60 Minutes: Vote Sarah Palin Most Influential Conservative

In an unscientific poll conducted by 60 Minutes and Vanity Fair, Governor Palin is currently ranked as the fourth most influential conservative voice in the United States. Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and former Vice President Cheney have the number one through three ranks respectively. Talk show host, Sean Hannity is fifth, ranking behind Governor Palin (60 Minutes Poll, 2009).

Governor Palin's ranking is fantastic considering that she does not have a nationally syndicated talk show on either radio or TV; and has not held high federal office. From the foregoing, we see that she is ranked more influential than Sean Hannity who has nationally syndicated talk shows on both radio and TV!

Governor Palin's core communications methods are her Facebook and Twitter accounts.

But...let's not settle for No. 4. Get her to Number 1! Get on and vote!

References:

The 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair Poll. (2009, November 30). CBS. Retrieved November 30, 2009 from: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/11/24/60minutes/main5761182_page7.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody

Sarah on Rush

By Shane Vander Hart, Caffeinated Thoughts 

For those of you who were hoping for more policy talk (unlike the Oprah interview) in some of Governor Sarah Palin’s interviews this week for her new book Going Rogue: An American Life.  The interview she did with Rush Limbaugh this afternoon provides that.

The transcript can be found here.  Some excerpts below…

On job creation & the current unemployment rate:

It's over 10%, and in fact it could be closer to 17 or 18 when you consider those who have kind of given up and not applying for unemployment benefits. So it's bad, it's really bad and then of course Fed Chair Bernanke announced that there are still weak job prospects for the very short term and probably long term, and that's an uncomfortable place for our country to be.  What we need to do is shift gears and really head in another direction because what we're doing right now with the fed, it's not working. We need to cut taxes on the job creators.  This is all about jobs, creating jobs.  We have to ramp up industry here in America, and of course reduce the federal debt, quit piling on and growing more.  But those common sense solutions there, especially with the cutting taxes on the job creators, that's not even being discussed.  In fact, increased taxes is the direction it sounds like Obama wants to go.

She pretty much put to rest any speculation that she’ll start or run with a third party:

You know, to be brutally honest, I think that it's a bit naive when you talk about the pragmatism that has to be applied in America's political system. And we are a two-party system. Ideally, sure, a third party or an independent party would be able to soar and thrive and put candidates forth and have them elected, but I don't think America is ready for that.  I think that it is... Granted it's quite conventional and traditional, but in a good way that we have our two parties, and I think that that's what will remain. And I say that, though, acknowledging that I'm not an obsessive panther, I understand why people -- good people like my own husband -- refuse to register in a party. Todd's not a Republican and yet he's got more common sense conservatism than a whole lot of Republicans that I know because he is one who sees the idiosyncrasies of the characters within the machine and it frustrates him along with a whole lot of other Americans who choose to be independent.  But in answer to your question, I don't think that the third party movement will be what's necessary to usher in some common-sense conservative ideals.

Palin on our greatest challenge with energy:

And our greatest challenge with energy is that we're not tapping it to the abundant domestic supplies that God created right underfoot on American soil and under our waters. It's ridiculous that we are circulating hundreds of billions of dollars a year in foreign countries, asking them to ramp up production so that we can purchase it from them -- especially from the regimes that can control us via energy, using it as a weapon against us, potentially. It's nonsense that this administration and past administrations haven't really understood yet that inherent link between energy and security. I think more and more Americans are waking up to the fact, though, and we will hopefully see changes there soon.

On her thoughts on the health care reform bills:

Well, we don't really know, do we, what's in that Senate version, the Senate consideration? It will be soon but we have no idea of costs. We don't know how many will be insured. We're waiting to hear that. We don't know if the tax funding of abortions will be in this new version that's sitting over on the Senate side. We don't know if those who choose not to purchase this government-mandated level of coverage will face jail time as punishment. There are so many questions unanswered. I don't like the idea, in general, of the federal government thinking it needs to take over health care -- which essentially this is -- and control one-sixth of our economy. Not when there are common-sense solutions to meeting health care challenges in our country, like allowing the intra- and interstate competition with insurers, tort reform, cutting down on the waste and fraud that the Obama administration insists if we just did that we'll pay for this one-point-some trillion-dollar health care reform package. So lots of common sense solutions that need to be plugged in before ever considering federal government taking it over.

