Kavon W. Nikrad backs Palin!

If you are not familiar with Race42008.com, then you are missing out on the best election coverage in the blogosphere. Over the last few years, R4'08 has built itself into one of the most widely read Republican Election blogs on the net. One of the key minds behind the site is Founder and Managing Editor Kavon W. Nikrad, who announced today that he believes Gov. Palin would have more impact than any other VP candidate. This is important to me for two reasons. The first (and most important) is that I am a long-time reader of R4'08 and have tremendous respect for what Kavon has built over there. I started lurking in their comments section several months before I came up with the idea for this blog (under the he handle "ElephantMan") and still frequent the site (now under the handle "Palin for VP!"). Secondly, Mr. Nikrad has previously opposed the concept of a Palin nomination, so this proves our point that the more people see of Gov. Palin, the more they like her.

I have reposted the full text of the column below.

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I am a Flip-Flopper...

…on Sarah Palin for Veep that is. I have overcome (cough…flip-flopped…cough) my initial skepticism and am now of the belief that the selection of Sarah Palin could have the biggest impact of any potential choice that Sen. McCain could make.

It’s not only Dave’s compelling posts on disaffected Hillary voters (here and here) that changed my mind. This really does seem to be a real phenomenon with staying power that will stretch to November rather, than just a temporary tantrum.

The turning point for me is anecdotal, so take it for what it’s worth- but the majority of Hillary voters that I am acquainted with have told me that I they are not simply sitting the election put, put will actually pull the lever for John McCain in November. And to the very last one, they have echoed the sentiments of this irate Hillary voter, independently of one another.

I was shocked to discover that my wife’s gay, male, lifelong Democrat volunteer/activist friend (with whom she has shared many a friendly but spirited political debate with) pulled her aside to confess that he will be voting for John McCain in November. His reason is the same as the female Hillary supporter featured in the video, and is the same as that of the other Democratic acquaintances that have shared their decision with me. Their explanations have been that although they are lifelong Democrats, they cannot in good conscience vote for someone as inexperienced as Obama to be President of the United States.

And that is really the crux of the anger here, isn’t it? It not that Hillary lost, it’s that Hillary lost to someone that her supporters feel is vastly underqualified for the job in comparison. When Hillary supporters look back on their remembrances of the peace and prosperity of the Clinton years, as well as Hillary’s accomplishment of her own since she the White House and see that a three-year Senator that was representing a few neighborhoods in the Chicago area before that is poised to receive the Democratic nomination, the only conclusion that they can come to is that sexism is the root cause (this is what happens, of course, when your party is dominated by identity politics, but that is a discussion for another day).

Which brings me back to Palin. What would happen if Sen. McCain would select an accomplished and articulate Governor who identifies herself as a feminist, yet holds the values of a Center-Right Nation? My answer is that on election day, we would actually be able to hold many of these disaffected voters that may drift back to Obama or simply decide just to sit out instead.

The Veep selection is now a double edged sword for Obama. Pick a female, and he cannot shore up his main weakness in the general which is that he is too inexperienced to be CiC. Choose someone like Gen. Clark, Gen. Zinni, or Sen. Webb, and McCain can potentially pick off massive amounts of female voters by selecting Gov. Palin.

Bottom line: the veep selection on both sides is of more importance in this contest than perhaps any other in many, many years.

Best. Primary. Ever.

WizBang: Palin to meet with VP search team!!!

According to Kevin Aylward of WizBang, Arthur Culvahouse, the head of John McCain's VP search, has been spotted in Juneau! If this is true, it would confirm that the McCain campaign is SERIOUSLY considering a Palin nomination.

If you have any information that can independently confirm this report, please contact me at palinforvp@gmail.com.

Great column by Jean Avery

You've probably heard all of my arguments for a Palin candidacy by now, so I figured that it would be refreshing to post somebody else's for once. Jean Avery of Moms for McCain recently wrote a very good column on the subject (reposted over at McCainNow), and I think that you should read it. It's one of the best pro-Palin pieces that I have read, and it eloquently sums up some of the key ideals of our movement.

Click here to read.

Conservative praise, leftist fear, and another big poll

The pro-Palin news just won't stop coming in. Based on the stories listed below, along with the ones listed in the previous post, I think that it is now safe to declare that the "Palin Revolution" has officially begun.

CONSERVATIVE PRAISE

Jonah Goldberg plugs Palin as a potential VP at National Review's "The Corner"

Ross Douthat does the same for The Atlantic.

I'm also hearing that Rush Limbaugh dropped Palin's name today (my hit count skyrocketed, so I believe it).

LEFTISTS COWER IN FEAR

Chris Kelly sounds the alarm in an apoplectic, poorly researched diatribe for the Huffington Post.

DailyKos poster "Thatcher" figures out the Dems are utterly unprepared to face a McCain-Palin ticket. (May 23)

OUR BIGGEST POLL YET

MSNBC has posted it's own version of "VP Madness". With over 45,000 votes already cast, this poll is too big for anyone to hijack, and Palin leads Rob Portman in Round One (presumptive Round Two opponent: Sen. John Thune). Palin-Portman was listed as one of the marquee matchups in the first round by hosts David Gregory and Chuck Todd , with Todd declaring ""Don't be surprised if [Palin]'s got some grassroots movement". Todd also compared Gov. Palin to the basketball team from Davidson College (the Cinderella story of this year's March Madness). I don't know much about Chuck Todd, but right now I like him a lot.

A weekend to remember.

It's been crazy trying to keep up with all of the news surrounding Gov. Palin in the last few days, especially as my offline life has been extremely busy. So, I figured that a recap of the highlights would be more convenient for you than detailed descriptions. There has also been a lot of buzz in the blogosphere; too much to list here, in fact. But you'll get the idea if you go to Google Blogsearch and enter "Sarah Palin".

