Palin-Clinton: The Battle Begins

Sarah Palin, a builder in more ways than one.

Gov. Sarah Heath Palin welcomes home Alaska troops who fought in Iraq. Gov. Palin's 18-year-old son Track is an infantry soldier in the U.S. Army.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton delivers her concession speech on Saturday in DC.

"Sarah Palin is no ordinary mortal."

"We may be seeing the emergence of someone [Sarah] who's Mt. Rushmore material."

As the world rightly focuses on the McCain-Obama contest, a battle is shaping up behind the scene -- one that pits two powerful women -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Gov. Sarah Heath Palin -- against one another. Why is Sarah Palin the woman the Democrats fear most? I'll try to answer that today (Sunday). If you scan through the previous columns, you'll find comments on both women.

Sarah Palin may very well be John McCain's choice for V-P on the Republican ticket. Barack Obama apparently doesn't want Hillary to be his V-P choice, but for purely political reasons he may choose her anyway.

Why do the Democrats fear the presence of Sarah Palin on the Republican ticket? In part, it's her legendary toughness (they don't call her "Sarah Barracuda" for no reason). But her main strength is her strong appeal to critical groups of voters. Consider:

Married women: Sarah's marriage to Todd Palin gives every evidence of being a model relationship. Sarah and Todd were childhood sweethearts, and they eloped shortly after she graduated from high school. As with so many issues, the Palins take no "stand" that is in any way at variance with the way they conduct their lives.

Young people: Sarah is only 44, and she exude youthfulness and energy. She has children ranging in age from 18 (son Track) to a few weeks (son Trig).

Military families: Sarah and Todd are a military family. Their son Track enlisted in the U.S. Army Infantry on September 11, 2007. It's extremely likely he will see combat duty in either Afghanistan or Iraq, or both.

Families with children: The Palins have five children, three of them teenagers, as well as daughter Piper, age 7, and baby Trig (a Norwegian name).

Reagan Democrats: Palin has the highest approval ratings of any major elected official in the U.S. -- in the 90% range. That means she's gained approval from the vast majority of Democrats.

Women professionals (journalists, teachers, nurses, doctors, lawyers, and businesswomen): Sarah is the consummate female professional, having served as Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, and as governor of the state. Her college degree is in journalism. Her parents both served as public school teachers.

Working families: Sarah's husband, Todd, has labored his entire adult life as a commercial fisherman and an oil field production worker. The couple's links to working families go far beyond the usual political rhetoric.

Gun owners: Sarah is an avid hunter and a life-member of the National Rifle Association.

Pro-Life social conservatives: When Sarah found out that her unborn son, Trig, had Down Syndrome, she and her husband elected to have the child. Her point was that God has a purpose for every human being. When Trig was born, the Palins' press release began with thse word, "God has blessed us . . . ." The fascinating point was that they meant every word of it.

Evangelical Christians: Sarah is an evangelical Christian. However, she doesn't wear her religious faith on her sleeve. She is not anti-gay and does not scapegoat people who disagree with her.

People concerned about energy and the environment: As governor of Alaska, Sarah is among the best-informed elected officials on both issues. She's head of the energy committee at the Republican Governors Association and is a strong advocate of level-headed conservation of natural resources.

Overall, there's no other Republican that brings more to the table than Sarah Palin. She has exceptionally wide appeal. She would help John McCain with many groups with which he's currently weak (including young people and women professionals).

Of supreme importance: Sarah could be particularly helpful in battleground states with large numbers of working class voters, including Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, New Jersey, and Michigan. I've suggested that McCain should "park" Sarah in those five states until Election Day. If Republicans win just three of those states, John McCain will be President-elect.

In 2012 (if Obama wins this year or if McCain elects to serve just one term) or 2016, the presidential face-off could pit Sarah Palin against Hillary Clinton. One imagines that it would be a battle royal.

Note: I hope everyone will visit my Hillary Supporters for McCain column. Today, it contains a guest column by a Black woman from North Carolina -- a Hillary supporter -- who is now strongly backing McCain.

McCain's Best Choice: Sarah Palin

Gov. Sarah Palin, an individual right near the top of my most admired human beings.

Patrick Hynes (phynes@calypsocom.com) sends daily updates on the McCain Campaign. In recent columns, I've been critical of Patrick's naive views about the American media and Senator Obama. I sent him the following this morning: "I heard Senator McCain say today that he 'doesn't believe' Sen. Obama shares Rev. Wright's views. Could you inform your list why McCain believes that? Does he have some evidence not available to the rest of us? Rev. Wright doesn't agree with John McCain, and he knows Obama better than anyone else. Would Obama have stayed in Wright's church for 20 years if he had significant disagreements with the preacher?"

