Dear Hot Air, What Did Palin Ever Do to You?

I'm wondering what Governor Palin ever did to garner the level of caustic snark she has received from the writers at Hot Air. Aside from Ed Morrissey, who has generally covered the governor in a respectful and substantive manner, the other writers seem to have a bad case of PDS.

For example, while covering the CPAC keynote address announcement yesterday, Tina Korbe took the opportunity to rehash old memes and linked to a couple deranged Palin-haters. Why the need for this kind of "analysis" just to cover a simple announcement? I guess it would make more sense if Hot Air were a lefty rag, or a regular MSM page, but it's not. It's one of the top conservative blogs online, so this attitude held by most of it's writers isn't based on ideological grounds. Or is it? I really don't know because I don't understand it, hence the title of this piece.

Korbe began by stating:

For the past four years, she has swayed, danced and dodged around the Conservative Political Action Conference, but, this year, Sarah Palin says she has committed to deliver the keynote address Feb. 11, the last day of the conference. ABC’s The Note recounts the rocky history between the former vice presidential candidate and CPAC’s sponsor, the American Conservative Union:

She declined to keynote the event in 2011, citing a scheduling conflict. But her refusal to participate fueled speculation that she wasn’t going because of GOProud, a gay Republican group, that planned to attend. She denied that was the case. Her political action committee, SarahPAC, did sponsor a reception at the convention.

In 2010, Palin cited ACU’s business dealings, particularly those of its then-chairman David Keene, as the reason for dodging CPAC.

In 2009, she initially accepted an invitation to kick off the convention, but then dropped out, saying that she had to attend to the “duties of governing.” She sent a taped message instead.

And in 2008, Palin cancelled her speech just two weeks before the event. By then, she had not been named Sen. John McCain’s vice presidential candidate, but in 2007, the man who would eventually become her running mate was booed by the crowd.

Yes, in 2009 Governor Palin had her hands full in Alaska, not to mention she was getting sued every time she even thought about leaving the state. In 2010, there were some issues with CPAC head, David Keene. In 2011, the CPAC keynote address took place on the same day as the Iron Dog banquet, so there was a scheduling conflict. That's not exactly what I would refer to as 'swaying,' dancing,' or 'dodging' the event, and it certainly had nothing to do with GOProud's participation. Both Tina Korbe and ABC could stand to do a little research before writing their articles. Then again, that wouldn't help them distort perceptions, so why would they?

Korbe continues:

Why now? It’s fun to speculate. Could be that she’s keen to recover her standing in the CPAC straw poll, in which she’s fallen over the years.

Um, no. We all know how Governor Palin feels about polls:

"Polls? Nah... they're for strippers and cross country skiers,"

It's laughable to suggest that Governor Palin would accept an invitation to give the keynote address at this years CPAC conference, all because she wanted to get higher numbers during the event's straw poll. During a year in which she's NOT even running for office, no less. Korbe continues:

Could be that she doesn’t have quite so many opportunities to nab headlines as she once did.

Governor Palin can "nab" a headline anytime she wants to. Korbe is obviously a person who doesn't understand Governor Palin very well. The governor doesn't "nab" headlines to get attention for herself. She has always used her platform to push a message of reform, fiscal sanity, and responsible government. If people would just get over their media-driven, false perceptions they might just hear what Governor Palin has to say. Next:

Could be that she thinks CPAC could be an ultra-dramatic setting to drop an endorsement.

Ah yes, we all know how Governor Palin uses "ultra-dramatic" settings to make announcements. After all, she announced she was running for the Governor of Alaska from her kitchen, and announced she wasn't running for president by calling in to a radio talk show. Try again, Tina:

Or it could be that she still believes strongly in the message of limited government that she’s articulated from her first day on the national scene — and sees this as a timely opportunity to remind voters of that message.

Bingo! She finally gets it. So why all of the meme-driven, garbage speculation on the way to reality? Because that's what Hot Air does. She goes on (emphasis replaces links in original piece):

It’s certain, though, that she’s still a lightning rod for emotion and opinion. As just one recent example, her remark to the effect that Michele Bachmann should drop out of the presidential race drew exceptional cheers and jeers. Today, Twitter and the blogosphere are alight with folks who say they’re excited to hear Palin speak at CPAC and those who say they saw this coming and, frankly, consider Palin a little passé.

These highlighted examples that I removed the links from, were not from honest people who really took issue with Governor Palin over her Bachmann statement, or just some folks who only now consider her "a little passé." No, the former link was to John Ziegler's website, who has flipped his own script in trying to obtain relevancy and a meal. The latter is a link to someone who has always had an irrational hatred for Governor Palin, by the name of Doug Mataconis. Yet, Korbe links to them without any context as if they are honest brokers without the need to include their background information to her readers. It's an old dirty trick that requires readers to be informed before they actually read the piece. If not, they may walk away from the article without all of the facts.

I guess it makes sense that a site run by an anonymous PDSer like "Allahpudit" would seek other writers who share his disdain for the reformer from Alaska. What I don't get is why that disdain exists in the first place. If she were running against their candidate in this year's GOP primary, it would make sense, but she isn't. Whether people such as Jazz Shaw and Tina Korbe like it or not, Governor Palin is a leading voice in the Republican party and with grassroots conservatives. Just this week, Mr. "Electable" himself, Mitt Romney referred to Obama as a "crony capitalist." That never would have happened had the governor not made this an issue during this election.

Governor Palin and her family have endured more crap from the media and the left than anyone who writes for Hot Air ever has. She has been calling Obama out since 2008, and has been a major voice shaping the issues that concern our movement and our nation. She deserves more respect than she gets from GOP, and most certainly from a group of bloggers who supposedly agree with her on those very issues.

