A CALL FOR AN OPEN CONVENTION

IF NOT NOW, WHEN? IF NOT YOU - THE DELEGATES, WHO?

In the 1880 presidential election, a historic brokered convention took place. At the Republican convention, the delegates were deadlocked between two candidates, James A. Blaine and John Sherman. Heavy politicking and brokering ensued. Over thirty ballots were cast. On the 34^th ballot, a new contender emerged. James A. Garfield, who was NOT even a candidate, was nominated and prevailed in the general election to become our country’s 20^th president.

America’s presidential elections are rife with history of brokered conventions (which are a form of open conventions). In 1844, James A. Polk only hoped for a VP slot yet was handed the nomination on the ninth ballot and emerged as the 11^th US president. In 1860, Abraham Lincoln was nominated on the third ballot and became our 16^th president. In 1876, the delegates picked Rutherford Hayes on the seventh ballot. He, too, was victorious and won to become our 19^th president.

Back to the anxious time of 2012, America is one election away from turning into a socialist nation. We need a strong-willed, independent-thinking challenger to the incompetent Chicago-politician sitting at the White House. Instead, we have a presumptive nominee with no core principles who does not feel the need to have to “light his hair on fire” to earn the support of the conservative base, and an alternative candidate, buoyed by his fiery delegate-supporters but managed to win only 3% of the Republican  primary votes. The gravity and depth of problems facing our country are begging for history to repeat itself - only our circumstances call for an open convention where the delegates, and not the political leaders, would be doing the negotiating. LET US BRING ON AN OPEN CONVENTION. This is not to disrespect the rules of the Party or to disrupt the order of the convention event. We need to nominate another candidate at the convention because we NO longer have a choice.

How formidable is our presumptive nominee when the delegates were forced to sign affidavits of support, under threat of perjury, to secure their votes? How credible is our presumptive nominee when the Republican Party itself had to break their own rules to carry their preferred candidate across the finish line? Why did the RNC allow Florida to be winner-take-all when the Sunshine state broke Rule No. 15(b)(2) and held its primary prior to April 1^st? Did RNC Chairman Priebus have to thumb his nose at the voters and endorse Gov. Romney prematurely when Rep. Paul was still very much in the race in clear violation of Rule No. 11? In Montana, Indiana and many other state conventions, why did the RNC prevent the delegates to vote for their chosen delegation but instead force on them slates of delegates hand-picked by the Romney campaign?

The RNC and the Romney campaign had no qualms in breaking the Republican Party’s own rules to ensure his victory at the primaries and the convention. We the People are only asking our delegates to use the rules in the book to give us a TRUE COMMONSENSE CONSERVATIVE choice in Tampa. Please, delegates, exercise your right to Rule No. 38. “No delegate or alternate delegate shall be bound by any attempt of any state or congressional district to impose the unit rule."  Vote your conscience, vote for our country, vote for our future. Give us the strongest Republican who can energize the base, who has a proven record of accomplishments, serving only the best interests of the people she served, with concrete and tangible benefits to her constituents - Governor Sarah Palin.

The Republican Party establishment is now only looking to advance their own interests. The media has surrendered their journalistic duty to report unbiased facts at the president’s and the Left’s feet. It is time to take our destiny in our hands and restore everything that is good about our country. WE ARE AMERICANS. We are the leader of the free world. It is time to defend our freedoms and founding principles and values that the permanent political class has callously kicked aside in favor of perpetual power and greed.

The first step towards taking our exceptional nation back begins, not on November 6, but right here at the convention in Tampa in August, and it starts with YOU – the delegates.  If not now, when? If not us, who?

(Note: This article is cross-posted at www.palinquakes.com and is part of the delegate packet that we are mailing out to the RNC national delegates who will be convening in Tampa, Florida in August 27 - 30, 2012. I also wrote the cover page of the same packet that was signed by the founder of the Sarah Palin's Earthquake Movement).

Making Open Convention Happen - Based on an RNC Counsel Memo

                    "A wise man will hear, and will increase learning,

                  and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise

                  counsels:" Proverbs 1:5 KJV

(This article also appears on the Earthquake Movement's website  under Open Convention.)

    
Romney has passed 1,144 delegates but an OPEN CONVENTION can still happen – within bounds of the Republican Party Rules. A memo from no less than an RNC Associate Counsel confirms that all delegates are unbound. The same memo also showed a way to overcome Rule #40(b) which requires a candidate to have a plurality of votes from five states to be eligible to an official nomination at the convention. 

A short background: A Utah Republican National Committeewoman named Nancy Lord wrote to the RNC Counsel in 2008 to seek clarification on the so-called “unit rule” (Rule#38) which states that “No delegate or alternate delegate shall be bound by any attempt of any state or congressional district to impose the unit rule.” (See reprint of the full memo at the end of this article.)

Here are the key parts of the memo:

From: Jennifer Sheehan – Legal

To: Nancy Lord

Cc: Sean Cairncross - Legal ; Blake G. Hall

Sent: Friday, August 22, 2008

Subject: RE: The Unit Rule

Mrs. Lord:

I am going to attempt to clearly answer your questions as listed below. 