Her thoughts on National Security, our threats:

Well, I think domestically a threat that we're facing right now is the dithering and hesitation in sending a message to the terrorists that we're going to claim what Ronald Reagan claimed. Our motto is going to be: "We win, you lose." The way that we do that is allow McChrystal to have the reinforcements that he's asking for in Afghanistan. That sends that message to the terrorists over there that we're going to end this thing with our victory. We need to start facing Iran with tougher and tougher sanctions that need to be considered. We need to work our allies with the Iranian issues, like Britain and France and not allow access to favorable international monetary deals. That's a great threat that I think would kind of shake up Ahmadinejad and get him to listen. We need to look at halting Iran's imports of refined petroleum products. They're quite reliant on imported gasoline, and we need to use that hammer to wake up the leadership there, too. Those are two big challenges that we have right now, domestically and in naming those two countries, Afghanistan and Iran. Two big challenges there, too.

For a an interview that was less than 20 minutes they covered a lot of ground.  Be sure to listen (above) or read the whole thing.

Shane Vander Hart is the editor of Caffeinated Thoughts.  Feel free to friend him on Facebook or  follow him on Twitter.

Charged Up and Going Rogue: A Post by Conservative Girl with a Voice

(PROGRAMMING NOTE: I WILL BE GUEST ON PRO-SARAH RADIO TODAY FROM 1-2 P.M. PST. TO DISCUSS SARAH'S BOOK. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN ONLINE.MAKE SURE TO CATCH SARAH PALIN AS A GUEST ON #1 ALASKA TALK RADIO HOST EDDIE BURKE'S SHOW TODAY SOMETIME BETWEEN 3-6 P.M. PST!!! OUTSIDE ALASKA? CLICK HERE TO LISTEN ONLINE. SARAH ALSO APPEARS AS A GUEST ON OPRAH TODAY; CHECK YOUR LOCAL LISTINGS FOR SHOW TIMES. JUST MAKE SURE TO SIT BACK AND ENJOY THE RIDE!!!)

It's happening again. Once again the media, liberal left and former McCain campaign advisers are out and about spreading false information and lies about Sarah Palin. It was no secret this would happen. Even before Sarah announced her plans to write a book, these groups were traveling down the vengeful path of attempting to destroy Sarah and her family's good name. Levi Johnston has even gotten into the mix. Now, while I have made it a rule not to discuss Levi on my blog, I will only use him as an example to illustrate the fact that the liberal msm are using him to further their assault on the Palins. What does this say about the media? What does this say about the state the media find themselves in today? In the words of Sean Hannity, "Journalism is dead." This is hard for me to fathom. As someone who studied journalism, I learned about what journalism should be, not about what it has become. How ironic that the msm go after and wrongly attack a woman who was once a journalist herself? Shame on the msm for attacking a woman for exercising her right to freedom of speech. There is a valid answer for this in that they believe in the need and power of free speech just as long as they agree with what is being said. When Sarah speaks out against the Obama Administration, the in-the-tank-for-Obama media see this as a threat to its Pro-Obama message. Since they see Sarah as a threat, they will do everything in their power to discredit her even if this means reporting erroneous stories and showing photoshopped pictures, which happens to be their latest stunt.


Just the other day, I happened to be watching the news and sipping on my morning cup of coffee, when I began to channel surf. I immediately stopped surfing when I saw an image of Sarah appear on the television screen. Dylan Ratigan of MSNBC was doing a report on Sarah and while the report was not the worst I had seen come from this liberal network, it was the photos this network chose to show of Sarah that were clearly unfair given two of them were not of Sarah herself, but instead photoshopped images. You all probably know of the photos I'm referring to. One of the photoshopped pictures had Sarah's head placed on an image of a flag-bikini-clad woman. The other photo had Sarah's head placed on an image of a woman in a black mini-skirt. Not only was this wrong of Ratigan and MSNBC, but it is extremely sexist and once again clearly illustrates the double standard of treatment conservative women receive when compared to their liberal counterparts. MSNBC had to have known these photos were photoshopped. These two photos were proven fake months ago. Once again, MSNBC is illustrating just how out of touch and bias it really is. I urge you to hold Ratigan and MSNBC accountable. Voice your outrage here on Ratigan's Twitter page. We need to continue to hold the media accountable, and let them know that we are on to their game and will not stand for false, biased reporting.


