The Problem with Palin Haters

The Alaskans who know her love Sarah Palin. What is there not to like?

She's been a superb leader in a state mostly known for partisanship and rampant corruption. She talks the talk, and she walks the walk. I've said that people who don't like Sarah Palin (people like Letterman, Begala, Axelrod, and most Democrats) really don't like America. They don't like the kind of opportunity that's available to someone from modest origins. They don't like the fact she's a model wife and mother, mostly because they don't really believe women should be wives and mothers, apparently. They don't like her espousal of liberty, tolerance, and opportunity, because they believe in an America run by academic ideologues, like Dr. Zeke Emanuel. They don't like the fact that her son is in military, whereas their sons and daughters aren't. They hate the fact that she's an excellent athlete in a family of athletes. She's physically beautify, while they aren't. She makes them feel inferior, which they are.

Again, people who despise Sarah also despise America. It's that simple.

Shocking Revelations About Barack Obama

Pamela Geller on Atlas Shrugs has a remarkable column on the often bizarre behavior of Barack H. Obama. I urge you to read it. (I'll comment more on Sunday about Pamela's revelations.) Here's the link:

http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2009/08/cnn-tells-sells-more-lies-about-palin-its-time-to-expose-the-truth-about-obama.html

Like Pamela, I've determined that the stream of baseless rumors about Gov. Sarah Palin come directly from Obama's political gurus David Axelrod and Rahm Emanuel. (More about this in coming days.)

Levi Johnston was Paid Off

Hint: Levi Johnston and his family are being paid off for trashing Sarah and Bristol Palin. The motto of the reporters (Woodward and Bernstein) in Watergate was to "follow the money." The modern MSM doesn't follow payoffs as long as there's a whiff of salaciousness to focus on.

[Note: On my other blog, http://stevemaloneygop.blogspot.com I have Thurs. and Fri. columns on Joe Biden's pathological lying over the years, especially his mythical story about the details of the death of his first wife and infant daughter in a 1972 traffic accident.]

This column marks the beginning of effort to raise the intriguing question of where Levi Johnston and his family -- with his mother under indictment for drug sales -- are getting tens of thousands of dollars to pay for various expenses, including flights (for Levi, his mother, and his sister) to NY (at a cost of approximately $7,500) for the Tyra Banks show, as well as for the shiny new pick-up truck that the unemployed Levi (who apparently can't pay child care expenses) is driving. (Hey, at least Levi doesn't sell out his former "beloved" and his current son for mere peanuts.)

Obviously, the money comes from Obama supporters like George Soros and the investment bankers Obama is bailing out with billions of dollars, payoffs in their own right. I can't dot all the i's on l'affaire Levi yet, but if something stinks like a skunk, well, it's not the first rose of summer. And Levi and his odious mother are smelling very skunk-like these days. Since the Tyra Bankses of the world can't ask Levi any hard questions, well, we have to do the job for them.

Perhaps someone will be very daring and ask Mrs. Johnston who's paying her whopping legal expenses these days. Hint: It's not the Palin-for-President Committee. I don't believe Mrs. Johnston has much money lying around from her former profession of selling oxycontin.

Am I claiming that Obama, Axelrod, and Emanuel ("The Triangle of Evil") are making direct payments to the Johnstons? Silly question: that's why people like Obama and Axelrod have bagmen. As Richard Nixon put it, in politics, "deniability" is everything.

Consider Bristol Palin's comment that some people (hint: she meant Levi and his delightful family) were using the "Palin name" in order to make "money." Bristol is getting wiser by the moment.

If you'd like to read more about the Johnston family, I urge you to check out Ron Devito's blog at: http://sarahs-accomplishments.blogspot.com/2009/04/salacious-news-coverage-levi-johnston.html. Ron is a young guy, but he has the ability, as a friend of mine once put it, "to find out where the bones are buried."

There will be more to come this weekend. I urge you to pass this material on to friends and allies.

Palin: Beware Obama-Alinsky's "Rules"

To understand the tactics used by Obama and David Axelrod, it's necessary to grasp the "rules" outlined long ago by racial labor organizer Saul Alinsky (in his "Rules for Radicals"). In the last campaign, John McCain and, especially, Gov. Sarah Palin faced such tactics. (In fact, Alinsky influenced both Hillary Clinton, who wrotea thesis on him, and Barack Obama.)

Supporters of Gov. Palin need to understand Alinsky's "Rules for Radicals." Frankly, there's no reason they can't be used AGAINST Obama and his minions.

The following points summarize Alinsky's Rules and note how Obama/Axelrod used them in the campaign -- and continue to apply them to undermine potential opponents, such as Gov. Palin.