1. You are correct - the answer is no.  The national convention allows delegates to vote for the individual of their choice, regardless of whether the person's name is officially placed into nomination or not.

…….

(Regarding Rule #40)

4. … The Rules require that a roll call be taken from each state who announces the number of votes that its delegates cast for any eligible candidates, as well as for any person someone would like to cast a vote for in the roll call.  You are correct that a person does not have to be officially nominated in order to receive votes, however, this vote is essentially pointless as it will not count towards the official tally (emphasis mine).

Therefore to clarify, a candidate must receive the support of the majority of five state delegations in order to be officially placed into the nomination.  Only candidates that have been officially nominated can accumulate votes that will count towards the majority of delegates necessary to officially nominate the Republican nominee for President.  The Republican nominee for President must receive at least 1191 votes from the national convention delegation in order to receive the official nomination. 

The memo is clear enough that Rule #38 frees delegates to vote for any candidate they want and only a candidate with a 5-state majority support  [per Rule #40(b)] can be officially nominated. It also clarified that since every delegate is unbound, he/she is free to cast a vote for anybody, even one who does not meet the 5-state majority support. However, that vote will not count as it will not be added towards the official tally. Let us say someone puts in Sarah Palin’s name. That vote will be tossed out. BUT A VOTE FOR PALIN IS A VOTE DENIED ROMNEY, THUS KEEPING HIM BELOW THE THRESHOLD OF 1,191 - WHICH LEADS US TO AN OPEN CONVENTION.

Nothing is set in stone. No one is declared a nominee until after the convention. Members of the 5-state majority delegations can place ANYBODY's name on the nomination form. Please nominate anybody but Romney on the first ballot and keep him under 1,191 votes. Make open convention happen.  

GAME ON!   

 REPRINT OF THE MEMO (SOURCE: http://republicanselect.blogspot.com/2012/05/rnc-counsel-on-rule-38-of-rnc-rules.html)
  
RNC Associate Counsel's Opinion on Rule 38 of the RNC Rules barring the "unit rule"

MEMORANDUM

SUBJECT: RULE NO 38 - UNIT RULE
FROM:      RNC COUNSEL
TO:             NANCY LORD
DATE:       AUG 20, 2008

________________________________________________________________

This Memorandum is based on your request to examine the Republican Party Rules historyrelating to the so-called “Unit Rule” provision currently found at Rule 38 which states, “Nodelegate or alternate delegate shall be bound by any attempt of any state or congressional district to impose the unit rule”.

This language was initially adopted at the 1964 Republican National Convention, paraphrasingthe words of the proponent of the amendment, in order to codify in party rules the actual practicefollowed in past conventions, namely to allow delegates to vote as they chose even if state law bound them to vote for a specific candidate.

This amendment which modified then Rule 18(a) was initiated by the RNC Rules Committee andadopted by the full RNC at its pre-convention meeting. That ’64 language stated, “No Delegateor Alternate shall be bound by any attempt of any State or Congressional District, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands to impose the unit rule.” Based upon a review of the transcripts of the RNC debate on the “Unit Rule”, proponents of the ’64 amendment argued that their amendment to Rule 18 merely reflected current practice and adopting this Rules change would simply memorialize what was the historical Convention practice, not create a new policy.

During the debate on the “Unit Rule” amendment, there was some concern raised that the new language would be interpreted by some to prohibit the individual states from adopting rules that would bind or allocate delegates to specific candidates. The proponents, however, gave assurances that it was not their intention to effect any “legal or “moral” obligation of the delegates. Based upon the concern raised that this provision would be erroneously read to prohibit states to bind or allocate delegates a concerted effort was made to defeat the amendment. That effort to reject the addition of the new “Unit Rule” language based on that concern, failed, 59 to 41.

In 1976 the no “Unit Rule” language was modified by the RNC Rules Committee, effectively requiring the 1976 Convention to record delegate votes based on the results of “any binding Presidential Primary or direct election of delegates bound or pledged pursuant to state law.” The Convention Rules Committee and the Convention itself accepted this RNC modification without any debate. The additional Rule 18(a) language applicable to the 1976 Republican Convention read as follows, “…however, that in any event, the vote of each state for the nomination for President shall be announced and recorded (or in the absence of an announcement shall be recorded) in accordance with the results of any binding Presidential Primary or direct election of delegates bound or pledged pursuant to state law. No delegate or alternate shall be bound by any attempt of any state or Congressional district to impose the unit rule.”

The ’76 language was deleted in 1980 effectively reverting back to the 1964 language and the current language regarding the “Unit Rule” now found in Rule 38 is consistent with the 1980 language.

---

Dear Blake and Sean,

Thank you so much for the memorandum [above] regarding the history of the Rule 38.

After studying it, I still have unanswered questions.

From the memo, I am clear that:

1. Rule 38 was not intended "to prohibit the individual states from adopting rules that would bind or allocate delegates to specific candidates".

