If "Palin Can't Win," Then Neither Can We!

Came across this great post over at The Tree of Mamre. A worthwhile read.

If “Palin Can’t Win,” Then Neither Can We
Posted on January 26, 2011 by John Scotus
From Legal Insurrection:

I have been addressing in some detail the assertion that Sarah Palin should not be seriously considered by Republican voters because Palin cannot win a general election, so I will not repeat myself.
Admittedly, I have been somewhat narrow in my focus, driven by circumstances that the “can’t win” meme is being used currently against Palin almost exclusively. (Obamacrats — “She can’t win”, describes how the “can’t win” strategy works.)
The issue is not Sarah Palin.
The issue is whether we will demoralize voters who would work hard to elect a Republican — even a Republican not quite to their liking — in the general election provided the primary process were viewed as fair and open.
We saw in the 2010 elections that Tea Party supporters are among the most loyal. Where Tea Party candidates lost primaries, Tea Party supporters rallied around the winner, or at least did not actively seek to undermine the winners. By contrast, the moment establishment candidates lost, there were active attempts in some races by establishment Republicans (and unfortunately, some of the conservative blogosphere) to undermine the candidates.
There is no better way to demoralize a key segment of the Republican Party, and damage our chances in November 2012, than to announce a year before the primaries even begin that Palin should not even enter the primary fray or should not be seriously considered because she cannot win a general election.
We do not need the Republican equivalents of 2008 Democratic PUMAs, people so embittered by the perceived unfairness of the primary process that they stayed home or switched sides in November. And that will be the result of attempts to shut Palin out of the process through the “can’t win” strategy.
The same holds true for other potential Republican candidates — let them all enter the primaries and let them all be seriously considered regardless of what polling tells us now is the likelihood of success.
Let’s have a process focused on issues, and yes, as part of the process electability inevitably is going to be one of the issues. But let’s not undermine ourselves by telling Sarah Palin, or Tim Pawlenty, or Mitch Daniels, or Mitt Romney or anyone else that they are wasting our time by running because they cannot win a general election.
And let’s not insult their supporters with the same message. Remember, after the primaries the Lombardi Rule will take effect, and we are going to have to unite to defeat the billion-dollar candidate.
If “she can’t win” is the means by which one of the candidates wins the Republican nomination, then we can’t win either.

Let’s not fool ourselves: Obama can still win in 2012. The most logical person to beat him is Palin, but she will need the support of conservatives and the GOP to do this. The other possible GOP candidates have thus far been unable to generate much traction or heat, and we cannot assume that merely having a generic Republican on the ballot will be enough to defeat Obama.

At the same time, if Palin is forced from the 2012 race by the GOP establishment–essentially because she is “not their type”, then the amount of hard feelings generated will possibly doom any other GOP candidate. The way many in the GOP and many, many conservatives turned on George W. Bush should be instructive, as this was one of the major factors that tipped the election to Obama in 2008.

You simply can’t feed on your own and expect to win elections.

Chaos in Cairo

MANY ARE WATCHING THE EVENTS IN CAIRO HOPING FOR THE BEST FOR THE EGYPTIAN PEOPLE.  I AM CONCERNED FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.  I HAVE WATCH THE CROWDS IN THE STREETS AND LISTENED TO THE VARIOUS PUNDITS IN DIFFERENT MEDIA'S.  IT SEEMS TO ME THAT MOST PEOPLE ON THE STREETS ARE STUDENTS, THOSE WHO ARE PROBABLY UNEMPLOYED, AND I SUSPECT SOME CRIMINAL ELEMENTS.  THAT IS ONLY MY OPINION!  IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT MOST EGYPTIANS NO NOT LIKE THE REIGN OF MUBARAK AND WOULD LIKE SOME TYPE OF TRANSITION TO A NEW GOVERNMENT, THAT GOES WITHOUT SAYING.  BUT THE PROBLEM I HAVE WITH INSTALLING A NEW ORDER IN EGYPT IS THAT THE EXISTING GOVERNMENT IN CAIRO HAS BEEN FRIENDLY TO THE FOREIGN POLICIES OF THE UNITED STATES IN THAT PART OF THE WORLD AND ANY MOVEMENT AWAY FROM THAT POSITION ON THE PART OF EGYPT COULD LEAD TO EVEN MORE DANGER FOR THE PEOPLE OF EGYPT NOT TO MENTION THE DANGER TO THE FRAGILE PEACE THAT EXIST IN THAT REGION.  I SUPPORT DEMOCRATIC REFORM, BUT FIRST AND FOREMOST I SUPPORT THE SECURITY OF THE UNITED STATES AND ITS STRONGEST ALLY IN THAT PART OF THE WORLD, ISRAEL.  I AM NOT WILLING TO ROLL THE DICE FOR THE CHANCE OF GETTING A NEW DEMOCRACY IN THE MIDDLE EAST WHEN HISTORY TELLS US THAT REVOLUTION SUCH AS THAT IN EGYPT SELDOM LEADS TO A DEMOCRACY THAT SUPPORTS OUR BEST INTEREST.

