Making A Case For Sarah Palin's Earthquake

                     "But as for you, be strong and do not give up,
                      for your work will be rewarded."  - 2 Chronicles 15:7



The GOP presidential candidates just recently held their 8th debate of the year. The field is all but set.  Yet, most of Sarah Palin's supporters are still finding it hard to rally behind one Republican candidate. It's because not one comes close to being a total package that she is.

We see a tug-of-war in the polls between Mitt Romney, Rick Perry and Herman Cain. Michelle Bachmann has lost the magic and all the rest has simply no clear and practical path to the nomination.

Mitt Romney is the presumptive nominee but the Republicans' embrace of him has been lukewarm at best. I, for one, cannot in good conscience vote for Mr. Romney whose convictions are as solid as a JELL-O. A man of his word he is not. He's been a liberal, a moderate and a conservative depending on who he is running against. A famous flip-flopper, he's even changed his position that one should make a stand on issues and not flip-flop.  His 10th amendment defense of individual mandate in Romneycare is also highly debatable. Technically, the federal government cannot  mandate people to eat broccoli, but a state can. Should a governor order everybody in his state to eat broccoli? As Sarah Palin once said, "just because you can, doesn't mean you should." His defense, if anything, shows lack of restraint in exercising the vast powers of his office, though guaranteed by the States' Rights. Just ask Rick Perry.

Rick Perry came under fire for his policy of providing in-state tuition assistance to illegal immigrants in Texas. He defended this as a states' rights issue. It wasn't enough that it showed utter unfairness to other students (who are legal residents and US citizens) who probably have to work two jobs or have to incur students' loans to afford their college educations. It was also quite a sight to watch on national TV a governor, entrusted to enforce the laws of his state,  to openly embrace and publicly ignore the meaning of the word "illegal." If that wasn't trouble enough for him, he suggested that those who play by the rules who disagree with him "do not have a heart." Mr. Perry has had several gaffes (the Gardasil flap, "Ponzi scheme" remark that scared off seniors dependent on Social Security checks, "treasonous" Ben Bernake)  that sent his poll standing tumbling down. He is, however, a formidable fundraiser so he remains a viable contender. Nearly 60%, though, of his contributions came from Texas which suggests that his base of support elsewhere is soft. Moneywise, he could endure a long and expensive campaign and probably win easily ... in Texas.

Herman Cain has surged in the polls lately. But as affable and charismatic as he is , his 9%  national sales tax would be a hard sell, especially to states with no sales tax like New Hampshire or states with the highest combined state and local sales taxes like Tennessee and California. His propensity to misspeak is a treasure trove for his opponents to twist and misquote every word he has uttered. He is not quite ready for prime time and his inexperience on national stage is showing through his gaffes, during interviews and on the campaign trail. With his paltry fundraising and a ragtag team, he'd be easily creamed by the more seasoned, aggressive, $1 billion-richer Team Obama.

With the general election likely to be Barack Obama vs. Mitt Romney, it's hard to tell which lesser evil America is going to get: a President Romney or a reelected President Obama. A President Romney is a win for the establishment and business-as-usual. A President Obama means another four years of more-of-the-same. Mitt Romney is a man of ever-shifting positions on issues. Barack Obama is a man of no-principle-at-all, voting present and too careful to stick his neck out for anything. What difference does it make? Either way, America loses.

That's why Palin supporters keep looking back at Wasilla, Alaska, hoping that their last remaining fighting chance would reconsider her decision and run for President of the United States in 2012.

There is a movement on Facebook right now called "Sarah Palin's Earthquake" whose main purpose is "to round up all of the Sarah Palin supporters to see if we can create the "Earthquake" that she said it would take to get her to reconsider running for President."

(Disclaimer: I am a member but I do NOT speak for the group. The opinions expressed in this post are all mine and are not endorsed by the group.)

In her conversation with Bob & Mark Levin, radio show hosts in Alaska, she said that absent  a 10.3 earthquake, she would not change her mind. We all know that the earthquake reference is all but a metaphor. What isn't a metaphor is her clear plan  going forward to help elect common sense conservatives who will get this country back on track. Indeed, we must join her in this effort 100%. We are one election away from turning into Greece. Our enormous debt is the biggest threat to our national security. It is only the specter of 2012 that makes some Democrats in Congress vote against Pres. Obama's bills and proposals. A GOP-controlled Congress is our only firewall against his destructive policies. We hear her message loud and clear.

