NEXT GILCHRIST COUNTY TEA PARTY MEETING

NEXT GILCHRIST COUNTY TEA PARTY MEETING

ELECTION DAY NEARS:

THE POLITICAL SEASON IS IN FULL SWING!

Not only do we have a Presidential race that has captivated the majority of our Country, but also State and local offices are up for grabs, and they appear to be headed for the same controversy.

Certainly, the main focus for months has been the exciting race for President. Donald Trump and Ted Cruz has spiced up the race so much, that for the first time we will see people voting that rarely vote or have never voted. This is an exciting time and this Presidential race has addressed a number of critical issues that our Country must tackle.

I tried to call Donald Trump, and he’s busy in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, but his Regional Director has agreed to join us for our next Gilchrist County Tea Party meeting.

Captain Andrew Tamlyn Stempki, Region 2 Coordinator for the Florida Trump campaign will appear and address all the issues that confront our Country and Mr. Trumps solution to those problems.

A great opportunity, because Captain Stempki plans to open the meeting to any questions on issues that you may have or would like to have answered by the Trump Campaign. This is your chance to have a face to face with the Trump coordinator in this region.

Also on the program, we have Gina Geiger who has thrown her hat in the ring to run for the Non Partisan District 4 position on the School Board.

Her bold vision and vast experience in Specialist Education, her experience as a teacher, along with her Master’s Degree in Education will be a valuable asset.

Because of the construction at the County’s Commission Chamber building, we will again meet at Fire Station 2 on C.R. 138 in North Gilchrist.

Please join us on Tuesday, February 9th at 7 PM.

This is surely going to be an exciting and informative meeting, so you can make an informed decision on who is running and what their position is on issues that affect us all.

CR 138 is on the north end of the County and runs between SR 129 and SR 47…..

FIRE STATION 2.

430 N.W. COUNTY ROAD 138

BRANFORD, FL 32008

Text Box: COUNTY ROAD 47 ⇐

FOUR VICTORIES FOR THE 2ND AMENDMENT

Florida Report: BIG Day for Gun Owners in Florida — Four Victories
DATE: January 28, 2016
TO: USF & NRA Members and Friends
FROM: Marion P. Hammer
USF Executive Director
NRA Past President

ACTION ON GUN BILLS, Thursday, January 28, 2016

IN THE HOUSE:

HB-163, Open Carry by Rep. Matt Gaetz was heard in the House Judiciary Committee and PASSED by a Vote of 12-4. All Republicans and one Democrat voted in favor of the bill.

It was a 2 1/2 hour hearing during which opponents of the bill, primarily the Florida Sheriffs Association, tried unsuccessfully to gut the bill.

HB-163 is a bill to allow persons with a Concealed Weapons & Firearms License to carry firearms concealed or openly which will prevent CW license holders from being charged with the crime of violating the “Open Carry” law because a concealed firearm, being legally carried, accidentally or inadvertently becomes visible to the sight of another person.

The amendment — to gut the bill — proposed by the Florida Sheriffs Association was defeated soundly defeated.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, a skilled Second Amendment leader, carried the day on open carry and the bill now moves to the floor of the Florida House.

IN THE SENATE:

Final Passage of three important bills today on the Senate Floor. All three bills now go to the House.

HB-344, Stand Your Ground/Burden of Proof by Sen. Rob Bradley PASSED THE SENATE 24-12

SB-344 restores the Stand Your Ground law to the original intent of the Legislature by putting the burden of proof BACK ON THE STATE where it belongs.

Through court action, prosecutors and courts have reversed the self-defense law that gives immunity from arrest, detaining in custody, charging and prosecuting until and unless an investigation reveals there is probable cause to believe the act was not lawful self-defense. They created a special “Stand Your Ground” that forces the victim to prove innocence rather than the state prove guilt. This bill stops that.

SB-130, Unlawful Discharge by Sen. Garrett Richter PASSED THE SENATE 37-0.

SB-130 is clarifying language that adds a subsection (4) to existing law to prohibit the recreational discharge of firearms in residential neighborhoods that have a density of one or more dwellings per acre.

It specifically exempts recreational discharge if “under the circumstances, the discharge does not pose a reasonably foreseeable risk to life, safety, or property.”