TOMORROW (TUESDAY), I'LL HAVE A COLUMN ON QUESTIONS I WISH SOMEONE WOULD ASK OBAMA -- BUT THAT NO ONE IN THE FAWNING MEDIA WILL. For example, "Senator Obama, your wife Michelle says that American in 2008 is a 'mean place.' Do you agree?"

On the blogs, I almost never take a day off. On Monday, I'll take a part of a day off. I believe the major factor in John McCain's victory will be the effectiveness of the efforts made by those who support John McCain. He doesn't need yes-men or yes-women. Rather, he needs people who will tell him the truth. One thing I'd very much like to tell him is that Gov. Sarah Heath Palin of Alaska is the very best person he could choose for the vice-presidential nomination.

Scroll down to see the columns for Saturday and Sunday.


Memo to John McCain: It's somewhat inspiring for a man to express the hope that he can somehow transcend the realities of modern politics. However, it's extremely naive for him to believe he can truly be immune from those realities.

JOHN MCCAIN: CHOOSE SARAH PALIN!

My friend Cindy in New Mexico, whose main blog is ThePinkFlamingo, one of the most popular sites on the Net, has written a remarkable essay recommending that John McCain choose as his vice-presidential nominee Govenor Sarah Heath Palin of Alaska. Her essay appeared at BlogCritics.org, and the link is here. I urge everyone to go to the essay and leave a comment.

As you may know, Gov. Palin, who celebrated her 44th birthday on Feb. 11, recently announced that she is 7 months pregnant, news that amazed everyone, including her staff. Cindy's argument is that her pregnancy should make her an even more attractive V-P nominee. Sarah now has four children, including a boy, Track, who's an infantry soldier in the U.S. Army.

I've reprinted Cindy's essay following this paragraph. I'll comment on it at the end of this column. I hope you'll read the material below, because it's some of the most important that's ever appeared on this blog.

Why Isn't New Mommy Sarah Palin Qualified To Be Vice President?

By S. J. Reidhead

Right now you are very fortunate that I have given up profanity for Lent. While I was reading my usual sources this morning, low and behold I discovered a certain conservative male on a very reasonable site which is political but fair to both sides of the aisle. I must also add that it is one of my ‘must read’ sites every day.

Oy (and that’s not profanity)...Lo and hehold (no profanity please), some Neanderthal wrote on the site that Sarah Palin, the very competent and very pregnant (seven months) governor of Alaska is probably out of the running for VP because she will be a new Mommy and would probably want to stay home with baby (no profanity please – it’s Lent)!

I must also disclose that I am a fan of Governor Palin and have advocated for her potential as a VP right here at Blogcritics.If Governor Palin were a new, first-time Mommy I might give some credence to that mindset simply because she would need time to get adjusted to the whole situation.

But Governor Palin is expecting her fifth – count ‘em – fifth child. Sarah and Todd’s oldest son Track is 18 and serving our country. Their daughters are Bristol, 17, Willow, 13, and Piper, 6. I think Governor Palin’s been there and done that. Considering her age, she has had all the proper tests and everything evidently looks very good. She even knows the gender of the baby but is not telling. She knows what she is doing.

What better way for my beloved GOP to show how beautifully modern and progressive we truly are than to facilitate and encourage John McCain, our nominee, to select Sarah Palin as his choice for Vice President?

Baby Palin is not expected to make an appearance until mid-May, which is plenty of time for Mommy and baby to bond.Proclaimed “America’s Hottest Governor” by an understandably prejudiced Alaska Magazine, Palin is the perfect choice for VP.

Not only is she conservative, she is considered a “maverick” which would make her and GOP nominee John McCain a highly compatible duo. She was born in 1964 which would add just the right May/December touch to McCain’s seasoned 71.

Not only would she bring a much needed bundle of joy to the ticket, she would also bring her 90% approval rating along with her!What could be better? It is quite obvious we Republicans are going to have a serious financial deficit to deal with when it comes to fund raising. If Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee, he has nearly a hundred million dollar financial advantage over John McCain. Can you imagine the publicity her selection would generate? We’re talking F-R-E-E publicity, fawning and gurgling over a brand new baby Palin.

This is like one of those Ronco infomercials. It gets even better. Not only do you get ‘The Hottest Governor in the US’ with her 90% approval rating AND all that FREE publicity, you get even more. This is two for one here. Wait — not only is it two for one with Mommy and Baby, but you get even more — more, I tell you!