ENDORSEMENTS

Columnist Nat Hentoff (Washington Times, Jewish World Review)

FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog

Darvio Morrow at "Associated Content"

OTHER MENTIONS

Michael Goldfarb of The Weekly Standard ("on the Palin bandwagon" for the VP slot)

Michelle Malkin (regarding polar bear lawsuit, "You go , girl.")

Hugh Hewitt (Also on polar bear lawsuit, "Bravo")

National Review's environmental blog, "Planet Gore" ("Planet Gore may just have to endorse Sarah Palin as its choice for McCain's running mate"...I'm playing it safe by not labeling that as an endorsement)

Mark Steyn (at National Review's "The Corner")

Kathyrn Jean Lopez (Also at "The Corner)

Kirby Wilbur, guest host on "The Sean Hannity Show" (unconfirmed)

The Rush Limbaugh Program (a caller...not Rush himself)

ALASKAN POLITICS

Palin vetoes $268 MILLION in wasteful spending! (10% of the total capital budget...good work, Governor!)

Video Message on CQ's "VP Madness" Results

Well, I finally got my first attempt at video-blogging loaded. All of the sites mentioned in the video are linked below. Be sure to spread the word about how how Huckabee "won" the poll. Thanks to all of the Palin supporters who voted!

Links:

CQ's wrap-up post by Greg Giroux.

"Huck's Army"

"Hucks Army" message board thread targeting the "VP Madness" finals.

U.S. News & World Report poll targeted by "Huck's Army" (Huckabee at 74%, despite an early lead for Romney)

"Huck's Army" forum thread engineering the U.S. News poll result.

FullosseousFlap endorses Palin!

"Senator, forget about Romney, Crist or Jindal and invite Palin down for a visit."

-FullosseousFlap

For those of you unfamiliar with "FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog", Flap is a very widely read and respected political blogger. This is a BIG endorsement, and it is a great honor to welcome Flap aboard the Good Ship Palin.

Gov. Palin has received a lot of press in the past few days, establishing her as a bona fide contender for the GOP VP nod. We are very hopeful that more endorsements will be rolling in soon

Oh...and stay tuned for an important message later today.

UPDATE: YouTube is not cooperating with me, and I'll be busy graduating from college today (Friday). So, the video message is a little late...but it will hopefully be up tonight.

Breaking: Palin to sue feds over Polar Bears

Gov. Palin made international headlines today by announcing that the State of Alaska will sue U.S. Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne for listing Alaska's healthy, growing population of polar bears as a "threatened species". We fully support her decision to stand up against this illegal listing, which is based on suspect climate modeling rather than scientific evidence. Environmentalist groups are planning to use the listing as a back door way of forcing the U.S. Government to impose draconian limitations, so Gov. Palin's lawsuit is really a service to the entire nation, not just Alaska. This is the type of gutsy leadership that proves, yet again, that Gov. Palin needs to be installed as a national leader ASAP.

I will do my best to keep you updated on this rapidly developing story.

Nat Hentoff endorses Palin for VP!

He has found success as an opinion columnist, historian, novelist, jazz critic, and prominent pro-lifer...and he wants Sarah Palin on the GOP ticket this fall! Writing today in Jewish World Review, Nat Hentoff declares, "John McCain, here is your vice president." Hentoff describes himself as a "Jewish atheist civil-libertarian pro-lifer", and Nachama Soloveichik of the Club for Growth's "VP Watch" blog calls him, "one of the few ardent pro-lifers on the Left." He also serves on the board of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) - an outstanding organization in this blogger's opinion - and has been critical of the ACLU's support of restrictive speech codes. We should all be extremely proud to welcome such a prominent and well-respected figure as Nat Hentoff to our movement.

Here are some of the high points of the column:

Because of Palin's reputation as a maverick, and her initial reduction of state spending (including pork-barrel spending), life-affirming Palin connects with voters and has been mentioned as a possible vice presidential running mate for John McCain.

She would be a decided asset — an independent Republican governor, a woman, a defender of life against the creeping culture of death and a fresh face in national politics, described in "the Almanac of National Politics" as "an avid hunter and fisher with a killer smile who wears designer glasses and heels, and hair like modern sculpture."

Hat Tips:
Nachama Soloveichik (Club for Growth)
PalinForVP.com

VP Madness: PALIN IN FINAL ROUND!!!

Gov. Palin is now just one victory away from WINNING CQ Politics' "VP Madness"! She beat out Rob Portman in the Final Four by a vote of 56%-43%, advancing to a final confrontation with Mike Huckabee.

I'm very confident in the chances of a Palin victory, but the presidential primaries proved that underestimating Mike Huckabee is a huge mistake. So, let's make sure that we give our favorite governor as much help as we possibly can.

PLEASE let as many people as you can know about this poll. Post it on your blog, email your friends, write a note on your Facebook profile, anything to help push Gov. Palin over the top. Win or lose, VP Madness has been a major victory for our movement, but a win here could permanently catapult Sarah Palin into the top tier of the top tier of the veepstakes (at least as far as the media is concerned).

LET'S WIN THIS!!!

Palin tops NY Times' list of potential female presidents!

With Hillary Clinton all but vanquished in the Democratic primary race, the New York Times has produced an article speculating on who could now be the frontrunners to become the first female president. The first candidate mentioned? You guessed it, Sarah Palin!

Now, in all fairness, the list was not ranked. However, Palin was both the first woman listed and one of only two mentioned twice. And, as most of the other people mentioned were Democrats, she was by far the most prominent Republican in the article. I think it is fair to say that Palin was at the "top" of the Times' list. At the very least, she ranks among the top two or three candidates (Govs. Sebelius and Napolitano were also prominently mentioned).

So, it looks like the national media is not only noticing Gov. Palin, but seriously considering her as a future leader of the nation.

VP Madness: Palin in FINAL FOUR!!!!!

WOW! Gov. Palin has made the "Final Four" in CQ Politics' "VP Madness!". She beat out Bobby Jindal by a margin of 54%-45%, and now faces Former White House Budget Director Rob Portman for a spot in the final matchup.