SB-228, Mandatory Minimum Sentences by Sen. Aaron Bean PASSED THE SENATE 38-0

This bill removes aggravated assault from the 10-20-Life Mandatory Minimum Sentences.

Prosecutors have been wrongfully using 10-20-Life to prosecute people who are exercising self-defense. This bill stops prosecutors from trying to put people in prison for 10 years if they show a gun to scare off an attacker or 20 years for firing a warning shot.

YOUR EMAIL TO LEGISLATORS ON THIS ISSUES IS A HUGE HELP.

THANK YOU FOR HELPING PROTECT SECOND AMENDMENT AND SELF-DEFENSE RIGHTS.

TRUMP SUCKS UP ALL THE OXYGEN……

Trump, FOX News, and Megyn Kelly Explained (Master Persuader Series)

Posted January 26th, 2016 @ 8:54pm in #Trump

Donald Trump says he won’t appear at the upcoming debate on FOX if Megyn Kelly is a moderator, and as of this writing, it appears she will be. Some of you asked me how this move by Trump could possibly be a smart thing.

On the 2D playing field, Trump appears petulant and whine. Maybe narcissistic, fascist, and a little bit of Hitler too. And as FOX cleverly pointed out, negotiating with foreign leaders won’t be easier than Megyn Kelly’s questions.

So Trump loses badly in the second dimension.

Let’s shift to the third dimension and see if the view is different. For starters, tell me what you learned about all the other candidates today.

Nothing?

Trump sucked the oxygen out of the room. Again. And the issue – as always – is something we can jabber about forever. It is jabber-ready by design, so the media and the public will have no time and no brain cycles left to consider his competition.

Admit it – you already think the competition on the Republican side has narrowed to Trump versus Trump. If he stumbles, he loses. If he doesn’t, he wins. But the other candidates and all of their money will not change anything. The presidency is 100% in Trump’s hands to win or lose.

And he hasn’t stumbled (in the 3rd dimension of persuasion) in six months of continuous media attention.

Now keep in mind that one of Trump’s signature moves involves creating situations in which he has two or more paths to win, and no paths to lose. He wins AT THE START by picking his battles.

For example, when Trump warned Iran to return the American prisoners, he won no matter what happened. If Iran released the prisoners, Trump would say he influenced it. They did, and he did. If Iran had delayed, Trump would have used it as yet another reason you need a tough guy to deal with them. He had two paths to winning and no path to losing.

And it is intentional. I have a similar (but far worse) skill set, and I would have made that play as well.

So let’s game out the FOX scenario and see how many ways he can win and how many ways he can lose.

If FOX doesn’t budge, and Trump skips the debate, he will tweet the entire mess like it is Mystery Science Theater 3000.

The next day, the news will interject his tweets with their commentary about each participant. Obviously Trump’s tweets would include his usual eyebrow-raising insults and claims, and draw all attention his way. And unlike the people in the debate, he can “twitter-interrupt” them at any point with his counter-punches and clever insults. The media will insert his tweets in just the right place to make their stories compelling.

Interestingly, FOX might have good ratings in that scenario because people would be watching the combined debate plus The Trump Twitter Show to get it all synced up in real time. And people would want to see how FOX handles the lack of Trump. Empty podium?

At about halftime of the debate you might see Trump say it is too boring to watch and sign off for the night. That gives you a data point to see if viewership drops off around then. And it probably would, no matter what he tweets, simply because the novelty of him NOT being there will wear off. Then all you have is a real debate about the real issues. No one wants that. We have better things to do.

Now suppose Trump changes his mind and decides to join the debate even while Megyn Kelly remains. One of two things can happen. Either she asks questions that sound biased, and Trump rips her and FOX News apart on live television – and his poll number go up, or she asks only softball questions and Trump appears to have won that way.

You might be thinking that the real world is messier than that, and Trump is inviting a big risk. For example, Megyn Kelly might get in a zinger. But Trump dodges those with ease. Maybe the public will start siding with a biased TV host, but that seems unlikely. The media is unpopular in general.

Or perhaps a FOX competitor will offer Trump a show of his own for two hours, at the same time, just to be dicks to FOX. Anything can happen, but all paths seem to favor Trump.

