tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post1037731275945515077..comments2023-11-03T09:36:22.100-04:00Comments on In From the Cold: No One Asked Us, But...George Smileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07049707648660651119noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-9829729624169444452008-11-10T18:13:00.000-05:002008-11-10T18:13:00.000-05:00Sorry Contra1, gotta respectfully disagree with yo...Sorry Contra1, gotta respectfully disagree with you about Palin and her energizing the base.<BR/><BR/>First of all, Palin did electrify the Republican base. The problem is there are not enough of them to get a candidate elected. Frankly, that base is the sort most people are horrified of. Shouting out "kill him" at a rally really cheapens the Republican brand.<BR/><BR/>The energy speech Palin gave was as scripted as her convention speech. Her plan to wean America from oil? More pipelines. Oh I see, wean America from foreign oil. Only problem is American oil is not unlimited either and addiction to oil is addiction to oil. However, when you are governor of a state that taxes oil companies and re-distributes the wealth to Alaskans I guess having Americans addicted to American oil doesn't look so bad. <BR/><BR/>For many of us, Palin was a true negative in the McCain campaign. It's small wonder she is now the victim of backstabbers and jerks, it's how they ran the campaign.A. McCroryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09465277836269851910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-26241017372710247272008-11-07T08:06:00.000-05:002008-11-07T08:06:00.000-05:00Respectfully disagree with ob's assessment of Gov....Respectfully disagree with ob's assessment of Gov. Palin. I think her appeal to the base is due more to the fact that she espouses core conservative principles not populist rhetoric. I believe if she chose to, she could articulate core conservative principles effectively on the national stage. Have you read a transcript or heard her speak on energy policy? That ain't populism brother, it's a states rights and a less intrusive federal government message. If anything Gov. Palin invigorated a moribund campaign. I think the McCain staff hamstrung her by not letting "Sarah be Sarah" ... She is more "popular" with the conservative base because the base identifies with her and agrees with her "common sense" ... the Drill here, Drill now, Pay less mantra … that may be populist in one sense but it does not make it wrong. The market meltdown and the subsequent bailout that had John McCain “suspending” his campaign, rushing to Washington to broker a “Big Government solution" to the monstrous problem created by Washington politicians probably did more to sink the McCain campaign. A criticism I do have regarding Gov. Palin is that I was disappointed in the VP debate, particularly the lines she spoke concerning "greed on Wall Street"… clearly a populist message. Somehow, I think this message was the work of McCain's “maverick” minions and not a reasoned position held by Gov. Palin. McCain bet the farm on appeal to "populist rhetoric" and/or "conventional wisdom" of moderate republicans, the undecided’s that helped the ticket lose. The campaign did "Abandon Timeless Messages" and are the core-underlying fault here. McCain cannot lay claim to being a conservative. That is not Palin's fault, squarely on JM.<BR/><BR/>As I recall the "populist" label was branded on Mike Huckabee in the primaries by non other than the Godfather himself. We need conservatives that will stick with the mantra of lower taxes, smaller government, individual responsibility, and a strong defense.Contra1https://www.blogger.com/profile/14713281354970786482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-86818046454643592662008-11-06T21:30:00.000-05:002008-11-06T21:30:00.000-05:00I disagree about Sarah Palin. Without her on the t...I disagree about Sarah Palin. Without her on the ticket, McCain would have lost by a far greater margin.SwampWomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08395051552137680646noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-73463308868415589222008-11-06T10:54:00.000-05:002008-11-06T10:54:00.000-05:00i didn't see1b) Palin Populism while not dead is c...i didn't see<BR/><BR/>1b) Palin <BR/><BR/><BR/>Populism while not dead is certainly not a way to win the national stage. scoreboard on that point, though many are loathe to admit it.Cruftyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16478654876439305898noreply@blogger.com