Thursday, December 2, 2010

Armstrong Williams Now Taking Shots at Governor Palin

Another day, another anti-Palin attack piece published by an establishment republican. This time, Armstrong Williams posted an article at The Hill titled, "Sarah Palin for president 2012?" He writes (emphasis mine):
No one can deny Sarah Palin’s charisma, common-sense approach to issues and media savvy, and few will deny she was an overall plus for the GOP this past election.
Now that he got that pesky important stuff, like her approach to dealing with the issues that face our country out of the way, what's the problem? He continues:
However, I find it rare in conservative and Tea Party circles for anyone to support her as the serious Republican presidential nominee in 2012, much less the winner. Conservatives are well aware of Palin’s shortcomings, yet the media seems to be rather blind to them at the moment. In fact, every time I turn on the TV, all I hear the mainstream talk about when it comes to 2012 nominees is that Palin is already the anointed savior.
Exactly what planet has Armstrong been living on since he got canned from his syndication and had his Tribune column canceled for taking bribes from, then selling Bush administration policies under the guise of delivering honest commentary?

Have the GOP establishment switched attack methods from dispersing "anonymous republican insiders" to 'anonymous conservatives and Tea Party members,' to the press?

Williams lists no names, and you will have to excuse my laughter (yes, I am laughing) at the notion that Armstrong Williams spends a lot of time with Tea Partiers. I've been to a Tea Party or two and I know how the people there view unprincipled establishment republicans. To say that Governor Palin, one of only a few national politicians to actually headline Tea Party rallies, doesn't have the support of many of those same people is ridiculous. In fact, it's insulting to anyone with a functioning brain.

Armstrong then outdoes himself when he says, "all I hear the mainstream talk about when it comes to 2012 nominees is that Palin is already the anointed savior." Just who is this guy trying to kid? Last I checked, the media were doing what they always do... Demeaning her, trashing her character, ignoring her record, and reporting false stories about her and her family. And that's just in the last twenty four hours! That is not the sort of treatment they gave to the man they did anoint, back in 2008. Armstrong continues:
The media seems to be intentionally ignoring everything they have mocked her for over the past two years. So I started asking myself: "Why?" I am not one to put much stock in conspiracy theories, but it does seem a bit strange. Her supposed base is not keen on her being president; yet, the media, rather than relegate her to political sideshow, is ordaining her the next GOP presidential candidate.
What on earth is this guy watching? Perhaps he missed all of his establishment buddies delivering smug, insulting remarks about Governor Palin on one of the various panel discussions conducted on cable and network news shows. Williams then writes:
Now, we all know the media tends to be liberal, outside Fox News of course; so it does not seem to be in their political interest to bang the Palin drum. But what if, perchance, the media is pumping up Palin because they know she’ll lose a general election to Obama? Are the onslaught of media offers and free publicity a subtle means of saying to the GOP, “Look, here’s your nominee. We accept her and think she’s great. ‘Dontcha know’, we even gave her daughter a shot on the No. 1 TV show and gave Sarah her very own show on TLC?” Are they trying to give us a false sense of security in Palin's chances and distract us from all the reasons we know she's not the best candidate to defeat President Obama in 2012?
You need help Armstrong. Serious help.

Mr. Williams, that "free publicity" you are seeing is news coverage dedicated to Governor Palin because she has a new book out. One filled with some of her signature "common-sense approach to issues." She is also promoting her TLC show, Sarah Palin's Alaska. Not to mention, Governor Palin weighs in on a lot of issues with Facebook notes and op-ed's that other potential candidates don't touch. She's already in the news, it's not a conspiracy.

Armstrong Williams concludes his nutty article by stealing a far left-wing smear against Governor Palin by calling her, "the political equivalent of Kim Kardashian." Due to the fact that I am pop-culture deficient, I don't really know who this Kim Kardashian character is. I do have enough sense to understand that people who compare Governor Palin to her are merely trying to trash and demean her. I assume they think this tactic works well with simple-minded hipsters. That may be the case, but I think it's bigoted and dishonest.

You know, Armstrong Williams tried a be clever here by creating a theory to support a talking point. Williams and others from his branch of the establishment are trying to get republicans to believe that Governor Palin could not beat Obama in an election. The problem for them, is that they're entirely wrong.

Governor Palin is very popular with republicans, the Tea Party, and with many commonsense Americans, considering her commonsense approach to issues. The more people hear what she's actually saying, beyond the clutter of the non-anointing lamestream press, the more support she will receive. With more exposure directly to the people, her popularity is bound to rise just as Obama's continues it's descent. Add to that the fact that she stands with the majority of Americans on important issues and has been bold taking on the Obama administration throughout the past two years. Considering all the factors, I like Governor Palin's chances in a head to head contest, a lot.

William A. Jacobson wrote a piece the other day, warning the GOP establishment against attacking Governor Palin. His post was called, "The Republican Party Can't Win Without The Support of Palin Supporters." In it, he writes:
Without the enthusiasm of Palin supporters the Republican Party is nothing moving into 2012.

The campaign troops who will be in the field, on the telephones and at the fundraisers in 2012 will be the same troops who fought the 2010 campaign war. And those troops weren't carrying Mitt Romney, or Mike Huckabee, or Newt Gingrich signs.

That doesn't mean Palin gets the nomination just because she wants it, or that she is presumptive, or that her supporters constitute a majority of the Party.

It does mean that the Republican nominee cannot win against Barack Obama without the enthusiasm and support of Palin supporters.
I suggest Armstrong Williams and others from that neck of the Beltway pay close attention to what Jacobson is saying.

Governor Palin has not decided if she is going to run for president in 2012 yet. These preemptive attacks against her do nothing but create a divide within the Republican party. Americans have the right to choose their candidates and this arrogant behavior exhibited by the elite to manipulate that process, is a serious miscalculation on their part. The establishment will serve republicans, including themselves a favor to stand-down. They will be the ones who pay a political price for their efforts, not Governor Palin.

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