Over the course of the next few weeks, be prepared for an onslaught of attacks aimed at Sarah as she travels across America meeting average-day "Mainstreet U.S.A." folks like you and me. The media, liberal left and so-called McCain advisers have already ramped up their attacks of Sarah in an attempt to cover their hides, which is why you see these individuals doing everything in their power to place the blame on her. The Steve Schmidts and Nicolle Wallaces of this world are obviously going to try to blame Sarah when we all know that they are really the individuals whom should be blamed. While we Sarah supporters know this to be the case, others are beginning to see the light as well. I'm sure it is no surprise to you to learn people's belief in the overall credibility of the media is at an all-time low. It is not hard to see why when you have examples like the MSNBC report above.


MSNBC is not the only media outlet to pull outlandish shenanigans. We have seen biased reporting from every medium whether it be print or broadcast. Most recently, the Associated Press (AP) did one of the most unethical things in the history of journalism, although you wouldn't even know they had done anything of the sort because the liberal msm refuses to report it. The AP wrongfully got a hold of an advance copy of Sarah's book, but the story doesn't end there. They, then, put 11 so-called "fact checkers" to work to make sure the book was fully accurate, and now, they have resulted to reporting false information. Give me a break. This further illustrates how much of a joke the msm have become. Sarah isn't letting them off the hook. Here's the Facebook note she posted yesterday morning regarding the incident:

Really? Still Making Things Up?
By Sarah Palin Sunday at 6:47 a.m.

"The book tour starts this week, and I look forward to it! I'm most looking forward to meeting many of you, shaking your hands, and telling you,"Thanks for loving America." I'll give you a scoop here and tell you what's on the book's Dedication Page - it's dedicated to you - Patriots - who love the U.S.A. as much as I do.

Amazingly, but not surprisingly, the AP somehow nabbed a copy of the book before it was released. They're now erroneously reporting on the book's contents and are repeating many of the same things they spewed during the campaign and afterwards. We've heard 11 writers are engaged in this opposition research, er, "fact checking" research! Imagine that - 11 AP reporters dedicating time and resources to tearing up the book, instead of using the time and resources to "fact check" what's going on with Sheik Mohammed's trial, Pelosi's health care takeover costs, Hasan's associations, etc. Amazing.

We'll keep setting the record straight, and we'll keep reminding some in the media that Americans are very tired of their non-objective reporting. A great, recent post that accomplishes this is a Conservatives4Palin post. It's got some nice fact checking included. As always, they did a great job holding some of the media accountable for spreading more misinformation and for making things up. You can read it here. Enjoy!

And I can't wait to see you! God bless the fight for freedom! Keep up the great work, Patriots who love this country."

- Sarah Palin


Sarah is right!!! We ALL need to continue to hold the media accountable. It is important, now more than ever, that we be on the lookout for inaccurate, biased reporting. Remember, we are a strong and proud army of Palin supporters. Together, we can accomplish just about anything. As Sarah travels the country, many of you will have the opportunity to meet her and shake her hand. Make sure to tell her "thank you" for everything she has done for our country and for everything she will continue to do. She has inspired so many, and the very mention of her name sparks fear in the minds of the left. Whenever they make fun of her, call her unintelligent or misinformed, know this is code-speak for the fear they have of her. More and more individuals are coming around and realizing the power she holds. Rush Limbaugh believes in her, and just yesterday in an interview with FNC's Chris Wallace, Liz Cheney voiced her belief in Sarah. Yep, Sarah is continuing to be the powerful force we all knew she would be. Was there ever any doubt? NO. Like you, I will waiting impatiently like a child on Christmas Eve for my gift to arrive in the mail. And I can't wait to discuss Sarah's book with others who are reading it too. I encourage you all to follow Sarah on her Twitter account as she shares what life is like on the book-tour trail. Kinda brings back familiar memories of life on the campaign trail except for one important detail: This time, Sarah's in charge, and this time, she's GOING ROGUE!!! WOOO HOOO!!! Make sure to visit Sarah when she makes a stop in your neck of the woods.


