Palin: Images, Symbols, Attitudes, Winning

PLEASE SIGN JOHN MCCAIN'S PETITION OPPOSING THE CURRENT, BLOATED STIMULUS BILL. (Scroll down below the Palin pictures.)

In the previous column (scroll down), I talked about super-strategist Lee Atwater -- who engineered wins by Ronald Reagan in 1984 and George H.W. Bush in 1988. Atwater believed that issues and opinions were secondary with voters. What counted most were attitudes, ones based on emotional responses to candidates. He said that images (such as pictures and videos) and symbols were crucial in forming attitudes. Later today (below the pictures), I'll be discussing images and symbols and how they can help Gov. Sarah Palin win the presidency in 2012. Consider the pictures below of Gov. Palin and what they say about her. She's NOT a frail woman. And she's a wife and mother, first, last, and always. She's a person of great character and strong values. Most of all, "she's one of us," which should be her campaign slogan. If you want to know what separates winners from losers in politics, I urge you to read a brilliant biography by John Brady:Politics Bad Boy: The Life and Politics of Lee Atwater.

Sign petition opposing stimulus bill - It's quick and easyhttp://www.countryfirstpac.com/petition/economic.aspx

John McCain Sponsors Petition Protesting Bloated Stimulus Planhttp://purplepeoplevote.com/2009/02/03/john-mccain-sponsors-petition-protesting-bloated-stimulus-plan/

Senator McCain sent an email to supporters explaining his opposition to the current emergency economic stimulus package stating that…

Yesterday, the Senate began debate on an economic stimulus package that is intended to get our economy back on track and help Americans who are suffering through these difficult times. Unfortunately, the proposal on the table is big on the giveaways for the special interests and corporate high rollers, yet short on help for ordinary working Americans. I cannot and do not support the package on the table from the Democrats and the Obama Administration.

Our country does not need just another spending bill, particularly not one that will load future generations with the burden of massive debt. We need a short term stimulus bill that will directly help people, create jobs, and provide a jolt to our economy.

He further explains the myriad of problems with this bloated stimulus package and asks for people to sign a petition to voice their disapproval of this bill.

Sign Vote No On The Stimulus Package Petitionhttp://www.countryfirstpac.com/petition/economic.aspx

Camile Paglia Admires The Palins

One chapter in the book I'm writing (with help from other very talented people) about Sarah Palin will deal with feminists who strongly support the Governor and see her a role model for American women. They include Elaine Lafferty, the former Ms. Magazine editor who called Sarah a "feminist' and a "brainiac"; Shelley Mandell, the president of the Los Angeles chapter of NOW, who endorsed Sarah in a Carson, CA event (to the dismay of the tree-dwelling segment of NOW) by saying, "This [Sarah] is what a feminist looks like"; and the remarkable Camille Paglia, who voted for Obama, but has paradoxically been Sarah's strongest defender. Paglia wrote the following on October 8, 2008, about Gov. Palin:

"The mountain of rubbish poured out about Palin over the past month would rival Everest. What a disgrace for our jabbering army of liberal journalists and commentators, too many of whom behaved like snippy jackasses…One of the most idiotic allegations batting around out there among urban media insiders is that Palin is "dumb." Are they kidding? What level of stupidity is now par for the course in those musty circles? People who can't see how smart Palin is are trapped in their own narrow parochialism-the tedious, hackneyed forms of their upper-middle-class syntax and vocabulary…I admire her competitive spirit and her exuberant vitality, which borders on the supernormal…both Todd and Sarah Palin…have emerged as powerful new symbols of a revived contemporary feminism. That the macho Todd, with his champion athleticism and working-class creed, can so amiably cradle babies and care for children is a huge step forward in American sexual symbolism."

Please also pass along the following link to Paglia's extended (and brilliant) analysis of the character, values, and socia significance of Sarah Palin:

http://www.blogrunner.com/snapshot/D/0/9/camille_paglia_on_sarah_palin_barack_obama_joe_biden_and_more/

Bristol Palin Gives Birth

Bristol Palin and finance Levi Johnston at the Republican National Convention. Photo by: huck Kennedy / MCT / Landov

Bristol Palin sitting with baby brother Trig in her lap and next to sister Piper. Congratulations to Bristol and Levi on the birth of a healthy son, Tripp Johnston.

Bristol Palin, the 18-year-old daughter of former Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, gave birth on Sunday to a healthy 7 lb., 4 oz., baby boy in Palmer, Alaska.

"We think it's wonderful," said Colleen Jones, the sister of Bristol's grandmother Sally Heath, who confirmed the news. "The baby is fine and Bristol is doing well. Everyone is excited."