Now let’s say you are Donald Trump, the scariest Republican that any Democrat has seen in ages. What is the one best thing he can do to separate himself from the Republican machine and show that he can be a deal-maker for everyone? Answer: Punch FOX News in the mouth. Right in front of you.

Democrats are watching. Trump is framing himself as an enemy of their enemy. (Democrats hate FOX News.)

Trump’s setup here is pure genius. He doesn’t know how it will end, but he is making sure he goes where the odds are deeply in his favor.

That’s a system, not a goal. Once you see the world that way, it makes a lot more sense. Coincidentally, I wrote a book on systems being better than goals.

Update: Trump will skip the debate and host a Wounded Warrior event instead.

That’s the 2D description.

In the third dimension, Trump will be focusing attention on the most American and probably the most diverse group of heroes in the nation while the Festival of Mostly Whiteness rages across town.

That’s your Trump lesson on the power of contrast. Timing is everything. And he gets away with it because you know he thinks it’s funny. Somehow that makes it better.

People keep asking me to demonstrate my lack of bias by pointing out some of Trump’s mistakes. The problem is that Trump has a skill set that absorbs mistakes and turns them into whatever he wants them to be. That’s his system.

Open-Carry for CW License Holders in next Committee

URGENT ALERT! Open-Carry for CW License Holders in next Committee

DATE: January 27, 2015
TO: USF & NRA Members and Friends
FROM: Marion P. Hammer
USF Executive Director
NRA Past President

URGENT: HB-163 by Rep. Matt Gaetz is on the agenda for the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday, January 28, 2016 at 9:00am.

HB-163 is a bill to allow persons with a Concealed Weapons & Firearms License to carry firearms concealed or openly.

It will prevent CW license holders from being charged with the crime of violating the “Open Carry” law because a concealed firearm, being legally carried, accidentally or inadvertently becomes visible to the sight of another person.

ANYTIME YOU CARRY CONCEALED, YOU ARE IN DANGER OF BEING ARRESTED, CHARGED AND PROSECUTED LIKE A CRIMINAL for violating the ban on open carry of firearms, if your gun is accidentally, unintentionally, briefly exposed to the sight of another person.

Our attorneys tell us that the ONLY WAY to completely stop this abuse, is to legally allow license holders to carry openly — then they cannot be charged with violation of the open carry ban no matter how brief the accidental and unintentional exposure.

Once again, as they did in 2011, The Florida Sheriffs Association is trying to kill the bill by offering an amendment that is an outright fraud. They claim it will stop CW License holders from being arrested — THAT IS FALSE. Their amendment is nothing more than a smokescreen to hide their anti-gun, anti-Second Amendment agenda.

We need you to contact committee members immediately and urge them to pass this bill.

PLEASE IMMEDIATELY EMAIL Members of the House Judiciary Committee and URGE THEM TO SUPPORT HB-163 By Rep. Matt Gaetz

In the subject line put: SUPPORT HB-163 – Open Carry by CW License Holders

(Block and Copy All email addresses into the “Send To” box)

charles.mcburney@myfloridahouse.gov,
Colleen.Burton@myfloridahouse.gov,
Dwight.Dudley@myfloridahouse.gov,
Katie.Edwards@myfloridahouse.gov,
Jay.Fant@myfloridahouse.gov,
Julio.Gonzalez@myfloridahouse.gov,
gayle.harrell@myfloridahouse.gov,
matt.hudson@myfloridahouse.gov,
Dave.Kerner@myfloridahouse.gov,
larry.metz@myfloridahouse.gov,
Jared.Moskowitz@myfloridahouse.gov,
kathleen.passidomo@myfloridahouse.gov,
Scott.Plakon@myfloridahouse.gov,
michelle.rehwinkel@myfloridahouse.gov,
Jose.Rodriguez@myfloridahouse.gov,
Charlie.Stone@myfloridahouse.gov,
carlos.trujillo@myfloridahouse.gov,
john.wood@myfloridahouse.gov,

It is imperative that you email these Committee members right away.

BACKGROUND:

FACTS ABOUT FLORIDA’S OPEN CARRY BILL

Despite the misinformation peddled to the press, these are the facts:

1. This bill only applies to handguns. Nothing in this bill would authorize the open carry of long guns – rifles or shotguns.

2. Nothing in this bill in any way impacts the private property rights of others – not of businesses and not of private individuals.