For just the addition of Sarah and Baby Palin you get the added advantage of completely mutilating the feminist movement!If Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee, Sarah Palin counters any feminist appeal Hillary Clinton might have. Having her on our ticket reeks of equal rights for all.

If Barack Obama is the nominee, just having Baby Palin on board helps cut into all his millions upon millions of dollars he can spend on advertising. If the Democrats manage to provide every Republican with their fantasy of a brokered convention with Al Gore waiting to step in as an alternative candidate, Sarah Palin can go to battle against his insane environmental policies.

You want family values? She has it.You want patriotism? She has it. Track Palin enlisted in the Army. He wants to head to Iraq. You want a ‘maverick’? She has it. She took out Alaska’s corrupt power structure.She doesn’t like special interests. She is something of an idealist. She has enough executive experience to appear young and fresh to counter anything the Obama campaign might throw at John McCain. She is a champion of ethics reform.

Have I mentioned that she is young (44) and pretty? Unfortunately, there are those, liberal and conservative alike, who now think just because the woman is pregnant she is disqualified to become the Vice President of the United States of America! Can you image such a Neanderthal thought process? (I want to apologize to any Neanderthal who might be offended by this politically incorrect slur upon their mental capacity.)

In a world where working mothers are celebrated (I personally stand with Dr. Laura on the subject), but want to be near baby, what could be a better arrangement? Surely my Republican counterparts cannot object to a VP discretely nursing a cute little baby in her EOB VP suite. Who could possibly complain if she brought baby to work? After all, a VP is whatever the President wants her to be.

Let’s follow the thought process here. We have new mommies who go off to war in Iraq and Afghanistan. No one says they can’t do that. Women have babies every day, and go back to work in situations where they must either put their children in day care, or leave them entirely to the graces of lest than optimal situations.

This would not be the situation with Baby Palin. The little tyke would have every advantage any baby in the world would have. He or she would be the most publicized baby since the birth of Prince William. The child would be a super-star, sucking up every iota of good will and free publicity a cash-starved Republican campaign needs.

Honestly, this would be enough to give any pregnant parent pause. Would Sarah and Todd Palin want to subject a new baby to this sort of publicity? We can only hope they will answer in the affirmative. After all, they’ve done a very good job of balancing politics and family thus far. Why not take it a step farther?

Seriously, as a woman and a loyal Republican, I find the very though that a woman who has recently given birth being excluded from the VP list insulting. Unless something goes wrong with the the whole process there is no reason for Sarah Palin not to be considered for such a position.

Who said a new mommy cannot be Vice President of the United States of America?

Steve says: The best site to learn more about Gov. Sarah Palin is at: http://palinforvp.blogspot.com/. It's the blog "home" of Adam Brickley, a 20-year-old college student in Colorado Springs who founded the Draft Palin Movement, one that's been incredibly successful in generating positive publicity for Mrs. Palin.

I've written many essays about Gov. Palin, who is one of the very few political figures who could provide real help to John McCain in his efforts to win the presidency. Sarah Palin has a great chance, in 2012 or 2016, to become America's first female President. By the way, she's the only current U.S. governor who has a child in the military.

McCain Palin Ticket, Texas Revelations

Rush Limbaugh put this graphic up on his web site yesterday. As many of you know, I have been a strong supporter of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, often called "the nation's most popular elected official," as the best choice for for V-P on the Republican ticket.

A person of impeccable honor and integrity, Sarah is a dedicated Christian, a fiscal conservative, pro-life and a Life Member of the NRA. Beyond that, she's the mother of four children, the oldest of whom, Track Palin, is an infantryman in the U.S. Army.

If Senator McCain does choose her, it's highly likely that, in either 2012 or 2016, she will become America's first female President.

Here's the link to Limbaugh's homepage: http://rushlimbaugh.com/home/today.guest.html

Also, the person who, one year ago, launched the Draft Palin for V-P movement is Adam Brickley, an extremely talented college student from Colorado Springs. He has written extensively about why Sarah Heath Palin should be the V-P choice. You can find his outstanding blog at: http://palinforvp.blogspot.com/. I was the second blogger to join Adam's movement.

I have never supported Sarah merely because she's a woman. I support her because I believe she would be a caring, intellectually and politically gifted vice-president and, at a later date, a great President. She's one of those prinicipled conservatives who isn't angry at everybody. She's a great listener, someone who understands that our government is one "by, for, and of the people."

I hope all McCain supporters will urge the Senator to select Sarah Heath Palin, Alaska's favorite daughter, as his vice-presidential running mate. She would be Barack Obama's worst nightmare -- and America's best hope for the future. She's a younger, female version of Ronald Reagan, and she's the most exciting political personality to come along since the "Gipper."