The baby's name is Tripp Easton Mitchell Johnston, according to Jones.Baby Tripp takes his surname from his dad, Levi Johnston, an apprentice electrician and former Wasilla High School hockey player who has been dating Bristol for three years.

Bristol Palin is currently residing in Wasilla and completing her high-school diploma through correspondence courses.

Johnston is studying to become an electrician. He told the Associated Press in October that he and fiancée Bristol plan to wed in 2009 and raise the child together.

Bristol, the eldest of Sarah and Todd Palin's three daughters (the couple also have two sons), made headlines with her pregnancy last summer, shortly after Republican presidential candidate John McCain picked the Alaska governor to be his running mate on his party's ticket.

In a statement at the time, Bristol’s parents said their daughter "came to us with news that we as parents knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned." They added, Bristol "has our unconditional love and support."

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20245389,00.html

America's Couple: Todd, Sarah Palin

I hope you'll go to my brand-new blog and see some superb photos of Todd and Sarah Palin. Tomorrow morning (Tuesday), I'll be writing about Pennsylvania and why I believe McCain-Palin will win the state in a very close race. Above are some samples of the photos you'll see at http://draftpalin2012.blogspot.com/.

Hillary Clinton Versus Sarah Palin

As the world rightly focuses on the McCain-Obama contest, a battle is shaping up behind the scene -- one that pits two powerful women -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Gov. Sarah Heath Palin -- against one another. Why is Sarah Palin the woman the Democrats fear most? I'll try to answer that today (Sunday). If you scan through the previous columns, you'll find comments on both women.

Gov. Sarah Heath Palin welcoming home Alaskan soldiers who fought in Iraq. Gov. Palin's son, Track, age 18, is an infantry soldier in the U.S. Army.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton giving her concession speech on Saturday, June 10

Sarah Palin may very well be John McCain's choice for V-P on the Republican ticket. Barack Obama apparently doesn't want Hillary to be his V-P choice, but for purely political reasons he may choose her anyway.

Why do the Democrats fear the presence of Sarah Palin on the Republican ticket? In part, it's her legendary toughness (they don't call her "Sarah Barracuda" for no reason). But her main strength is her strong appeal to critical groups of voters. Consider:

Married women: Sarah's marriage to Todd Palin gives every evidence of being a model relationship. Sarah and Todd were childhood sweethearts, and they eloped shortly after she graduated from high school.

Young people: Sarah is only 44, and she exude youthfulness and energy. She has children ranging in age from 18 (son Track) to a few weeks (son Trig).

Military families: Sarah and Todd are a military family. Their son Track enlisted in the U.S. Army Infantry on September 11, 2007. It's extremely likely he will see combat duty in either Afghanistan or Iraq, or both.

Families with children: The Palins have five children, three of them teenagers, as well as daughter Piper, age 7, and baby Trig (a Norwegian name).

Reagan Democrats: Palin has the highest approval ratings of any major elected official in the U.S. -- in the 90% range. That means she's gained approval from the vast majority of Democrats.

Women professionals (journalists, teachers, nurses, doctors, lawyers, and businesswomen): Sarah is the consummate female professional, having served as Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, and as governor of the state. Her college degree is in journalism. Her parents both served as public school teachers.

Working families: Sarah's husband, Todd, has labored his entire adult life as a commercial fisherman and an oil field production worker. The couple's links to working families go far beyond the usual political rhetoric.

Gun owners: Sarah is an avid hunter and a life-member of the National Rifle Association.

Pro-Life social conservatives: When Sarah found out that her unborn son, Trig, had Down Syndrome, she and her husband elected to have the child. Her point was that God has a purpose for every human being. When Trig was born, the Palins' press release began with thse word, "God has blessed us . . . ." The fascinating point was that they meant every word of it.

Evangelical Christians: Sarah is an evangelical Christian. However, she doesn't wear her religious faith on her sleeve. She is not anti-gay and does not scapegoat people who disagree with her.

People concerned about energy and the environment: As governor of Alaska, Sarah is among the best-informed elected officials on both issues. She's head of the energy committee at the Republican Governors Association and is a strong advocate of level-headed conservation of natural resources.

Overall, there's no other Republican that brings more to the table than Sarah Palin. She has exceptionally wide appeal. She would help John McCain with many groups with which he's currently weak (including young people and women professionals).

Of supreme importance: Sarah could be particularly helpful in battleground states with large numbers of working class voters, including Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan.