Christie Fans Actually Upset with Governor Palin for Going "Unscripted"

"I've said several times at this point, if he ran, Christie would be my choice." - DrewM.

After Governor Palin appeared on Fox Business Network this evening, some Chris Christie supporters (even though he has stated many times that he's not running for president) were a little upset. DrewM, who is a blogger over on Ace of Spades, voiced his outrage on Twitter over the little swipe the governor took at Christie when she said:

And with all due respect to Governor Christie, you know he has no choice but to cut budgets because he’s broke, his state is broke. What courage really is, is in the face of having a surplus when you have opportunity to spend spend spend other people’s money, you still choose to reign in government to let the private sector soar. That’s real courage, and by the way that’s what I did as Governor here when I engaged in hiring freezes and reduced earmarks by 86% and vetoed the largest amounts in our state’s history. Despite having a surplus that’s real leadership and that’s courage.

But I do appreciate that Governor Christie is willing to face the reality in his state and that is that they are going bankrupt. So he has to cut, he has no choice.

DrewM responded:

Imagine how much more courageous she could have been if she hadn't,um, what's the word? Quit.

Oh really? Now if Drew were a brainwashed liberal, I could at least give him the benefit of knowing that he doesn't know much. That's just not the case however. Drew seems versed in the story of why Governor Palin resigned, when she did. He even stated:

I've heard it all before. It's fine that she did it but she doesn't get a pass for it. Actions have consequences

And

I think it was perfectly understandable on human level. It's not fine in a political sense.

In other words, 'I understand why she had to resign, it's fine that she did, but I'm still going to attack her for it because hey, this is politics.' Could he be anymore transparent?

Knowing people like DrewM (and his leftist counterparts) exist, Governor Palin took a huge risk resigning from her post. She did so for the good her state and the people who had elected her. A good leader leads, but when that same leader is put into a position where their own presence is causing insurmountable attacks on the very thing they're supposed to be leading (which in her case was Alaska), that leader hands the reigns to someone who can carry out the agenda in peace. It was unselfish and the right thing to do.

A typical politician would have rode out the storm for their own career's sake. They would have had the people who financed them thus far, pay their legal bills, and would have no doubt had the support of their party to help them along the way. Governor Palin is no typical politician, which is why she came under such heavy attack in the first place.

Republicans should be seeking strong leadership. Governor Palin proved what a good leader she is by her record in office. She also proved the ability to make tough decisions, with the best interest of her constituents in mind. That is exactly what she did by resigning. In my view, that is a positive. It only appears to be a negative when political rivals spin it and repeat the words "quit!"

AllahPundit also weighed in on the governor's interview. He posted an interesting exit question, in which he said:

How is it that a Republican governor in a deeply Democratic state like Jersey is showing little courage by tackling unions and pension reform? The government may be broke, but Christie theoretically could go the Democratic route and push tax hikes or float bonds rather than demand cuts. And why do we assume that he’d have done differently than Palin did if he had the chance to govern a state — a red state, where he has an electoral advantage — with a surplus?

Answer: Chris Christie wouldn't get elected in a red state.

According to Conservative New Jersey, Christie's record is anything but. They post a list of "words and deeds" that punch holes in the narrative that his supporters have been touting:

• His budget passed only after three conservative Republicans were bullied into voting for it and the savings achieved in the budget were done at the expense of new taxes, new fees, federal Stimulus funds and accounting gimmicks; the 2% property tax cap will actually cause taxes to skyrocket; he has yet to propose the “across the board” tax cuts he promised as a candidate; the budget actually INCREASES state expenditures by 6% and the number of staff in the Governor’s office making $100,000 per year increases by ten;
• His confrontation with the unions is pure Kabuki theater with nothing accomplished but acrimony; he has yet to lay off a single state employee and his proposed 2011 state worker reduction plan is little more than window dressing;
• He has populated his cabinet with notorious liberals while firing the only true conservative - after slandering him;
• He has endorsed notorious RINO candidates in the 2010 mid-term election while avoiding (with one notable exception) contact with conservative candidates;
• He supports a multi-state Cap & Trade scheme known as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and is so committed to Cap & Trade that he used funds raised from RGGI’s carbon auctions to help balance the budget; he has directed that state funds be appropriated to subsidize “green” technology ventures such as off-shore windmills;
• He has refused to join other state attorneys-general in a joint lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Obamacare while accepting federal funds for the implementation of a similar program on a statewide level;
• He is on record saying that he does not believe illegal aliens are here illegally; he has indicated that he supports amnesty for illegals; he generally favors strict gun control and he supports construction of the Ground Zero Mosque even as he condemns those who oppose it.

Not exactly the record of anyone I would have ever suspected Ann Coulter to support, but I digress...

While Governor Palin's words may have made Christie's fans cranky, there is no question that she was correct in her analysis. Just ask any Californian (like myself) who has been watching Jerry Brown these first few months of his administration. He's been making cuts, and making enemies because he HAS to. His record and even his budget are far from a conservative ideal model, but he is responding by making some necessary changes. He doesn't have a choice considering the fiscal mess the state is in.

Christie has said he won't run for president, but I'm sure the governor would welcome him to the race. For one thing, if she does decide to run, it will be nice to have another not-so Conservative candidate to thin out the others in the GOP pool. We as her supporters would also welcome the fact that these Republicans wouldn't be able to recycle another leftist meme by saying she isn't experienced. She has almost two decades of public service under her belt. How many does Christie have?

Chris Christie has taken unnecessary swipes at Governor Palin in the past. So, it wasn't out of line for her to return some fire and do so by exposing Christie for who he is.

Mark Levin, who has been trying to warn Conservatives about Chris Christie for some time, also weighed in. I leave you with his words.