Governor Sarah Palin plans to hit the campaign trail to stump for conservative issues and Republican, Independent and even Democrat candidates who share her values on limited government, strong defense and "energy independence:"
I will go around the country on behalf of candidates who believe in the right things, regardless of their party label or affiliation.
People are so tired of the partisan stuff — even my own son is not a Republican.
While pundits continue to debate the wisdom of her resignation, Palin remains popular among Republicans. In the following video, Gallup's Editor in Chief, Dr. Frank Newport, discusses the new Gallup poll and the fact that Palin's resignation did not did not affect most Americans' opinions of her:
Amid all the rampant uniformed and mostly unflattering speculation about why she chose to resign, Governor Palin explained on Facebook that her rationale "is about country" and a "higher calling":
How sad that Washington and the media will never understand; it’s about
country.
[. . .]
I shared with you yesterday my heartfelt and candid reasons for this
change; I’ve never thought I needed a title before one’s name to forge
progress in America. I am now looking ahead and how we can advance this
country together with our values of less government intervention,
greater energy independence, stronger national security, and
much-needed fiscal restraint.
You can read Palin's entire facebook message below.
Palin also went on the offensive against those spreading inaccurate and libelous tall tales about her resignation. The Governor's attorney, Thomas Van Flein, warned legal action may be taken against bloggers and publications that reprint fraudulent claims:
"To the extent several websites, most notably liberal Alaska blogger Shannyn Moore, are now claiming as 'fact' that Governor Palin resigned because she is 'under federal investigation' for embezzlement or other criminal wrongdoing, we will be exploring legal options this week to address such defamation.
This is to provide notice to Ms. Moore, and those who re-publish the defamation, such as Huffington Post, MSNBC, the New York Times and The Washington Post, that the Palins will not allow them to propagate defamatory material without answering to this in a court of law."
"I can say definitively I am aware of no criminal investigation whatsoever involving Sarah Palin. Zero."
The FBI's Alaska spokesman said their is no FBI investigation of Palin for her activities as governor, as mayor or in any other capacity.
Palin's Facebook message:
Happy 4th of July from Alaska! Today at 4:55pm
On this Independence Day, I am so very proud of all those who have chosen to serve our great nation and I honor their selflessness and the sacrifices of their families, too.
If I may, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the last 24 hours and share my thoughts with you.
First, I want to thank you for your support and hard work on the values we share. Those values led me to the decision my family and I made. Yesterday, my family and I announced a decision that is in Alaska’s best interest and it always feels good to do what is right. We have accomplished more during this one term than most governors do in two – and I am proud of the great team that helped to build these wonderful successes. Energy independence and national security, fiscal restraint, smaller government, and local control have been my priorities and will remain my priorities.
For months now, I have consulted with friends and family, and with the Lieutenant Governor, about what is best for our wonderful state. I even made a few administrative changes over that course in time in preparation for yesterday. We have accomplished so much and there’s much more to do, but my family and I determined after prayerful consideration that sacrificing my title helps Alaska most. And once I decided not to run for re-election, my decision was that much easier – I’ve never been one to waste time or resources. Those who know me know this is the right decision and obvious decision at that, including Senator John McCain. I thank him for his kind, insightful comments.
The response in the main stream media has been most predictable, ironic, and as always, detached from the lives of ordinary Americans who are sick of the “politics of personal destruction”. How sad that Washington and the media will never understand; it’s about country. And though it's honorable for countless others to leave their positions for a higher calling and without finishing a term, of course we know by now, for some reason a different standard applies for the decisions I make. But every American understands what it takes to make a decision because it’s right for all, including your family.
I shared with you yesterday my heartfelt and candid reasons for this change; I’ve never thought I needed a title before one’s name to forge progress in America. I am now looking ahead and how we can advance this country together with our values of less government intervention, greater energy independence, stronger national security, and much-needed fiscal restraint. I hope you will join me. Now is the time to rebuild and help our nation achieve greatness!
God bless you! And I look forward to making a difference – with you!
Carl Cameron runs down the Republican presidential contenders at the Conservative Political Action Conferenc ("CPAC").
Cameron's list includes: Governors Charlie Crist, Bobby Jindal, Sarah Palin, Tim Pawlenty, and Mark Sanford, and former Governors Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney.
At a news conference Wednesday with Bob McDonnell, Virginia’s 2009 Republican candidate for governor, Jindal was asked if he was interested in being president.