In 2012 (if Obama wins this year or if McCain elects to serve just one term) or 2016, the presidential face-off could pit Sarah Palin against Hillary Clinton. One imagines that it would be a battle royal.

Note: I hope everyone will visit my Hillary Supporters for McCain column. It contains a guest column by a Black woman from North Carolina -- a Hillary supporter -- who is now strongly backing McCain.

American Politics: The Real "Skinny"

By 4:30 p.m. today ET I'd had 259 visitors (wow) and nearly 400 hits. The old record was 257. You may just have set the new one. Thanks. I do believe you can find information here that isn't available elsewhere. The beautiful woman below (Sarah Palin) may just be America's first woman President (2012 or 2016)
Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska with husband Todd and newborn son "Trig"

Will you be reading about any of this on the national media? Nope. Please tell your friends and family that this site exists . . . Thanks . . .

The McCain Campaign: Early in the game, the campaign is not exactly a "well-oiled machine." It is still having problems raising the necessary funds. The Senator still needs a top-flight speechwriter (I've suggested myself, since I've written successfully for CEOs at 10 of America's top 50 companies). Some of the people on the McCain payroll proceed under the illusion that they can ask congressional candidates for support -- without providing them them with the same. That will never, ever happen. Things will get better, mainly because they must. Good news? The unofficial campaign is proceeding very well, picking up tens of thousands of supporters. Please join that unofficial efforts at http://mccainnow.com/.

Congressional Candidates: If the McCain Campaign has difficulties, the NRCC (National Republican Congressional Committee) is a disaster. It's under the leadership of Oklahoma Representative Tom Cole, who has a defeatist mentality. The NRCC sees its major function as pouring millions into candidates who shouldn't be running for office in the first place. They delight in financing candidates who should be able to generate their own money. There will have to be changes in the leadership of the NRCC -- and, frankly, the RNC (Republican National Committee). Those changes will take place shortly after November 4, 2008.

Sarah Palin for V-P Effort: This is very much a good news story. Sarah Palin probably has a 50-50 chance of getting the V-P nod from John McCain. Almost two years ago, Adam Brickley, a 21-year-old college student in Colorado Springs started the "Draft Palin" movement. I was the second person Adam signed up, and I worked my tail off to bring more people on board. At first, Adam -- a model of what tenacious activism can accomplish -- had to explain to people who Gov. Palin was. Now, in the past two weeks, many important bloggers have endorsed Sarah (including "Flap," The Anchoress, The Catskill Commentator, and numerous others). Yesterday, Adam's site -- http://palinforvp.blogspot.com/ -- received 5,000 hits, a monumental number. (It took this site a year-and-a-half to get 40,000 hits. If you want to support Sarah -- and many of you do -- go to MSNBC's "Veepstakes" site and vote for her in the cable channel's "Veepstakes." http://www.msnbc.msn.com/

The Hillary Clinton Soap Opera: It was Sigmund Freud who posed the famous question: "What does a woman want?" On my Hillary Supporters for McCain site, I attempt daily to figure out what's on Mrs. Clinton's mind. This Saturday she's supposedly going to endorse Barack Obama in a display of "party unity." I'll believe it when I see it. Senator Clinton has repeatedly made the point that point that Obama is not "ready" (i.e., qualified) to be President. Is something going to change in the next few days to make him ready? Please visit my Hillary site for updates on the continuing political soap opera.

"Operation Pennsylvania": On my Pennsylvania blog, I'm doing my darndest to get people around the nation (and the world) to "adopt" some outstanding Pennsylvania congressional candidates. The effort is expanding beyond Pennsylvania (see below), and I'm getting help from many significant bloggers around the country, including Kathy Morrison (NH), Sharon Caliendo (OK), Jean Avery (Washington), Rajan Vaish (computer genius from India), Jim Fryar (Australian mining engineer), Brad Marston (MA), Beth Cleavere (AL), Ted Mol (MA), Tym Machine (Montreal) and numerous others. Pennsylvania is going to be a major battleground state in the presidential and congressional elections. (I'll write more soon about the "internationalizing" of the McCain effort.)

Dana Walsh "Adoption" Campaign: In San Francisco, two of the candidates for the congressional seat there are Cindy Sheehan and Nancy Pelosi, the twin "Witches of the West." The Republican candidate is Dana Walsh, and she needs your backing, your prayers . . . and your money (small amounts or large). Please visit her web site at: http://danawalshforcongress.com/.
The material you're going to see here is unlike any you'll see on other blogs. The national media? It's hopeless, providing little insight into what's happening in America. Remember, your contribution to congressional candidate Dana Walsh can strike a blow for the real America.