What I need clarified is the following:

1. Do the RNC Rules require a state's delegation to follow its state laws or state party rules in the matter of binding of their national delegates to vote for a particular candidate? (I believe the answer is no; the RNC Rules are silent on this issue. My understanding is that any “legal" or “moral” obligation of the delegates, under either state law or state party rules, is simply that -- a state party matter. The RNC will not get involved in any such issue unless it deems that there is a violation of Rule 38 - an attempt to invoke the "Unit Rule" - during the time of the national convention.)

2. Do the RNC Rules prohibit a state party from changing its rules regarding the binding of their national delegates after the 2nd Tuesday in the September the year before the convention but before the national convention begins? (I believe the answer is no - the RNC Rules are again silent on this issue.)

3. Do the RNC Rules allow a national delegate to cast their vote for anyone they choose at the national convention, regardless of any vote-binding rules in their state or regardless of whether or not that "candidate" has been officially nominated under the RNC "majority of delegates from five states" rule? (I believe the answer is yes. I cite the actual rolling roll call of the states vote in 2000 as an example. In several states, even though George W. Bush had for many months been the presumptive nominee, several states, including Arkansas (19 for Bush, 5 for Alan Keyes) in the 2nd session on Monday evening, Massachusetts (35 for Bush, 1 for McCain, and 1 abstention) in the 3rd session on Tuesday evening,

4. Is the process of the "rolling roll call of the states" the process by which it is determined which candidates have met the RNC "majority of delegates from five states" rule in order to have their name officially placed in nomination? In other words, or as a corollary, do only those candidates who receive a "majority of delegates from five states" votes during the "rolling roll call of the states" become an official nominee, while any candidates receiving votes who did not receive the required majority of five states' votes simply fall to the floor, having not met the threshold?

Is there any way that you can clarify the answers to these questions in writing before tomorrow morning?

Nancy Lord

Utah Republican Republican National Committeewoman

---

From: Jennifer Sheehan - Legal

To: Nancy Lord 

Cc: Sean Cairncross - Legal ; Blake G. Hall 

Sent: Friday, August 22, 2008 

Subject: RE: The Unit Rule

Mrs. Lord:

I am going to attempt to clearly answer your questions as listed below.

1. You are correct - the answer is no.  The national convention allows delegates to vote for the individual of their choice, regardless of whether the person's name is officially placed into nomination or not.

2. National Party Rule No. 15(e) does prohibit State Parties from changing their delegate selection and allocation process that the State Party had to submit to the RNC no later than Sept. 4, 2007.  However, the time frame for submitting a challenge to the national convention delegation based upon these Rules has expired, as any delegate contests had to be filed by August 2, 2008.

3. Yes - see #1 above.

4. Your question is mixing two separate issues.  The first issue involves the nominating process, which requires the majority of delegates from five states to put a candidate's name into the official nominating process.  The delegates from these five states must sign a nominating form that is then submitted to the Secretary of the Republican National Convention.  After the Secretary receives these forms, the candidates are announced who have been officially placed into the nominating process and are therefore eligible to accumulate votes from the national convention delegates.    

The Rules require that a roll call be taken from each state who announces the number of votes that its delegates cast for any eligible candidates, as well as for any person someone would like to cast a vote for in the roll call.  You are correct that a person does not have to be officially nominated in order to receive votes, however, this vote is essentially pointless as it will not count towards the official tally. 

Therefore to clarify, a candidate must receive the support of the majority of five state delegations in order to be officially placed into the nomination.  Only candidates that have been officially nominated can accumulate votes that will count towards the majority of delegates necessary to officially nominate the Republican nominee for President.  The Republican nominee for President must receive at least 1191 votes from the national convention delegation in order to receive the official nomination.

Please let me know if you have additional questions or need further clarifications related to this process. 

Sincerely,

Jennifer Sheehan

Associate Counsel

Republican National Committee

Posted 14th May by Mike Ridgway

Redux: In Defense of Sarah Palin Defending Orrin Hatch

                      "But even if you should suffer for what is right,
                      you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear;
                      do not be frightened.”" - 1 Peter 3:14 NIV

It is deja vu all over again. Back in August of last year, I wrote about Sarah Palin defending Senator Orrin Hatch for his fight for balanced budget and fiscal reforms. Some conservative pundits and her supporters in the Tea Party who have lined up behind another candidate cried in protest then. They are up in arms once again when last Tuesday, Gov. Palin officially endorsed Mr. Hatch in her appearance on Greta Van Susteren's show on Fox News.

The governor has posted on SARAHPAC her support for Mr. Balanced Budget.
The NRO has written about the duo's longstanding friendship. Sean Hannity and Mark Levin also made no secret that they wanted the Utah Senator win another term. All this show of support may not be enough to convince some conservatives but I do see Sarah Palin as someone who always sees the big picture. I do see another area why Sarah Palin's backing of Hatch makes perfect sense.

Sen. Hatch is the ranking member of the powerful Senate Finance Committee. If he is reelected and the GOP takes the Senate this fall, Mr. Hatch becomes the Chairman. This Committee oversees Energy, Natural Resources and Infrastructure, Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth, Health Care, International Trade, Customs and Global Competitiveness, Social Security, pensions and Family Policy and Taxation and IRS Oversight.