1. “Rub raw the sores of discontent” – in other words, get irritated people angry enough to demand change;
2. Convince skeptical and demoralized people that real change is possible (“Yes, we can!”);
   Understand that hopefulness can overcome a sense of powerlessness;
3. Sharpen resentments, fan hostilities, and exploit controversies; (BO’s contemptuous references to "George Bush!")
4. Begin organizing by first disorganizing the community – to overcome complacency;
5. Convince your opponent that your movement is invincible; (“This is OUR time.”)
6. Stay within your people’s comfort zone – their limited experience (e.g., symbols are more effective than substance);
7. Force your opponent outside his comfort zone to create uncertainty and fear;
8. Demand your opponent obey his stated rules, which he usually won’t; (e.g., demanding that Obama's wife not be subject to any criticism -- "lay off my family," as BO said)
9. Use ridicule to infuriate your opposition and generate overreaction (e.g., Obama’s “lipstick on a pig” reference to Palin);
10. Apply tactics that your people enjoy carrying out (e.g., chanting slogans);
11. Change your tactics regularly to keep your opponents off-balance; (e.g., wwitching attacks from Bush to McCain to Palin)
12. Maintain constant pressure on the opposition to encourage confusion (e.g., make so many charges your opponent won’t be able to answer them);
13. Threaten an extreme action, such as tying up a major highway, because it's more terrifying than carrying it out; (e.g., suggestions that if Obam lost, there would be “riots in the streets”)
14. Have a constructive alternative to your opponents’ proposals; (“95% will get tax cuts”; a phony promise by Obama)
15. Avoid vague abstractions by picking, personalizing, and polarizing the target (e.g., Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin, or George Bush!);

If you go through these “Rules” line-by-line, you’ll be reminded of what Axelrod and Obama did (such as using fear and ridicule/smear tactics). You’ll also understand exactly how we must proceed to overcome Obama and his minions. Being “Mr. Nice Guy” and “Miss Nice Gal” will get us nothing.

Sarah and Rush: Basic Americans

On Rush Limbaugh: We all, including Rush, fall into the situation described by St. Paul: "For all have sinned, all have fallen short of the Glory of God." Sarah Palin reminded us long ago that she isn't perfect either. (But you're closer than most, Sarah!) [This is the second of two columns today about Limbaugh. Scroll down to see the other]

NOTE: PLEASE SEE URGENT INFORMATION AT BOTTOM OF THIS PIECE

That said, Rush Limbaugh evokes fear and loathing from the Left not because he's a "bad man." He does so because he is the embodiment of the American Dream.

The same, by the way, is true of Sarah Palin. Obama and his supporters despise Sarah because of her humble beginnings and her basic Americanism. Nobody ever gave her an "affirmative action scholarship." She's not from the privileged and pampered world of Barack and Michelle Obama. She's a gritty -- and gifted -- American. For that, people like David Axelrod, Rahm Emmanuel, and Barack Obama will never forgive her.

Rush came from nowhere (Cape Girardeau, MO) and from nothing. He never went to college (remember, Bill Gates dropped out in his sophomore year). He has benefited greatly from the kind of opportunity America provides to its citizens. He's grateful. He doesn't expect everybody to agree with him, because he understands, as he put it, that we're all individuals, all unique.

I disagree with Rush on a couple of issues, one of which is how to handle immigration. But I was happy he brought up the scapegoating of businesspeople, some of whom are no more responsible for their companies' problems than I am for the collapse of my 401-K. He made ME feel guilty, because I sometimes trash Wall Streeters indiscriminately. Of course, the Obama people are looking around for others -- scapegoats -- to blame for the disastrous results their policies are producing.

Rush shamed the media, which should be shamed every single day. He brought up questions about Obama's actions that the media should be raising -- but isn't. He asked where on earth a socialist agenda, and that is Obama's agenda, had ever worked. That is a legitimate question, and not one CNN or MSNBC wants anything to do with.

To me, Rush stood up for the Constitution, for liberty, for tolerance (*we want everybody to be successful"), and for opportunity. If people want to trash him for that, they're not only short-sighted but downright dangerous. For someone like Rahm Emmanuel, the essence of America boils down to buying votes and selling influence. For Barack Obama, it's redistributing wealth -- without having a clue how wealth is created.

Rush said what many people feel, but lack the skill -- or the guts -- to tell the truth as effectively as he did. As one of my blogs put it today, "Three cheers for Rush Limbaugh."

URGENT INFORMATION BELOW

CONGRESS EXPIRES CRITICAL TOOL FOR SCREENING

ILLEGAL EMPLOYMENT!

The E-Verify Program, on which businesses across the country rely to screen
employment of illegal aliens expires this Friday, March 6. E-Verify has been in
use since 1997 by businesses nationwide - but Congress appears to be 'hoping'
Americans won't notice that they removed the extension of this regulation from the
"Stimulus Plan" and the issue has been ignored and screened out of Mass Media
news coverage.

LET'S SHOW WASHINGTON WE ARE PAYING ATTENTION and we are opposed
to the hiring of illegal aliens. SIGN the Urgent E-VERIFY PETITION Now - and send this
link to your friends to sign on in support of this "Smart Business Practice."
http://www.wam08.org/TakeaStand.html

Todd & Sarah: Model Americans

This weekend (Saturday and Sunday & into Monday), I'll be writing on two subjects: (1) what YOU can do to help ensure Sarah Palin defeats Barack Obama in 2012; (2) what you should know about the major differences in background between Sarah and Obama. The Palins (pictured below) are a classic American family; the Obamas are a couple nurtured, as Obama admitted in his books, in environments largely detached from the American mainstream. Michelle Obama has been an advocate of the Black Separatism preached by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Obama's views on Black Separatism are not known, although he did spend 20 years listening to Rev. Wright's rants against white people and America. He has never explained that disturbing history. In any case, his leftist policies are doing great damage to the American Way of Life. In 2008, Obama got 96% of the African-American vote, a disturbing sign of the racial politics he and his campaign guru David Axelrod practiced.

