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.