Sarah Palin: First Female President?

Note: I sent the following message to several Republican congressional candidates I'm working with this year. Please pass it on to congressional candidates in your area. Thanks.

Bulletin for Republican congressional candidates and supporters: In KY exit polls are showing that two-thirds of Clinton voters are saying they will not vote for Obama in the General Election. Forty-one percent are saying they will vote for McCain.That's why I'm asking candidates and supporters to say, "A vote for my opponent is a vote for Barack Obama." That is not the conventional wisdom, but the conventional wisdom is wrong in this case. Tie yourself and your campaign to John McCain. (Please be kind enough to go Congressional Quarterly -- link below -- and vote for Gov. Sarah Palin (scroll down).

Will this woman, Alaska Gov. Sarah Heath be America's first female President? And will this man, Todd Palin, holding their new baby, Trig, be America's "First Dude?" There is a good chance John McCain will name her as his vice-presidential running mate. Please vote for her in the Congressional Quarterly "V-P Madness" poll (see below)

Palin Fans:

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!!!!!-- Adam Brickley

Founder, "Draft Sarah Palin for Vice President"

palinforvp.blogspot.com

Note from Steve: Adam Brickley, a 21-year-old college student (who's graduating this week in Colorado Springs) is the finest young political operative in the country. Please cast your ballot for Sarah, a pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, pro-military, pro-integrity woman who just might be "Mt. Rushmore material."

Gov. Sarah Palin: America's Hope

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, where she delivered the Keynote Address, but flew back to Alaska 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"

NOTE: A friend and fellow Palin supporter from Alaska informs me that among the “special challenges” is the fact that Trig Palin has Downs Syndrome.

Like so many other people who believe Sarah Palin has the potential to be a great vice-president – and ultimately a great President – I continue to urge John McCain to select her as his running mate.

Trig Palin is very lucky to have two such superb people as Todd and Sarah Palin as his parents. All the best to the entire Palin family.

Sarah Palin Versus Hillary Clinton

I do have comments on the breaking story about Gov. Eliot Spitzer, but for now I'd just like to say that it was shameful for him to haul his wife out there -- apparently seeking some kind of public sympathy. I have always regarded Eliot Spitzer as a self-righteous phony. His wife and three daughters have my total emotional and spiritual support. We need to get people like him out of office and people like Gov. Palin in. The Republican Governors Association has called on him to resign. Sarah is a member of that Association.


Sarah Palin, dressed for speaking outside in Alaska weather. I'm delighted by the many visitors I'm getting from Alaska, including several visits from Wasilla, Sarah's hometown. I'll be writing tomorrow about why Sarah, who's under serious consideration as John McCain's running mate would herself make an excellent President of the United States. In my other site dedicated to Pennsylvania, I will talk about why Sarah would have special appeal to those in the Keystone State. She reminds me a lot of my friend Diana Lynn Irey, who ran in 2006 against the odious John Murtha. We need people in national office who are curious, ambitious, smart, and pillars of integrity. Sarah fits that definition. We're talking Mt. Rushmore material here. Come back tomorrow to find out more about Sarah.

If you're interesting now in learning more about Sarah and her career, read the Wikipedia article about her. Wikipedia has a great picture of Sarah as a point guard on her high school's state campionship basketball team.

Picture of Sarah Palin and her husband Todd. Children are, from left, Piper, now 6, Willow, now 13, and Bristol, now 17. Missing from the picture is son Track, now 18 and an infantryman in the U.S. Army. Sarah is now 7 months pregnant with her fifth child. "Or working in the home or out of the home. The world is our oyster also, whether carrying a baby

"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. Or working in the home or out of the home. The world is our oyster also, whether carrying a baby. "-Sarah Palin

(Sarah, I agree completely with your statement. When John McCain shows the wisdom to name you (Sarah) as his running mate, you will have to deal with some creepy thugs such as the man below (KSM), and you have the courage, integrity, and life experience to do so. In the fullness of time, you will be a great President of our country. On the campaign trail, you can and will outperform Senators Clinton and Obama at every turn. Go for it, lady!)) -- Steve Maloney

The following is a note I sent to fellow McCain supporters regarding Hillary Clinton. My comments were inspired by Andrew Sullivan's fine column on Bill and Hillary.

That is a totally remarkable -- and accurate -- column by Andrew Sullivan on the Clintons as an American Horror Story. Later today, I'll be writing a column (adding to one actually) about Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, the anti-Hillary. Sarah has four children and is pregnant with a fifth. She recently noted (correctly) that fact shouldn't disqualify her from running for vice-president on a ticket with John McCain.