Let's give Gov. Palin all the help we can; she has the lead over Portman right now, but it has to hold until Monday. Keep up the good work

Oh..and in case you wanted to know, Palin and Portman are joined in the Final Four by Mike Huckabee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

News Video: Palin's popularity a "phenomenon"

This story aired yesterday on KTUU, Anchorage's NBC affiliate, and it's brilliant. I particularly liked the fact that the term "crushing" was used to describe what Gov. Palin is doing to her opponents in the CQ "VP Madness" poll. The McCain campaign should note that Palin remains the most popular politician in the country, with approval ratings well over 80%, and that these numbers are totally unaffected by the many polarizing issues that the governor has confronted. It takes a very special leader to generate such a "phenomenon"

Click here to watch.

VP Madness: The "Elite Eight"

Governor Palin has advanced to Round 3 in Congressional Quarterly's "VP Madness" after eliminating Senator Sam Brownback! Now, she must face off against Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal to earn a spot in the Final Four.

I am very pleased with this matchup, as Palin and Jindal are often mentioned together as the future stars of GOP. Hence, a victory in this head-to-head matchup could help cement Sarah Palin's status as the brightest young star in the Republican firmament. This round only last until Friday, so let's get to work and push our favorite governor into the Final Four!

New Logo!

The logo above was designed by Ethan Demme of "My McCain Blog", who recently endorsed our movement. I think it’s brilliant, and I have secured his permission to use it as an official emblem for our cause. Please post this to your blog’s sidebar, your MySpace or Facebook profile, and anywhere else you can. If this picture starts popping up all over the net, Let’s make sure that this thing goes viral.

Thanks again to Ethan Demme for his design work, and I'm glad to welcome him to the Draft Palin Family.

VP Madness: Round 2

Gov. Palin has advanced to round two in Congressional Quarterly's "VP Madness" bracket! After pummeling Texas Gov. Rick Perry 59%-40% in the Round of 32, she now faces Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback in the "Sweet Sixteen". Early results put her in the lead, but she needs to keep that lead until Monday in order to advance to the "Elite Eight".

This is the biggest poll yet for our movement, so be sure to make your voice heard by voting for Gov. Palin!

Like Bobby Jindal? You'll LOVE Sarah Palin!

This morning's New York Times contains a very interesting column by William Kristol, in which Kristol says that numerous McCain staffers and advisers are starting to float Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal as a potential running mate. Believe it or not, I think this is a very good sign for our movement. If the McCain campaign is in the market for a young, reformist governor with charisma and demographic appeal, we have just the person for them.

Don't get me wrong, Bobby Jindal is a great governor, but Sarah Palin is Bobby Jindal on steroids. Jindal has only been governor for a few months, and he is doing his best to clean out the corrupt political establishment in Louisiana. Palin, on the other hand, has been through two full legislative sessions (not counting two special sessions) and has already upended the equally corrupt Alaskan establishment. In fact, with her Lt. Governor, Sean Parnell, now attempting to unseat the state's infamous 18-term Congressman, Don Young, it not a stretch to say that Gov. Palin has started a revolution in Alaskan politics. And to top the whole package off, Palin is a former broadcast journalist with phenomenal communication skills and charisma to spare.

I try to avoid telling candidates how to run their campaigns. However, seeing as Sen. McCain seems to be trying running mates on for size lately (he's recently campaigned with Jindal, Huckabee, Romney, and Crist), I think the he definitely needs to make a trek to Alaska to talk about energy issues and/or pork-barrel spending...and have a nice long meeting with Gov. Palin while he's at it.

Weekend Media Coverage!

Governor Palin received a good deal of media coverage over the weekend. The Associated Press ran a lengthy story on how she is balancing the governorship and a newborn with special needs. I would highly recommend reading this piece, as the governor displayed great eloquence in describing her love for her new son and asserting that Trig's birth will not hinder her political career. However, one of the more politically relevant parts of the article was not directly connected to Sarah Palin at all. Instead, it detailed the comparative situation of Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), who gave birth to a son with Downs Syndrome last year. Far from being forced to cut her career short, McMorris Rodgers frequently brings her baby to to Washington, D.C. with her and is currently campaigning for a third term...and she says that there is no reason that Trig's birth should limit Gov. Palin's ambitions. So, there is tangible proof that mothers of special needs children can balance family and successful careers in federal politics.

I also stumbled across an interesting quip about one of our supporters in the Anchorage Daily News' Alaska Ear column on Sunday:

SARADISE ... Looks like John Suter of Chugiak, aka Poodle Man, has a bad case of Saralove. A few weeks ago, he was circulating red-and-white bumper stickers reading "Mothers Against Gov't Corruption, Gov. Sarah Palin for V.P., John McCain for President."

Now he's sending out copies of a handwritten note from the governor that reads: "Dear John -- Ha! I love the bumper sticker! Thanks for passing that along. You've always been creative & progressive, & I'm an admirer! Thank you, Sarah Palin."

John is probably best known for once racing a team of poodles in the Iditarod.

I happen to have one of those bumper stickers, and Mr. Suter deserves a pat on the back for his efforts on behalf of our movement. And for the record...I did some research, and those poodles made some pretty good showings in one of the world's most grueling sports events. Personally, I think its a great honor to have the "Poodle Man" on board with our movement.

Palin included in Congressional Quarterly's "VP Madness"!

Congressional Quarterly has just launched a "VP Madness" poll on their website, and Gov Palin made it into their bracket! Be sure to vote, tell all of your friends, post it to your blog, etc. CQ is a very well respected publication, and I think that the the Governor will do very well. Still, she has 31 other candidates to get past, so it's going to take some work to push her over the top.

