Candidates Flip-Flop on Palin Admiration

Posted on May 11 2012 – 2:20 AM – Posted by: Steve Flesher

Dan Riehl over at Big Government points out more convenient hypocrisy among alleged conservatives running for public office this year when it comes to Sarah Palin.

In a recent interview with Dana Loesch, John Brunner, Senate Candidate from Missouri (running against Sarah Steelman and Todd Akin in the Senate Primary) did not have kind words for the Governor:

“I look at these things and you look back and you think, oh, for crying out loud. You know what happens when you go to that level? You get everybody off message and when you get people off message, we have conservatives lose.”

As Riehl brilliantly points out, just one month ago Mr. Brunner sent Palin a personal message which seems to solicit her support based on its timing:

“Like you, I am not an entrenched member of the political establishment, but an outsider. I have so watched you weather the storm, and I so admire the grace and resiliency that you show in the face of extreme left-wing attacks. And I know that you could live a far more quiet, peaceful life away from political mayhem … but you continue to step forward, because, you too, know that this country is worth fighting for!”

[…]

“Yours has been a consistent voice for conservative leadership, whether serving on the Oil and Gas commission in Alaska, standing up to special interests as Governor, or running an inspired race alongside Senator McCain for the Vice Presidency. You have laid it all on the line for this country, and have inspired others to get involved.”

You can read Mr. Riehl’s excellent piece here.  And since he does a darn good job at taking Brunner apart for this most apparent flip-flop, I’d like to take this moment to notice the striking similarity this seems to bear with Mitt Romney.

After losing the primary in 2008, Mitt Romney was all-aboard the Palin train with an appearance on CBS with Harry Smith.  He praised her for handling herself very well through the campaign especially for someone being part of a major campaign for the very first time.

Then on to 2009 after the release of Going Rogue, on Larry King’s program, when hit with the possibility of having Governor Palin as a potential opponent in 2012, Romney said “she’d be a terrific candidate” and “she’s brought energy and passion to our party.”

Miraculously now after spending lots of money to stomp out any candidate who came close to him in the polls during this primary season, the “presumptive” nominee has nothing to say in the Governor’s defense when his supporters and establishment surrogates in the media continue to feed into the false narrative with regard to her preparedness for VP candidacy in 2008 (even though Romney’s own words contradict it above).

Despite the phony lesson learned with regard to the re-defined criteria the media has set forth in selecting a VP nominee, Romney should be smart enough to identify the accurate lesson: if they can do it to Palin, they will do it to anyone.  And if he lets them continue to nurture the phony one without calling it out, then the fate of his VP nominee will already be determined.

The names coming up for VP lately don’t matter.  The fact is none of them come close to having the experience and record of reform Governor Palin had in 2008.  Further, most of them lack her charisma and her unique ability to connect to grassroots voters.

When taking into consideration the energy generated by Palin’s latest Senate endorsements, one can only imagine he would want to do the right thing and correct the record especially if he wants to lead as the Republican Party’s nominee for president.

But if he chooses to ignore it all (including his own words on Governor Palin from the past) and goes along to get along with the good old boys, he’s likely to find out that this just might be one flip-flop he’ll never live down.

Article source: http://conservatives4palin.com/2012/05/candidates-flip-flop-on-palin-admiration.html