Wednesday
15Jul2009

Governor Sarah Palin

From http://www.sarahpac.com/about/

Governor Sarah Palin first made history on Dec. 4, 2006. Sworn in that day as the 11th governor of Alaska, she is the first woman to hold the office. In August 2008, Senator John McCain tapped Governor Palin to serve as his vice presidential running mate in his Presidential campaign, thus making her the first woman to run on the Republican Party's presidential ticket.

In Alaska, her top priorities have been resource development, education, health, and transportation and infrastructure development. Governor Palin has fought for reform and transparency in government.

Governor Palin has a long record of achievement and experience in public office. Prior to her election as governor, Palin served two terms on the Wasilla City Council and two terms as the mayor/manager of Wasilla. During her tenure, she reduced property tax levels while increasing services and made Wasilla a business friendly environment, drawing in new industry.

Under her leadership as Governor, Alaska has invested $5 billion in state savings, overhauled education funding, and implemented the Senior Benefits Program that provides support for low-income older Alaskans. She created Alaska's Petroleum Systems Integrity Office to provide oversight and maintenance of oil and gas equipment, facilities and infrastructure, and the Climate Change Subcabinet to prepare a climate change strategy for Alaska.

During her first legislative session, Governor Palin's administration passed two major pieces of legislation - an overhaul of the state's ethics laws and a competitive process to construct a gas pipeline.

Governor Palin is past chair of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, a multi-state government agency that promotes the conservation and efficient recovery of domestic oil and natural gas resources while protecting health, safety and the environment. She was recently named chair of the National Governors Association (NGA) Natural Resources Committee, which is charged with pursuing legislation to ensure state needs are considered as federal policy is formulated in the areas of agriculture, energy, environmental protection and natural resource management.

Sarah Heath Palin arrived in Alaska with her family in 1964, when her parents came to teach school in Skagway. She received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications-Journalism from the University of Idaho in 1987.

She is married to Todd Palin, who is a lifelong Alaskan, a production operator on the North Slope and a four-time champion of the Iron Dog, the world's longest snow machine race. They have five children.

Tuesday
14Jul2009

Ms. Palin Didn't Go to Washington

by Matt Mitchell

The media has typically missed the story with the resignation of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. They desperately wanted a scandal. Why else would she make this ‘hasty’ announcement the Friday before July 4th? Sarah Palin in a sex scandal? Sorry, not gonna happen. Her resignation accomplished two things: First, Sarah Palin’s name was bandied about on Independence Day; second, it reinforces her image as an outsider. Most Governors resign because of sex scandals, like Spitzer paying for hookers, McGreevey stopping for gay sex along the NJ Turnpike (hopefully not at the Vince Lombardi rest area, which would give new meaning to his quote ‘The real glory is being knocked to your knees and then coming back.’), or Mark Sanford, though he has yet to resign. Palin however resigned without a scandal which serves to reinforce the ‘she is not like other politicians’ argument. Well that and name me another woman governor who hunts and fishes.

Liberals continue their obsession with her. Why? They are threatened by her. Its psychology 101 that you only attack people who you feel threatened by. If she really is a dumb nobody, then let her “fade into Bolivian” as Mike Tyson eloquently put it. Did anyone write stories on Geraldine Ferraro 9 months after she was the losing VP Candidate? Liberals are deathly afraid of her because she has a base, one of the most valuable commodities in politics. They know people like her, and the purpose of ‘muddying someone up’ is to prevent more people from liking her. It’s transparent, and obvious. Of all the politicians that have done sleazy things, of all the crap that is out there, from getting a blow job from a 23 year old girl, to having 90k in your freezer, to pay to play, this is the person you go after? She is some woman from small town Alaska, who plays basketball and runs, has a family, and is attractive. Essentially, Sarah Palin has it all, and she doesn’t worship at the feminist alter (how dare she be pro life?), and it drives liberals mad, and I love it. Sarah Palin is the American dream. She is an inspiration to all young women that you can achieve anything. From small town Alaska to small town mayor, to Governor to VP candidate - if that isn’t the American dream, then nothing is.

She could run for the lone Alaska house seat in 2010. She could run for a Senate seat in Nevada in 2010 or Montana in 2012. She could run for President in 2012. I advise she do none of these. Stay away from Washington. Even Obama was a Senator. No, stay away. Do not connect yourself to Washington in any way. I believe there will be great psychological pressure to re-elect Obama in 2012 even if things continue to get worse. There will be a lot of ‘you don’t want to give a black man a chance’ pressure asserted.

Romney is the economy guy, but he spent all the money and still couldn’t win the nomination last year. That tells me that people really don’t like him. However, Republicans normally nominate the ‘next guy in line’ and he fits that bill. I believe 2016 represent a better chance as there will most likely be no incumbent. Think about incumbent elections, it’s almost impossible to win. Clinton did in ‘92, with 43% of the vote. Other than that, it’s Reagan in 1980 over Carter and then FDR over Hoover in 1932. Interestingly though, Hoover’s loss is widely considered to be as a result of his inability to stop the economic spiral the country was in. It was almost 80 years ago though.

Palin should stay in politics without holding office. Speak around the country about her issues and values. Her big issue is energy, which will continue to be a big issue in the future. She will raise lots of money and draw big crowds. She is attractive and easy to look at, and in America we like looking at attractive people. She can position herself as the TRUE Washington outsider, the citizen legislators like John Adams of 200 years ago. She can also play the ‘we elected the first black man now lets elect the first woman card.’

There is talk that employment and the economy will take upwards of five years to fully return. As the campaign gets under way in 2015, people may finally be ready for a new kind of politician, seeing how all the previous ones have gotten us to this point. A real change, not just a slogan.

Sarah Palin has a base, which will only increase. This continues to keep liberals awake at night.