Here's why I REALLY like this poll: It works off of a "March Madness" style playoff bracket, and I think that Palin can beat anyone in a head-to-head matchup. So, I think her chances are far better in this format than they would be in a traditional poll. For example, she's up against Texas Gov. Rick Perry in Round 1, and she's clobbering him with 60% of the vote (last time I checked). Let's make sure she wins in a blowout. In Round 2, she'll be up against the winner of a Sam Brownback-Fred Thompson faceoff (Brownback is leading), and I like her chances there as well.
I'll be posting updates throughout the process, so be sure to check back often. We need to do everything we can to make sure that Sarah Palin becomes the Cinderella story of this poll. So, let's get to work!

Glenn Beck lauds Palin!

This is probably one of the most eloquent commentaries that I have heard regarding Gov. Palin and her newborn son, Trig. I just heard about it today, but it aired last Wednesday on CNN's Glenn Beck Program. Mr. Beck really outdid himself here.... and yes, he did briefly mention VP speculation.

I'm working on a column of my own regarding the impact of Trig's arrival on our movement (overwhelmingly positive), and I hope to have that published soon.

McCain's Blogger Conference Call

I had the honor of sitting in on a bloggers-only conference call with Senator John McCain this morning. So, I figured that I would briefly deviate from the veepstakes in order to share some of the high points with you.

The most refreshing thing about the call was the Senator's choice to use his opening remarks to address economic issues. He led off by mentioning his ongoing tour through Appalachia, noting that he was in the same place where Lyndon Johnson announced his "war on poverty". He then went on to explain why Johnson failed in his effort: issues like poverty are solved at the local level, not by bureaucrats in Washington D.C. Senator McCain also stated that if you want higher taxes, he is not your candidate, citing the need to lower the capital gains tax and his plan for a summer holiday from gasoline taxes. I know that many hard-core economic conservatives and libertarians read this blog and support Gov. Palin, and I'm sure that these words coming from John McCain would be music to their ears. I personally was elated to hear McCain discuss these issues with such competence and conviction. Bravo, Senator!

Among other things, McCain also stated his desire to be competitive in the State of California this November and addressed Barack Obama's association with former Weather Underground terrorist William Ayers. Specifically, he expressed his outrage at Obama's equivocation of Ayers' actions with the political activities of Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK).

There is much, much more I could say, but in the interest of time I will digress. I would very much like to thank the McCain campaign for allowing me to participate, and I look forward to doing so again in the future (maybe next time I'll be able to actually ask a question).

On Sunday, I will be returning to my traditional all-Palin-all-the-time format with a column on the Governor's recently acquired status as the pro-life movement's newest hero.

Thanks for reading,

Adam Brickley

Dem Congresswoman accidentally tells McCain how to win...pick Palin!

I had the chance to see Gov. Palin's taped interview on "To the Contrary" last night, and she knocked it out of the park. Yes, the vice presidency came up, and yes the governor said she would be interested in national office in the future. I'll post a more detailed transcript soon, but for now I'll just give you the highlight of the show:

U.S. House Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), who sat on the shows panel of experts, was absolutely wowed by the Governor and started throwing out lines like, "You better embrace this woman quick!", "That is a VERY attractive candidate!", "She's just what your party needs!", and (my personal favorite) "that was some McCain straight talk you just got from that girl!".

I've always said that the best arguments for a Palin candidacy are the ones made by liberal Democrats, who know that Palin is their worst nightmare. I think we all owe Congresswoman Norton a debt of gratitude for telling us how to wipe the floor with her party in November.

Palin on "To the Contrary" today

Obviously, this will probably be a taped interview, considering that the Governor is in the hospital after delivering her son Trig, but she will be appearing on the PBS political program "To the Contrary" to discuss diversity in the Republican Party as well as balancing family and politics. I'm assuming that the Vice Presidency will come up in light of her pregnancy and the Texas hand-raising story. Check your local listings on the program's website, as it airs at different times in different markets.

"To the Contrary", is devoted to "stories relevant to women, families, and communities of color" an this weeks panelists include U.S. House Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Genevieve Wood of the Heritage Foundation, Ruth Conniff of The Progressive Magazine, and Tara Wall of the Washington Times. Palin is listed as a topic rather than a guest, but the fact that is says "Sarah Palin...on balancing family and political life" leads me to believe that the governor will be appearing in some capacity (maybe a brief interview).

I will be posting on this tommorrow as my local station does not air the program until midnight.

Baby Palin makes surprise arrival!!

Trig Paxson Van Palin
Born 6:30 AM, April 18th, 2008
6 pounds, 2 ounces
Trig was not slated to arrive until May 18th, which makes him exactly one month early. Gov. Palin actually went into labor while in Texas for yesterdays Governors Forum, but flew back to Alaksa to give birth at the Mat-Su Valley Regional Medical Center. The Palin family issued the following statement:

"Trig is beautiful and already adored by us. We knew through early testing he would face special challenges, and we feel privileged that God would entrust us with this gift and allow us unspeakable joy as he entered our lives.

"We have faith that every baby is created for good purpose and has potential to make this world a better place. We are truly blessed"

No word yet on what those challenges are or where the name Trig came from. I will report more details as soon as they are released.

Congratulations to the Governor and her family!

Click here to read the full news story

Palin refuses to rule out VP run!

Gov. Palin was in Texas today for a forum hosted by Republican Governor's Association, and she sat on a panel regarding the 2008 election. She was joined by Governors Perry (TX), Gibbons (NV), Lingle (HI), Blunt (MO), and Perdue (GA). Naturally, the subject of the vice presidency came up. The moderator asked for a show of hands from any Governors who would refuse to accept a vice presidential nomination from John McCain, and three hands shot up: Perry, Lingle, and Gibbons.

Gov. Palin did not raise her hand. Hence, we have our first concrete confirmation that she is open to running for Vice-President in 2008.

So, if you thought that the Governor was going to take herself out of the running, think again.

Newt Gingrich plugs Palin for VP (twice!)

UPDATE: It turns out that Newt Gingrich has dropped Palin's name more than once! Two days before the Van Susteren interview, he mentioned the Governor as a potential VP on Hannity and Colmes! His quote has been posted below (emphasis added), and be sure to scroll down to for my analysis of Gingirch's remarks. Speaker Gingrich is, without doubt, the highest ranking official to promote Palin as a national candidate, and I am positively ecstatic at reading these quotes!

