By William Warren
Senator John McCain may have lost this week, but make no mistake: Conservatism did not.
Although Barack Obama won the presidency, conservative and limited government ballot initiatives faired quite well from sea to shining sea—even in liberal havens like California. Measures supporting term limits, traditional marriage passed, and all but one environmentalist initiative failed. It seems that when traditional, limited government conservatism appeared on the ballot in its most unfiltered form, voters were attracted to it.
And no one better represented traditional, limited government conservatism in this campaign than Governor Sarah Palin.
And because of that, she energized the base of her party and simultaneously replaced George W. Bush as the media’s and the left’s favorite person on which to spew vicious hatred. This loathing translated into one of the most bloodthirsty and well-coordinated personal attack campaigns modern American history—in which the media and Democrats were complicit.
Nothing was off limits. Her teenage pregnant daughter was vilified, her down-syndrome child scoffed at, her husband’s 20-year-old D.U.I. made an issue. Her Alaskan lifestyle became SNL’s hottest item—giving the struggling comedy show a much needed boost.
Even the fake “troopergate” scandal—in which Governor Palin was found entirely innocent of any wrongdoing—was deliberately fashioned out of thin air. Even the very day on which she was officially vindicated, November 3rd, was calculated. Moreover, the sexism-driven assault which made the Governor’s skirts and blouses a serious campaign issue and talking point was deplorable to say the least.
The attacks were unprecedented in their vitriol and limitless in scope.
And they still haven’t stopped—even with the campaign over.
The fact is, those on the left are trying to put the final nail in Governor Palin’s political coffin because they are afraid of her. They are afraid because more than anyone since the Gipper himself, no one has quite embodied true Reagan conservatism like Sarah Palin. And as the left certainly remembers with great disdain and bewilderment, the last time Reagan conservatism was on the ballot it handedly won with 525 electoral votes—i.e., a true landslide.
Her ability to draw large crowds and fire up conservatives also troubles them. It’s no wonder that Governor Palin’s convention speech was the most watched in history and her VP selection sent Senator McCain’s poll numbers into the lead. Until the economic crisis became the issue of the campaign, Sarah Palin was the talk of the town.
That it why they must stop her now. They must pound her so far into the ground that even Joe Scarborough’s shovel wouldn’t be able to dig her out.
If the liberal media and Democrats thought Sarah Palin was truly a dunce and a total drag on the Republican Party, wouldn’t they want her to stay in the limelight? Wouldn’t they want her to carry the torch for the GOP so that she’ll subsequently drop it and burn up the party in the process?
While they may not openly admit it, their ongoing attacks bear witness to their fear.
That being said, let’s clear the air once and for all: Governor Palin did not bring Senator McCain down. Mr. McCain’s philosophy of compromised conservatism brought his campaign down when he crucially needed to outline a clear conservative alternative to Senator Obama’s message.
So while the Arizona Senator may be willing to concede defeat and walk away smiling, Sarah Palin is not. The moose-hunting, tough-as-nails Governor of Alaska doesn’t go down that easily.
And neither does true conservatism.
William Warren is a contributing editor of ALG News Bureau.