Texas Revelations on March 4 Primary

My friend Sharon Caliendo of Norman, Oklahoma, is one of the finest political operatives in that section of the country. She sent me the following e-mail, which chock full of good information about what's happening in Texas. Later today, I'll put up Sharon's web sites, some of the very best in the blogosphere.

Been in and out of Texas this week but in my spare time I have put up the two blogs.

I would say that McCain will have no problem winning TX no matter who the Dems put up and if it is Obama, you can put TX in the win column before they even vote. Learned that the people fainting are following the campaign around. One of the guys told me that an Obama rally in some areas has been made up of whites and blacks who are on the government take better known as welfare. He was saying they are talking about college students but he thinks they are more like middle school and high school. He was at a rally where the Austin birdcage paper said a lot of UT students were there but he disagreed because he saw very few UT shirts and they always wear them to rallies. He saw kids some getting off buses coming into the area which would not have been UT students.

Huckabee shot himself in the foot today. Gov Perry asked Huckabee to withdraw from the race and Huckster basically asked why he would take advice from someone who had endorsed Rudy when he was wrong about that. Never did get the exact quote as Rick's aide was so mad when he called. Someone from McCain had asked Rick to ask Huckabee to please withdraw from the race and join to defeat the Dem in November but Huckster was too arrogant for that. Set off a firestorm that is not going to end any time soon.

I told our State Chair if Huckabee is the keynote speaker for the OK Convention I am not going to sit and listen to the windbag and will walk out as he starts to speak. He said, "you wouldn't" -- bet me I wouldn't!

Mark and I were complaining the blogs that were anti-Obama were not exactly on McCain's side so we decided to add another one with that in mind. We figured running them as Republicans and McCain supporters would make a difference rather then 'conservative' owners who don't like McCain much better then the Dems in some cases.

Thanks for the info on Iraq -- I am getting people to help me out with the 2nd blog -- they are not big McCain supporters but they detest Obama and Hillary and will definitely support him in November. This gives them a way to get involved and we can all help McCain. [Note, on Iraq, I told Sharon that the Wikipedia site had an excellent article on the links between two terrorist groups, Ansar al Islam and al Qaeda.]

All I need is more hours in my day and everything will work itself out!

Take care!

Sharon

NOTE FROM STEVE: IF YOU WANT TO FIND OUT PRECISELY WHO BARACK OBAMA IS, PLEASE READ THE ALARMING -- BUT SCRUPULOUSLY ACCURATE -- STORY BELOW.

Sound Politics.Com Pro-Palin Comments

In case you missed it, here's a fine post from SoundPolitics.com on Gov. Sarah Heath Palin.
September 21, 2007
Crystal Ball Time

Allow me to amplify and expand on David Postman's discussion of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Postman makes a number of prudent points in his coverage about Palin's rise and its significance. What also bears mentioning is that she may well land on the short list of possible Republican VP nominees next year.

This post first stoked my consideration of that issue. This profile by Fred Barnes cemented the idea that it could be serious. Doing some quick research for this blog entry drew a number of related hits, including a Draft Sarah Palin for VP blog and some related Alaska media coverage.

Palin has some obvious appeal for all the reasons Barnes and Postman enunciate. Granted, Alaska isn't the first state people look to for a quality VP choice. Yet, consider that if Rudy Giuliani or Mitt Romney becomes the nominee they're likely to want fill out the ticket with someone from the South or the West who has unimpeachable conservative credentials. Palin fits that bill. Plus, it wouldn't hurt for a Republican VP nominee to be somebody other than a white male given the leading contenders for the Democratic nomination. Yes, identity politics are no fun, but they do matter sometimes.

The main point is keep an eye on Palin. She's been soaring while seemingly the entire rest of the GOP in her state has been imploding. That alone make her worth watching.