"There are a number of great people. I think Gov. Pawlenty is a real possibility, a very innovative governor. I think Gov. Sanford may be as innovative as any governor in the country. There are a lot of places that Sen. McCain could go. Frankly, Governor Palin in Alaska may be the most aggressive reformer in the country. And she would be a real wildcard."

--------

Actually, I heard about this a while ago, but had some trouble obtaining a transcript to confirm the quote. I just found one on Newt Gingrich's official website, so I now feel comfortable in announcing it.

On the April 3rd edition of Fox News' On the Record with Greta Van Susteren, The former Speaker of the House was asked about potential running mates for John McCain (specifically Gov. Crist of Florida). In response, Gingrich produced five names in a addition to Crist: Tim Pawlenty, Rob Portman, John Kasich, Mark Sanford, and Sarah Palin. Here's his full quote on the subject (emphasis added):

VAN SUSTEREN: Former Speaker of the House and bestselling author of a book "Real Change" Newt Gingrich joins us live on the phone. Mr. Speaker, Governor Crist did not say "no." I asked him twice. So what do you think? Is he a possibility? Is he a contender?

NEWT GINGRICH: Well, sure, he is. He's a very attractive guy. He delivered Florida to John McCain at a key moment in the nomination process. He's very popular in Florida.

He clearly would have to be on anybody's short list of Republican vice-presidential nominees, and I think that Senator McCain is certainly going to think about him as a possibility.

There are other, I think, very attractive people--Rob Portman and John Kasich. They are both former congressmen from Ohio who could put that state back into play. And I think Governor Pawlenty from Minnesota, who will be hosting the National Convention, is a good reform governor.

I think, at the same time, you've got Mark Sanford down in South Carolina, who's been a very effective reform governor.

I think the long shot, an interesting example, would be Governor Palin of Alaska, who is in some ways the most interesting reformer in the entire country on the Republican side.


One thing about the Speaker's comments struck me as particularly interesting. His quip about Gov. Palin being the GOP's "long shot" and "most interesting reformer" struck me as oddly reminiscent of an article published only eight days earlier by John Gizzi of Human Events, which described the governor as "possibly the most intriguing name in the 'veepstakes'", but said her nomination was "unlikely". Maybe it's just me, but it seems that Sarah Palin is getting a lot of talk as the veepstakes' "most interesting longshot"....and Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee have both proved that the "most interesting longshot" is usually not a longshot at all.

Anti-War Blogger: Palin is Democrats' "Worst Nightmare"

The following quotes come from a March 28th column by Ed Tubbs of the anti-war group "Veterans for Common Sense." It is yet another example of the typical liberal reaction to the mention of a McCain-Palin ticket: apoplectic panic. Personally, I think that one of the better arguments for a Palin candidacy is the fact that the universal Democratic response is to cower in fear. While I disagree with parts of his take on the American electorate, I sincerely hope that he is right on one point: his assertion that Gov. Palin is being considered far more seriously than many people will admit.

Enjoy...

Beware 42-year-old Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin, and face reality: few voters actually cast their ballot based on a thorough study of a candidate’s voting record or enunciated positions on arcane issues. Overwhelmingly, folks vote according to the following indices: (1.) Party affiliation, if the voter is affiliated with a particular party, and (2.) Overall likeability of the candidate.

Meet Governor Palin.

The woman is more than acceptably attractive; physically attractive to men of all ages without being threateningly so to women. She is bright. She is an authoritatively articulate, professionally practiced public speaker. Governor Palin is conservative, through and through. As a governor, she would lay claim to “executive” experience” — a resume item that has been considered important in every presidential election since Nixon; a resume plus that none of the current contenders for the high office can claim. She is the perfect running-mate to carry the heavy water for an aging John McCain.

The Human Events article below suggests Palin’s weakness is the paltry size of electoral votes she would bring to McCain. My take, however, is that the article’s proposition she is not seriously being considered for veep is an attempt to distract and deceive, like the draw play in football. She may only bring Alaska’s three electoral votes, but those are more than overwhelmingly offset by the demographics that her position on the ticket would present as wholly unearned and otherwise unanticipated gifts to the GOP. (For those who do not know, Human Events is the GOP’s ultra Rightwing publication.)

My point here is that those who regard a McCain presidency as too dangerous too think about seriously begin to seriously think about it

Budgets. Babies, and Books

Two big news items out of Alaska this week:

1) Return of "Sarah Barracuda": Gov. Palin line-item vetoed two thirds of the states bloated supplemental budget (the one loaded with previously vetoed projects). The governor labeled most of the projects as more appropriate for the 2009 capital budget rather than the 2008 supplemental budget, which is only supposed to be used for projects that absolutely, positively have to be funded immediately.

2) It's a boy! The governor has confirmed that the newest Palin, due to arrive next month, will be of the male variety.

And one update from me:

I have received an advance copy if the upcoming biography "Sarah", and you can expect a review in the next few days. It's absolutely fantastic, and it contains a lot of information which refutes the most common anti-Sarah arguments. For instance, did you know that Gov. Palin is no stranger to campaigning with young children? Or would you have guessed that she has been dealing with (and shredding) the "youth and inexperience" argument for over a decade?

Stay tuned for more exclusive details and quotes.

Order your copy of "Sarah" today!

We have some GREAT news! Epicenter Press (an Alaskan publishing house) is rolling out an authorized biography of Governor Palin in May! This could be just the boost we need to gain some momentum as the veepstakes heats up.

The book is titled "Sarah: How a Hockey Mom Turned Alaska's Political Establishment Upside Down" , and is written by award-winning Alaskan writer Kaylene Johnson. You can pre-order your hardcover copy ($19.95) at the Epicenter Press website, where you can also read the first chapter.

If you are a blogger, please post about this book. It's a great way to get the governor's name out. If you are not a blogger, please recommend the book to all of your friends.