Note: On SteveMaloneyGop today is the first of my blockbuster columns about Obama's plan to destroy our country's middle class, the one element that could fight against his plan to redistribute American wealth.


Right now, one pro-Palin organization (TeamSarah) has nearly 70,000 members. Other large groups on MySpace, Facebook, and elsewhere are also backing Sarah Palin. If, by 2012, Sarah has one-million-plus trained activists, she could be unbeatable.

SNEAK PEEK AT A SUBJECT I'M COVERING IN MY BOOK ON SARAH PALIN. THIS PIECE DEALS WITH ZIEGLER'S "MEDIA MALPRACTICE" AND THE NEED TO GET IT OUT TO MANY INDEPENDENTS AND DEMOCRATS

On Hillary Supporters: I am not a fan of Mrs. Clinton, but starting last April (around the time of the Pennsylvania primary), I began working half-time or more with backers of HRC, some of whom I found to live in fantasy land but many of whom become good friends. I was the co-host (with Anne Franklin, an Independent but a Hillary Supporter) of the "Clintons4McCain" Blog Talk Radio. I knew last April that Hillaryites were a key to winning in Nov.

Yes, it's very important to get "Media Malpractice" out to as many Indepdents and Hillary Supporters as possible. I hope the PUMA groups feel the same way. I'm going to ask for some help on that from Frank Pinnizotto of NJ, a Democrat who headed "Democrats for McCain."

Sarah is hated for very simple reasons. She's good looking, a terrific wife and mother, a rock of integrity, and an American who lives her values. That makes her a threat to Barack Obama, who spent 20 happy years shucking and jiving in Rev. Wright's America-hating, race-baiting, misogyny-tolerating church. Barack Obama has nothing but contempt for the America most of us grew up in.

Much of the hatred toward Sarah apparently is financed by George Soros and other wealthy "donors" to Obama. It has neither spontaneity nor veracity. Any truly honest elected official is going to be subject to endless mud-slinging.

Never underestimate Sarah Palin. She is a lot tougher than Obama, or Axelrod, or Soros. She has lived a life that Obama and Michelle, the "Affirmative Action Kids," cannot comprehend. They were pampered their entire lives because they combined being Black with the abiity to spell "potato." What does not destroy Sarah makes her stronger -- and nothing destroys her.

She is innocent in some ways -- a characteristic of people who are goodness personified and have a strong sense of right-and-wrong. But as the Ziegler interview shows, she's learned a lot. She's less innocent now.

Palin: "Veto That Stimulus Bill!"

A week ago, Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC) said the Stimulus Bill means "America's best days are behind it." On her interview with Greta van Susteren a week ago, Governor Sarah Palin said Obama should "veto the Stimulus bill" -- that is, HIS Stimulus Bill.

Today, Monday, Feb. 23, Obama is talking about "investing" the Stimulus money -- all of it borrowed, all of it repayable by taxpayers -- on behalf of the American people. He doesn't explain why he won't allow Americans to invest the money themselves. As usual, Obama is in the position of promoting bad economic policies while saying he's doing it on our behalf. Total cynicism? Absolutely.

Last Saturday on FOX, Ben Stein talked about the Stimulus Bill as little more than an effort to pay off Democratic voters -- and to buy the votes of new ones. Failed institutions, like GM and Chrysler, get rewarded -- mindlessly -- because the unions supported Obama. Huge amount of money get redistributed to states like Massachusetts (reportedly getting $9 billion), California, and Michigan, mainly because their electoral votes went for Obama. In contrast, Red states, generally much more responsibly governed than their "Blue" counterparts, get proportionately less.

"Pay to Play"

To use Illinois terms, states like Maryland and Massachusetts "played" the game Obama's way, so they get paid. As Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts told CNN's John King on Sunday, people in that state "want bridges and highways.' It never seemed to occur to him that if people in a state want something, they should ante up and pay for it themselves.

As Gov. Palin told the Republican National Convention, experience had taught the people of that state a valuable lesson. Yes, something like the "Bridge to Nowhere" would provide some benefits to the state (easier transportation, construction jobs), but it would come at a high cost to the nation. Thus, as she said, "If we need a bridge, we'll build it ourselves."

That classic American concept of self-reliance has little meaning to people like David Axelrod and Obama. People who are self-reliant are immune for the kind of vote-buying traditional in places like Chicago.

The problem with bailouts isn't that they don't provide short term help to some states and individuals. The problem is that they do great damage to the productive members of society, essentially punishing them for BEING productive. They -- we -- don't get "bailed out." In fact, the "water" -- the tax bills -- threatens to come up to our eyeballs.