Footnote: Postman uses the term/adjective "Outside" in his post. For the uninitiated, that's how Alaskans refer to all things non-Alaska. It's almost never considered a compliment and indicative of the exceptionally wary eye Alaskans cast beyond the borders of their unique state.Posted by Eric Earling at September 21, 2007 06:23 PM Email This
Comments
1. I hear she's pro-life and conservative too! And she took on the Republican Establishment. Of course she'd be popular. What's not to like?
Posted by: Michelle on September 21, 2007 07:23 PM
2. I agree, and that would be an individual that I could vote for.
She sounds like a Barn Burnin Reagan Like Conservative.
Posted by: GS on September 21, 2007 10:34 PM
3. I have loved Palin since she ran for Governor!
She would make a perfect VP selection.
Now if only Romney could get the nomination, Romney/Palin has a nice ring to it!Posted by: Kyle on September 22, 2007 11:44 PM
4. Thanks very much for the link. Gov. Palin is a very inspiring leader, and there are a growing number of us who think she is the future of the GOP. If you agree, you can join our blogroll as either an "Endorsement" or a "Palin Fan" (someone who likes the Gov. but isn't ready to endorse her for VP just yet). Hope to be seeing more of you.
Adam BrickleyFounder, Draft Sarah Palin for Vice Presidentpalinforvp.blogspot.compalinforvp@gmail.comPosted by: Palin for VP! on September 23, 2007 10:01 AM
5. I very much encourage people to join Adam Brickley's effort to Draft Sarah Palin for Vice President. Compared to many past V-P choices (Spiro Agnew??!! Dan Quayle??!!) she would be a superb selection. Her son joined the military on Sept. 11 and is now in basic training at Ft. Benning. This is a remarkable family.
Steve MaloneyPosted by: Stephen R. Maloney on September 23, 2007 05:44 PM

Larry Perrault and Laurence White: Endorse Sarah Palin Now!

"Sophia Petrillo" on "The Golden Girls" as she uses the remote control: "Look, there's a Black man doing the news -- and it isn't even the weekend!"

I'm sorry this is long, but I'm presumptuous enough to believe it is very important. I will "fiddle" with it until about 1 p.m. Friday. I will respond to all comments, other than those by "Anonymous."

In the comments to this piece, I talk some about Dr. Laurence White and his essay called "God and Ceasar." I quote the piece extensively, and my conclusion is that White is (1) basically calling for a violent revolution by Christians against American civil society; (2) encouraging "pro-life-killers" like Paul Hill and Eric Rudolph; (30writing a document that sounds uncomfortably like an American Mein Kampf in targeting certain groups and institutions -- including homosexuals and the public school system -- of destroying the moral core of society. I disagree with him on all points. This is a pluralistic representative democracy. It is not a theocratic state. One of my biggest problems with Dr. White (among many) is that there seems no evidence that he's ever talked to one of those young women "in trouble and in need of a friend." In fact, he's not their friend, but rather their accuser. One of my best friends is a woman with the initials P.L., who counseled many pregant women, most of them young, some extremely young (13-14), and some of them ended up having abortions, often being pressured to do so by femily or "friends." P. L. loved them unconditionally as is her way, and that approach is what makes her a living saint. I also think of my African-American neighbor Mary, whom I saw tonight on my way to the h.s. football game. She was -- appropriately -- wearing a gold cross. She's in her 60s and take care of children -- current, Ali, age 4, and "Mo Mo" (Monique) who's 14 months. I expect shen she's 80 she'll be taking care of Ali's and Mo Mo's kids. P. L. and Mary are so of the inhabitants of the "evil" America Dr. White supposedly sees. Sad.

In the comments section of my most recent piece on my proposed Human Life Amendment, you'll notice a statement by Larry Perrault, a Southern Baptist and an important figure in the Houston religious community. He's also a dedicated supporter of Mike Huckabee, and much of my own attraction to Mike's campaign comes from the support he gathers from Larry and various others, including important bloggers like Kerry in Minnesota, James H. in Louisiana, and several others.

Here's Larry's comment:

"Seemingly, all that does matter is their continued ability to express their enduring moral superiority to people like me" [Steve's statement]

I selected out this sentence because it seems to best distill what you think is going on. And, it also tells me that I'm wasting my time. You have made an a priori and incorrect judgment of intentions, and evaluate everything from within that perception. So, you don't believe me when I say that it isn't about me, which truly enough would be a squalid motivation, when I make a moral point about something. It's about right and wrong. The same is true of Laurence White. It's a good thing that I'm not after judgments of my moral superiority, because they aren't exactly pouring in.What I think you should note is that both Dr. White's [Laurence White, an important figure in the Houston Lutheran community and in Texas politics] speeches and most of my writing, including the last post at my blog, do not indict American culture in general, but rather the avowedly pro-life social conservatives who are too timid to hold up a clear and discernible standard. As I said, it isn't about THEM, it's about US.But, you appear to believe that I am a lying morally posturing Narcissus. In that case, it is pointless to converse because everything said is not to be trusted and is up for measurement in the context of what you KNOW is really a self-serving motivation.All I can repeat is that I have drastically disagreed with you on strategy as well as on your perceptions. But, I have not, therefore, reached to call your character or intelligence into question. I think that is a first step toward a possible constructive cooperation in the face of not just this, but any disagreement. But it is one that it appears as though you are not about to take.You should consider that I may not be lying to you, or give up the conversation."