Hillary Clinton talks about her great compassion for working men and women. Sarah's husband has been a commercial fisherman and an oil field production worker. Hillary talks about working mothers. Sarah is one. Hillary talks about the need for a "village" (i.e., government involvement) in raising children. Sarah and her husband have done just fine with raising their own four (soon to be five) children.

Hillary talks about how we are supposed to revere "our troops" (unless that troop happens to be General Petraeus. Sarah is the mother of an 18 year old infantry solider who enlisted with his best friend in the Army on 9/11/2007. Frankly, the chances of a Chelsea Clinton or the Obama daughters ever serving in the military are about the same as their choosing careers as pole dancers.

Sarah is someone who's resigned positions in protest over ethics violations by members of her own party. Hillary (and Obama for that matter) have done nothing of the kind. Sarah has the lowest "negatives" of any elected official in the country. Hillary has the highest -- and Obama is working hard to elevate his.Hillary regularly denounces the "oil companies." Sarah has stood up to them and rasied their state taxes in Alaska, as well as rejected their low-ball bids to build a natural gas pipeline from Alaska to the lower-48.

Granted, some people ask me how I can favor a relatively "inexperienced" (they mean "young") candidate who will be a heartbeat away from the presidency. In fact, Sarah has more executive experience than Obama and Clinton combined.

She's an American Success Story and, God willing, she will be President of the U.S. someday . . . relatively soon one hopes.

Here's the link to Andrew Sullivan's superb column on the Clintons: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/andrew_sullivan/article3510778.ece

Note: The column below regards the ugly gentleman below and the lame responses of Obama and Senator Clinton to the threats posed by al Qaeda.

Khalid Sheik Muhammed, architect of 9/11 and many other murderous acts -- and, in his own weird way, an "agent of change. As I explain below, candidate Obama apparently believes people like Khalid are illusions spread by the Bush Administration.

Why Obama Inspires Fear

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself . . . nameless, unreasoning fear." (Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1932 Inaugural Address)

"Senator McCain will bring a lifetime of experience. I will bring a lifetime of experience. Senator Obama will bring a speech that he gave in 2002 [against the proposed legislation authorizing the use of force in Iraq]." (Recent statement by Senator Hillary Clinton)

As you may have noticed, Barack Obama likes to criticize his rivals -- Hillary Clinton and John McCain -- for supposedly using the "fear card." In fact, Obama makes me fearful because of his unwillingness to comprehend the world in which we live -- one where a certain amount of fear is justified. As FDR suggested long ago, the kind of fear we can do without is the "nameless, unreasoning" kind -- not the type that has names and a clear rationale.

The names of the fear factors that concern most Americans are: al Qaeda, bin Laden, Zawihiri, and Islamic terrorism. Americans are afraid, justifiably, that there will be another 9/11 type event, one that will result in the deaths of thousands of Americans -- and perhaps tens of thousands.

On the rationale: such fears are justified by what has occurred in recent years. Al Qaeda has not gone out of business. The organization is continuing to train terrorists whose main function is to kill Americans and other Westerners, especially civilians not able to kill or capture mass murderers.

In the simplest terms, the (justifiable) fear is al Qaeda, and the reason for the fear is that they've done it before -- and are sworn to do it again. The fear is neither namelss nor unreasoning. If you smell gas in your house, it's perfectly okay to be afraid -- and to act on that fear.

Of course, Senator Obama derides campaigns -- Mrs. Clinton's and Senator McCain's -- that he claims are based on unreasonable fear. Of course, if 9/11 (and many other attacks throughout the world) had not occurred, Obama might have a point.

Why does he take the approach that his opponents are fear-mongers? Mainly because he has no national security experience and no real grasp of what motivates the bin Ladens of the world. Perhaps he believes al Qaeda's hatred of the Western world is based on some misunderstanding that he, as President, would be able to rectify. He's dead wrong.

In the weeks ahead, I expect Hillary Clinton and her associates will do great political harm to Obama. The one chance Clinton has to win will be to establish Obama as someone unfit to be President -- and essentially unelectable in a race against an American hero like John McCain.

Some voters like Obama for various reasons, including, according to polls, his race. But does anyone seriously argue that he should be the one answering that momentous 3 a.m. phone call? If so, why? It's becoming clear that he's little more than a silver-tongued lightweight. He think the invasion of Saddam's Iraq was a colossal mistake, but he think invading our ally Pakistan makes a lot of sense.

The coming months should be an enjoyable period for McCain and other Republicans. Pass the popcorn and soda as we watch Hillary eviscerate Barack.