But how do you separate the message from the messenger?

Such is the dilemna facing the voters. The current GOP presidential candidates are preaching the same message of smaller government, less spending, less regulations on the free market. Yet, not one comes across quite as authentic. With Sarah Palin, the message and the messenger are one and the same.There is no candidate right now from both parties whose policies and governing style are marked with clarity, consistency and constancy. She calls it like it is and says the same things whether she's speaking in Iowa or Florida or Arizona because she has no need to brown-nose to special interests. Rare is a politician whose words quite match her actions and she has the record to prove it.

Will we be able to convince her to change her mind?

Only she can answer that but I do know that our children's and grandchildren's future is at stake here so it's worth a try. I also know that if, after her much prayerful deliberations, we are going to ask her to put her family through heck again, we must show her that we have her back. We should be in it to win it.

I am not much of a political junkie to know the details of the write-in/draft rules and filing deadlines for primaries and general elections of all 50 states. But I know enough that there are Organize4Palin groups all around the country that have already laid out a campaign path for the governor before her announcement came out. They could gather the required signatures and file the necessary paperwork in her behalf so that, if in God's grace she reconsiders, all the legalities are already taken care of and we could all hit the ground running.

If we are ever to change her mind, I believe IOWA is key. I hope that Mr. Stephen Bannon would stick with his plan of releasing his "bombshell" a month before the Iowa caucuses as he had initially planned. I also hope that Mr. Peter Singleton could quickly mobilize those boots on the ground and do whatever is necessary to convince voters to caucus for her.  A win in Iowa would be a strong enough earthquake to meet the bar she has set. If we could deliver Iowa for her, it would make a huge statement for her viability and her supporters' sincere grassroots efforts to help get her into the race.

Speaking as a former Democrat, only the closed-minded would dismiss the substance and successes of her political life. I see Sarah Palin through her record of public service as a council member, mayor and governor. She has provided us with a blueprint of what great things America could achieve under a true and honest leadership  that operates under the context of a limited government. A leader who looks conscientiously to the Constitution in fulfilling her duties instead of trying to creatively circumvent it. A leader who is prudent with taxpayers' money and governs with the interests of her citizens instead of political donors and allies.  A leader who could not wait to shed the perks of her office, like the governor's jet, in stark contrast to the current First Couple who had no qualms about  travelling on  two separate taxpayer-funded planes on the same day on their way to the same vacation destination - four hours apart!

America deserves better.

One cautionary point to ponder for the ABO (Anybody But Obama) crowd. Mr. Obama might be a weak incumbent but an intense disapproval of the current president is not enough to unseat him if we field an even weaker challenger. Just ask any ABB (Anybody But Bush) Democrat. At the height of two unpopular wars and with the budget surplus that had all but turned into a $413 billion deficit , a polarizing George W. Bush could not be knocked off by a weak, flip-flopping, rich, can't-connect-with-a-Joe-six-pack, stiff guy  from Massachussetts. No, I'm talking about John Kerry, not Mitt Romney.

The political ground in DC needs a major shake-up. The electorate has the power - their votes- to crack open the fault line so that the old landscape can change and a new direction for our country could emerge. A government that is truly representative of the American people. Let us bring it forth. One vote at a time.

In Kaylene Johnsons's book, "Sarah: How A Hockey Mom Turned Alaska's Political Establishment Upside Down" (2008 edition, pp. 96 -97), she wrote that Sarah Palin often turned down generous checks from big corporations or from supporters whom she knew did not really have much  money to spare, saying that "Really, all I need from you is your vote." That's what it will come down to when all is said and done.

Your vote. For Sarah Palin. In 2012.

We can do this.

Please go to http://www.facebook.com/PalinQuake;    OR
http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/SarahPalinsEarthQuakeMovement/   (this is a CLOSED group and the administrators are asking its members to switch over to the newer site at the top.)

