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The Spectacle Blog
Liberals can sneer at Sarah Palin to their heart’s content, but the former Alaska governor’s star power is a supernova for GOP congressional candidates. In the first 72 hours after Palin’s Facebook endorsement of Tim Burns — now less than three weeks away from a May 18 special election in the late Jack Murtha’s district — the Pennsylvania Republican raised more than $80,000, campaign sources told me Wednesday night in Johnstown, Pa.
It’s been a very good week for Burns, who was featured Tuesday on Sean Hannity’s Fox News show and got a big push Wednesday from Newt Gingrich. Polls have shown the PA-12 contest “neck-and-neck,” as Burns campaign manager Tadd Rupp said, but Palin’s online endorsement Monday turned up the energy and focused national attention on the western Pennsylvania district. USA Today and the L.A. Times have both featured the race in the past 24 hours.
Burns’ staffers were in a celebratory mood after a candidate forum last night at Westmont Hilltop High School, where Democrat Mark Critz — a former Murtha staffer — apologized for a misleading TV ad run by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. FactCheck.org labeled that ad false last week, saying, “For Democrats, misrepresenting an opponent’s anti-tax position as an anti-jobs position is getting to be a bad habit.”
Some of Palin’s supporters were deeply hurt by Quin Hillyer’s recent criticism, but as for me, I still remember those Pennsylvanians standing in the cold October wind. Whatever Quin or anyone else says, the 2008 vice-presidential candidate has the kind of unequalled political star power that may prove to be the GOP’s most valuable asset in key campaigns during this crucial mid-term election year.
View all comments (88) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Robert Stacy McCain
http://spectator.org/blog/2010/04/29/sarah-palin-lights-up-pennsylv
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Dan D| 4.29.10 @ 11:55AM
What matters is what effect these endorsements have upon actual voters in the PA-12 district. Promotion of Burns by Hannity, Gingrich, and Palin clearly excites those who are already inclined to vote R in this special election, or those outside the district who are rooting for Burns.
Never lose sight of the fact that electoral arguments must be directed to those who decide the election, not the already-committed partisans on either side.
PA-12 is firmly Democratic, though it might be open to Republican congressional and certainly Presidential appeals. People in the 12th were not ready to lose Murtha as a representative, mortal reality forced the issue. Many there see Critz as a reassuring connection to the Murtha that they were so comfortable with.
Burns has to make his own positive case, the outside endorsements may play to his advantage financially but not necessarily electorally.
Robert Stacy McCain | 4.29.10 @ 12:19PM
Never lose sight of the fact that electoral arguments must be directed to those who decide the election, not the already-committed partisans on either side.
Two words, Dan: Special election.
It's May, not November, and it's a mid-term, not a presidential year. This will be a relatively low-turnout election, most low-involvement "don't know/don't care" types will stay home, and the key will be which side has the more motivated, more energized, more organized grassroots.
Despite the 2-to-1 Democratic registration advantage in PA12, this district -- which was carried by John Kerry in 2004 -- went for John McCain in 2008. And the explanation for that can also be summed up in two words: Sarah Palin.
Or, perhaps, Barack Obama.
hrh| 4.29.10 @ 1:00PM
Plus, as you mentioned here and went into more detail in your "The Other McCain" blog, Burns seemed to make a good impression in the candidate debate.
That will surely help convince actual voters.
SoCon| 4.29.10 @ 3:34PM
Quin's stupid hit-piece on Sarah Palin didn't hurt my feelings, it just made me feel contempt for him.
I used to defend Quin when posters called him derogatory names for being a weak willie weenie--no more. They were right.
Al.an Brooks| 4.29.10 @ 3:36PM
Sarah Palin Lights Up Pennsylvania House Race.
Yes, because she is very pretty--if she were ugly she would be in Alaska forever.
You think all ex-libs are suckers.
Brian72| 4.29.10 @ 4:50PM
You are an idiot with this nonsense.
Maybe, just maybe, Sarah Palin has a tremendous impact for these new candidates. 1.5 million+ people are singed on as supporters on her Facebook page. There are many, many more, like me, who are not signed in but drop by and read what's there regularly. The media is obsessed with her, so she can use their energy against them by bringing national attention to these races.
It is a good thing, unless you are a Democrat.
Your bitterness is distasteful.
Alan Brooks| 4.29.10 @ 5:10PM
"There are many, many more, like me, who are not signed in but drop by and read what's there regularly."
Then sign in at her Facebook if she is as good as you say. Your hesitancy is distasteful. Make up your mind; when you gotta go, don't sit halfway on the pot-- put both butt cheeks on the seat.