Disclaimer: This site is in no way affiliated with Epicenter Press.

Human Events Article!

I apologize for being tardy in reporting on this article, but I have had a long week and I wanted to be able to address this development in some detail.

Last Thursday, the lead story at HumanEvents.com was entitled, "McCain Veepstakes: Possible Palin?" Written by the publication's political editor, John Gizzi, the article refers to Palin as "Possibly the most intriguing name in the 'veepstakes'" and outlines why she would make a fantastic nominee for vice president. However, Gizzi declares a McCain-Palin ticket "unlikely" and includes the following passage:

“Why can’t she just be from another state?” is a lament heard often by Republicans who feel Palin is a natural for national office, if only she weren’t from a state that is not contiguous with the continental United States and brings only three electoral votes to the electoral column.

This is the one issue where I would take issue with Mr. Gizzi. Winning VP nominees are rarely chosen simply to add their state's electoral votes. Gov. Palin would enhance McCain's reputation as an anti-pork crusader while helping him reach out to women and younger voters. Her decisive leadership in Alaska also shows that she would make a fine president should it become neccessary. Those traits will increase McCain's vote share in every state, handing him more electoral votes than any one state could deliver. Furthermore, a Vice President should be chosen primarily because he/she would make a good President, and I think that Americans could sleep soundly at night knowing that a strong, principled leader like Sarah Palin is a heartbeat away from the White House.

As for a McCain-Palin ticket being "unlikely", I cannot for the life of me see why that would be true. Gov. Palin is both a tremendous leader and, as America's most popular Governor, a potential electoral powerhouse. To quote Gizzi, Sarah Palin is "a candidate right out of central casting". Politically speaking, she's almost too good too be true. Hence, it would be downright idiotic for the McCain campaign not to have her on the shortlist. I personally believe that Senator McCain is being advised by very intelligent people, so McCain-Palin might be a more likely pairing than many are willing to admit.

This site endorses...

Usually, this blog is not in the business of making endorsements, as we are promoting a candidate and do not want to put words in the Gov. Palin's mouth. However, I feel at this point that it is necessary to officially announce the following endorsements at this time. They will be explained in detail, and they will likely be both the first and last endorsements made by this blog.

With that disclaimer, this site endorses...

1. Sen. John McCain for President
This is actually something of a formality, as I have always operated under the assumption that
I would back the eventual Republican nominee. I am issuing this formal statement simply to ensure that everyone knows that this website is 100% behind Senator McCain's candidacy for the presidency. John McCain has a decades-long record of service and and depth of experience unrivaled among the presidential candidates. He will be a fantastic leader for this country, and I am enthusiastically looking forward to his inauguration (along with Vice President Palin's) this coming January.

2. Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell for Congress (AK-At Large)

Lieutenant Governor Parnell shocked last week's Alaska GOP convention by announcing that he would be a candidate for the state's lone congressional seat in 2008, pitting him against 18-term incumbent Rep. Don Young in the Republican Primary (a third Republican, State Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux, is also running) . Gov. Palin immediately endorsed Parnell's candidacy, and National Review will be endorsing him in next week's issue. Congressman Young, long known as one of the House's premiere porkers, is currently under federal investigation (to be fair, he has not been charged) and his campaign has spent $845,035 on legal fees - though the congressman refuses to say what services he was paying for. Hence, our blog is proud to support the effort to replace him with a Palinite candidate. As I see it, Parnell's candidacy is a continuation of the "Palin Revolution" against Alaska's ethically-challenged political establishment, which began in 2006 when Sarah Palin knocked off incumbent Gov. Frank Murkowski in the gubernatorial primary. I will be sure to provide links to Parnell paraphernalia for your blogs as soon as his campaign website is launched. Any effort backed Gov. Palin is something that our movement should be supporting; so I gladly offer my endorsement to her lieutenant governor in his run for Congress.

Does this count as bipartisanship?

This video was played at the 2008 convention of the Alaskan Independence Party. If you're not familiar with Alaskan Politics, the AIP is the state's largest third party. Their biggest agenda item is Alaskan separatism, but they are also known for their hardcore libertarian-conservative ideology. So, if you want them to take you seriously, you need to have a serious commitment to small government.

Personally, I think the Governor showed a lot of guts by addressing the AIP. It showed her commitment to serving all of her constituents and reinforced her position as a fiscal and economic conservative. It may have been a risky move, but we need leaders who are willing to take risks if we want to fix Washington.

Palin continues war on pork

"Before vetoes are made again, come tell us why it's so doggone important that we spend the money right now."

-Sarah Palin

Gov. Palin continues to earn her reputation as one of the nation's premiere fiscal conservatives.

This week, the state legislature passed a supplemental budget that loaded with $70 million of spending that the Governor line-item vetoed out of the year's capital budget. Of course, the Governor is threatening a second round of vetoes, but Palin is taking fiscal conservatism a step farther by demanding accountability from the legislators who inserted the projects into the bill. Hence she is calling on legislators to meet with her and explain why their projects (including a batting cage and a gun range) are so "doggone important" that they can't wait for the 2009 capital budget.

"Whether we are talking about a budget that's $70,000 or in this case $70 million," Palin told the Anchorage Daily News, "spending other people's money is a responsibility that I take very seriously."

We need leaders in Washington who recognize that they can't just fritter away the taxpayers' money, and that's why we need Sarah Palin on the ticket this November.

Gov. Palin Supports Troops!

Gov. Palin recently recorded this tribute to our troops for the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program. I really enjoyed watching this, and there are 22 more gubernatorial tributes you can watch on YouTube. You can also send your on thoughts to the troops via the website, be sure to check it out!

New adresses

I have acquired several domain names to make accessing my site more convenient. You will soon be able to get here using the domain names draftsarahpalin.com, palinforvp.org, palinforvp.net, and palinforvp.info.