America's Greatest Story Yet To Be Told

                "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen,
                 since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
                                                                                       - 2 Corinthians 4:18


Just like most of Sarah Palin's supporters, I was saddened and deeply disappointed that she would not be a presidential candidate in 2012. As much as I support her decision to put family first, it is a struggle to rally behind a challenger to President Obama because there really  is no one among the GOP candidates who could ever come close to a total package that Sarah Palin is.

As in the past, whenever I felt down and at a loss, I find myself picking up one old familiar source of comfort: the book,  "The Greatest Story Ever Told" by Fulton Oursler. It is the story of Jesus, from His birth to His ministry and finally, to His crucifixion at Calvary. The book was already stained and its covers tattered when I found it at a book sale a long time ago. I have read it a number of times but opening its pages yet again warmed my heart just like the first time. It is an enduring story of love, hope and faith, a comforting validation that for every struggle there is a reason, of gathering strength when you are at your weakest, of finding peace by trusting that in the end good always prevails because God only wants the best for us.

What a parallel it was that Jesus was turned in by His own people because he was a threat to Rome and the religious authorities and Sarah Palin was and is being taken down by the media and the left because she is a threat to the presidency of Barack Obama. Yet, both their messages endure.

I am not, by any means, comparing Jesus to Sarah Palin. Just the thought of it sends chill down my spine. Jesus's life on earth was in fulfillment of the prophecies in the Holy Book to save mankind while Gov. Palin is a mere mortal answering a call of public service. A devout Christian herself, she would be the first to shoot down such a comparison, or even a suggestion of it. It would be wrong to even try.

Even as a former Democrat, I found it rather rich for Barack Obama's supporters to call him the "Messiah", the "Black Jesus" or "God", and outright blaphemous for Mr. Obama and his team to allow and even encourage such adulation. There is only one Messiah and His name is not Barack Obama. 

As bad as the state of affairs in our country right now, I believe that the Obama presidency had to happen because for a long time, our elected officials have forgotten that their duty is to serve their constituents, not their cronies and their own interests. President Obama, through his actions and policies,  has magnified in such a short time all that is wrong in Washington!

These politicians have been twisting and trampling on our laws while they hand out favors and create tax exemptions and loopholes for their friends and political allies.

These politicians have been promising to fight for the middle class, the poor, the elderly and the children as they introduce endless unfunded, unsustainable programs that end up hurting the very people that they professed to help.

These politicians have been raiding the Social Security Trust Fund bankrupt year after year and now we're supposed to applaud the President for his proposal of a payroll tax holiday that would rob funding of the Social Security program?

These politicians have become masters of creating problems so they could propose solutions to problems that we didn't have in the first place. It sure sounded nice to hear that every one has a right to the American Dream and we could all buy and own houses, with low-to-zero downpayment, that we cannot afford in the first place.

These politicians have been preaching political correctness to dictate our national conversations and distract us from the real issues, leaving the electorate more divided and more partisan and the real problems unresolved.

TARP. Stimulus. Cash for Clunkers. Cash for Caulkers. Higher debt ceiling. All made possible by borrowed money from China.  These politicians have been patting their backs for saving the country from Depression while the bills are piled-on high on the backs of the taxpayers.

These politicians have been using the mainstream media as their mouthpieces to demonize those honest public servants who truly want to put our country bak on the right track.

Enough is enough. It is time to make them accountable. As Sarah Palin once said, "There is nothing wrong in America that a good old-fashioned election can't fix!"

The Tea Party has jolted the 2010 elections, forced the issues to the forefront and helped elect representatives who believe in smaller and smarter government. We need to do more in 2012.

We need a government that will allow businesses and the free market to thrive so we could put Americans back to work. We need a government that believes and encourages American's ingenuity and innovation. We need an educational system that is student-centered, teacher-powered, not union-controlled so we could develop a new generation of engineers and doctors and scientists who will be ready to face the modern challenges of the 21st century. We need a government that is fiscally responsible and prudent with the taxpayers' money. We need a government that will lead us to be energy independence so we are beholden to other countries that want to see America reduced from being a superpower.

We need a government that is of the people, by the people, and for the people.