To our credit, we don't want to be bailed out. We refuse to engage in what John McCain called "generational warfare," where our children and grandchildren pay the bill so that we can pretend we're better off than in fact we are.

By all means, let's help people who -- through no fault of their own -- are in trouble. But let's not help those who have no intention of helping themselves. Remember, our country's motto is "In God we trust" -- and not "gimme, gimme, gimme."

A society where no one is allowed to fail eventually becomes one where no one is able to succeed.

We sometimes hear how "complicated" the economic situation is, but that's just plain false. As people like Louisiana's Bobby Jindal and Alaska's Sarah Palin know, life and economics are fairly simple.

For example, you don't buy a house -- or have a lifestyle or spend money -- that you can't afford. You make sacrifices. You don't assume that the economy will never take a nosedive. You don't expect that someone else is going to pay your bills. You don't spend every last cent you have coming in. You don't have children and then assume that "society" (i.e., the taxpayers) will pay for their upbringing.

America is a country for free people. It is not a country for people who are perpetually dependent on government.

Does Obama understand such basic facts of life? Why should he? He's "The Affirmative Action Kid."

Yes, he talks about his "student loans," but he went to an expensive prep school in Hawaii and then to three of the costliest schools in America -- Occidental, Columbia, and Harvard. What percentage of his educational costs did Barack Obama pay? Of course, he hasn't released such facts -- nor will he ever. A good assumption is that he paid a relatively small amount.

From all avialable evidence, other people financed Barack Obama's education. He got mostly a free ride. It was an early version of his economic policy, where Other People's Money (OPM) is made available to help out Obama's chosen few. It all fits the definition of socialism, which is not so much an economic policy as a vote-buying scheme.

However, what happens when the productive members of society get tired of financing the unproductive? Unfortunately, it looks as if we're all going to find out the answer to that question . . . in the form of diminished economic growth, reduced opportunities, higher inflation, and less personal freedom.

Palin: Rules for Defeating Obama

NOTE: THURSDAY A.M. I'LL HAVE UP A BLOCKBUSTER PIECE ABOUT HOW SARAH PALIN AND HER SUPPORTERS CAN ACCELERATE THE MSM'S TRAVEL DOWN THE ROAD TO OBLIVION. THE GOAL SHOULD BE TO PUT KATIE COURIC, CHARLIE GIBSON, AND JOHN ROBERTS OUT OF BUSINESS.

"Gonna getcha Barack Obama . . . you betcha!"

To defeat Barack Obama in 2012, Sarah Palin will need to rely on all her fabled toughness. She also needs to understand -- and use to her own advantage -- the tactics David Axelrod and Barack Obama learned from fabled "community organizer" Saul Alinsky.

Alinsky was a Chicago-area agitator who wrote a classic grassroots organizing treatise called Rules for Radicals. Much-misunderstood, Alinsky influenced both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, neither of whom ever completely grasped what he was about. Those of us who oppose Obama can learn much of value from Alinsky’s principles. As you'll see, these are the tactics used against Sarah Palin -- and, to a lesser extent, against McCain

• “Rub raw the sores of discontent” – in other words, get unhappy people angry enough to demand change;


• Convince skeptical people that real change is possible (“Yes, we can!” "Change we can believe in!");
  Understand that hopefulness can overcome a sense of powerlessness;


• Sharpen resentments, fan hostilities, and exploit old and new controversies;


• Begin organizing by first disorganizing the community -- that is, shaking them out of their complacency;


• Convince your opponent that your movement is unstoppable ("It's OUR time");


• Stay within your people’s comfort zone – their limited experience (e.g., symbols are more effective than substance);


• Force your opponents outside their comfort zone to create uncertainty and fear;


• Demand your opponents obey their stated rules, which they usually won’t;


• Use ridicule to infuriate your opposition and generate overreaction (e.g., Obama’s “lipstick on a pig” slur against Palin);


• Apply tactics that your people enjoy carrying out (e.g., chanting slogans);


• Change your tactics regularly to keep your opponents off-balance (e.g., take the political high-road and then shift to the low-road);


• Maintain constant pressure on the opposition to encourage confusion (e.g., make so many charges your opponent will have to spend excessive time answering them);


• Remember: threatening an extreme action is more terrifying than carrying it out (e.g., "there could be riots in the streets");


• Have an alternative ready when your opponents make a proposal;


• Avoid vague abstractions by picking, personalizing, and polarizing the target (e.g., "four more years of George Bush!")

If you go through these “Rules” line-by-line, you’ll be reminded of what Axelrod and Obama did (such as using fear and ridicule/smear tactics). You’ll also understand exactly how we must proceed to overcome Obama and his minions. Being “Mr. Nice Guy” and “Miss Nice Gal” will get us nothing.

Sarah Like "Sully," Obama "Nellie"

Scroll down to read what we absolutely must do to start winning again in 2010 -- and to win big in the presidential year of 2012.

The motto of the woman pictured above is "Serve the people." To find out what Obama's motto could be, scroll down. Hint: It's less about serving than about scaring.