3. Only a person with a license to carry concealed may choose to carry openly.

4. The same restrictions that apply to carrying concealed will also apply to open carry. [ s.790.06 ]

5. No person may carry a firearm around in the hand or exhibit it in a rude careless, angry, or threatening manner, not in necessary self-defense. To do so violates existing law. [ s.790.10 ]

6. A license holder is required — by existing law — to show the license to any law enforcement officer who wants to see it — that’s in the original law passed in 1987. [ s.790.06 (1) ]

7. Businesses have the right to deny entry, refuse service, and/or evict anyone they wish — unless it’s done on the basis of race, gender, or religion. It is common to see signs that say, “No shoes, no shirt, no service.” Businesses should not be reluctant to post signs saying , “No open carrying of firearms.”
It’s THEIR right.

8. Seventy percent (70%) of the American public live in open carry states from all regions of the country. Many of the 45 open carry states have large and diverse cities just like Florida. No matter where you live geographically, whether it’s Trilby, Fla. or Fanning Springs, Fla., you have the same constitutional rights as citizens who live in Miami, Tampa, or Orlando.

9. Forty-five (45) states allow open carry of firearms.

15 of 45 open carry states require a license to carry concealed or openly.
30 of 45 open carry states DO NOT require any license to carry openly
0 of 15 carry license states require additional training to carry openly
0 of 45 states offer a separate “open carry” license
2 of 45 states require a holster to open carry.
0 of 45 states require a special retention holster.
5 of 15 are “may-issue” states where law enforcement issues licenses
15 of 15 states require the license holder to produce the license on lawful demand by a law enforcement officer.

10. Florida is 1 of 5 states that DO NOT allow Open Carry. The others are California, Illinois, New York and South Carolina. It’s time for Florida to be in better company.

Allowing concealed carry license holders to also carry openly is THE ONLY WAY to stop abuse by law enforcement officers. License holders continue to be arrested and prosecuted for violation of the law banning open carry when their concealed firearms are accidentally, unintentionally and briefly exposed to the ordinary sign of another person.

Despite efforts in 2011 to stop this abuse continues and it has to stop.

ANYTIME a concealed carry license holder is carrying concealed he/she is in danger of being maliciously and spitefully arrested, charged with a crime and prosecuted like a criminal, if the gun is accidentally seen by another person.

EMAIL COMMITTEE MEMBERS TODAY: Tell them to support HB-163

Why Donald Trump Battles The Fox News Machine…

URGENT REMINDER: Why Donald Trump Battles The Fox News Machine…
Posted on January 26, 2016 by sundance

Given the current explosive development with Donald Trump most likely boycotting the Fox News Iowa debate, EVERYONE should remember the entire back story as we explained, researched and outlined it in September ’15. ~ Also This UPDATE for recent context.
Anyone who is viewing the battle between Donald Trump and Fox News as a representative battle of thin-skinned ego is entirely missing the point.

Trump is not just taking on the construct of progressive ideology that has undermined the essence of American exceptionalism; Trump is not just exposing the immense number of faux-conservatives in media and political punditry; Trump is not just allowing us to see the scope of anti-American interest; no, he’s taking on the very selfish foundation they’ve used to sell out our country. Heck, he’s taking on all the “Decepticons” simultaneously.

In many ways Fox’s Roger Ailes and Republican Mitch McConnell carry the same ideological character trait, deception. For McConnell his deceptive ways allow him to retain power inside the DC construct. For Roger Ailes manipulation benefits his media dominance and political interests.

Neither McConnell nor Ailes can actually be trusted. However, we are only just beginning to understand the enormity and scope of the previously hidden betrayal.

It all boils down to a very familiar problem. Would you rather rid yourself of the schemer, manipulator and deceiver who claims to be your friend – and as a consequence face a visible enemy in their stead. Or do you chose to be associated within the camp of a person you can never fully trust.

The 2014 re-election of Mitch McConnell was a case study in choosing between the lesser of these two evils. If you don’t re-elect him your team may not win control of the Senate; but if you do elect him your team may win control – but you’ll never be able to trust him to do what he says.