(Click here to visit Conservative Girl with a Voice and become a follower!!! Follow me on Twitter!!!)

Rush Limbaugh: Sarah Palin’s Book Is "Truly One Of The Most Substantive Policy Books I've Read"

Was listening live when I heard el Rushbo say this. Rush was announcing that he had interviewed Sarah Palin for the upcoming issue of his popular Limbaugh Letter.

Here’s a transcript of Friday’s show. Limbaugh also announced that he would interview Sarah live on the air Tuesday in the second hour of his show which will be 1 pm Eastern noon Central across the EIB Network.

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: Yesterday afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, I interviewed Governor Palin for the upcoming issue of the Limbaugh Letter. It will be our cover story. I think it was the first time other than an interview with me -- sometimes I do interview myself in the newsletter because the best questions I ever get asked are the ones I ask myself. But she's the cover story, she's the interview, and she will be here live on the radio next Tuesday, the day her book is released, at the top of the second hour. I talked to her yesterday, I've got the book, I have it right over there and I've had a chance, I just got it a couple days ago, three days ago, and I've had a chance to go through it, and I made a prediction to her when I talked to her yesterday. I said, "You've got enough in here that people who get hold of this, like the AP or any of the State-Controlled Media, they're gonna focus on the soap opera aspects of your book, and they're going to ignore what is truly one of the most substantive policy books I've read."

This woman, Governor Palin, clearly is jazzed by policy, particularly environmental policy and energy policy, as well as taxes and so forth. I talked to her about the future of the Republican Party, what she thought about New York-23, how she deals with the character assassination, not just of herself, but of her entire family. It was fascinating, and we'll do it again on Tuesday afternoon at one o'clock eastern time. She sent out a message here on Facebook: "'Keep Your Powder Dry' -- As you probably have heard, the AP snagged a copy of my memoir, Going Rogue, before its Tuesday release. And as is expected, the AP and a number of subsequent media outlets are erroneously reporting the contents of the book. Keep your powder dry, read the book, and enjoy it! Lots of great stories about my family, Alaska, and the incredible honor it was to run alongside Senator John McCain. We can't wait to hit the road and meet so many on the book tour! See you in Michigan first." That's Sarah Palin's post -- her reacting.

One of the things the AP is focusing on is nonsense. I should have printed out the AP story. I didn't do it. Rather than try to paraphrase it I'll find it during the break. (interruption) Well, not going after her son-in-law? You mean this Levi? He's not her son-in-law, but no, she doesn't mention him. She doesn't mention him in the book. Nobody can stop talking about this guy, this Levi Johnston, but she doesn't mention him in the book. She's pretty open and honest about being locked up and confined and not allowed to be herself by certain people in the McCain campaign, Nicolle Wallace who set her up with the Katie Couric interview. You know, I told you that I had some friends in town last week and I blew my stack again when one of them started asking me questions about Sarah Palin based on media reports. This guy brought up the Palin-Katie Couric interview and that's when I started throwing the napkin. I said, "Don't you know what happened there?"

Nicolle Wallace, who used to work at CBS, pushed that interview on Couric to help Couric. Couric's numbers were in the tank, and she told Palin some things that were not true, and most of that interview ended up on the cutting room floor. The substance of the interview, it was a total setup, a total setup. "Well, why didn't she know that?" She was on a leash. When you read this book, you'll find that they dressed her. She wanted to wear her clothes. They started this whole controversy about paying for the clothes, were they donated, this kind of thing. They would not let her mention, they wouldn't let her give a shout-out to George Bush during the campaign for keeping the country safe after 9/11. They wouldn't let her make a concession speech alongside McCain the night that he gave what many thought was his best speech of the campaign.

There are many other instances of stuff inside the campaign that I think will help people understand what the real problem or series of problems was. I mean she really dishes it out at Steve Schmidt, who was the campaign manager. They wouldn't let her go back and talk to the press on the campaign plane. I woulda gone nuts had I been in that position, that muzzled and that directed. But, you know, she's not hard on McCain. She talks about it was an honor serving with him as his vice presidential nominee. Anyway, you'll learn all of this when you read the book, it's going to come out to Tuesday. It's going to set sales records, it already has. One-and-a-half million printing is what's the original, and it's going to go higher than that.