Most Americans remember a part of Franklin Roosevelt's Depression-era remarks about fear. Yes, he did say in his 1st Inaugural, "The only thing we have to fear is . . . fear itself," but that's not the whole statement. It went this way, "The only thing we have to fear is . . . fear itself . . . nameless, unreasoning fear." The final three words, starting with "nameless," are extremely important.

Granted, there are situations in which fear is appropriate -- for example, if you wake up and see a hungry grizzly bear climbing through your bedroom window. In a case like that, there's nothing unreasonable about fear. (After the initial surge of terror, of course, the most important thing you can do is to calm down and decide -- reason -- quickly about how you're going to get out of the situation. In other words, act like Captain "Sully," not like Nervous Nellie.

Barack Obama has told us that, without his (potentially catastrophic) Stimulus Bill, we will face a financial "catastrophe." How he knows that -- the reasoning part -- remains unclear.

So, why did he appeal to one of our primal instincts? Because he knows -- or at least his speech guru Aexlrod knows -- that fear sells. Scare people half to death and many of them will do your bidding. The last thing Obama wants his audiences to do is have reasoned responses to his rhetoric.

When he tells us, for example, that "95% of the American people are going to get a tax cut," he is lying to us. He knows that nearly 50% of American wage earners (and their immediate dependents) don't pay federal income taxes.

When they get their $500 or $1000 "tax cut" from the Treasury -- and yes, Tim Geithner and Tom Daschle who didn't pay their taxes, will get one -- it will not be a tax refund. Instead, it will be a welfare check. In other words, Obama will be putting half the population on what our grandparents used to call the "dole," welfare. As Obama told Joe the Plumber, it's not about stimulus, but rather about "redistribution of wealth."

Why do such a damaging thing? Because Axelrod/Obama know that dependent people are reliable providers of votes in future elections. When the government basically "owns" someone, he or she expresses gratitude by voting for bigger and bigger government. Sadly, though, he or she is no longer a free, independent citizen.

Thus, we have FDR, along with all other great American leaders, arguing against reliance on "nameless, unreasoning fear." In contrast, we have Obama and his minions relying completely on fear because reason isn't on their side. As every tyrant knows, fear is his most powerful ally. Gov. Sarah Palin's motto is "Serve the people." In contrast, Obama's seems to be: "Scare the people."

In today's difficult times, we will still sing "God bless America." Yet the more appropriate phrase might be "God help America." In fact, God generally blesses our land most abundantly when the vast majority of Americans do everything in their power to help themselves, their families, and their communities.

WHAT WE MUST DO TO START WINNING AGAIN . . .

We've all heard the saying that "close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades." In fact, close also counts in politics, where we need allies who are "close enough" in their views to vote with us against Obama-Biden types. We have been skunked badly in two straight elections, and rationalizations about those devastating losses aren't helpful. Clearly, we need to do a much better jub of explaining why our principles and policies are better for the American people -- at least for a MAJORITY of the American people.

Part of the process involves our talking, but a bigger part involves listening to why so many good people did not side with us. We need inspirational leaders, like Gov. Palin (and her Lt. Gov. Todd Parnell), Marsha Blackburn, Diana Irey, Linda Chavez, Tom Coburn, and, yes, like Michael Steele. Winning AL, MS, UT, ID, KY, and WY are not going to be enough. States like OH, FL, NC, VA, and even PA are winnable if we do a much better job of organizing and fundraising. The Left outraised us in donations by two-to-one and three-to-one. We have to do more than just express our opinions on the Net and the Rush Limbaugh Show, important as both those activities are. All of those who are serious about winning are going to have to put their money where their mouths are.

Specifically, we need many more young voters and more Hispanics, and it's up to US to figure out the best ways to get much more support from those groups. There are 26 million veterans in the U.S., and we need a plan/mechanism for contacting every one of them. Ultimately, all groups that stand for classic American values are going to have to work together, share information, and leverage one another's strengths.

Defeating Obama: Attack Relentlessly, Ferociously

The McCain Campaign could have used a graphic like the one below as a potent image to diminish the standing of Barack Obama. Unfortunately, McCain did no such thing. In fact, they let the Obama Campaign use Gov. Palin as a political pinata. That can't be allowed to happen again.

In the 2008 election, John McCain refused to "go negative" on his Senate colleague, Barack H. Obama. That was one decision, among many, that ensured McCain could not win the election. In fact, what happened was that the Obama Campaign relentlessly attacked . . . Sarah H. Palin, one of the most remarkable women ever to hold elective office in America.

The McCain staffers never figured out how to respond effectively to the smear campaign aginst Gov. Palin. They should have counter-attacked with ferocity. They didn't, and the fault for that lies mainly with John McCain.

Where did campaign manager David Axelrod and candidate Barack H. Obama learn how to conduct an all-out war against Sarah Palin? They probably learned the approach from what might seem an unlikely source, Republican strategies Lee Atwater. He was an expert in the use of images and symbols, something at which the Obama effort also excelled.

Consider how Atwater used the American flag as a powerful symbol in George H. W. Bush's 1988 campaign against Michael Dukakis. The following paragraphs are from John Brady's super biographty entitled Bad Boy: The Life and Politics of Lee Atwater, a book I urge everyone to read.