We are all witnessing the 2015 reality of McConnell’s untrustworthy legislative behavior; he lied to get re-elected, and he’s only working on the priorities of Tom Donohue, Wall Street, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Our Co-Dependent Behavior:

♦ If, in the spring of 2014, anyone had tried to convince the electorate that the National Republican Senatorial Committee would pay for racist attack ads, and pay for Democrats to vote in the Mississippi Senate Primary against a republican candidate, the same electorate would have said ‘you’re nuts’.

♦ If, prior to the fall election of 2014, anyone had tried to convince the electorate that Mitch McConnell would NEVER repeal Obamacare, because his handlers wanted Obamacare to remain in place, the voting electorate would say “you’re nuts”.

♦ If, in the dawn of 2015, anyone had tried to convince the electorate the now Republican Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, would change the senate rules to pass Obama trade agreements with only 51 votes, destroying the construct of the Senate oversight simply to give Obama more power -because McConnell’s handlers wanted it- again more people would have said “you’re nuts”. Perhaps even the same people.

♦ If, in the summer of 2015, anyone had tried to convince the electorate that the RNC and DC-based GOPe, had constructed a specific and intentional plan to elect Jeb Bush with 20% of the voting base, those same voices say “you’re nuts”.

Some people just refuse to accept what is. The rest of us -who do accept- are called “nuts”…. or Whacko-birds, or Hobbits, or Crazies, or… well, you get the point.

trump brilliantThe bottom line is Donald Trump is advocating for us; he’s representing the interests of all of us who are sick and tired of being lied to and manipulated by the Mitch McConnells of the world. So while campaigning, he’s taking them head on.

What value lies within victory, if the reason for being victorious is open to interpretation? A fancy way of saying “bold contrasts, not pale pastels”. When Trump shows up to the White House, there won’t be anyone in DC who doesn’t know exactly why he’s there.

If victorious, Trump will carry the biggest and boldest mandate EVER.

Candidate Donald Trump has now taken enough positions for us to clearly identify that he is indeed our friend, and as a consequence their enemy. Just look at what he has exposed in the two months since he announced. He’s done this simply by putting sunlight on issues and taking firm stances that all others in/around the same issues have apparently lied about for years.

Donald Trump, a serious student of the entire decades long game, is waging a 360° war against the entire GOPe apparatus, on every single level of its construct. And yes, that also means the monolithic media empire which facilitates all of the aforementioned usurpations.

Donald Trump is campaigning against EVERY ADVERSE INTEREST to the U.S.A. This is the essential underpinning of the “Make America Great Again” campaign.

Those adverse interests are both outside and inside our borders. He’s intent on tearing down the machine, all of it. By now that should be obvious to everyone.
Candidate Jeb Bush attends Chamber of Commerce dinner with Fox’s Rupert Murdoch and Valerie Jarrett (December 2014)

Candidate Jeb Bush attends Chamber of Commerce dinner with Fox’s Rupert Murdoch and Valerie Jarrett (December 2014)

In that regard, Rupert Murdoch FOX owner is part of the problem. So too Roger Ailes Fox News President is also part of the problem…. again, their interests – i.e., elect Jeb Bush- are antithetical to those of a restored, strong, free and independent U.S.

Mitch McConnell, Rupert Murdoch, The RNC, Roger Ailes, Tom Donohue, Wall Street et al, are all part of the apparatus simultaneously being confronted.

Trump is talking about, and, well, actually he’s doing more than talking about it, he’s taking on BIG ideological entities that have embedded themselves inside the body politic.

It’s often a painful exhibition to watch a surgeon cut clear margins out of an infected patient. And it definitely ain’t pretty when you have to do it on a battlefield in the midst of an ideological war.

This is the backdrop for Donald Trump taking on Fox News, and as a consequence Rupert Murdoch through Roger Ailes and Murdoch’s princess, Megyn Kelly.

Just like exposing the real motivation behind the RNC, or Mitch McConnell, or the NRSC in 2014’s Mississippi primary, Trump is exposing the sordid and corrupt world of the U.S. legacy media.

However, better than merely exposing them, he’s taking them head-on.

Trump would rather face an enemy who genuinely opposes him, MSNBC and CNN, than deal with the likes of a enemy who puts on the mask of being favorable toward him while simultaneously working diligently to eliminate him. (Remember Brutus?)