Here's my initial reaction:

I'll respond to Larry later today (Friday) in the comments section, but first I'd like to switch gears somewhat and reprint a short statement from Gov. Sarah Palin in her three-part interview series with the Anchorage Daily News. By the way, Sarah is happily married and has four children, a boy 18 and three younger girls. She has stated her firm commitment to the sanctity of life (from conception until natural death), but doesn't discuss the matter (in public at least) at any length.

Sarah was responding to a question about the need some political figures (especially those in Alaska) feel to cut ethical corners. She said:

"Right. Well, that's why I think we need more real and normal and hardworking and blue-collar Alaskans to want to run for office and serve in these positions that are making decisions. Again, I will personalize this. I am not from that other world. My dad as a school teacher wasn't a mover and shaker developer making big bucks in the state of Alaska off of property development. My husband [a commercial fisherman and oil field worker] isn't that way. I am not raising my kids to be that way.... If you want to be in public service, it is being willing to serve Alaskans for the right reasons. It is having to have a servant's heart when you come into these positions. It's not to get rich."

That's one of the great statements in the history of American politics. It was made by a Governor in Alaska whose existence is not yet known to a majority of the American people.

"A servant's heart" is one of selflessness, the rarest commodity in politics. A servant's heart in this case also is one that recognizes a large majority of Americans want to reduce significantly the number of abortions in our country. Everything in Sarah's career and life indicates she would do anything in her power to serve the people's needs. Yes, I tend to idealize this fine woman, but her capacity to serve seems unlimited.

Sarah Heath Palin is a "politician" with ethical standards that are rare in any nation. People like Larry Perrault and Dr. Laurence White should be lining up behind and supporting her as a major leader of our country.

I hope to live long enough to attend her inauguration as President of the United States -- presumably as early as 2012 (when she presumably would run against President Hillary Rodham Clinton) and no later than 2016, when her opposition could be someone like Barack Obama.

Will Sarah Heath Palin be able to end abortion in this nation? No, of course not. Even if abortion were made illegal -- something that's not going to happen -- it would not "end." Right now, 800,000-plus abortions occur in this country and, even before Roe v. Wade, as many as 300,000 occurred, most of them illegal.

I believe strongly that Mrs. Palin would be receptive to ideas such as mine that would sharply reduce the number of abortions in America. How could she do this when so many other people have failed so miserably?

She knows that abortion in this country will not be reduced by angry rhetoric -- the approach favored by people like Dr. White and Sen. Larry Craig. Instead, the direction has to be one of love for real people, especially young women and poor women who see no alternative to terminating their pregnancies. The resolution, partial though it may be, will depend on elected officials who have true empathy for the people they serve.

The answer to abortion will not come from people (like Dr. White) comparing our country to Nazi Germany. Instead, it will come from individuals like Sarah Heath Palin who recognize that the vast majority of Americans are good people who want to do the right thing.

We desperately need leaders who have "a servant's heart."

It amazes me that candidates like Mike Huckabee, John McCain, Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani aren't beating a path to Sarah's door in far-off Wasilla, Alaska (a suburb of Anchorage). They should be seeking her guidance and support. They could also get some tips on how to defeat entrenched members of both parties, which she has done.

The candidate who seeks her out first -- and best -- could just be the next President of the U.S. Before you can lead the American people, you first have to love them, warts and all.

Elected officials with the potential for real greatness -- figures in the tradition of Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Reagan -- come along so rarely. Sarah is one of them.

Stephen R. Maloney
Ambridge, PA

P.S. My direct response to Larry's comments will occur in the Comments section later today (Friday).

Visitors and Victory

Within a day or so, this site will go over 11,000 visitors since Campaign2008VictoryA began last April. It started on Townhall.com, which I ultimately decided was not somewhere I really wanted to be, and I moved to blogspot.com, where I am now. Earlier in this week, I began writing about the abortion issue and proposed a Human Life Amendment that actually would have a chance of passing. The main purpose of this column has become to advance the political career of a remarkable leader, Sarah Heath Palin, the Governor of Alaska. I've never met Sarah face-to-face, but I feel now that I know her as if she'd been living in the guest room. The future of our wonderful country rests on the ascendance of people like Sarah and my other political heroine, Diana Lynn Irey of Washington County, PA (http://irey.com). I always appreciate your paying this site a visit, and I hope you'll leave comments whenever you wish. God bless. I've have a few short pieces up before noon on Friday.

Stephen R. Maloney

Rudy Giuliani Among the Evangelicals

The short answer is he feels they're unreliable, dogmatic, and toxic when it comes to attracting "normal" Republican voters and independents. He believes the far "right-edge" of the evangelical movement is a liability – a band of sanctimonious hypocrites.