If some people do not understand the huge impact and relevance of these issues on America's progress and future, then they will never understand why Sarah Palin stands with Hatch. If he is not reelected, that would mean one less chance of retaking the Senate. That would mean the Democrats retain control of the Senate and Sen. Max Baucus (D - MT) stays as the Chairman of the Finance Committee.

Gov. Palin was right to defend to Orrin Hatch then. She is right to endorse him now.  She knows what she's doing - then and now.

California: Draft Sarah Palin as a Write-In Candidate

                    "And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make
                      it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. This
                      vision is for a future time. It describes the end,
                      and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming,
                      wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will
                      not be delayed."  - Habakkuk 2:2 - 3


The Sarah Palin's Earthquake Movement is sponsoring two petitions to draft Sarah Palin in the California primary election and the general election. The group urges you to please consider the petitions seriously, then sign and share the links to your family and friends. Thank you very much.

(Note: There are two petitions in this post: the first one is a California petition to draft her as a write-in candidate in the California primary election in June 5, 2012 while the second, which you will find under the California petition, is a national petition for the general election.)

CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS ONLY

Dear California GOP Voters,

We, the Sarah Palin's Earthquake Movement, are asking you to join us in our efforts to draft former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as a write-in candidate in the great state of California. It is not too late. The filing deadline for a write-in candidacy in your state is May 15, 2012. (Note: We are also exploring the feasibility of a national draft for Sarah Palin. Please see details at the end of this letter.)

President Obama in 2008 promised to usher in an era of hope and change. Yet the country's mood right now is gloomy and pessimistic.101% debt-to-GDP ratio. $5 gas price at the pump. High unemployment rate. Unresolved housing crisis. More people on food stamps than ever. Businesses closing shop. If there is a state that understands the pain of these problem, it IS California.

We need a new leadership and "the challenge is not simply to replace Obama in 2012 but the real challenge is who and what we will replace him with." We need someone who will bring sudden and relentless reform to Washington. We need a leader with an incorruptible character and a steel spine to dismantle crony capitalism and the permanent political class in our nation's capital.

Unfortunately, in this year's primary election, the GOP frontrunner is a deeply flawed, weak, flip-flopping, can't-connect-with-a-Joe-six-pack, stiff liberal guy from Massachusetts whose core convictions are as solid as a jello: Mitt Romney. The other candidates, are now dropping hints or are making behind-closed doors deals with the Romney team to save their own political aspirations.

Mitt Romney's campaign has recently confirmed that his "severe conservatism" can be easily shaken and erased like an Etch-A-Sketch. With his shifting positions on issues depending on who he is running against, how can he be trusted to keep his campaign pledge to repeal Obamacare? How much would it take him for him to shake off his election promises when they no longer serve him politically?

Mitt Romney is well ahead in this race, thanks to his six years of non-stop campaigning for the presidency and the unabashed support of the GOP establishment. The Republican Party has been very clear in their support of the former Massachusetts governor, openly advocating voters and delegates to get behind him.

Mitt Romney cannot be trusted. California deserves better. America can do better.

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has always said that she does not need a title to make a difference. Last October, she announced that she would not be seeking the GOP nomination for the Presidency in this year's election. Indeed, great leaders are those who are reluctant to serve, who seek neither power nor title to do good. They are CALLED to serve. Just as our past presidents George Washington and Dwight Eisenhower resisted the encouragements for them to run for office, they eventually stepped up to the plate and served our country well and honorably. Please let Sarah Palin know that she is now being CALLED to serve.

This is the most consequential election in our time. Another four years will seal the president’s disastrous fundamental transformation of America. The difference between Sarah Palin and Barack Obama and their records cannot be starker.

Sarah Palin gave Alaska a surplus of $14B, earning the last frontier state a Triple A credit rating. Barack Obama has added $4.939T to our national debt since he took office and gave us a credit rating downgrade for the first time in history. Sarah Palin took on the corrupt system and signed the most sweeping ethics reform in Alaska. We are yet to see a single "greedy fat cat", as Barack Obama likes to call those who were responsible for our country's financial meltdown, be brought to justice. Yet these are the same people who grace this administration's fundraising events, donating big bucks to his $1B reelection war chest. Sarah Palin believes in American’s work ethic and independent spirit that we are free and able to achieve anything. Barack Obama believes that you cannot succeed without government’s help, thus his policies are to increase more cradle-to-grave , unsustainable, unfunded social programs. Sarah Palin looks to our Constitution as the ultimate compass in governing. Barack Obama sees it as a living document subject to change according to his whim and his political convenience.

California has the power to lift this cloud of malaise and pessimism brought about by President Obama. Do not allow the GOP establishment to stifle your voice. On June 5, 2012, YOU will have the chance to set things right . Make your vote count. Write Sarah Palin in.Please sign our petition HERE and let Sarah Palin know that her leadership is badly needed in Washington. Let her know that you will fight alongside her in putting our country in the right track. Let her know that she has the grassroots support to defeat Barack Obama and his socialist agenda. She's always had our backs, it is time to let her know that we've got hers.