There are some very major developments out of Alaska that I will be reporting on soon (probably tomorrow), but there is a minor housekeeping matter that I need to address first:

A new website has been launched at the address http://www.palinforvp.com/. It's not mine, but the propiretor is a friend of our movement and he has some great resources available (I encourage all of you to visit). I figured that I'd clearthat up just to avoid confusion due to the similar domain names.

Ingraham on Palin: "I like her!"

Yet another national talk-show host seems very pleased with the idea of Sarah Palin becoming our next Vice President. This time, it's Laura Ingraham. During a discussion of the Veepstakes Monday morning, Miss Ingraham was considerably less than impressed with almost all of the VP possibilities being floated in the media. The notable exception, however, was a certain Governor from the Last Frontier. Gov. Palin is clearly the only VP candidate who can cement McCain's support in the conservative base AND make the ticket more appealing to independent voters. Most of the other names being thrown around can only perform one of those tasks, but there is one candidate can do both. Her name is Sarah Palin. How could you refuse the opportunity to have such a person on your ticket?

Here's what Ingraham had to say:

"We definitely want a governor, but slim pickings, though, in the governors. And I’m telling you, the Alaskan governor…what’s her name? I always forget it. (Producer: “ Palin”). I sat next to her at lunch…she’s gonna kill me ‘cause I know she listens to the show…and this was in July,…or dinner, excuse me, it was a dinner. I spoke at an event. KBYR, our great affiliate, was there. And just [a] great, great time. And she was delightful , and smart…Oh, my phone’s ringing…

(Conversation momentarily interrupted by Ingraham’s answering a sales call on air and launching into a diatribe about receiving solicitations on her cell phone [Blogger’s note : I agree, such calls are insanely annoying.])

….So, back to the Veepstakes. Sarah Palin: I like her. (Producer: “Babe”) Well, she is. She’s a beautiful woman, but she’s also a conservative. Her husband, I think is a shrimper? (pause) He’s a fisherman. I’m not kidding you, and they go out and fish on the weekends. He’s a commercial fisherman. I’m telling you, I think that sells. That sells a lot more than “my friends” and comprehensive immigration reform. And she’s not for comprehensive reform, I can tell you that right now. She’s sick to death of this immigration nonsense in the United States."

If you want to hear it for yourself, you will need a "Laura365" subscription to access the online archives. Obviously, the date you need is 3/10/08, and the comments on Palin begin 1:33:43 into the brodcast.

Front Page story in Anchorage Daily News!

"I'm very confident that a pregnant woman should not and doesn't have to be prohibited from doing anything, including running for vice president."

-Sarah Palin

---

This week has certainly been a roller coaster for us, but we're coming out of it stronger than ever. In fact, our movement was the lead story on the front page of today's Anchorage Daily News. Not just the website, mind you, the print edition too. Yes, I was interviewed and have a few quotes, but there are a few other pieces of info that I would also like to direct your attention to:

First, the comment that I quoted at the beginning of this post should shoot down any thoughts that Palin would be withdrawing her name from consideration based on her pregnancy (which will be over before McCain chooses his running mate anyway). I agree with her totally and am taking that comment as a go-ahead to continue our efforts at full speed. The Draft Palin Movement is here to stay, and any rumors of our demise were extremely premature.

Second, the article gives us some good perspective on how we need to focus our efforts in the future. There was no dispute that Gov. Palin is exactly the type of leader that the Republican Party is hungry for. However, there were some questions raised about whether she was "Presidential" enough to be a heartbeat away from the White House and whether she was being considered only because she was young and female. Therefore, our top priority must be to present Gov. Palin as a potential President, and not merely a representative of the future. This means moving away from away from arguments about the need for fresh leadership and focusing like a laser beam on Gov. Palin as an individual. We will have to emphasize her mental toughness, the efficiency with which she is rooting out corruption, her and her long executive resume.

We are no longer selling the mere idea of putting a fresh face on the ticket (we have already won that argument). Instead, we are selling the much narrower and more personal concept of "President Palin", an idea that I think people will like very much once they know the details of the Governor's qualifications.

Palin leading GOPShoppe "Button Poll"

Buy Your McCain-Palin button now!

GOPShoppe.com is running an "Button Poll" for the Vice Presidential nomination by selling McCain campaign buttons featuring 14 different potential running mates. So, not only are they selling McCain-Palin buttons ($3.00), they are clocking and posting how many buttons they sell for each potential VP. As of now, Gov. Palin is LEADING with 17.80% of the vote. Mitt Romney is second with 16.10% and Haley Barbour is third with 12.29%.

For the record, the other 11 contestants are Gov Charlie Crist (FL), Sen. Lindsey Graham (SC), Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, Rep. Duncan Hunter (CA), Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX), Gov. Tim Pawlenty (MN), Gov. Rick Perry (TX) , Gov. Mark Sanford (SC), Michael Steele, and Sen. John Thune (SD). So, if you have $3.00 to spare, be sure to buy a button and help keep Gov. Palin on top. Besides, who wouldn't want one of those amazing buttons?

Disclaimers: There are horrendous shipping charges if you live outside the lower 48 (which is a big concern for us). GOPShoppe is not the official vendor for the McCain campaign, but they are obviously a reputable organization as they were the official vendor for the 2000 GOP convention and both of President Bush's inaugurations.

Gov. Palin expecting!

For those of you who aren't in Alaska and haven't heard yet, Gov. Palin announced today that she is seven months pregnant with her fifth child (how she hid it for that long is beyond me). We would like to extend our warmest congratulations to the Palin family.

What this means for our movement: Gov. Palin is due in May, meaning that the littlest Palin will likely be two months old by the time Sen. McCain makes VP choice (traditionally these things are done in around July, especially considering the Democrats' drawn-out primary). Obviously we will be watching this situation very closely, but as of now there are no plans to change our operations in any way.

More V.P. Musings from Gov. Palin

Gov. Palin gave a great interview on Monday to the Los Angeles television station KTLA (she was in L.A. for a conference on women in leadership), and of course the anchors led off with questions about a potential run for the Vice Presidency. Personally, I think she did a fantastic job, not only with the VP questions, but also discussing energy issues and women in leadership.

