Sarah Palin: Has She Hurt or Helped the Republican Party?

With so much talk about the Tea Party, many are wondering if Sarah Palin is the one thing that is keeping the party together. Or could she be the one thing that is tearing the party apart? You choose!

Sarah Palin is a name that isn't going away. When everyone heard she stepped down as governor of Alaska, we were dumbstruck. Why would she step down from a position that she was doing so well at? Alaskans loved her, so why leave? Now we know.

We aren't still asking that question, as we've seen Palin all over the country speaking up and out against the Democratic Party. According to Politico, Palin hasn't minded contradicting the President of the United States. She's called him out on issues like immigration, border control, and the economy. She's backed Tea Party supporters like Christine O'Donnell and Joe Miller.

According to The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, Palin not only supports Tea Party outsiders, but she has endorsed people like O'Donnell and Miller. That isn't to say everyone she endorses has won, because they haven't. The trend suggests that Palin is as much of a Republican as she is a Tea Party supporter. Only the two don't mix right now.

The Republican side is seeing an increase in Tea Party influence, meaning the Tea Party supporters aren't going away. Either the Republican Party backs off and starts endorsing the Tea Party outsiders because it appears the Tea Partiers are knocking off key Republicans in primary elections, or they will lose more seats. That is saying something, if newbies can knock off old-timer Republicans.

What this says is that the Tea Party movement is after change. They want change from the Republicans and Democrats. It also appears that Sarah Palin is leading this movement in a big way. Some big issues we are hearing discussed are immigration, the economy, taxes, jobs, and health care. These are the subjects that everyday Americans are concerned about.

According to The Washington Post, Sarah Palin is a Tea Party candidate for 2012, which isn't a big surprise. This former governor of Alaska isn't afraid to speak her mind. She isn't afraid to speak up to Republican leader Karl Rove, saying that soon he too will see the light. This woman who ran with John McCain is suddenly gaining national recognition and is being heard.

Who is the Tea Party Movement?

The Tea Party movement, according to Wikipedia, is a grass-roots movement that is fueled across the country for a new kind of politics. For the most part, it has left Democrats and Republicans shaking their heads. For the Republicans, they haven't been sure they like this new political movement. On the other hand, Democrats have been thrilled as the Tea Partiers have taken off top key Republicans in the primary elections. Their hope is that they could pick up those seats. Of course, the Tea Party supporters are racing the clock to shock everyone by stealing the Midterm Senate seats themselves.

This grass roots movement began in 2009 as everyday Americans revolted to what they were seeing in Washington D.C. under Obama's reign. Many of the issues they are speaking out about are conservative issues that the Republicans once stood for.

What do you think? Is Sarah Palin really changing the face of politics as we've known it?