Thank you for your support and please remember, it is not too late.

God Bless America,

Sarah Palin's Earthquake Movement

here is the website for the CALIFORNIA PETITION:

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/california-draft-sarah-palin-as-a-write-in-candidate.html

---

NATIONAL PETITION

Dear Voters,

We, members of the Sarah Palin’s Earthquake Movement, ask you to join us in our efforts to draft Sarah Palin as a candidate for President in the general election of 2012. Help us to bring a true common sense constitutional conservative to the White House. Please sign our petition HERE. Let Sarah Palin know that her grassroots supporters are here - strong, ready, willing and able to fight with her, to take our country back.

This is the most crucial and consequential election in our time. In its outcome depends whether we remain the UNITED States of America or a nation divided, a once-super power crippled by its enormous debt and lost of its national identity.

Barack Obama once famously that that “there are no red states or blue states, there is the United States of America. Yet as president, he has proven himself to be master at class warfare, dividing and pitting us against one another. In his America, there is the 1% and the 99%, the greedy fat cats of Wall Street vs. Main Street, the job creators and his union base, even inserting himself in cases that only heighten racial tensions. Without regard to the separation of powers under our Constitution, he calls our Supreme Court justices “unelected group of people” and governs by fiat, circumventing the Congress at every possible turn. Oblivious to his own hypocrisies and clueless in solving the problems our country is facing, he’ll lay blame on everybody but himself to cling to power.

Unfortunately, the GOP is offering an alternative who is as just as full of rhetorics, whose shifting principles and commitment to issues put a weather vane to shame. Mitt Romney will say anything and do anything to win votes. He has run as a liberal, as a moderate and as a conservative, depending on who is running against. His own campaign has confirmed that his “severe conservatism” is built like an Etch-A-Sketch that can easily be shaken and erased to fit what the general election audience would want to hear.

For such a time as this, we need a proven leader whose message and track record of public service are one and the same. We need a strong leader whose words can be trusted. We need a leader who fought corruption and has the scars to prove it. We need a leader who will dismantle crony capitalism and fight the permanent political class head-on. We need a leader who will restore a government of the people, by the people and for the people. Very importantly, we need a charismatic leader and a candidate who can excite the base and bring the voters to the polling booths. THAT LEADER IS GOVERNOR SARAH PALIN.

Please sign our petition and let Governor Palin know that she has the grassroots support to defeat Barack Obama. Please join Sarah Palin’s Earthquake Movement and request to be added to our group. We will link you up to our state groups where like-minded Americans who are working hard to help Sarah Palin in her mission to restore America’s exceptionalism. Let common sense, civility and the Constitution rule the United States of America again. Sarah Palin will do just that.

God Bless America.

Palin 2012
Sarah Palin’s Earthquake Movement



Here is the website for the NATIONAL PETITION:

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/we-deserve-a-better-choice-it-is-governor-palin.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Note: Petition letters were authored by this blogger.)

---

A Letter to Governor Sarah Palin

                          " ... As thy days, so shall thy strength be."
                                                                - Deuteronomy 33:25


Dear Governor Palin,

May this letter find you and your family well and in good spirit.

You have spoken and written about your coming of age during the Reagan years, when America was filled with hope, optimism and prosperity. On the other side of the globe, I came of age in an era of turmoil, in the Philippines, during the dictatorship of the late Ferdinand E. Marcos, whose administration was marked by all-out corruption, cronyism and political repression.  Martial law was declared, unfavorable news were suppressed and journalists simply disappeared or died of "natural causes". Our savior came in the person of Maria Corazon C. Aquino. Propelled by the People Power Revolution and the military that abandoned Marcos, “Cory", as she was lovingly called, ousted him and became the Philippines’ first woman president.

When you first came on national stage in 2008, you reminded me so much of Cory Aquino; two women of high intelligence, honest and incorruptible characters, unshakeable faith in God, spines of steel and five kids. But you have one thing that Mrs. Aquino did not have: EXPERIENCE. You knew the inner workings of a government, saw what ails it and fixed it. You saw first-hand the sources and  symptoms of corruption and fought them successfully in Alaska. As sincere as her intentions were, Cory was never really able to clean up the government. Hence, two and a half decades after her tenure, sad as it is to state the truth, the Philippines is still mired in unscrupulosity and political paybacks and back-slapping.

For such a time as this, your experience is what America direly needs.

Just like you, I do not believe in coincidences. Everything happens for a reason according to God's will and His timetable.

I first wrote to you three years ago. If it weren't for one striking fact, that letter was completely regrettable (I was a Democrat then who had no clue as to the depth of your knowledge on policies and issues. I had no business offering any suggestions to you. I just knew that the way the media treated you was enough reason to prompt me to read up on your record and vote for you and Senator McCain). Without intending to,  that letter was dated January 20, 2009. As I was sealing the envelope, which I had marked "Common Sense Path to the White House in 2012", I happened to look up at the TV screen and saw Barack Obama, with hand on the bible, take his oath as the new president. It was his inauguration day. With the letter in my hand, the first thought that crossed my mind was, "Is it a sign from God that today Sarah Palin begins to fight back and redeem her name?"