Click here to watch.

"Obamamania" no match for "The Palin Effect"

Before getting into the nuts and bolts of this column, I would be remiss if I did not thank Rush Limabaugh for all of the help he has given to our movement in the last few days. Mega dittos, El Rushbo!

Now for the actual column.

There has been a lot of talk lately saying that Gov. Palin would be a good VP nominee only if Hillary Clinton comes back to win the Democratic nomination. However, I actually think that the Governor would be even better against a ticket led by Barack Obama, a belief that I held long before the Senator from Illinois became the Dems’ frontrunner. I persevered in this effort because I thought that Palin would also be a very effective choice against Clinton, but I am absolutely ecstatic that we now have the opportunity to put her up against an Obama-led ticket.

Here’s why: Sarah Palin is, in my opinion, a very similar candidate to Barack Obama in terms of her demeanor, youth, message of hope, and massive popularity. The difference is that Palin actually has close to a decade of experience as an executive in state and local government. She has actually PRODUCED change. Obama, on the contrary, has never been an executive. Gov. Palin has built an impressive record of accomplishments during her years in government, while Obama subsists mainly on his oratory skills…and I will take that matchup any day of the week.

If what I’ve heard during the last year has been any indication, the main criticism leveled at Palin in a Vice Presidential campaign would be that she is “inexperienced” based on her relatively short time as Governor. I actually like this criticism because it is easily refuted by listing all of the major proposals that Palin has passed in the last year (ethics reform, AGIA, ACES, etc.) Any shots taken at Palin’s short gubernatorial tenure will boomerang back to the less-experienced Obama and smack him in the face. Furthermore, if Obama picks an experienced old hand for VP (which he probably will), the McCain-Palin campaign could easily claim that the Democrats have their ticket upside-down!

I don’t believe in identity politics - which is why I supported putting up Palin against Clinton, even though it might not impact the female vote. However, from a purely practical standpoint, running a woman makes far more sense if the opposition is running an all-male ticket. Had I been more Machiavellian in this regard, I would have supported running an African-American VP against Hillary and saving a female VP for the off-chance that Obama might win. Yet, now it appears that picking a candidate on principle could also lead us into the best possible situation with regard to demographics.

Governor Palin is the perfect candidate to take on Barack Obama. She’s a fresh face with a message of hope, but she has the record to back it up. On top of that, her popularity among Alaskans (over 80% approval) reaches levels that would flabbergast even the Obama machine. Dimitri Vassilaros, a columnist for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, gave me my first media interview last summer (boy, was I nervous for that one. Still the harshest questions I’ve gotten to date, and most of my better answers didn’t make print). Anyway, his column coined the term “The Palin Effect” to describe the impact that the Governor can have on people. I think he was spot on in using that phrase, because Palin is one of the few leaders who can create not only a base of support, but an electoral phenomenon. And personally, I think that the Palin Effect just might be the antidote to Obamamania.

Palin: I'm Interested.

Gov. Palin tells The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza that she is interested in national office in the future. She doubts that she will be picked this year, but with the increasing buzz around her name, we think that she just might have to "make that decision" sooner rather than later. This video has gone up on a number of big time blogs due to Palin's blunt honesty aout national office. it is also getting noticed that she calls on other potential VP's to be honest about their willingness to serve on a ticket. I will have to disagree with Mr. Cillizza's argument that Palin (or any woman) would be considered only if Hillary Clinton wins the nomination. I hope to comment soon about why I think Palin might be even more effective against Obama than she would be against Clinton. So, stay tuned.

American Spectator, John Fund suggest Palin for VP!

That was the homepage at the website of The American Spectator this morning. You can the full article promoting Gov. Palin for VP by clicking here. In addition to this, I have also been able to confirm that Wall Street Journal columnist John Fund said in a speech this weekend to the Leadership Program of the Rockies that Gov. Palin would be "one of the best" VP choices for Sen. McCain. Hopefully we'll be seeing a lot more of these stories in the coming weeks. (Note: These stories should not be viewed as endorsements, as they are not. But we are very happy to see them.)

Radio Appearance

Lastly, I will be appearing on Political Pistachio. tonight at 10:00 PM Eastern/7:00 PM Pacific (click here to listen) to discuss Gov. Palin's VP prospects. Be sure to tune in, as I will be talking about some exciting developments.

Action Alert: Palin excluded from Newsmax VP poll!

We have a crucial opportunity to make our voices heard, and we must take it. Newsmax.com (a major conservative news source) posted a poll today regarding John McCain's VP pick and FAILED to include Gov. Palin in its list of 16 candidates. This despite her repeated placement near the top of almost every online poll in which she is included (including the RealClearPolitics "Veepstakes!"). This presents us with a golden opportunity to prove just how much support Palin actually has by flooding Newsmax with our own "votes" via email.

Please send your "votes" for Gov. Palin to Newmax's Editor (click here) and Webmaster (click here) along with requests that Gov. Palin be added to the main poll based on her online base of support (be sure to mention all of the recent media mentions posted on the blog). Please remember to keep your comments civil.

Lastly, please forward this post to your friends. We will not view this as a setback, but rather an opportunity. Newmax's faux pas provides us with a golden chance to let the world know that there is a lot of support for a Palin nomination.

As backup for our argument that Gov. Palin must be included in polls for the VP nomination here is a linked list of major blogs and news oultets who have recently mentioned (or in some cases supported) the idea. By "recently", I mean within the last two weeks.

1. Slublog at Ace of Spades HQ
2. Instapundit
3. Brian Faughnan of The Weekly Standard
4. Samantha Sault, also of The Weekly Standard
5. Brandon Barker of AOL News' Political Machine
6. Lisa Schiffren of National Review
7. Ross Douthat of The Atlantic
8. Dena Bunis of The Orange County Register
9. The Times of India
10. Ray Mickol of Associated Content