The major issue confronting Rudy Giuliani is whether he can attract a big chunk of evangelical votes. At some point (soon) Rudy is going to challenge people who don’t grasp the significance of Mike Huckabee’s saying that “Life begins at conception, but it doesn’t end at birth.”

That’s a criticism of supposed pro-lifers who talk a lot about the subject, but don’t actually DO much about it. They also seem to lose interest in children after they’re born.

Mike can’t (currently) express such unpleasant truths in stark terms, but Rudy can -- and probably will. Sometime during the primary season, you may hear Rudy uttering such sentiments out loud.

He will try -- and perhaps succeed -- putting the far right element of evangelicals on the defensive and even marginalize them. And when he speaks out, don't be surprised if he doesn't get a resounding "amen!" from many evangelicals. He will get affirmative responses from those evangelicals who have reflected deeply on implications of Mike's statement about life's beginning and continuation.

Let me get personal. I am strongly pro-life (from conception to its end in natural death). I have been sending money to the National-Right-to-Life organization for decades. I've written dozens of articles promoting the sanctity of life.

But in recent years, I've become suspicious of some elements in the Movement. Occasionally, it seems more about raising money, issuing press releases, and uttering maudlin statements.

Yes, it is a very emotional issue, but it's also one with some profoundly practical elements: specifically, reducing the number of abortions and increasing the number of adoptions. Which of the candidates has the BEST RECORD of achieving those ends?

It MAY (key word) just be Rudy Giuliani. In getting pro-life RESULTS, it could be the supposedly pro-choice individual. In his tenure as Mayor of New York, abortions declined and adoptions increased. That happened on his watch.

The right-edge of the evangelical movement chronically underestimates Rudy. He's one of the great coalition builders -- and one of the great Mayors -- of all time. He won election twice as a Republican in a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than a four-to-one margin.

Rudy Giuliani's presidential strategy is to compete vigorously in several Blue States. He believes he can win in Pennsylvania (went 51-49% for Kerry) and New Jersey (went about 55-45% for Kerry). He also believes he can be very competitive in the critical state of New York. (In 2004, George W. Bush, who spent no money in New York, was polling nearly 45 %. at one point)

At the same time, Rudy believes he can hold states in South and the Mountain West, mainly because he would be the conservative alternative to Mrs. Clinton. The current polls (and hey, it's early!) suggest the strategy could work.

In response to such situations, what might the right-edge of the evangelical do? A thoughtful Baptist preacher in Houston suggested this approach: that devoted evangelicals form a third political party, one with a (Christian) theocratic flavor.

He suggests that the evangelical party's nominee might be Mike Huckabee, whom he assumes won't win the Republican nomination. It's an eminently bad idea, but -- perhaps perversely -- I'm not totally against it.

Frankly, Mike Huckabee doesn't possess a death-wish, so he would pass on the nomination, because it would be a time-consuming, expensive process that would end with him winning zero electoral votes. He knows all about being the cutest fat boy at the dance.

Ross Perot, who's filthy rich and spent money like a drunken Naval Academy grad (which he is -- not the drunk part) ran as a third-party candidate. He succeeded in tipping the election to Bill Clinton, and won zero electoral votes. (He came close to winning Maine but not any other state.)

The recent condemnations of by evangelicals (like the Romans) of Mike are sad to see. However, the souring of a few extremists on Mike reflects this fact: in his effort to win the nomination (and also the election), Mike is becoming slightly more like, well, Rudy Giuliani.

Specifically, Mike realizes that it's essential for him to appeal voters who've been turning away from Republicans: Blacks, Hispanics, "security moms," and younger people. He also knows that to get votes you have to give something in return.

Far-right evangelicals (I call them the "I'm right and you're not" crowd) proceed under the illusion that in politics you can somehow get something for nothing. Good luck!

Both Mike and Rudy have similar assumptions about what evangelicals will do in the general election. If Mike loses a handful of evangelicals, well, so what? If Rudy loses a bigger handful of evangelicals, well his motto might be: "Don't let the door hit you in the butt."

Almost strangely, the polls continue to suggest that Rudy is doing well among evangelicals. He's getting a higher percentage of them than the supposed "evangelical favorite," Mike Huckabee. (That may change somewhat.)

Admittedly, a candidate like Rudy Giuliani doesn't want all or most evangelicals out of the Party. Instead, he wants to purge the far-right corps of evangelicals, people like the Romans, the Dobsons, and Pat Robertson (the "Prince of Smarm"). He knows their choices either will be to stay home or vote for Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Giuliani assumes that if he runs against Hillary Rodham Clinton, he'll get a large chunk of evangelical votes. Again, the polls suggest he's correct. What he does want is to shove aside single-issue and single-candidate evangelicals.