END TRANSCRIPT

As usual, Rush is right. Mark Halperin of Time Magazine is out there chirping: "Don't look for hefty policy prescriptions." [ in Sarah’s book] I think I’ll trust Rush Limbaugh over Halperin.

Personal Foul: Unnecessary "Rushness" - A Post by Conservative Girl with a Voice

As a die-hard NFL fan, I am outraged by the actions taken against Conservative Talk Radio Show Host Rush Limbaugh. Like many of you, I have been raised with a love for God, family, country and sports. As someone who participated in various sports while growing up, I have learned so much about hard work and teamwork. When football season rolls around, I can't wait to pull out one of my San Diego Chargers' jerseys and root for the home team. I love football so much that a little depression sets in when my team is done for the season. When I was in college, I always played the sports' anchor role in my journalism classes. Sports is just about who I am as an individual. There is just something about football that brings people together. When you invite people over to root for their team, it's just a special thing. Not only are you gathering together to enjoy good food and beverages, but you are bonding with your fellow man and woman. I've cried over football, laughed over football, and cheered over football. I know there are so many of you out there who share this love for football like I do.



That is what makes this post so difficult to write. I sit here, looking out the window of the cabin at the beautiful lake, and I my heart is heavy regarding the events that have taken place over the last few days. What Rush has gone through, no one should have to endure. Not only am I outraged, but I fully agree with Rush when he said:

"This is not about the NFL, it's not about the St. Louis Rams, it's not about me.... This is about the ongoing effort by the left in this country, wherever you find them, in the media, the Democrat Party, or wherever, to destroy conservatism, to prevent the mainstreaming of anyone who is prominent as a conservative."



We are seeing this assault on conservatism coming from many angles. We see it with the vicious all-out attack on prominent conservatives like Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck and Michele Bachmann. Now, we are seeing that this cancerous assault is targeting sports fans. This attack has nothing to do with Rush Limbaugh the man, but instead with Rush Limbaugh the conservative. Had he been a member of the liberal left, he would be praised and encouraged for his attempt to purchase an NFL team. One of my great friends, Camille Friend, whom I have gotten to know on Twitter is an avid football fan. As a conservative African-American woman, she is disgusted by the way in which Rush is being treated:


"The fact that Rush Limbaugh has, essentially, been banned from ownership in the NFL is disheartening. Not only is it a blatant display of the hypocrisy of our current political environment, but, on a deeper level, I think it also demonstrates how a person's aspirations can be stunted by those who may not agree with his politics. Limbaugh is a devoted fan of the game of football Maybe it was his dream to one day own a team? And now he has been shut out. All because of political mob rule. Rush is correct when he says this episode is not simply about him. It's really about any one of us who dares to speak our minds when 'society' disagree."


My friend, Camille, is so right in her assessment. I encourage you to follow her on Twitter @twittonande, and visit her non-political blog at http://friendfiles.wordpress.com. You can also catch her over at the http://palintwibe.blogspot.com where she is a political contributor.




It is absurd to call Rush a racist when he is nothing of the sort. One of Rush's long-term friends, former NFL player Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson, called into the show today to defend Rush against these outrageous attacks by the left. As an African-American man, "Hutch" is not only mad about what is happening to his friend, but he also is worried about what this means to America as a whole:

"If Americans don't wake up, it's going to happen to them."

"Hutch" is right. It doesn't matter who you are, or what you hope to accomplish. If you are a conservative, you better watch out, for the liberal left, who supposedly is supposed to be oh-so-accepting and tolerant, is going to target you. You don't have to be rich, and you don't have to have a prominent name. These cronies are out to get anyone who dares to speak out against their president and his radical agenda.