There is an old saying, "We do not know what the future holds. But we do know who holds the future." We do not know how God's plan for us will unfold but we do know that in 2012, We The People will be in charge.

America's greatest story is yet to be told, you'll see.

Sarah Palin Not Running for President in 2012

                       "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the
                        LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
                        plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11


In Madison, Wisconsin with her pronouncement, "Mr. President, Game on!", Sarah Palin put down the marker that she intended to challenge Barack Obama in 2012.  In Indianola, Iowa, she laid out her five-point plan on how to revive our bankrupt economy. Her interviews, writings and speeches were heavy on details. Supporters were simply waiting for her to officially throw her hat in the ring but  her proposals and positions on issues, her vision and the direction to where she would take the country were already all laid out in the open...

The much-awaited announcement came in October 5, but it wasn't the light that would ignite the absolute fire in the bellies of her supporters ready to go blaze the campaign trail for and with her. She wasn't running for the presidency in 2012.

My blog has always been supportive of the former Alaska governor. Without a doubt, this was a sad news that was hard to take. The very first reason she gave in her SarahPAC statement read, "As always, my family comes first ...". Politicians always use the same personal reason for not running for election/reelection - the family.

But truth be told, when I heard her say that her family came first, I SINCERELY believed her. As sad and disappointed as I was, I respected her decision.

As widely covered as she was by the media, people do not really know, and perhaps will never know, half of what she and her family have gone through the past three years with all the lies and ridiculous stories spread about her. She said that she and her husband have put great consideration into family life when she made her final decision. That was good enough for me. She did not need to apologize.

Tonight, as in the night when the leftwing media and blogosphere threw at her baseless, hideous accusations about the Tucson tragedy and put the blame squarely on her shoulders, I found myself at the same place, in the same position: in my bedroom and on my knees, hands clasped together in prayer.

I was on my knees again praying to God, for her and her family's health and safety. I again recalled Deuteronomy 33:25 in my prayer: "... As thy day, so shall thy strength be." Criticisms would abound as she passed up 2012. I prayed to God that whatever her day throws at her, to keep her faith unshakeable, to make her body healthier, her character stronger and her mind and focus, clearer than ever.

Lastly, I thanked God for introducing Gov. Palin to America, who provided us the vision and, through her record of accomplishments in Alaska, for showing us the possibilities of what America could achieve with the right kind of leadership. She restored hope for our country and for the American Dream.

Gov. Palin is a woman of faith and I know God and prayers are central to her decision-making process. She would have been a very formidable candidate and would have made a great president. But she decided the way she did. Amidst all the hyperpartisanships, corruption and mud-slinging in Washington, I believe with all my heart that America's best days are yet to come. We cannot read God's plans for us but right things happen at the right time, at the right place, for the right reasons because GOD ONLY WANTS THE BEST FOR US.

A Third Party Run By Sarah Palin May Not Be Too Far-Fetched

                     " ... This is the way, walk ye in it ..." -  Isaiah 30:21 KJV


Former Governor Sarah Palin created a speculation frenzy when, in an interview with the host of "On the Record" Greta Van Susteren, she raised some very telling questions, " Is a title worth it?" and "is a title and a campaign too shackling?" She has always said in the past that one does not need a title to make a difference. Indeed, she is a true example of that and the 2010 elections were proof positive of how one person could influence our national discourse. But when she said that a "title could be shackling", many took it that she would pass up the 2012 presidential contest altogether.

In a blog post "Which Title Doesn't Gov. Palin Need?", C4P's Adrienne Ross questioned whether the title Sarah Palin was referring to was that of "President" or simply the "GOP nominee." She then presented an interesting theory that perhaps the governor was considering a third party run? Ms. Ross'  article created as much of commenters' reactions as the governor's remarks. Given her prominent role in politics, her public writings on national policies heavy on details, quick missives on pertinent issues on the social media, her high-profile bus tours and speeches, a much prolonged decision-making process on whether she'd run or not may seem like a sign of hesitancy. But the possibility of an independent run does make sense and to delay the anouncement of her candidacy may simply be part of a bigger plan. Sarah Palin promised this to be a very unconventional election cycle. Creating a third party or running as independent fits that narrative.