Watching you for the past three years, with the media throwing everything worse than the kitchen sink at you, and you, in return, throwing them into a convulsive tizzy at every turn, it seems like the answer to my question above is a resounding YES. 

From the daily media onslaught of malicious attacks and concocted lies to the Tucson shooting, your calvary has been heavy. But God does not put us through these tests simply to make us suffer but to strengthen us for what awaits us down the road. As knives sharpen knives, iron hardens iron, so it is with you as God prepares you to be battle-tested and battle-ready.

Watching you carry yourself and conduct your life, it is clear where you derive your fortitude and courage: from your FAITH. Taking on Team Obama and the left will be a Goliath vs. David battle of our time, or like a  Six Days War when the Israeli nation of 3 million people had to fight against the armies of 100 million Arabs. The Left's agenda has been a cancer that is eating away at the fabric of our nation's character and history, shackling our economy and stifling our freedoms. To untangle its wide web and extricate its deep roots are gargantuan tasks that would take extraordinary grit and leadership, which I believe in my heart, is what God has been preparing you for.

My prayers are always with you and your family. With everything that has been put upon your shoulders, I find comfort for you in Deuteronomy 33:25.  "Thy bars shall be iron and brass; And as thy days, so shall thy strength be."  Whatever the battle, you are strong. Whatever the test, you are ready. Whatever the challenge, you have the answer.  For when you stay true to God's Words, you've got the strongest shield that you'll ever need.

As an immigrant who is now privileged to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States, there will be no greater honor than to call you Madame President on January 20, 2013.

President Obama has brought about these dark clouds of malaise hanging all over our country. Please bring back Morning in America.

Most sincerely,
NaLa

In the Event of a Brokered Convention, All Bets Are Off

                 "Careful planning puts you ahead in the long run;
            Hurry and scurry puts you further behind." - Proverbs 21:5 MSG

If Sarah Palin’s most electrifying speech at the CPAC did not convince that only she can articulate Americans’ concerns and vision for our nation, then Obama has just been handed his second term. The CPAC event proved that only she  can rouse the unexcited base to their feet. Only she can energize and move voters to go out to the polls. Only she can unite us to defeat Barack Obama.

The Republican Party has four good men running for the GOP nomination. Without a doubt, any of them could do a much better job than our current president  is doing right now. However, it is highly uncertain how these men would withstand the avalanche of relentless and coordinated attacks of Team Obama, the Democratic machine, the Journolists  and their LSM cohorts come general election time. Make no mistake that the Obama campaign will make sure that this election would absolutely be about smear after vicious smear because the president cannot run on his dismal and disastrous record. Only one Republican has survived the Alinsky attacks  from the Left for years and came out still standing - stronger, wiser and prouder. We all know that person to be Sarah Palin. Only she has the smarts to throw the media into a convulsive tizzy and still have her message ring out loudly and win the argument.  

This year's Republican primary season has been a very fluid race.The rise-and-fall in the polls of the candidates plus the lackluster enthusiasm of the base make credible all the talks about the realistic possibility of a brokered convention. If a brokered convention is what we end up having, "all bets are off". We need to nominate someone who has the fortitude and fire in the belly to defeat Obama - Sarah Palin. But she would need allies in Tampa. Voters pick their candidates but delegates pick the nominee. PLEASE BE A DELEGATE FOR SARAH PALIN. That is the only way she can clinch the nomination.   

If you have not considered it yet , please explore the possibility of becoming a delegate. Your state’s delegate filing deadline may or may not have passed yet. Even if your state's primary/caucus has wrapped up, the qualifying period to be delegates may still be open. Different states, different rules but the best place to start is to go local.  Even if Governor Palin is not a candidate (yet), let your county GOP official know that you will vote for the best candidate at that time, but in the event of a brokered convention, you will be voting for Sarah Palin.  Please visit GOP Convention 2012 . It has everything one needs to know per state (contact information, filing deadlines and selection process, etc.) to become a delegate . Here is another good resource from RNC for Life with compressed view of delegation selection process and filing dates.

Today, some of us may be in support of one of the declared candidates but we all share ONE goal: get Barack Obama out of the White House. If this primary race goes down to a brokered convention, we need to come together and get behind the strongest Republican to take on the incumbent president. We must nominate someone who has the clear and proven track record of true reforms, of fighting corruption and cronyism from their very roots and symptoms, of actual accomplishments that have had real-life benefits to the people and of unwavering commitment to our Constitution, our freedoms, time-tested values and principles.  Given a brokered convention, we must coalesce around a patriot whose message is ingrained in her conservative character - Sarah Palin.  

Let us stand together to restore America!

Let Romney Win All Four Early Primary States

                "The lot is cast into the lap; but its every decision is of the Lord."
                                                                                   - Proverbs 16:33 KJV

Mitt Romney has always been and still is very much distrusted by the Republican base but looking at the results of Iowa and NH, Mitt Romney proved that his network of support from the establishment and his endorsers is wide and deep. This is the same network that could deliver to him victories in SC and FL.  But a sure winner in the establishment's minds is far from a strong nominee that the base wants to face-off with Obama. Romney's record is a bottomless-pit treasure trove for the Dems and the media . How much more spinning can he add to his flipflops and inauthenticity before the left turns his candiday into a full-blown mockery?

