Palin: Learn From Bush's Failures

There are no perfect candidates and there are no perfect elected officials. "For all have sinned, all have fallen short of the glory of God." (St. Paul)

There is a purpose is discussing what GWB did right -- and what he did wrong. That purpose is to avoid making the same mistakes in the future. Yes, George W. Bush will be treated more kindly by history than he was during his presidency.

However . . .

My impression of GWB is that he wanted to be friends -- or at least on friendly terms -- with many in the MSM. That was a mistake in judgment. Those people do not want to be his "friends." They did not and do not respect him. That meant he needed to go over their heads directly to the people. Reagan did it, and so did Bill Clinton.

The American people had no stomach for impeaching (it did happen) or convicting (didn't happen) Bill Clinton for violating federal law.

``The Obama attacks on GWB, before and after the election, are unfair and even ridiculous. However, Axelrod/Emanuel/Obama are very good at deflecting attention to President Bush. It's critical that we be equally good at counter-attacking and, in fact, beating them to the punch. The President of the U.S. has great resources in hand to influence the public and (segments of) the media.

GWB did not use them effectively. In fact, GWB often allowed himself to be used as a punching bag. Yes, the MSM is "bad," but that's a given, and if a person can't overcome it, he probably shouldn't run for a job like President.

In PR and politics, if someone throws a brick at you, then respond by throwing a boulder at him. Suggesting that George W. Bush had only a few minor flaws and was done in by "mean" Democrats and media types serves no purpose. It's historically inaccurate.

Aside from keeping the nation secure and "No Child Left Behind," he accomplished little. Prescription drug coverage will add massively to the national debt.

It's my hope that Gov. Palin will have strong people around her who will understand what the media's up to and will respond with appropriate ferocity. The "friends" she has in the media -- and she does have many -- should get preferential treatment.

Her enemies need to get the back of her hand. She needs to undermine them before they undermine her. She seems much more aware of the media's goals (to end her political career) than GWB ever was.

At the beginning of her campaign -- and later in the transition period, if she's elected -- she needs to sit down with some very tough political people. She needs to know exactly what lies ahead for her -- and how to counteract the onslaught from Dems, the media, and the amoral Hollywood culture. She needs to demolish them before they sink her candidacy and presidency.

This should not be a secret strategy. It should be transparent and one she communicates explicitly to the American peopleAs for conservative talk radio people, it was GWB's obligation to listen carefully to what they -- and their listeners -- said. Limbaugh has an audience of 14 million-plus.

It was very unwise of the President to look at them with bemusement and not much more. Conservatives never felt GWB was "one of them." He should have done more to help establish common cause. The fact that he did not veto even ONE spending bill in his first term (and most of his second term) hurt him badly with conservatives.

We should continue to salute President Bush for keeping the country safe, a major accomplishment. However, we need to understand what he did wrong so that history doesn't repeat itself with the next Republican President (if there is one).

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.

Palin: Learn From Bush's Failures

. . and why the Palin presidency doesn't have to fail. Below: I don't want Sarah Palin in 2020 to be complaining that "Soros and the media ruined my presidency." Instead, I want her -- about 2020, at the end of her second term -- saying, "I crushed George Soros, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and all those associated with them."

GWB was and is a good man, an American patriot. His wife was one of the greatest of First Ladies.

But he was a lousy salesman. (Today, Obama did a very poor job of "selling" the Afghan War, because he failed to make it personally meaningful to Americans.) Republican Presidents have a very small margin of error, because of media hostility, and somehow I never got the impression that GWB was having searching discussions of how best to "sell" the war or his handling of Katrina.

On somebody like Harriet Miers, the question is not whether she's an outstanding person, but rather: "How do I sell her as a credible nominee for the Supreme Court?' Yes, some conservatives stabbed her -- and GWB -- in the back, but that's the world we live in.

Compare the nomination of John Roberts, a bullet-proof candidate, versus that of Harriet, who never had a chance. The Gonzalez appointment turned out to be a disaster. Yes, he was loyal, but he wasn't much more than that.

He needed people around him who would say: "Mr. President, NO! It won't work." He didn't have such people.

Frankly, GWB's desire to have "friendly" relations with the White House Press corps showed a truly amazing naivete. Those people inhabit a culture that sees Bush's views and his religious faith as toxic.

His little "teasing" comments to journalists were seen as embarrassing and phony. They are not his friends; they will never be his friends.

Does he understand that? No, but Sarah Palin does.

Yes, Soros types and the Dems did everything they could to undermine GWB's presidency. What was his plan for counteracting that? Potentially, the POTUS is a thousand times more powerful than George Soros. It didn't work out that way. Soros lied -- and [the] Bush [presiency] died.

I don't want Sarah Palin in 2020 to be complaining that "Soros, Pelosi, Reid, and the media ruined my presidency." Instead, I want her saying, "I crushed Soros and all those associated with him and his kind." As Gen. MacArthur said, "There is no substitute for victory."