Atwater associated Dukakis with Harvard University and highligted the Massachusetts governor's membership in the ACLU. He emphasized Dukakis' veto in 1977 of a bill passed by the Massachusetts legislature requiring teachers to lead students in the Pledge of Allegiance.

In the campaign, the American flag became a powerful symbol distinguishing Bush from Dukakis. The implication was that the former was for it -- while the latter's position was less certain.

As Brady says, "Bush stuck to Atwater's script, making the Pledge of Allegiance the centerpiece of his campaign. He recited the Pledge constantly, attended the 'First Annual Flag Festival' in Findlay, Ohio, [and] toured a flag factory in New Jersey. "

By October of 1988, Dukakis' once big lead in the public opinion polls had evaporated. Bush surged ahead and won big in November (54% to 46%).

What about Dukakis own efforts at symbolism? The governor had to demonstrate that he wasn't merely a liberal wimp.

"He visited a General Dynamics facility in Michigan and went for a spin in an M-1 tank. The helmet was too large. The grin on his face was sickly. 'Dukakis looked like he wanted to call for his mother,' said Sam Donaldson as the cameras whirred."

In fact, Atwater got a copy of the video of Dukakis riding around aimlessly in the tank. The Republican strategist used it as a commercial to demonstrate exactly how ridiculous the Massachusetts governor was. As part of his campaign of ridicule, Atlwater always mispronounced the governor's name, calling him Du-kay-kis.

As the 2008 campaign unfolded, I wished many times that I -- yes, me -- had been able to play the role of Lee Atwater for Gov. Palin. The McCain Campaign let a national role model, Sarah Palin, be tarred and feathered by Obama and his minions in the media and blogosphere. Lee Atwater never would have allowed it to happen -- and neither would I.

Obama, Palin, Atwater: Subconscious Politics

Picture of two former vice-presidential candidates and a one-term president: Palin, Liberman, and Obama. Choose the one who's a FUTURE President of the U.S.

"I want hip-hop Republicans. I want Frank Sinatra Republicans." (Michael Steele, new head of the Republican National Committee). Sarah Palin, with one foot in the hip-hop world and another in the Sinatra-era would nod in vigorous approval at Steele's statement.

Do the vast majority of Americans really understand what's going on in politics? No, they do not. That's the view held by Lee Atwater, the greatest political strategist of modern times -- yes, he was better than Karl Rove, better even that Obama's campaign guru, David Axelrod. He helped engineer Reagan's landslide reelection in 1984 and was George H. W. Bush's campaign manager in the winning effort against Dukakis in 1988.

This week on both of my blogs (http://draftpalin2012.blogspot.com/ and http:stevemaloneygop.blogspot.com) I'll be writing about Atwater's insights -- and suggesting how they're similar to Gov. Sarah Palin's approach to politics. The emphasis will be on the psychology of winning.

Regarding Atwater, he's the subject of perhaps the most intriguing political biography of recent decades. It's John Brady, Bad Boy: The Life and Politics of Lee Atwater, Addison-Wesley, 1997 It's beautifully written and profound in substance. Brady, a journalist and a consultant to magazine publishers, is a former editor of Boston and Writer's Digest. He wrote The Craft of Interviewing, a classic how-to book for journalists, and The Craft of the Screenwriter.

The material below has several quotes from Brady's Atwater book. As you read the excerpts, consider the two most remarkable politics events of this decade: (1) Barack Obama's election as America's first African-American President; (2) Sarah Palin's victories in 2006 over incumbent Republican Governor (and former U.S. Senator) Frank Murkowski and then over popular former Democratic Governor Tony Knowles.

How did Obama and Palin accomplish these feats? You'll never find out from the MSM, which presents a simple-minded view of what happens in big-time electoral politics.

In fact, Palin and Obama, both master politicians, plugged into a powerful attitudinal current: a yearning for CHANGE. They both offered HOPE to people who had become so exasperated by politics-as-usual that they verged on the edge of hopelessness.

Lee Atwater died at a young age in 1991. However, as you'll see below, he would have understood why people like Barack Obama and Sarah Palin won. It had little to do with "issues" -- and even less to do with stated "opinions." It had everything to do with deeply held --and mainly emotional -- attitudes.

Brady describes Atwater's key insights this way: "[In life generally and politics specifically], It's not what happens to us that matters - it's how we interpret what happens to us. The interpretation establishes an attitude, which can then be catered to emotionally - [a form of] mental crowd control. When we want your opinion, we'll give it to you." (In other words, attitudes drive opinions -- not vice versa.)

In Atwater's words, "attitudes are deeply ingrained. You can't even necessarily verbalize them." Attitudes are so powerful that they override even what we believe are our opinions. They are deep within us -- visceral and largely subconscious.

Brady adds, "Before going negative on an opponent . . . he [Atwater] cultivated strong positive attitudes among the electorate. He used impressionistic images and symbols to depict his candidate in such a way that perception 'can't be busted up even with opinion changes on specific issues that my opponent might accomplish.'"

