Is Sarah Palin the Second Coming of Ronald Reagan?
"Speaking to a group of well-connected Republicans at a private dinner in Florida this week, Sarah Palin implicitly addressed questions about her own electability by noting that critics also said Ronald Reagan couldn't win in 1980, three attendees told POLITICO.
"Palin, at an event organized by the conservative magazine Newsmax, told the right-wing crowd that those who don't have the same convictions will always say a true conservative can't win.
"Pointing out that the knock on Reagan was that he was also too far to the right, the former Alaska governor repeatedly invoked the 40th president and conservative icon, at one point citing the quotation he was most fond of: that America is a "shining city on a hill."
"'I think she sees herself as heir to Reagan,' said one attendee."
While just about every Republican politician invokes Ronald Reagan, just as Democrats like to invoke John Kennedy or Franklin Roosevelt, Sarah Palin's implicit suggestion that she is the heir or even the second coming of Ronald Reagan would seem somewhat presumptuous, at least at first glance.
There are some parallels. Like Reagan, Palin was a state governor. Like Reagan, a large percentage of the liberal intelligentsia has labeled her, mistakenly, as somewhat dim. Like Reagan, she is beloved by many, hated by many more. Like Reagan, Palin is something of a media star.
There are differences, of course. Reagan's prior experience had been two terms as the governor of California. Palin's experience has been as a member of the Wasilla City Council, Mayor of Wasilla, as an oil and energy regulator, and half a term as Governor of Alaska. Reagan's media stardom had occurred before and during his political career, as a sports announcer, a movie actor, and then as a radio commentator. Palin's media stardom has occurred after leaving office as Governor, with an influential Internet presence, as a TV commentator, and as a host of an upcoming TV series about her state, Alaska.
On the other hand, Sarah Palin's influence during the 2010 election far exceeds anything President Reagan achieved before or during his Presidency. Her slightest word has catapulted hitherto obscure candidates to unprecedented primary victories. Most of these candidates seem to be positioned for victory in the general election.
So, is Sarah Palin the second coming of Ronald Reagan? The only proof of that will be if she runs for President against Barack Obama, beats him, and then conducts a history changing Presidency.
The attendees of the reception and the dinner have pronounced themselves very impressed with Sarah Palin. Many actually pronounced themselves ready to support a Palin run for the Presidency. If that happens, a far left, first African American President in history could be followed and repudiated by a conservative, first female American President in history.
Source: Sarah Palin speaks to electability issue, Jonathon Martin, Politico, October 8th, 2010
Published by Mark Whittington
Mark R. Whittington is a writer residing in Houston, Texas. He is the author of The Last Moonwalker, Children of Apollo, Dark Sanction, and Nocturne. He has written numerous articles, some for the Washington... View profile
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9 Comments
Post a CommentA more appropriate analogy would be Palin to Carter with the exception of party and the fact that Carter finished his term as Gov. Palin is the Tea Party's Jimmy Carter. Let her run, if the Tea Party wants to run their version of Jimmy Carter!
Not a fan of Reagan or Palin... but let's give credit where's it's due: Reagan didn't quit his job after 1+ years.
who are perpetrating these crimes on our people.Maybe you could write something about how the 75 million dollars of foreign money is being spent on the coming election by our own chamber of commerce. That money was given by these rich people who control our government and our military from foreign lands by people who are not citizens of our nation...It is illegal for this to happen, yet it is happening anyway. If you want to help save this country from kings and tyrants, that would be a really good place to start..
I'm writing a book Mark,...with complete facts about our country and who has really been in charge since just before the war between the states...I would be glad to send you a copy...If you read it it would help your stories have some teeth. You are so confused as to what is really going on in the world. Education is a great thing, no matter how old you are. I encourage you to stop watching TV and get out and dig up some facts for yourself. If you weren't so bias you could interview the real people who know and get first hand knowledge on our voting system and how the good old USA is no longer a democracy. The news media still says it is, so you think it must be true and you write as if it is. 40 % of the worlds wealth was just stolen from the working people by a few rich men who are not even US citizens for the most part. US taxpayers payed the brunt of that debt while being evicted from their homes because they lost their jobs. You still have the nerve to be pitching for the thugs wh
Sarah can "mull" a run all she wants. She will never be president as no one respects her. She's had her 15 minutes and now bye bye
It would certainly be a history changing presidency. Would a military coup be the result when Palin and the Tea Baggers in their madness conspire to utterly destroy America?
Sarah fought and won with big oil.
I love HER. But, she is herself.
We conservatives love her, we loved Reagan, and we loved Thatcher.
Now, we have to hear liberals fake a regard for Reagan and Thatcher by creating the comparisons themselves in order to shoot them down in an effort to destroy Palin's credibility.
We love her as much. That's enough.
And in 20-30 years, liberals will be doing the same thing. Palin is Palin and she'll go down in history that way.
Yes she would make a great meat puppet just like Reagan....The trouble is...just like with Reagan....Oil companies, Military contractors, the Bush family, and some rich tyrants from the middle east would be pulling her strings....the difference is she wouldn't even know it....Reagan knew full well who was in charge....And when they were done with him they dosed him with "Perma forget"...the oldest CIA trick in the book, invented by none other than Bush sr., Chaney and Rumsfeld...
I lived in California in the Reagan years, so I know what was wrong with him. He was a Dem in his younger years, then a group of powerful people picked him because of his public image and put him in office. He didn't do it by his own abilities, although in some ways he wasn't a bad guy, like calling out the USSR, but I wonder if he understood all the policies and things which were being done in his name. I'm sure Palin is totally incapable of running the government. She doesn't know Reagan was the tool of some very smart people. Who are her smart people? Scary.