Trump respects the honest opponent, he does not respect the dishonest manipulator. Obviously, a level of media dishonesty was dragged front and center, in front of 24 million viewers, during the Fox News RNC/GOP debate.

It was the severity of the dishonesty, the deceptive intent and the scope of the planning and forethought, that triggered the response. ENOUGH !

I mean c’mon, seriously. While initially many didn’t want to believe what we were saying, we saw the deceptive sneak attack coming a week before it took place. It was transparently obvious that Megyn ‘too-cute-by-half’ Kelly had a specific agenda she was intent on delivering. [ June 30th Warning To Donald Trump ]

Lil Miss Condescending was so pissed that Trump avoided her initial pre-debate set up on August 4th she took it out on Ted Cruz

As a consequence of the specific forethought, and after deciding it’s better to have an honest enemy, Mr. Trump is now in the position of tearing down the pillars of Roger Ailes creation. And, as evidence of Trumps’ strength therein, Roger Ailes’ responses reflect a reality that Ailes views this ENEMY, unlike any other enemy, because Trump holds Samson-like capabilities.

It’s not about Megyn Kelly per se’. It’s about taking the strongest most valuable part of Ailes organization, the one he has invested the most time, effort, energy and emotion with, and confronting that ‘golden goose’ first. Ailes would surely never respond the same way if it were a less valuable part of his business. Trump hits em’ where it hurts.

Appearances on CNN, MSNBC or the alphabets might seem antithetical to most GOP candidates who view Fox as a more direct channel to a specific audience. But Trump is saying he’d rather confront an honest opponent who he knows hates him, than walk into a dishonest interview unsure of their masked ‘angle’.

Trump is also showing the approach he would take if he is able to achieve victory and win the White House. Mitch McConnell will never be accepted as a representative leader, nor would John Boehner, neither could/would be trusted. Trump would dispatch their self-serving interests to the land of irrelevance and work around them.

Yes, that implies he’d use the bully pulpit against his own Republican leadership, if that was what’s needed to “Make America Great Again”. Prepare for it.

If the hierarchy within the republican party loses an election to Democrats it’s only a lost election; they are still there, and still comfortable even in the minority.

However, if the hierarchy within the republican party loses an election to Conservatives, they are out of a job.

Donald Trump’s greatest weapon is not his money, his wealth, or his keen and astute business acumen, those are all simply tools he’s developed over a lifetime. No, his greatest weapon against these ideological foes is something we shared on the very first day of his candidacy….
… US !

Roger Stone: Why conservatives should back Trump

https://webmail.earthlink.net/wam/msg.jsp?msgid=88291&folder=EarthLink+Services.spamBlocker.Suspect+Email&isSeen=false&x=-1611156316

Roger Stone: Why conservatives should back Trump

Some long time conservative activists have signed a manifesto complaining that Donald Trump is not conservative enough. In fact, there’s plenty of conservative red-meat in Trump’s platform to warm the heart of any on the right.

Trump has put forward the most radical pro-growth and pro-business tax proposal of any candidate, a set of proposals praised by supply side guru and former Reagan economic adviser Larry Kudlow.

You Do Not Understand Sarah Palin?

You Do Not Understand Sarah Palin
2695

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, right, endorses Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a rally at the Iowa State University, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2016, in Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
AP Photo/Mary Altaffer

by Joel B. Pollak20 Jan 20162,173
The conservative commentariat has imploded in dismay at Sarah Palin’s endorsement of Donald Trump in Iowa on Tuesday.

Fans of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)
97%
, Trump’s main rival in Iowa and beyond, were understandably dismayed.

But the reaction went far beyond that. Some said Palin betrayed her conservative principles by choosing a candidate whose conservatism is shallow at best. And some rehashed the personal attacks that have been a staple of the left.

In fact, Sarah Palin’s endorsement of Trump makes sense, and fits both her politics and her personality.

Yes, she has been the iconic symbol of conservatism and the Tea Party, whereas Trump seemed perfectly happy to go along with Obama and the Clintons until a few years ago.

But just as Palin has never let herself be defined by the Republican Party, she has never felt bound by ideological checklists, either. She is a conservative, but she is anti-establishment first.

