Thoughts on Sarah Palin’s Endorsement of Terry Branstad in Iowa’s Governors Race

I was traveling back from Minnesota on Thursday so I was like the last to know about former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin’s endorsement of former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad’s campaign for a fifth term as Iowa’s Governor.  I learned of it through Dustin’s post shortly after getting home and checking email.

Color me surprised.  Color Governor Branstad surprised as well.

Some thoughts on this so you don’t think I’m avoiding the issue.  I rarely agree with somebody 100% (including my wife), and I disagree with this endorsement for numerous reasons.

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  There are two other candidates in the race align closer to her values who would have likely benefited from this endorsement if it came early.  I obviously wished she endorsed my candidate, Rod Roberts, but frankly an endorsement five days before the primary won’t really help.  Coming to campaign or help fundraise earlier on would have made a difference though.
  
  



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  I don’t think she really has much to gain politically from this either.  For starters this came very late in the primary so she’ll be seen as “Johnny-come-lately.”  Second, Branstad’s campaign is filled with Romney supporters, and Mitt Romney endorsed Governor Branstad earlier.  I wouldn’t count on reciprocity in 2012.
  
  



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  If Bob Vander Plaats wins the nomination and then the general election it could, could harm her in 2012 should she decide to run.  If Mike Huckabee runs in 2012, he’s locked up the Vander Plaats endorsement and there could be some ill-will from some of his supporters.
  
  

I’m not buying into the meme that Governor Palin committed political suicide however.  People were saying that after she endorsed Rand Paul in the Kentucky Senate Primary, and he won in a landslide.  Obviously Republican voters in Kentucky disagree with that sentiment.  Even James Dobson (who endorsed Vander Plaats) changed his endorsement from Trey Grayson to Rand Paul.  

You hear it from some Chuck DeVore supporters in the California Senate Primary when she endorsed Carly Fiorina.  Fiorina may not be as conservative as DeVore, but she is conservative.  The latest poll shows her leading by double digits the RINO in the race, Tom Campbell (who is also ahead of DeVore in the polls).  Should DeVore win that primary it is unlikely he could beat Senator Barbara Boxer.

So cries that she “sold out” don’t wash with me.  Sure she campaigned for Senator John McCain, did you really think she wouldn’t?  She was also one of the first to endorse Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate in the NY 23 special election since Dede Scozzafava was more liberal than the Democratic candidate.  She’s been making a number of good endorsements.  Also, she didn’t endorse the incumbent pro-abortion Republican Senator in her own state of Alaska, Lisa Murkowski, she endorsed  Joe Miller instead.

Back to this current endorsement… she may not have picked the most conservative person running, Terry Branstad is certainly better than Dede Scozzafava whom Newt Gingrich endorsed.  He does have a plan to cut taxes and reduce government spending.  He is prolife.  He is certainly better than Governor Chet Culver, and even on the gay marriage issue he would be no worse than neutral which is better than Culver.  This is why I would have no problem voting for him should he win the nomination. 

Would I rather seen her endorse Roberts months ago?  Absolutely.  Would Vander Plaats line up closer to her on issues, probably, but I don’t think she’d go for his executive order idea either.  I also believe at this point in the race it would have been better to support Branstad after the primary should he win the nomination.

You also get a sense that Branstad isn’t her ideal candidate by the endorsement itself.

Iowa, your great state’s motto is “Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain.” That motto will be well served by voting for Terry Branstad for governor next Tuesday!

Not very specific, she has been more specific with other endorsements.  I think she made a pragmatic choice to endorse the candidate who may not be the most conservative, but the conservative who, in her opinion (and recent polls suggest), has the best chance to win the primary unseat Chet Culver.  Even if she doesn’t fully agree with him.  Josh Painter points out that she has tended to do that with Governor and Senate races, but has gambled on some Congressional races.

In Congressional races, Gov. Palin can afford to bet on some candidates who face longer odds. In many of these races, there are more than just a single conservative candidate running in each primary, so if a few of her choices should lose, the chances are good that other conservatives will be nominated with as good or better odds of winning in the general election. But there are other variables in her calculations. Take, for example, her endorsement of Vaughn Ward for U.S. Congress in Idaho. Though Raul Labrador is a conservative and is supported by the local tea party there, no way was she going to endorse an immigration lawyer who has represented illegal aliens to help them stay in the U.S. Her political enemies would have used such an endorsement to try to paint her as soft on immigration, so Ward's loss doesn't hurt her as much as an endorsement for a victorious Labrador would have.