SoCon| 4.29.10 @ 4:57PM
No, Alan, we think all ex-libs like you are pigs.
Nuts, too.
Alan Brooks| 4.29.10 @ 5:05PM
I could see the adolescent I-have-a-crush-on-you hero worship if she were Maggie Thatcher botoxed.
But what is so special about Palin besides her toughness and looks? is she God? then say so!
SoCon| 4.29.10 @ 5:23PM
Why do you hate Palin, Alan? Why does she threaten you so much?
I really don't understand your animosity toward her.
Margie| 4.29.10 @ 12:03PM
Mr. McCain,
Maybe Quinn will come around.
In perusing your old article, I thought it was a good reminder about Brooks' comment about Sarah~ "she represents a fatal cancer to the Republican Party".
To use Mr. Tyrrell's term, I don't believe Mr. Brooks shares the conservative "temperament" as we do.
Go Sarah!
Jamie| 4.29.10 @ 3:27PM
Actually, DEO; it's ugly liberal haters and losers like you we sneer at.
DEO| 4.29.10 @ 12:53PM
$arah has it made, it's an endless cycle of her pandering for cash in her pocket. I think THAT is what people are SNEERING at.
hrh| 4.29.10 @ 1:03PM
And yet $he'$ u$ing her dollar$ to $upport con$servative candidate$ and cau$e$, $uch as pro-life, and private $schools, and $pecial need$.
Would you prefer $he not have that money that $he can choo$e to $pread around a$ $he choo$e$?
Would you prefer the$e candidate$ and cau$es not have her $ or the $ of her $upporter$?
Pretty $hort-$ighted if you a$k me ...
alwaysfiredup| 4.29.10 @ 2:01PM
Nice...
DEO| 4.30.10 @ 6:14PM
$arah wouldn't use a dime of hers except to spend it on herself....even her $arah Pac has spent more on de-icing her private jet then was actually given to conservative candidates.
AN excerpt:
However, and this is my favorite part, there is still the strong possibility that Palin will actually launch a campaign. I know, I just told you that it would be an exercise in futility, but that does not matter. Because it would also be a way to get more attention, and by the time the 2012 election cycle is upon us Palin might have started to slip from the national consciousness, which means she would not be earning as much money as she has grown accustomed to earning.
You see Palin has no desire to really win and then get saddled with the overwhelming job of running the country, but simply running would reignite her celebrity which further extends her fifteen minutes of fame. And to Sarah fame means money. Ka-ching Ka-ching baby!
In other words you will NOT see Sarah running a Mitt Romeny style campaign where she uses her OWN money to help finance it. Oh hell no! The day she cannot convince some poor elderly housebound Grannie to send her money to buy ad time is the day she folds up her campaign and heads on home to Wasilla! My best guess for an excuse will be "to spend more time with her family". LOL!
So relax, the crazy woman is not going to be in a position politically fuck up your country anymore. However if you thought she was going to disappear voluntarily then YOU may be suffering from a drug induced hallucination.
PALIN 2012!| 4.30.10 @ 7:40PM
Screw you, freak; crawl back under the slimy rock you call home. Loser.
Alan Brooks| 4.29.10 @ 3:39PM
I'm starting to see you are correct, but it is sad that feminism-- any sort of feminism of any remote kind-- should come to Celebrity Balling-for-Dollars.
Brian72| 4.29.10 @ 4:54PM
Celebrity Balling for Dollars? WTF?
Are you a porn movie producer?
There is much more to this than merely "dollars".
You seem to prefer to believe what Keith Olberduche pushes than actual reality.
SoCon| 4.29.10 @ 5:03PM
Liberalism is pornographic, Alan--look what it did to you, you old pervert.
I sure hope you're not allowed to be alone with young girls, you make my skin crawl.
Pingback| 4.29.10 @ 1:24PM
Twitter Trackbacks for The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : Sarah Palin Lights Up P links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
unseen| 4.29.10 @ 1:53PM
As Crist shows in FL. The real threat of a third party run is from RINO's denied power. I could see Mitt running as a third party candidate against Palin after she stomps him in the primaries.
Jamie| 4.29.10 @ 3:25PM
'Myth' wouldn't dare--the RINO doesn't have the balls!