Sarah Palin: Pathway to Presidency

Sarah Palin and her husband Todd with Ina Boucher, Alaska's "Teacher of the Year."

There are many Americans (and I'm one) who think that Gov. Sarah Palin, who recently announced that she's seven months pregnant, needs to do to win the presidency in 2012 or 2016. Of course, one thing she could "do" is to get the Republican nomination for the vice-presidency, but that's beyond her capacity to control. Does she want to become President? You betcha! The following are my thoughts on the steps she should take.

Realizing that we Republicans are underdogs in 2008 and that Sarah Palin would dearly love to be President of these United States . . .

There are many things Sarah (and backers) need to do, including her establishing a Political Action Committee (PAC) designed to help Republican candidates in 2008, 2010, and 2012. Learing how to raise large sums of money will be beneficial when she wages a national campaign.

She also needs to do what is necessary to make the Keynote Speech at the Republican Convention in Minneapolis -- remembering that Obama's address in 2004 was his launching pad for his presidential campaign. The Keynote Speech is essential, and she must make it a barn-burner, perhaps with a theme like the following: "Stand Up America for all that's good and right about our country."

If possible, her son, Track, a U.S. Army Infantry Soldier, should be there in uniform. At the conclusion of the remarks, her entire family should be on the stage. Track is part of the "Sarah Narrative," because he joined the Army on 9/11/2007.

She also needs to do a book (one with lots of pics of Todd, Track, Baby Palin, little Piper, Bristol, and Willow ). It could/should be an "as told to" kind of book with a professional writer, perhaps someone a lot like super-blogger S J Reidhead or even yours truly. The book would be one of many ways she can introduce herself to the American people. It could be reissued in 2011, with new chapters.

Sarah likes to play a coy role when it comes to national office, but she must shed that tendency. The way to win the presidential nomination is to seize it with both hands. Thus, she has to decide this year if she wants the presidency enough to go after it with every fiber of her being.

She should talk to a diverse group of people who can provide good advice about what's necessary for her to wage a winning campaign. Some of those individuals should be significant Republicans including pollster Frank Luntz, Charlie Black (veteran of many campaigns and now working with Senator McCain), and Karl Rove. The latter can tell her what elements of his strategy (heavy on bringing out evangelicals) work and which need modification.

She also has to reach out to some people who are not yet household names but know a lot about contemporary political realities. One of those people should be Adam Brickley, from Colorado Springs, who launched the amazing Draft Sarah Palin Movement. Adam is a fount of good sense when it comes to practical politics. Sarah also could benefit from a discussion with Sharon Caliendo of Norman, Oklahoma, a woman who's a marvellous organizer and knows everything about Oklahoma and Texas politics.

Cindy Reidhead, mentioned above, is a person who can tell Sarah all there is to know about online politics. People with high-traffic blogs, and that includes Cindy, know the other high-traffic blogs, which are very helpful in launching viral marketing efforts.

People like Sharon, Adam, and Cindy are critical because Sarah is going to need a massive volunteer effort. Alaska is not the greatest place to raise big money.

In that regard, I hope Sarah and Carly Fiorina (Republican fundraiser and former CEO of Hewlett-Packard), who can raise lots of cash, become "new best friends." Conducting a national campaign is a lot like running a big business, and Carly knows all about that.

There are many factors in American politics, including the increased importance of Independents, that are working in Sarah's favor. She has none of the negatives associated with someone like Hillary Clinton. She has all the positives -- and more -- of someone like Ronald Reagan. She could be a big winner in a national election.

Sarah, please begin the quest today. When your son and his friend left for infantry training, you told them, "We have your backs." In the case of your run for the presidency, we have yours.

Why Obama Should Make You Fearful

(Beginning of Tomorrow's Column)

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself . . . nameless, unreasoning fear." (Franklin D. Roosevelt)

"Senator McCain will bring a lifetime of experience. I will bring a lifetime of experience. Senator Obama will bring a speech that he gave in 2002 [against the federal legislation authorizing the use of force in Iraq]." Recent statement by Senator Clinton

As you may have noticed, Barack Obama likes to criticize his rivals -- Hillary Clinton and John McCain -- for supposedly using the "fear card." In fact, Obama makes me fearful because of his unwillingness to comprehend the world in which we live -- one where a certain amount of fear is justified.

As FDR suggested long ago, the kind of fear we can do without is the "nameless, unreasoning" kind -- not the type that has a name and a clear rationale. (More to come)

Urgent Message for Sarah Palin

Note: The main column for today, about Gov. Sarah Palin, is below this one.