So is her political career in shambles?  How many people have said that in the past, but she keeps coming back?  If Branstad wins I doubt this hurts her at all.  While she likely wouldn’t be supported by campaign surrogates, it could win her some favor by those who voted for him.  I also think most people don’t base their choice on who they will vote for President on an endorsement made two years before.  That would be pretty shallow.  Those who are saying they won’t vote for her (if she even runs) because of this, likely weren’t going to vote for her anyway.

But, I think ultimately this endorsement was about seeing Chet Culver get beat not a possible 2012 run.  Otherwise I think she would have been more invested in it.

So while I disagree with this endorsement, I understand it.  Again I would have preferred my candidate got the nod earlier when it would have helped.  I think she should have stayed out of this particular primary since she was endorsing so late

But I’m not going to throw Sarah Palin under the bus because of an endorsement I disagree with.

Shane Vander Hart is the editor of Caffeinated Thoughts and a contributor at The Des Moines Register's From The Right. Feel free to follow Shane on Twitter or friend him on Facebook.

What Last Night's Results Tell Us: A Post by Conservative Girl with a Voice

What do last night's poll results tell us? As a conservative blogger, there are three fascinating points that I take away from last night's results:

1) A Sarah Palin Endorsement is Gold: When Sarah endorsed Rand Paul in Kentucky, over the other candidates, many were left speechless. I know several individuals who said Rand Paul essentially had no chance of winning the Republican Primary. Boy, were these individuals wrong. Not only did Rand Paul win last night, but he won big. He managed to capture over 50 percent of the vote and energize a state and country in the process. Is Rand Paul the perfect conservative candidate? No, but I believe there is no such thing as the "perfect candidate." Each and every candidate has his or her own beliefs regarding what classifies them as a Republican or Democrat. It baffles my mind the way in which so many people seem to get their panties in a bunch whenever Sarah does not endorse the candidate of their choice. In the recent weeks, I have seen some very strong, offensive language directed at Sarah by members of her own party. When she endorsed Rand Paul and even Carly Fiorina out here in my home state of California, she did so after strong consideration for what would be best for the people of Kentucky and California. It is fine for individuals to disagree with Sarah's endorsements, but instead of attacking her online and calling her vile names, take your anger to the ballot box. Your vote is the greatest endorsement there is.

I am left wondering one thing: Since when did it become law that Sarah has to please everyone? Having met and talked with her, I KNOW FOR A FACT, Sarah is her own woman and makes her own decisions. She never makes any decision without first researching and doing some soul searching. This is one of the reasons I admire her so much. She makes her own path. With her endorsement of Rand Paul, Sarah proved that she is her own woman and as far from a Washington insider as you can get.

Rand Paul's victory last night overwhelmingly proves that the good people of Kentucky agree with Sarah's judgment. The good people of Kentucky are tired of the politics as usual and just want someone who will go to Washington to work for them, putting their best interests to heart. Thank you, Sarah, for stepping up and for being your independent self. You continue to energize and rejuvenate America!!!

2) The Tea Party Movement Continues to Move Full Steam Ahead: Rand Paul's victory last night can also be heavily attributed to the tea party movement. Don't let the lamestream/mainstream media try to tell you this movement is fading or splitting up the Republican Party. On the contrary, this movement is growing, and if last night is any indication, the movement will continue to grow and have a huge impact on upcoming elections. This is what the media fear. Just as their attacks on Sarah illustrate the fear they have in her, their dismissal of the tea party movement as being a serious movement is another sign of fear. The last thing the media want to happen is for average-day Americans to have a say and let their voices be heard. As soon as this happens, the media know they have lost in selling their president. We all know the msm are in the tank for President Obama, and the more the tea party movement grows and expands, the less of an impact the msm will have in selling false advertising. All I have to say to all of this is: "Rock on, Tea Party Movement! Keep fighting the good fight and taking the commonsense conservative message all the way to Washington DC."

3) If You're a Democrat, Stay Away from an Obama Endorsement: It is crystal clear, from what we saw last night, that an endorsement from Obama is an epic fail. There is only so much glitz and glamour an individual can take before they realize they've been conned. The American people are fed up with what is occurring in Washington. Americans are seeing the wasteful spending that is occurring, and instead of sitting back, they have decided to do something about it. Just like the tea party movement is taking the country by storm, so too is the anti-Obama mood. There isn't too much more to say about this other than to kick the bums out and, in the process, kick the antics of the Obama Administration to the curb.

(I'm a Conservative Girl with a Voice!!! Click here to visit my blog and become a follower!!! Follow me on Twitter @rachellefriberg.)