Sarah Palin isn't exactly the Republican Party's most favorite daughter. Her political career is rife with her fights in exposing corruption, even of his own colleagues. The party has strayed too far from its original platform so there really is no use, or need, for her to ask for the establishment's blessing.

Political parties always fear a rogue third party challenge for one big reason - it splits the votes. In the case of 2012, it is almost like handing President Obama a second term by default. This would certainly be the case if Sarah Palin left  the Republican tent and ran as an independent. But if she makes the "right choice" , she could split the votes to HER advantage.

With Sarah Palin competing as an Independent, the GOP nominee will most possibly be Mitt Romney, who with Romneycare and his flip-flopping and authenticity problems, infuriates the conservatives to their wits' ends. The former Massachussetts governor is a favorite of the establishment, the elites  and Wall Street so he'll clinch the nomination but will lose in the general election (because Sarah Palin will split the votes, remember?), thus giving Mr. Obama another four years in the White House. But the president has a lot of problems of his own. An AP-Gfak analysis of polls show him losing support from key groups of voters that propelled him to office in 2008 (whites, women, younger voters, and some liberals) but come November 6, 2012, the biggest bloc of his base, the African-Americans, will be there and pull the lever for him. That is, unless, Gov. Palin decides to make a bold move that will split the votes - to pick a VP running mate who can take away votes from both Obama and Romney. Someone who is BOTH pro-business and black. Someone like Herman Cain (or any other black man or woman with private sector background whom Sarah Palin would  choose to pick). A pro-business running mate bring down votes for a corporate guy that is Mr. Romney. The black community will not abandon the first black president on election day unless the alternative is another brother in the ticket who knows - really knows - how to create jobs.

(Personally, Mr. Cain is not my preferred VP candidate but his positions on issues like the economy, energy independence, abortion, education, among others, mirror those of Sarah Palin's. My personal choice would be a Hispanic running mate with strong and solid background on immigration because of its impact on the economy and national security. But the important thing is to help elect Gov. Palin to the Presidency and as I have no doubt, once she's seated at the Oval Office, she would tackle the issue head-on. Also, not to take anything away from the Hispanic population but by simply going by the numbers, the African-American votes carry more weight when it comes to effecting the result of the election. The Hispanics and Latinos are the larger of the two minority groups but the black community has a bigger percentage of people who are of voting age and are more politically-involved. If Gov. Palin would aim to take as much votes away from Pres. Obama, numbers should be a big factor in her considerations.)

Campaigning for the most powerful job in the free world demands tremendous toughness, mentally and physically. Gov. Palin will not be alone in her quest to the White House. Millions of fed up Americans, tired of same old business-as-usual in Washington, ready for common sense approach to our problems, will be there with her and for her. She already has name recognition and organizations on the ground nationwide and legions of passionate supporters. As soon as she gives the word, those boots on the ground will start marching.

In spite of some of the confusion that her "shackling" remarks created and the delay in announcement, I have never lost, for one moment, confidence that she will make a run for the Presidency, because she knows that she has to be at the top of leadership to bring about meaningful and tangible changes. After two years as a council member in Wasilla, witnessing the good old boys network's  inner workings, she knew there had to be a major shake-up at the City hall if her small town was to progress.  She earned the ire of   Councilman Nick Carney, the same man who convinced her to run for a council seat, when she voted no to a proposed garbage pick-up ordinance - a potential boon to the town's only garbage-removal company which was, incidentally, owned by Mr.Carney. That's why she ran - and won- for mayor. She did clean up the Wasilla city hall, then Juneau as governor of Alaska. Now there's a lot more than just garbage to clean up in Washington. Crony capitalism. Irresponsible debt. Unsustainable spending. Anemic job growth. Obamacare. Class warfare.  Poverty. Immigration. Sarah Palin has to lead. She has the experience, smarts, substance and fortitude to fight for and effect real change. She wouldn't like to see America "shackled" to a fundamental transformation to decline, would she?

Note: Thanks to a reader who has reminded  me that a third party run does not necessarily mean an independent run and vice-versa. The text above has been updated. - NaLa