I'd like to appeal to Gov. Palin, who apparently does read this blog regularly, to avoid making any precipitous decision about not accepting the vice-presidential nod. Please go to your meeting with John McCain and listen to what he has to say. McCain needs you, and so does your country. You have an excellent chance of becoming this nation's first female President.

The following link is from Alaska TV features Gov. Palin about her recently announced pregnancy and her interest in national office. I urge you to take a look at this remarkable woman, America's most popular elected official, discussing her future. http://www.aksuperstation.com/news/16320496.html?video=pop&t=a

Sarah, congratulations to you, Todd, and your family on the impending birth of your fifth child. (We have five daughters and think it's a great number.)

JOHN MCCAIN: CHOOSE SARAH PALIN!

My friend Cindy in New Mexico, whose main blog is ThePinkFlamingo, one of the most popular sites on the Net, has written a remarkable essay recommending that John McCain choose as his vice-presidential nominee Govenor Sarah Heath Palin of Alaska. Her essay appeared at BlogCritics.org, and the link is here.

I urge everyone to go to the essay and leave a comment.

As you may know, Gov. Palin, who celebrated her 44th birthday on Feb. 11, recently announced that she is 7 months pregnant, news that amazed everyone, including her staff. Cindy's argument is that her pregnancy should make her an even more attractive V-P nominee. Sarah now has four children, including a boy, Track, who's an infantry soldier in the U.S. Army.

I've reprinted Cindy's essay following this paragraph. I'll comment on it at the end of this column. I hope you'll read the material below, because it's some of the most important that's ever appeared on this blog.

Why Isn't New Mommy Sarah Palin Qualified To Be Vice President?
By S. J. Reidhead

Right now you are very fortunate that I have given up profanity for Lent. While I was reading my usual sources this morning, low and behold I discovered a certain conservative male on a very reasonable site which is political but fair to both sides of the aisle. I must also add that it is one of my ‘must read’ sites every day.

Oy (and that’s not profanity)...Lo and hehold (no profanity please), some Neanderthal wrote on the site that Sarah Palin, the very competent and very pregnant (seven months) governor of Alaska is probably out of the running for VP because she will be a new Mommy and would probably want to stay home with baby (no profanity please – it’s Lent)!
I must also disclose that I am a fan of Governor Palin and have advocated for her potential as a VP right here at Blogcritics.If Governor Palin were a new, first-time Mommy I might give some credence to that mindset simply because she would need time to get adjusted to the whole situation.

But Governor Palin is expecting her fifth – count ‘em – fifth child. Sarah and Todd’s oldest son Track is 18 and serving our country. Their daughters are Bristol, 17, Willow, 13, and Piper, 6. I think Governor Palin’s been there and done that. Considering her age, she has had all the proper tests and everything evidently looks very good. She even knows the gender of the baby but is not telling. She knows what she is doing.

What better way for my beloved GOP to show how beautifully modern and progressive we truly are than to facilitate and encourage John McCain, our nominee, to select Sarah Palin as his choice for Vice President?

Baby Palin is not expected to make an appearance until mid-May, which is plenty of time for Mommy and baby to bond.Proclaimed “America’s Hottest Governor” by an understandably prejudiced Alaska Magazine, Palin is the perfect choice for VP.

Not only is she conservative, she is considered a “maverick” which would make her and GOP nominee John McCain a highly compatible duo. She was born in 1964 which would add just the right May/December touch to McCain’s seasoned 71.

Not only would she bring a much needed bundle of joy to the ticket, she would also bring her 90% approval rating along with her!What could be better? It is quite obvious we Republicans are going to have a serious financial deficit to deal with when it comes to fund raising. If Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee, he has nearly a hundred million dollar financial advantage over John McCain. Can you imagine the publicity her selection would generate? We’re talking F-R-E-E publicity, fawning and gurgling over a brand new baby Palin.

This is like one of those Ronco infomercials. It gets even better. Not only do you get ‘The Hottest Governor in the US’ with her 90% approval rating AND all that FREE publicity, you get even more. This is two for one here. Wait — not only is it two for one with Mommy and Baby, but you get even more — more, I tell you!

For just the addition of Sarah and Baby Palin you get the added advantage of completely mutilating the feminist movement!If Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee, Sarah Palin counters any feminist appeal Hillary Clinton might have. Having her on our ticket reeks of equal rights for all.

If Barack Obama is the nominee, just having Baby Palin on board helps cut into all his millions upon millions of dollars he can spend on advertising. If the Democrats manage to provide every Republican with their fantasy of a brokered convention with Al Gore waiting to step in as an alternative candidate, Sarah Palin can go to battle against his insane environmental policies.