In other words, Giuliani is NOT looking to attract people who despise moderate candidates like him. He believes there aren’t enough of them to cost him the election. To people who say, "If Mike doesn't get the nomination, I'm outta here," Rudy is saying, "It's been nice knowing you."

(As the day goes on, I'm going to write about gay and lesbian people and their role in the conservative movement.)

NOTE: I'm informed the Romans persist in making bogus statements about my being a Giuliani backer. Many months ago, after the first debate I did endorse (on another blog site) Giuliani because I thought he was the candidate most likely to beat Hillary Clinton. Since then, partly because of my Palin work, I've backed away from an endorsement.

At times this week, I've considering endorsing Mike Huckabee. I regard Giuliani as an authentic American hero with a superb record as Mayor of New York. Mike is, for me, "the candidate of the heart." He certainly has a way of growing on people., and his appearance today (Sunday) on CNN was very impressive.

Granted, I regard Hillary Clinton as NEARLY unbeatable, partly because of the clumsiness of some evangelicals in understanding what's at stake.S ometime in November perhaps I'll endorse someone.

As for 2012 and 2016, the person I endorse for President is Gov. Sarah Heath Palin. I also recommend her as keynote speaker for the 2008 Republican National Convention. She can send a powerful message: that the Republican Party doesn't consist mainly of angry, aging white guys.

On Sarah and the vice-presidency, I know there have been some contacts with the Giuliani and Huckabee campaigns, but I don't know their exact nature or significance. I also know the Arkansas Republican Party says, "Sarah is now on our radar." Look for more and "Sarah sightings" as the primary season unfolds.

(For my column tomorrow about gay conservatives -- and how GWB's win in 2000 depended on his getting hundreds of thousands of votes from gay people, paticularly those in Florida -- please take a look at today's (Sunday's) Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Forum (opinion section). You can find Timothy Patrick McCarthy (gee, he's as Irish as I am) writing about, "Homos, Hypocrites, Haters." Apparently, he's the "homo," whereas we Republicans are the hypocrites and haters.

Unlike Stephen Richard Maloney, Timothy Patrick McCarthy appears to be rather strongly on the Left. Here's his salute to the GOP: "The Republican Party is clear about its 'values' [he puts it in quotes] when it comes to gays and lesbians: They oppose our right to raise children, to live in safety, to work in peace, to serve our country, or to marry our loved ones."

I believe he's accusing us of coming up short in our adherence to Jesus' Second Great Commandment. As to gay marriage, I'm a "civil union" type of guy, but like a good Republican, I believe it's primarily up to the several states.

My essay will not be about Mr. McCarthy but rathr about the hundreds (yep) of CONSERVATIVE gay and lesbian bloggers, with emphasis on http://gaypatriot.org/ and http://tammybruce.com/. In general, I like gay people, but Mr. McCarthy and I are off to a rocky start.

IMPORTANT NOTE: I'M PROUD OF THE FACT THAT I'VE HELPED BRING DOZENS OF SUPPORTERS TO THE DRAFT SARAH PALIN EFFORT. HOWEVER, I WANT TO WRITE HARD-HITTING MATERIAL ON CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES -- AND CONTROVERSIAL CANDIDATES -- AND THAT CAN SOMETIMES CONFLICT WITH ADVANCING THE BLOGGERS-FOR-PALIN EFFORT. I WILL CONTINUE TO WRITE ABOUT SARAH FROM TIME-TO-TIME, BUT I'D LIKE TO DIRECT ALL ENQUIRIES ABOUT LEARNING MORE ABOUT HER -- OR ABOUT JOINING THE BLOGGERS' GROUP -- TO ADAM AT HTTP: //PALINFORVP.BLOGSPOT.COM. HE STARTED THE PALIN EFFORT AS A "COALITION" OF ONE, AND ITS SUCCESS IS LARGELY A RESULT OF HIS EFFORTS. SO, PLEASE CONTACT ADAM ABOUT ANY IMPORTANT PALIN MATTERS. I UNCONDITIONALLY SUPPORT SARAH FOR VICE-PRESIDENT, AND I SUPPORT THAT REMARKABLE WOMAN FOR EVEN HIGHER OFFICE AS EARLY AS 2012, AND NO LATER THAN 2016. THE V-P MOVEMENT WILL BE IN GOOD HANDS WITH ADAM. -- STEVE (AS YOU'LL NOTE, I HAVE CHANGED THE FOCUS AND MY PROFILE SOMEWHAT. )