On this date in history, Sarah Palin, Governor(R) of the Great State of Alaska has declared her Independence. She has shaken the political world to its roots, she is dominating the news cycle across the board, and most importantly, she has deprived the Obot directed ankle biters of their most expensive and most easily accessible weapon. Pay no mind to the media’s efforts to convince her supporters that she is running away from a fight, that she’s getting out of the kitchen because she can’t take the heat, or that this is political suicide and her career is over.
Watch the video and read the transcript, (http://www.conservatives4palin.com/2009/07/palin-resigning-as-alask…). That is not the tone or the body language of a defeated woman who is slinking away from the spotlight. And those are not the words of a woman who has any intention of quitting, or “sitting down and shutting up”.
She opened her remarks by taking credit for, and great pride in, the numerous accomplishments of her administration. She proceeded to call out the media, and let her political opponents know in no uncertain terms that she knows exactly what their game is, and that she will no longer be playing by their rules. She is now free to speak out on any issue of her choosing, anytime in anyplace, without the distraction or expense of ethics complaints that constrained her in her position as Governor. Within this speech she signaled her intentions: “In fact, this decision comes after much consideration, and finally polling the most important people in my life – my children (where the count was unanimous… well, in response to asking: “Want me to make a positive difference and fight for ALL our children’s future from OUTSIDE the Governor’s office?” It was four “yes’s” and one “hell yeah!” and “My choice is to take a stand and effect change – not hit our heads against the wall and watch valuable state time and money, millions of your dollars, go down the drain in this new environment. Rather, we know we can effect positive change outside government at this moment in time, on another scale, and actually make a difference for our priorities – and so we will, for Alaskans and for Americans.”
She’s rallying her troops:
“If I have learned one thing: LIFE is about choices!
And one chooses how to react to circumstances. You can choose to engage in things that tear down, or build up. I choose to work very hard on a path for fruitfulness and productivity. I choose NOT to tear down and waste precious time; but to build UP this state and our country, and her industrious, generous, patriotic, free people!
Life is too short to compromise time and resources… it may be tempting and more comfortable to just keep your head down, plod along, and appease those who demand: “Sit down and shut up”, but that’s the worthless, easy path; that’s a quitter’s way out. And a problem in our country today is apathy. It would be apathetic to just hunker down and “go with the flow”.”
She’s giving us a blueprint:
“And there is such a need to BUILD up and FIGHT for our state and our country. I choose to FIGHT for it! And I’ll work hard for others who still believe in free enterprise and smaller government; strong national security for our country and support for our troops; energy independence; and for those who will protect freedom and equality and LIFE… I’ll work for and campaign for those PROUD to be American, and those who are INSPIRED by our ideals and won’t deride them.
I WILL support others who seek to serve, in or out of office, for the RIGHT reasons, and I don’t care what party they’re in or no party at all. Inside Alaska – or Outside Alaska.”
And a call to arms:
“Let me go back to a comfortable analogy for me – sports… basketball. I use it because you’re naïve if you don’t see the national full-court press picking away right now: A good point guard drives through a full court press, protecting the ball, keeping her eye on the basket… and she knows exactly when to pass the ball so that the team can WIN. And I’m doing that – keeping our eye on the ball that represents sound priorities – smaller government, energy independence, national security, freedom! And I know when it’s time to pass the ball – for victory.”
This woman is a fighter. As my grandmother would say, “She’s full of piss and vinegar”. She’s not running away from a fight, she’s just redefining the rules of engagement. She isn’t defeated by the pressure and the criticism, she’s just decided that she’s had a bellyfull of the crap. She’s no longer playing defense, she just took the ball away from her opponents and is going on offense. Our assignment is to go long and block for her downfield.