You want family values? She has it.You want patriotism? She has it. Track Palin enlisted in the Army. He wants to head to Iraq. You want a ‘maverick’? She has it. She took out Alaska’s corrupt power structure.She doesn’t like special interests. She is something of an idealist. She has enough executive experience to appear young and fresh to counter anything the Obama campaign might throw at John McCain. She is a champion of ethics reform.

Have I mentioned that she is young (44) and pretty? Unfortunately, there are those, liberal and conservative alike, who now think just because the woman is pregnant she is disqualified to become the Vice President of the United States of America! Can you image such a Neanderthal thought process? (I want to apologize to any Neanderthal who might be offended by this politically incorrect slur upon their mental capacity.)

In a world where working mothers are celebrated (I personally stand with Dr. Laura on the subject), but want to be near baby, what could be a better arrangement? Surely my Republican counterparts cannot object to a VP discretely nursing a cute little baby in her EOB VP suite. Who could possibly complain if she brought baby to work? After all, a VP is whatever the President wants her to be.

Let’s follow the thought process here. We have new mommies who go off to war in Iraq and Afghanistan. No one says they can’t do that. Women have babies every day, and go back to work in situations where they must either put their children in day care, or leave them entirely to the graces of lest than optimal situations.

This would not be the situation with Baby Palin. The little tyke would have every advantage any baby in the world would have. He or she would be the most publicized baby since the birth of Prince William. The child would be a super-star, sucking up every iota of good will and free publicity a cash-starved Republican campaign needs.

Honestly, this would be enough to give any pregnant parent pause. Would Sarah and Todd Palin want to subject a new baby to this sort of publicity? We can only hope they will answer in the affirmative. After all, they’ve done a very good job of balancing politics and family thus far. Why not take it a step farther?

Seriously, as a woman and a loyal Republican, I find the very though that a woman who has recently given birth being excluded from the VP list insulting. Unless something goes wrong with the the whole process there is no reason for Sarah Palin not to be considered for such a position.

Who said a new mommy cannot be Vice President of the United States of America?
Steve says: The best site to learn more about Gov. Sarah Palin is at: http://palinforvp.blogspot.com/. It's the blog "home" of Adam Brickley, a 20-year-old college student in Colorado Springs who founded the Draft Palin Movement, one that's been incredibly successful in generating positive publicity for Mrs. Palin.

I've written many essays about Gov. Palin, who is one of the very few political figures who could provide real help to John McCain in his efforts to win the presidency. Sarah Palin has a great chance, in 2012 or 2016, to become America's first female President. By the way, she's the only current U.S. governor who has a child in the military.

PALIN: ALASKA'S WILDLY POPULAR GOVERNOR

Sarah, those of us who love and respect you are willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that someday you will be inaugurated as President of our beloved country. Keep up the great work! (Later today, I'll have some quotes from the article in Alaska.)

In the February issue of Vogue magazine, Sarah Palin is featured (along with Kansas Governor Kathleen Sibelius). Sarah is the mother of four children, three girls (Piper, Willow, and Bristol) and a boy, Track, 18, who is in the U.S. Army Infantry. Track enlisted on 9/11/2007. It's likely he will see service in Iraq or Afghanistan, or both.

Sarah's husband, Todd, is an oil field production worker on the North Slope oil field and formerly was a commercial fisherman. A hunter and outdoorswoman, Sarah is a life member of the NRA. Because of her extremely high popularity in Alaska, Sarah is known as "the nation's most popular elected official."

Increasingly, she's seen as a likely choice for the vice-presidential slot on the GOP's national ticket. She's an energy on energy, the environment, and climate change as it relates to Alaska.

There's news tonight that the campaign of Mike Huckabee is undergoing severe shortages of money. As I've written recently, the Huckabee Campaign suffers mainly from a chronic case of foot-in-the-mouth disease, both by Huckabee and his campaign supporters, including: Rev. Richard Rude of Iowa, who made anti-Catholic remarks and B-movie star Chuck Norris, who recently made offensive statements about John McCain's age. Huckabee's "waving" of the Confederate Flag in South Carolina was offensive to Black people and to just about anyone who believes in decency on the part of politicians. Also, his anti-Mormon remarks (saying that Mormons believe Jesus and Satan are 'brothers") were gratuitous. There's more, but you get the point.

The time has come for Huckabee to realize that he will win at most one more state: Arkansas. He should withdraw his candidacy. As for Huckabee getting the vice-presidential nod, any nominee who make such a choice should realize he will be running with an anvil around his neck.