Pingback| 4.29.10 @ 2:17PM
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Matt| 4.29.10 @ 4:16PM
Quin's article was just another lame attempt by someone trying to make a name for himself by putting down Governor Palin. Anybody who a) actually listens to Sarah Palin, and b) isn't in it for themselves knows that she cares about America very deeply, has the strength and conviction of a true American leader - the likes of which we haven't seen for some time, and that she's whip-smart. Just look at how quick she is on her feet in her SRLC speech, when she mocks people calling her violent for her "incendiary" speech. She knows the stakes. She's relatively fearless. But, most importantly, she ACTUALLY CARES ABOUT SOMETHING LARGER THAN HERSELF - which is why *every person who cares more about self than other is revealed as a hypocrite by Sarah, and forced to attack her with snide arrogance*. I'll be voting for her in 2012; I hope you will be, too.
Matt
Colorado
SoCon| 4.29.10 @ 5:00PM
Good post, Matt. Thank you.
I admire the Governor for her courage, too.
Pingback| 4.29.10 @ 5:46PM
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Timothy O'Leary| 4.29.10 @ 7:40PM
As a western Pennsylvanian, may I point out something heretofore unmentioned in these comments. Many ethnic Democrats, the sons and daughters of miners and steel workers were baptized as Democrats but hold to conservative principles. Where one candidate is a liberal and the other is conservative, they will vote for the conservative rather than for the Party. When Rick Santorum ran as a conservative, he outpolled his Democrat opponent. When Bush converted him and painted him liberal, he lost.
Pingback| 4.29.10 @ 8:15PM
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J. Davis| 4.29.10 @ 10:56PM
I don't know why R.S. McCain felt compelled to make the snide reference to Quin Hillyer's Spectator article on Palin. Quin's take was intelligent, objective, and in my opinion, dead right. Everyone is free to disagree with Quin's column, but enough with the silly sniping.
unseen| 4.29.10 @ 11:27PM
says the sniper to the rest of the world.
Quin's article was so full of half truths and smears it was not fit to be published.
Missy| 4.29.10 @ 11:32PM
Self-serving of you to call criticism of Quin's column 'sniping'; it's only because you agree with Quin that you're offended.
I say it's enough of Quin's silly sniping toward Sarah Palin. Not so fun when your ox is gored, is it?
J. Davis| 4.29.10 @ 11:37PM
Please tell me what facts Quin got wrong?
Missy| 4.30.10 @ 1:25AM
Better yet, what was dead right about Quin's supposed 'facts'? Other than the fact that you agreed with him.
J. Davis| 4.30.10 @ 10:01AM
I said that in my opinion Quin was dead right. You disagree, and that's fine. But, Quin didn't cite half-truths. He merely surveyed Palin's record, and stated his opinion. You have your opinion, Quin has his.
Missy| 4.30.10 @ 1:56PM
And RSM has his opinion, too: Why do you feel the need to snipe about McCain merely expressing it?
Who made you opinion judge and jury? Hypocrite.
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Are asian women the biggest sellouts to their race? | beijing weather october links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Fargo44| 4.30.10 @ 8:45AM
I'm a 100% Palin supporter. She is not without limits or faults. But to her credit she is the first to admit that - -unlike most political hacks.
Quin's article was hard but not fatal. But it was not totally negative at all and it ended up note actually.
He made a couple of good points about the Governor that were true. She has not always finished what she started, and she created her own mess with those naive & flawed ethics regs.
To which I say, water under the bridge. She has moved on and she is now a powerful force for conservatism and for the good (IMO).
The continued small-minded attacks by d-rats, "comics", loony artists/actors/academia, and other assorted human excrement are the key to how effective she is.
When they stop I might start to worry. Till then: Go Governor Palin!
Amanda| 4.30.10 @ 8:58AM
Palin is the only politician who has the personal
courage and fortitude to continuously call out
this administration for all its policies that will destroy our country.
All the other "blather" about her is ridiculous.
fargo44| 4.30.10 @ 9:32AM
@Amanda: "Palin is the only politician who has the personal courage and fortitude to continuously call out this administration for all its policies that will destroy our country."
I think that is not accurate. By no means is she the "only one" -- there are many others -- some who have a lot more at risk than Palin right now -- she is not an elected official. But right now Gov. Palin has the most national impact & biggest audience and she is doing a great job.
But many other folks like Paul Ryan, Marsha Blackburn, Michele Bachman, Sean Hannity, etc., are doing a wonderful job of speaking out against the regime & standing up against the progressive fascists as well.
Janie| 4.30.10 @ 1:48PM
Palin's attacks on Obama have been especially effective. Case in point: Death Panels. This comment was singularly brilliant and changed the course of opinion toward ObamaCare at that time.
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 3:36PM
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