(From CNN) "She is the most important endorsement in Republican
politics today, by far," said Sal Russo, a Republican consultant who
co-founded the Tea Party Express, a group that has booked Palin to speak at
numerous public events dating back to the 2010 midterm cycle. "She can
move the needle in a primary more than anyone else can." . . . . .
Given the tea party's toxic national brand -- only 31% of
Americans had a favorable view of the conservative movement in a recent CNN
poll -- Palin's sway is almost certainly limited to Republican primaries . . .
. . Still, Palin continues to wield great
influence among grassroots conservatives, Trost argued, especially in
Republican primaries in right-leaning states like Nebraska, where winning a
primary all-but-guarantees a general election victory over token Democratic
opposition. . . . . . . . .
"People forget about this sometimes, but because Sarah
Palin has a child with Down syndrome, a lot of people in the pro-life community
view her as not just talking the talk about pro-life but walking the
walk," Trost said. "Social issues play a big factor in a low turnout
Republican primary."
At the same time, Palin is now aligning herself with members
of the tea party's uncompromising new guard, especially Cruz, who has made
plain his distaste for old bull Senate leadership.
Palin's relationship with Cruz dates to last year, when she
endorsed him during his underdog Republican primary bid in 2012. It was Cruz
who introduced Palin when she spoke at CPAC in March.
During the shutdown, Palin and her husband Todd traveled to
Washington to appear with Cruz and Lee at a rally to re-open the temporarily
shuttered World War II memorial.
The conservative quartet later joined up with Cruz's wife
for lunch at Hill Country Barbecue, a casual downtown Washington restaurant
known for its brisket.
Chip Roy, Cruz's chief-of-staff, said Palin and the senator
were often in communication during the shutdown, he said he expects their
back-and-forth to continue into the midterm cycle.
"There is enormous respect between the two, and there
is increasing communication between the offices," Roy told CNN. "As
the year has progressed, I think Palin has been pretty simpatico with what Sen.
Cruz and Sen. Lee have been trying to accomplish over the last year, fighting
these debates, talking to the American people and challenging the status
quo."
____________________
While there is much that is not accurate in this piece, still, the over-all push from the CNN Lefties is good. They may not care for her politics, but she has completely dispelled the opinion that she is a "here today, gone tomorrow, phenom." ~ editor
____________________
While there is much that is not accurate in this piece, still, the over-all push from the CNN Lefties is good. They may not care for her politics, but she has completely dispelled the opinion that she is a "here today, gone tomorrow, phenom." ~ editor
