fear it's because many Americans somehow associate Mike and his cause with the Dr. Whites of the world.
The Huckabee campaign made a major mistake in posting White's vicious screed against America. The country is not about to elect anyone who has a deep loathing for this country.
The Huckabee campaign disavowed the anti-Catholic statements of one its supporters (Dr. Ride in Iowa). It should do the same with White's comments.



7 comments:

James H said...

I doubt Huckabee Would endorse Guillani if he dropped out. Now of course he would back him if he was the nominee.

That being said I am not sure Thompson is going to get all those votes that Huckabee is eyeing either. So since really no one os paying attention to this race yet I suspect Huckabee will not drop out. Especially if it appears there shall be a brokered convention

Unknown said...

Steve, I think you supporting Rudy is a very good choice. I made a pledge to support McCain and will do so but Rudy is defintly my second choice. Gotta take you to task though- "no black female Republican imaginable"? Condi Rice, ring a bell? I think Sarah Palin is an excellent choice, of course, but you are so right if the GOP isn't smart enough to nominate a woman (I can't think of any black man who wouldn't come across as pandering) for the VP spot we deserve to lose.

Stephen R. Maloney said...

James:

You're the first one I've heard mention a brokered convention. What usually happens nowadays is that everyone (except the leader) starts running out of money and essentially drops out. There are a couple of signs that may not happen (with the Repubicans) this time. Romney raises a lot of money, although he doesn't get a lot of national support.

Right now, there are three candidates that still look viable (Giuliani, Thompson, and McCain) with one candidate a question-mark (Romney). I don't know why Mike, who is a popular individual, doesn't get bigger numbers. I think part of it is the Rev. Dobson and Richard Land crawling around in the campaign. To people outside the evangelical movement somebody like Dobson is known mainly as the guy who believes parents should hit kids with wooden spoons and pinch them on the neck. Land is looked at as a misogynist and kook, something like Rev. White.

(I'll put this in the comments section; I'm downloading stuff and I can't get into the comment section.)

steve maloney

Stephen R. Maloney said...
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Stephen R. Maloney said...

Christopher: Dr. Rice has made it rather clear she's "outta there" after this presidency. I think anyone associated with the Bush presidency is going to have a hard time running for national office. I like John McCain a lot, and he has a tendency to surprise people. Rudy likes and respects McCain a great deal. I'm going to write soon on SOME Protestant evangelicals, including my favorite nutcase Dr. White of Houston.

steve maloney

Stephen R. Maloney said...
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