As Rush stated on his show this morning, all that is happening to him is the Saul Alinsky Rules for Radicals at work. Not only does Obama know of these rules, but he and the members of his administration use the rules. One of the rules at work here is the rule of targeting an opponent and destroying him/her. In attempting to destroy the likes of Rush, Sarah, Glenn and Michele, we see this rule in full force. Many members of the extreme liberal left are not only the most intolerant people I have ever come across, but the most bitter and cruel when they do not get their way. Talk about a bunch of crybabies. As I have stayed in other posts, if you agree with the liberal left, you are treated fairly, but as soon as you speak up and use your First Amendment right, you are mocked and harassed. Where is the justification for doing such a thing? It's simple, there's no justification for treating anyone this way just because the individual doesn't agree. As a young conservative, I am not afraid to speak out, but I can understand why so many are. During the 2008 campaign, I remember hearing the evil, outrageous false stories that were reported about Sarah. I also remember hearing commentators speak of the need for more young, conservative female candidates. While I agree that we need more strong, intelligent, classy, articulate, conservative women like Sarah and Michele, I also see why so many women are weary of running for political office because of the all-out assault from the extreme liberal left. It makes me extremely saddened to see the treatment good conservatives receive. Yet, it is so important that individuals not give into the liberal left. They want you to back down, they want you to give up. Don't fall for the Chicago-style attacks, and don't fall prey to Alinsky's rules. I will continue to reinforce the need for the conservative party to remain strong and vigilant because unlike the liberal left, we know how to fight the good fight. Ignore the attacks, and remember, if you are attacked, take it as a compliment because the attacks mean you are seen as a threat. With every attack I receive, I actually feel good because I know I am making a difference. Just as Sarah, Michele, Glenn, Rush and other conservatives continue to speak out, I will continue too, so you speak out too.




I'm sorry, but I'm not afraid to call NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell a hypocrite. Not only is he a hypocrite, but he's a corrupt hypocrite at that. The following quote from Goodell sums up why I feel this way. In speaking about Rush, he said:


"...divisive comments are not what the NFL is all about.... I've said many times before, we're all held to a high standard here. I would not want to see those comments coming from people who are in a responsible position in the NFL -- absolutely not."



Okay, Roger, let me get this straight. It's okay for you to speak out against Rush Limbaugh, but men like Keith Olbermann, who called George W. Bush a liar, and repeatedly personally attacks Sarah with the most vile comments is allowed into the living rooms of NFL fans every Sunday night? Where is the outrage of that, Mr. Goodell? It is pretty clear where your alliances lie. I encourage you all to contact the NFL, and voice your outrage. I encourage those of you who attend the NFL games this weekend to make a sign in support of Rush. Put some pressure on the NFL. If the NFL is refusing to allow a good man like Rush, but allow a vindictive lunatic like Keith Olbermann, what does that say to conservative people like you and me? That it's okay to speak out against and be critical of America and be an employee of the NFL-America's game? Rush has not said nearly the amount of hateful things Olbermann has. If this isn't a prime example of the vicious attack of conservatism, I don't know what else would be.



Rush made another great point when he recently said,


"Therefore, this is about the future of the United States of America and what kind of country we're going to have."



Exactly. What kind of America are we turning into? Seems to me that we are turning into a nation of hypocrites and whiners. Instead of the First Amendment, it seems to have become the anti-First Amendment right. The intolerant left is not going to stop their assault on conservatism, so we will not stop our fight for freedom and liberty. It is OUR RIGHT to speak up, and last I checked, speaking out was not a crime. If Goodell is so worried about allowing an out-spoken conservative to purchase a football team, why, then, is he standing by and allowing felons and drug addicts to play the game? Why, again, is he allowing an out-spoken liberal to a weekly commentator? The answer remains the same. It is no longer okay to be a conservative in this country in the eyes of the left, and it is no longer okay to speak out against our leaders. But, quite honestly, I don't care about what the left thinks, and I don't care about what people like Roger Goodell think. I know who I am, and you know who you are. Like Rush, Sarah, Glenn and Michele, we are God- fearing, American-loving patriots, and we will NOT going to give up, and we will NOT back down. We are in this fight for he long haul. The liberal left better watch out because their greatest fears will be realized, for conservatism WILL win out in the end.



(I'm a Conservative Girl with a Voice!!!Visit my blog and become a follower: http://www.conservativegirlwithavoice.com. I'm on Twitter too @rachellefriberg.)