(By the way, Sarah Palin is even better at using images and symbols -- especially ones related to her husband and children -- than Obama. Everything Palin does reinforces her most powerful theme: "She's one of us." She's a mother, a wife, a middle-class woman whose life closely resembles ours. And, wonder of wonders, she's HONEST!)

Brady continues, ". The average voter was kind of slow, actually . . . ."The average voter could absorb only a limited amount of information about his candidate, Lee thought, and should never be bewildered with specifics

Brady goes on, "Lee realized that in order to get swing votes, [George H.W.] Bush had to tap voters' emotions instead of their brains. It was Lee's job [as a campaign guru] to find the specific example, the outrageous abuse, the easy-to-digest tale that made listeners feel - usually, repulsion - rather than think. Like the old carnival barker, he needed a hook to get them into the tent."

In future blog columns , I'll discuss more of Atwater's insights -- and how they can help a Sarah Palin get voters "into the tent."

How to Confront Palin Haters

Note: Note: on Jan. 20, 2009, the posts on this site will diverge from those on my other site: http://stevemaloneygop.blogspot.com. This "Draft Palin" site will continue to focus on the future presidency of Sarah H. Palin. The other site (SteveMaloneyGOP) will concentrate on calamitous presidency of Barack H. Obama. I hope you'll visit both sites.

Sarah Palin: Ready to Ride Her Way to the White House?

I've had an interesting discussion with Silvia, a member of TeamSarah, dealing in part with "friends" who mindlessly repeat the smears made against Sarah that originate from the endless Obama Campaign and are spread through "hate-sites" such as The Daily Kos and Moveon.org. Here are Silvia's comments:

I admire Gov Palin because she has the executive experience she's built from the ground up. I connect to her experience as a mother as well.

Recently, I argued with a friend who 'claims' to have heard on Fox News that Gov Palin increased funding for special needs education AFTER her nomination. Now this liberal friend despises Fox, yet he was able to walk away [and retain] that lie. The real record was on CNN, where they cited the factcheck website. (http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/sliming_palin.html)

WE NEED TO GET THE GOVERNOR'S RECORD OUT THERE, not her personal stuff but her ACCOMPLISHMENTS. That remains a major challenge.

Silvia

My response:

Silvia, you make excellent points, and I'll try to use your comments on my blog (http://draftpalin2012.blogspot.com/) -- and respond to them.

Obama managed to run with no accomplishments, including his laughable tenure as a "community organizer." As for your friend, I think such people need to be "beaten up" (metaphorically). If they're spreading lies, they should be informed that's what they're doing -- and perhaps asked why they're so gullible. When Sarah's media critics throw a stone, we need to respond with an avalanche of boulders.

Ask your friend who she thinks it is (hint: Axelrod handles the smears/lies and they come through The Daily Kos) that's providing her with such misinformation?

People like to feel comfortable with their illusions. Let's make them uncomfortable. Sarah herself is doing that now, with her comments about "class" and the dismissing of Katie Couric as a narcissist and Obama shill. When such people are confronted aggressively, they fold quickly.

HOW SARAH DEFEATS OBAMA 2012

I'll be writing more in the future about the book by Kay Cashman and others called "Sarah Takes on Big Oil." I urge you to visit Kay's page on TeamSarah.org: http://www.teamsarah.org/profile/KayCashman# From Christmas through New Year's Day I'll be writing about about "how Sarah wins in 2012."

I sent the following to Meg in PA who has established the foundation for a massive organization to defeat Obama in Pennsylvania in 2012.

Meg, To steal Hillary's words, the only reason to put as much effort, time, and money into this deal (i.e., electing Sarah in 2012) as we'll do is to "be in it to win it." Winning it means doing exactly the kinds of things you are with online and offline organizing.

We don't need to be wishy-washy, but we need to keep growing and that will mean collaring some non-traditional allies. Four million Hillary Supporters voted for McCain-Palin, and I want them to stay on our side -- and to bring along more of their fellow Hillaryites.

I want to operate as much outside the "traditional" Republican Party as possible. Yesterday's GOP is mainly good at asking for money -- and then sending it to the wrong candidates. As some of the people on this mailing list know, I want them (or people like them) running the campaign in 2012 -- we don't need the malcontents, incompetents, and Sarah-bashers that Sen. McCain and Rick Davis accumulated.

(I don't mean to suggest that we exclude Republicans -- only the ones who have run the Party into the ground. Anybody who wants to work like a dog is welcome.)

Anyone who's pro-choice and backs Sarah Palin strongly -- and I worked with many such people (in 2008 -- is welcome aboard as far as I'm concerned. It's critical for Palin Supporters to understand that her appeal transcends ideology. She's a listener, a respecter of diversity, and a healer. She leads by example, rather than by fait. On all these points, we should seek to emulate her.

Young people and Hispanics are especially welcome because (shhhh) we can't win without significant support from them. Sarah Palin has tremendous potential appeal to young voters and to Hispanic women.

I notice there are 61 African-American women for Palin in one TeamSarah group, and that's a start. We need to make inroads with Black women, who vote in large numbers, and concern ourselves less -- at least during the Obama era -- with Black males.

