The other day, I ticked some people off when I blogged about the whining going on as a result of Governor Palin's endorsement of Carly Fiorina for the California Senate race. Seems like some who disagreed with the governor took it personally and assumed I was talking about them. The truth is if the shoe doesn't fit, don't force the sucker on. If you weren't whining, obviously I wasn't talking about you, so pass it on to those who were. Some people on other venues were indeed whining, and if those particular individuals have a problem being called out, that's too bad. Like Governor Palin, I'm bold enough to stand by my statements.
I have always been the first to say we are not going to agree with anyone 100% of the time, including someone who has garnered as much respect as Governor Palin. That's life. Nonetheless, I simply cannot get used to the vehement anger displayed by some whenever she does something with which they don't agree. I say again what I've said before: the very thing that drew people to her is the very thing that makes people furious with her when she doesn't do what they expect. They were first drawn to her for being a maverick, a free-thinking, principled individual who is willing to take the heat to do what she believes is right. This same quality annoys the snot out of people when what she believes is right is not what they believe is right.
Again, I don't have a problem with tasteful disagreement. Welcome to America. But I have read comments on various venues where people have whined, complained, and made accusations about her character. A few have determined they will no longer support her. You know, the "you didn't do what I wanted you to do, so I'm taking my toys and going home!" mentality. Why...because their character didn't govern her decision? Mature people, on the other hand, have just acknowledged they disagree and engaged in adult conversation about it.
Now, when looking at the full picture, it is obvious to me that her endorsement of Carly Fiorina was the common sense decision. She is the conservative with the best chance in this race. Others disagree with this. That's cool, too. But the whining?
FoxNews.com reports:
Despite facing fierce criticism from her supporters, Tea Party hero Sarah Palin isn't backing down from her endorsement of former Hewlett-Packard executive Carly Fiorina in the GOP's U.S. Senate primary in California.
Palin's endorsement surprised and outraged many of her supporters who expected her to pick Tea Party favorite Chuck DeVore.
[...]
But Eric Odom, chairman of Liberty First PAC, a Tea Party-fueled political action committee, called Palin's endorsement an "unforgivable sin," and her second strike after endorsing her 2008 running mate John McCain in his Senate race.
"This one is much worse, though," Odom wrote on his blog, arguing that Fiorina is not a "commonsense conservative."
"The first strike was painful, but tolerable," he said. "This second strike is downright confusing, dishonest, and leaves me feeling cheated."
"Unforgivable sin"? "Dishonest"? "Cheated"? Too bad I didn't have this quote to use as an example last week when I taught my students the definition of hyperbole.
Thankfully, most people I have conversed with or have been quoted do understand the governor's free spirit and refusal to be controlled by any person or any particular movement.
One such person is Palin faithful, Jason Recher. Recher's analysis:
"The governor is never one to go with the flow," Jason Recher, a spokesman for Palin said, explaining that the former Alaska governor respects the differing opinions but is sticking by her choice. "She is a very independent person, and she shakes things up in establishments -- including grassroots establishments -- all the time."
Anyone who paid the slightest attention to the governor's career knows Recher's comments to be factual. Governor Palin's actions are nothing new.
Another such person is Rita Heidkamp. Her perspective:
In Fairbanks, Alaska, Tea Partier Rita Heidkamp said she has no personal position on the California endorsement. But it's Palin's choice to make, and no one else's, said Heidkamp, whose group -- the Fairbanks 912 Project -- organized a local Tea Party tax day rally.
"She should endorse whoever she thinks is the best candidate," Heidkamp said. "That's her right and her responsibility."
Thank you, Heidkamp. Governor Palin doesn't make these decisions lightly. It is indeed her responsibility to make an endorsement that sits well with her conscience. Clearly, Fiorina is that person, and the governor highlighted exactly why in her Facebook note.
I left the following comment on Team Sarah:
It amazes me that after all we know about the governor and her track record in AK, some still don't seem to "get" that she is her own person and will stand by her own principles. She is no puppet on a string. After all, isn't that what we say we love about her?
The endorsement has been made. Now, the onus is still on Fiorina, DeVore, and Campbell to take care of their business. The election is theirs to win or lose, and the governor has said many times how much she loves contested primaries. So we'll see what happens.
As I wrote previously, I agree with Governor Palin: Fiorina is the only common sense choice in this race.
Read the full FoxNews.com article here.
(H/T Ian Lazaran)
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