For the good of the country, Republicans should just let Romney win all four early caucus/primary states (Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida).

If Romney steamrolls his rivals in all four early states, it will give him a tremendous momentum that will be impossible for the other candidates to stop. It also solidifies his "inevitable" standing. Such a scenario speeds up two things to happen: (1) panic sets in and the earnest search to enlist a winning altenative to Romney begins, and (2) those in the sidelines or are being eyed as late-entrants will have to make their decision to either endorse Romney or get into the race themselves.

It is already Code Red for the GOP. The party is squandering its perfect chance to unseat an unpopular and incompetent incumbent yet the establishment is thrusting in our faces a chameleon presumptive nominee who can't even win over the base. Mitt Romney's weak and flawed character and record do not stand a chance  against the Democrats' Alinsky-rules of engagement. It is that simple. Romney is not the man to beat Barack Obama. Neither are the other current candidates. The man to take Obama to the mat is a woman, the same woman who recently stated that it isn't too late to jump into the race, the same woman who speaks articulately and truthfully of issues and policies in a manner that is unaffected by party affiliation. That woman is former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

The contrast between Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney (and the other non-Romneys) could not be more stark. She unifies all the issues that are important to the voters and our country and presents a common sense vision on how to put America back on the right track. Her words are credible because she has a consistent and solid track record to back them up. Whether it is repealing Obamacare without apologies nor exceptions, job creations and fiscal restraints, fighting corruption, energy development, respecting the Constitution, protecting the unborn and defending the 2nd Amendment, she has never wavered her stance on these matters because she never loses sight of the goal: serving the interests of We the People.

If Romney wins all four early states, America then awaits Governor Palin's next move. Would she endorse or would she throw her hat in the ring? A major announcement from her in February would give clarity and direction to her supporters still pining for her to be part of this election process.

If she endorses, her supporters will have to decide whether to follow her lead or not. I, for one, will be casting a protest vote and write her in. I live in a hopelessly, deeply blue state full of numbskulls oblivious to the high unemployment rate, the national $15 trillion debt and the President's hypocrisies. Voting my conscience will be an easy decision for me.

If she decides to run, quite simply, it's Game On!

Jumping into the race in early February will be the perfect time to do so. After the Florida primary on January 31, there would still be roughly 31 primaries and caucuses (including the territories') with filing deadlines that have not yet passed or with no filing deadlines at all. Delegate-rich states will still be in play (Texas - March 6, New York and Pennsylvania - April 24 and California - June 5, to name a few). Sarah Palin could immediately jump in in the caucuses where write-ins are usually allowed. (Write-in rules, it is important to note, are not created equal. If a candidate's name is not on the ballot and must pursue a write-in campaign, some states require that they file for candidacy for their write-in votes to be counted. In some states, candidates do not have to do anything for the write-in votes to count.). Getting in in February will give her enough time to win enough delegates to make it to the convention.

A four-state win by Romney only garners him a total of 95 delegates (IO - 13, NH - 7, SC - 25, FL - 50) which is only 8% of the needed majority of 1,142 delegates to bag the nomination. As clearly laid-out by Larry Sabato, by virtue of a much stretched-out Republican primary/caucus calendar, only 15% of the total 2,282 delegates would have been awarded before Super Tuesday (March 6). A brokered convention, this election cycle, is a realistic possibility rather than just wishful thinking talk in the shadows. It's a long slog to the convention, which could be one reason why the other candidates  might want to drag their campaigns on to a few more states.

Whether or not these active candidates rack up enough delegates to earn a spot at the convention, it does not change the fact that none of them has the resources, the background nor the fortitude to take the battle to Obama. As soon as the concerted attacks from the left begin, these candidates will fold. Eugene Robinson and Alan Colmes just recently showed us a preview of the sorts of attacks that the left would unleash on the eventual GOP nominee. When even dead babies are used in dirty political attacks, there simply is no line too decent nor sacred for the left to cross. The Republican Party is kidding itself, and risking the country's future,  to trust a "good enough" or "acceptable" GOP nominee to take on the Democratic machine.  Even Romney's personal wealth is chump change compared to the president's trillion-dollar war chest. There is only one ANTIDOTE to the Democrats' money might that only Sarah Palin has the proven power to bring into this contest - an enthusiastic base. It will be Obama's Money versus People Power. Only Sarah Palin has the charisma and energy that stir the most passionate support of the GOP base and the Tea Party. Her mere presence was all that was needed for 8,000 - 10,000 people to brave the blustery weather in the middle of a Nevada desert. Romney in his biggest crowd yet drew about 600. A fire in the belly, the ability to speak for the masses, her genius to turn the corrupt mainstream media on its head, these are traits of a fighter that the voters want to fight for them and fight alongside with. No amount of money could buy the genuine zeal and energy that Sarah Palin's supporters hold for her.