Friend or Foe, Dictatorship or Democracy

FRIEND OR FOE, DICTATORSHIP OR DEMOCRACY! WHICH WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE IN EGYPT?  THAT IS THE QUESTION. WE MUST LOOK AT THE INTEREST OF OUR OWN PEOPLE AND HOPE FOR THE BEST FOR THE EGYPTIAN PEOPLE, BUT IN THE END, OUR INTEREST AND OUR LIVELY HOOD MUST BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION.  IF DEMOCRACY IN EGYPT MEANS THE INSTALLATION OF THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD AND ANOTHER ISLAMIC STATE IN THE MIDDLE EAST THAT IS NOT GOOD FOR US OR THE REST OF THE FREE WORLD, FOR IN THE END RADICAL ISLAM DOES NOT SUPPORT DEMOCRACY ALTHOUGH IT MAY USE IT TO GAIN IT'S EVIL END---THE SUBJUGATION OF ALL THAT WE AS FREE PEOPLE BELIEVE IN. MANY IN THE MSM ARE NOW TRUMPETING THE DEMONSTRATORS IN THE STREETS OF CAIRO AS BEING FREEDOM FIGHTERS---THAT MAY VERY WELL BE THE CASE.  HOWEVER, OFTEN IN THAT PART OF THE WORLD THE SO-CALLED "FREEDOM REVOLUTIONS" LEAD TO A GOVERNMENT MORE REPRESSIVE THAN THE ONE THE PEOPLE OVER THROW.  DARK FORCES ARE THE UNDERLYING DANGER THERE AND BEFORE WE CHEER THE EMERGENCE OF A NEW ORDER WE MUST LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF THAT REGION.

IN CONCLUSION I WILL SIMPLY POSE THIS QUESTION, "IS IT BETTER TO HAVE A FRIENDLY DICTATORSHIP OR A DEMOCRACY DEDICATED TO THE DESTRUCTION OF AMERICA"?

Chaos in Egypt

IT SEEMS THAT THE OLD ORDER IN EGYPT COULD GIVE WAY TO SOME, AS YET UNDETERMINED FORCE.  WHAT THAT NEW ORDER WILL BE IS ANY ONE'S GUESS.  IT SEEMS TO BE CLEAR THAT THE TENS OF THOUSANDS IN THE STREET REPRESENT THE VOICES OF CHANGE.  IF THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT FALLS, THE UNORGANIZED RIOTERS WILL NOT BE THE ONES TO ESTABLISH A NEW GOVERNMENT.  MY GREATEST FEAR IS THAT THIS SECULAR STATE MAY FALL INTO THE HANDS OF SOME ORGANIZED GROUP SUCH AS THE MUSLIN BROTHERHOOD.  AS THE WORLD WATCHES THE GROWING DISCONTENT ONE CAN ONLY HOPE THAT THE ULTIMATE OUTCOME WILL BE A GOVERNMENT THAT CONTINUES TO ALLY WITH THE UNITED STATES AND THE FORCES THAT OPPOSE RADICAL ISLAM.

Obama is Causing Long Lines Everywhere!

WE KNOW OBAMA IS CAUSING LONG LINES AT THE UNEMPLOYMENT OFFICE, AT THE FOOD STAMP OFFICE, AND AT THE SOUP KITCHENS!  NORMALLY I DON'T LIKE TO STAND IN LINE BUT FOR THIS ONE I WOULD MAKE AN EXCEPTION!

H/T to The Einhorn Press