Bobby Jindal, the Louisiana governor the Washington Post calls "the Republican's version of Obama," visited Iowa last weekend. Jindal's Iowa trip ignited talk that the campaign for the 2012 Republican presidential has begun:
Already, a fierce fight is looming between him and other Republicans --
former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, who arrived in Iowa a couple of
days before him, and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who is said to be coming
at some point -- for the hearts of social conservatives.
The Post likens Governor Jindal to President-elect Obama:
Like the president-elect, Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana is young (37), accomplished (a Rhodes scholar) and, as the son of Indian immigrants, someone familiar with breaking racial and cultural barriers.
[. . .]
Jindal is, above all else, a political meteor, sharing Obama's
precocious skills for reaching the firmament in a hurry. It was just
four years ago, after losing a gubernatorial election, that he won
election to Congress, and only this year that he became Louisiana's
governor, the first nonwhite to hold the office since Reconstruction.
And now, 10 months into his first term, the talk of a presidential bid
is getting louder among his boosters.
[. . .]
Jindal is his own invention, in the mold of an Obama. Born in Louisiana
as Piyush Jindal to highly educated immigrants from India, he decided
as a young child to nickname himself "Bobby," after his favorite
character on the TV show "The Brady Bunch." Raised as a Hindu, he
converted to Catholicism while in college and later wrote a lengthy,
intimate story that provided a window on his religious evolution, in a
manner that fairly calls to mind Obama's books about his own grappling
with issues of self-identity. Success at Brown University and later at
Oxford University during his Rhodes years led to high-profile attention
in the power corridors of Louisiana and Washington.
Around the country, Republican players have taken notice of Jindal:
Steve Schmidt, the chief strategist of McCain's failed presidential bid, sees Jindal as the Republican Party's destiny."The question is not whether he'll be president, but when he'll be president, because he will be elected someday." The anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist believes, too, that Jindal is a certainty to occupy the White House, and conservative talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh has described him as "the next Ronald Reagan."
While in Cedar Rapids, Jindal claimed he only had one political race on his mind, but like Obama he talks of a new politics:
"I'm running for reelection to be
governor of Louisiana in 2011," he said. "I'm not running for any other
office."
[. . .]
"I want to be the best
governor I can be for the people of Louisiana. Look, I think the
American people are tired of campaigns and politics. We need to get
behind our new president and our new Congress, support them, and stop
being Democrats and Republicans. We need to work together to make sure
our government is successful."
Jindal might continue to be coy about it. But, with Jindal and Huckabee already visiting Iowa, Gallup and Zogby conducting preference polling on potential 2012 Republican presidential candidates, and a TV ad already aired, 2012 has begun.
A recent Zogby Poll found that, among Republicans, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin leads the pack of possible 2012 GOP Candidates:
Sarah Palin - 24.4% Mitt Romney - 18.1% Undecided/Not Sure - 16.2% Bobby Jindal - 15.6% Mike Huckabee - 9.7% None of the Above/Someone else - 8.2% Rudy Giuliani - 5.6% Ron Paul - 2.9%
The Zogby numbers are similar to those reported by Gallup. When Gallup asked Republicans whether they would like to see the following run for President in 2012, Palin again came out ahead:
Sarah Palin - 67% Mitt Romney - 62% Mike Huckabee - 61% David Petraeus - 49% Rudy Giuiliani - 48% Newt Gingrich - 47% Bobby Jindal - 34% Jeb Bush - 31% Charlie Crist - 23% Lindsey Graham - 21%
According to Zogby, Palin's strength is with all conservatives, conservative religious voters and gun owners:
Among Republicans, she gets the support of 30% of Born-Again Christians, 32% of weekly churchgoers, 34% of National Rifle Association members, 28% of current gun owners and 29% of self-identified conservatives. More GOP support comes from 32% of blue collar workers, 30% who shop weekly at Wal-Mart, 28% of NASCAR fans and 25% of both those with children under 17 and those with family members in the military. She scores lower among GOP voters ages 18-29, with 15%.
[. . .]
Palin looks to be stealing Huckabee's thunder among Republican religious conservatives and working class voters. Huckabee is an ordained Southern Baptist minister, and his highest GOP totals still come from Born-Again Christians (15%) and weekly churchgoers (18%), but those numbers are about half of those drawn by Palin. Despite his populist economic message, he wins only 10% of blue collar Republicans.
The Zogby poll was conducted November 7-18 and has a margin of
error of ±0.6 percent. The Gallup poll was conducted November 5-16 and has margin of error of ±4 percent.
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