Florida primary, January 31st. For the non-Romneys (Gingrich, Santorum, Paul and Perry), this day will determine whether they pack up their bags and go home or chug along. For Sarah Palin's supporters this might be the day when the real battle begins.

There's No Conflict in Respecting Palin's Decision to Not Run and in Asking Her to Reconsider

                      "But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.”
                       Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show
                       you my faith by my works."  - James 2:18 ESV


To many of Sarah Palin's supporters who agonize between respecting her decision to not seek the 2012 GOP nomination for the Presidency of the United States and wanting her to reconsider given the very weak and flawed GOP field right now: take heart. There is NO CONFLICT between the two, if we do the right things and do them right.

Let us go back to her October 5th announcement (emphasis mine):

          "After much prayer and serious consideration, I have decided that I will not be seeking the 2012 GOP nomination for President of the United States. As always, my family comes first and obviously Todd and I put great consideration into family life before making this decision. When we serve, we devote ourselves to God, family and country. My decision maintains this order. My decision is based upon a review of what common sense Conservatives and Independents have accomplished, especially over the last year. I believe that at this time I can be more effective in a decisive role to help elect other true public servants to office - from the nation's governors to Congressional seats and the Presidency. We need to continue to actively and aggressively help those who will stop the "fundamental transformation" of our nation and instead seek the restoration of our greatness, our goodness and our constitutional republic based on the rule of law. ..."

         
We can break her announcement down into two components: (1) family concerns, and (2) she will be out there helping commonsense conservative candidates be elected to office.

Component #1. Any parent would understand her decision to put family first. It would be nice to be a fly on the wall and listen in on all the nitty gritty of their conversations but  we must respect that what was discussed within the Palin family, as with any other family, must stay within the Palin family.

Component #2. Gov. Palin will still be out there travelling around the country, helping and maybe even stumping for commonsense conservative candidates. She'll still be actively talking about the issues confronting us and the solutions to get America back on track. As she hops from state to state, along the way she will be meeting and building relationships with potential future allies who will help shape the policies and bring about the much-needed reforms in Washington.

Now how do we bridge these two components so that we are respecting Gov. Palin's decision and still convince her to change her mind and run in 2012?

We can do it if we act now to show that we have her back. We need to mobilize now for her and do the groundwork for her, without exposing her family to the usual rigors and demands of a full-blown campaign.

The Sarah Palin Earthquake and the various DraftPalin movements are doing an excellent job on beating the reconsider drum. The billboard ad and op-ed suggestions are also great ideas but I believe that we must couple all these efforts with vigorous actions on the ground. (Please see some of my suggestions here .) We need to do a write-in campaign for these simple reasons:

(1) with the filing dates of some early primary states already passed, write-in is her only realistic and viable path to be able to compete for nomination,
(2) write-in  is the only way that voters can legally cast their votes for her and have their votes counted and reported,
(3) if she does reconsider today, she cannot be expected to be able to establish ground organizations the next day. She does not have the luxury of time to do that so we must prepare the campaign path now to make things less complicated for her. A write-in campaign will help do that, and:
(4) it reminds voters that there is an alternative to the insufficient GOP field we have right now. Sarah Palin is still the best person to challenge President Obama in 2012.

I will not pretend to know all the rules and deadlines of all 50 states but we should look ahead to the convention in August in Florida as the biggest and final battleground where we make the last stand in fight for the delegates. With the widespread discontent with the estalishment-ordained nominee Mitt Romney and conservatives launching groups specifically to oppose him, it does not matter very much whether Sarah Palin wins or not as a write-in candidate in any primary/caucus. We just need to make sure that she garners a strong showing, enough to cast a big doubt on Romney's inevitability.

As a non-candidate right now, Gov. Palin is free to speak anywhere in America without exposing or requiring her family to be by her side.  She will still be a big presence in the national stage so we can still expect the media to always spin out of thin air some malicious stories about her. But since she isn't so much a threat anymore to the Obama presidency and the left's agenda, they are more likely to aim their dirty Allinsky tactics on the declared GOP candidates. Thus, sparing Sarah Palin and her family the kind of relentless and ridiculous attacks that followed them for the last three years.

By not being in the race, Gov. Palin can speak truth to power louder than ever and hit the Obama administration as hard as she can but it would look so foolish of Team Obama to hit back at a non-candidate. It would be like throwing punches in the air when they should be spending their time and energy pouncing on Romney and company.

Back in 1869, America celebrated the completion of the country's greatest transcontinental railroad project where two different railroad companies, working separately conjoined their tracks in the end . The "Last Spike" was driven at Promontory, Utah where the Union Pacific tracks joined those of Central Pacific Railroad's.

The "Palin Reconsider" movement is kind of like the transcontinental railroad project. Two forces joining together in the end to ensure that we have a fighting chance in 2012. As we mobilize those boots on the ground in her behalf, Sarah Palin travels around the country and speaks to voters about smaller and smarter government that is truly representative of We The People, all the while her children are tucked safely in Alaska. It'll all work out in the end. The first day she faces off with Barack Obama will be the beginning of restoration, renewal and rebuilding of America.

Palin 2012. It's not too late. We can do this.