If Sarah can get 51% or more of the female vote in 2012, she will be President-elect. That's not an impossible number. I want Obama to figure out what hit him about the first Wednesday in November, 2012. I hope Adam Brickley, who established the Draft Palin Movement TWO YEARS AGO (see http://palinforvp.blogspot.com) will work hand-in-glove with us, and I've added him to the e-mail copy list.

Understand that we'll NEVER raise as much money as Obama -- although we'll raise a lot more than people may think -- so we need the best, biggest volunteer organization in American history. The way we win Pennsylvania (and Ohio, and maybe Michigan) is to do exactly what the people on this list -- and the good folks at TeamSarah -- are doing.

I also intend to work as closely as she'll let me with Katie Hastings O'Malley (of Human Events and modernconservative.com), so she gets copied too. :-) It's no secret that I believe Katie, perhaps in concert with Adam, would be a great national campaign manager in 2012. Right now, Sarah knows only that Katie exists, but they'll become a lot better acquainted in coming years.

On her back, Katie has a tattoo of Ronald Reagan. I asked her to save a place for one of Sarah.

There are some people I regard as brilliant organizers getting this e-mail -- and now they get the opportunity to prove it to the rest of the world. We can defeat Barack, Rahm, and David -- hereafter known as "The Axelrod of Evil."

Barack Obama: Information Grabs, Deceit

Dear Friends: Please read the following (in italics) from Janet of the ReadMyLipstickNetwork.
"I expect all of you would check out a website before adding it as a link or making it part of your blogroll, and you may already be familiar with this one, however, just to be on the safe side wanted to let you know that www.electpalin.com redirects straight to a donation page for Obama / Biden. Someone just sent it to us wanting to join the network. Ha ha. We've also had one titled 'when pigs can fly palin' want to join..." -- Janet


The Obama Campaign does something people like Janet and I, as well as other Palin backers, will NEVER do: it participates in "information grabs," an especially sleazy practice.

What is an "information grab?" Let me give you an example: if you remember back to August, Axelrod/Obama announced that people who gave them their cell phone numbers would get an early heads-up on The Chosen One's vice-presidential choice. In fact, the text message about the Biden selection went out 3-4 hours AFTER the news announcement appeared on TV.

So, the people who provided the cell numbers got nothing of value. On the other hand, what did the Obama Campaign get? It received valuable information: more than 500,000 cell phone numbers. Thus, it was able to use those numbers to solicit donations and other forms of support. It was underhanded and cynical.

Sadly, it was helpful to a campaign willing to do anything to win the election. Axelrod/Obama had no interest in providing real information to its supporters. It had great interest in stealing their cell phone numbers.

Obama and his personal Svengali, the odious David Axelrod, will do any to undermine Gov. Palin, their most feared opponent. One of my favorite quotes -- a masterpiece of alliteration -- from early in the presidential campaign was a headline in the Black Conservatives Group, which read, "Democrats Desperate to Dig Up Dirt to Destroy Palin.' Famously, Obama dispatched 30 lawyers to Alaska to find out -- and to make up -- information harmful to the Governor.

What dirt did they find? Basically, they discovered none. Thus, it largely fell to Obama supporters, such as "Markos," the founder of Daily Kos, to invent preposterous stories aimed at harming the Governor. One of those was the Kos story that Bristol Palin was the mother of baby Trig. Of course, it turned out that when Trig was born, Bristol was newly pregnant with her own unborn child, whose name will not be "Trig." In short, the Kos story was despicable, an outright lie.

Did the many lies hurt Gov. Palin? Sadly, they did. People are gullible. If they hear something on CNN or MSNBC, two of the main media culprits, the tendency is to believe it. I avoid such a temptation by never watching CNN or MSNBC. Information from the Obama Campaign -- and, trust me, it continues -- is invariably false or misleading. With them, mendacity is a way of life.

In their world, "spin" is reality. Thus, Obama and friends delight in grabbing information from unwitting individuals. However, they don't PROVIDE information, factual, verifiable truths. I've taken a few days off, but I'll be writing again on my main blogs, including this one and http://stevemaloneygop.blogspot.com.)

My emphasis will be on simple, practical steps Gov. Palin should take to build up support to defeat Obama in 2012. If you've been watching Sarah Palin on TV recently, you may note that she's doing everything necessary to take such a step -- aside, perhaps from wearing a "Palin for President" button.

Mainly because of his embrace of deceit, cynicism, and voter fraud, Obama is not going to be easy to beat. However, defeating him is not a hopeless task. In fact, if John McCain had received a million more votes in the right states he would now be President-elect.

There's no reason Sarah Palin couldn't get those million votes -- and then some. Remember, it's not necessary to win the popular vote, which skews in the favor of the Democratic candidate (mainly because he gets huge majorities in CA, NY, and IL). Prevailing in the electoral college is lot easier than winning a "paper" majority in the popular vote.

NOTE: I'd be very interested in your own thoughts on any of the subjects covered here, particularly steps you believe the Gov. should take. Thanks.

And Happy Thanksgiving to all! Let's continue to take the actions necessary to make Thanksgiving, 2012 the happiest one of all.