Palin became the governor of Alaska in 2005 by running against the establishment of both parties. In 2014, in Wacko Birds: The Fall and Rise of the Tea Party, I noted:

Ironically, though she would soon become a conservative icon, Palin was billed as something of a political centrist. McCain introduced her to the country as “someone who reached across the aisle and asked Republicans, Democrats and independents to serve in government.” She was socially conservative, but had vetoed a bill that would have prevented same-sex partners from enjoying visitation rights in Alaskan hospitals. She was said to share something of McCain’s rebellious streak, and his willingness to confront his own party’s interests as she took on corruption and special interest groups.

In the Obama era, conservatism became the dominant anti-establishment theme of American politics, thanks partly to Palin. However, over time, Palin has found herself increasingly at odds with the conservative establishment itself, parts of which are anti-populist–happy to have her backing, but faintly embarrassed by her and repulsed by her supporters.

(Update: Ted Cruz has made his reputation as an anti-establishment politician, so it would not have been surprising had Palin supported him instead of Trump, simply on ideological grounds. Palin’s reasons for choosing Trump may be more personal than political. But the dismissive reaction of some Cruz supporters to Palin suggests a kind of elitism. Parts of the anti-establishment conservative movement turn out to be their own kind of establishment.)

It is now fashionable, even among some “true conservative” pundits, to bash Palin’s intellect and mock her speech. Trump’s supporters are often treated with the same disdain as Palin’s fans, as if not even their votes are wanted.

Surprisingly, Ross Douthat of the New York Times came closer to understanding the Palin endorsement than many conservatives outside the mainstream media bubble, tweeting: “Seriously, this is who Palin was meant to be. Her neocon + movement phases were opportunism/osmosis. This is closer to where she started.”

That is too harsh: her “opportunism” included resigning from the governorship and turning down several chances to run for office again. And Douthat may be implying, as others have said outright, that what Trump and Palin really have in common is just celebrity.

That would miss the convictions that motivate Palin, and that still attract millions of Americans to her. Regardless, the kernel of truth in Douthat’s tweet is that Palin was, and remains, the leader of a popular resistance to what American politics has become. It is a conservative resistance, but does not always conform to conservative politics.

It is unclear, as of this writing, that Palin’s endorsement will have a significant effect on the Iowa caucuses, where polls had been trending back in Trump’s direction.

What is remarkable is that just days after defending “New York values,” Trump brought Palin–so often the target of New York elites–on board. It confirmed that he intends to build a big coalition–the “big tent” of political lore.

How odd that some conservatives would still prefer to bar the clubhouse door.

WHY TRUMP?

Explaining Trump is Easy
me | 1/20/2016 | EternalHope

Posted on 1/20/2016, 11:18:35 PM by EternalHope

Explaining Trump is easy:

We have finally realized that regardless of what they SAY, there is very little difference between what the Republicans and Democrats actually DO once they are in power.

We can not fix it within the system. We have tried that and failed miserably.

So we have turned to outsiders (primarily Trump and Cruz). We are fed up with BOTH parties and want to fire essentially ALL of them.

This is my attempt to explain Trump. Someone else can explain Cruz.

Trump is not as pure as the driven snow. But we have tried pure before and it turned out to be disguised manure.

It is not just that Trump is an outsider. He gets it on three really big issues:

1. Illegal immigration. That is the issue that originally propelled him to front runner status. If we do not fix it we lose our country.

2. Radical Islam. ALL of our milquetoast leaders in Washington and ALL of our mainstream media are afraid to even say what us common folks can see easily: Radical Islam is EVIL.

3. Political Correctness. Our whole country has been brow beaten into abject fear by political correctness. Good grief, it took Trump to bring back the phrase Merry Christmas.

Trump took the lead on all three of these issues. Some of our other candidates have similar positions to his on these issues, NOW. But Trump was the one with the guts and savvy to actually bring them up and make them into major issues. Some of our candidates talk a good game, but Trump PLAYS a good game.

So… Is Trump perfect? NO.

Does he have the guts, charisma, and leadership ability to raise issues and WIN when he does? YES.

Trump has completely changed the issues in this campaign, and changed them in a way this country desperately needs.

NOT ONE of our other candidates could have done what he has done. He has been attacked non-stop by both parties and the entire MSM, and has still pulled it off.

From my personal perspective there are only two candidates I would consider voting for: Trump and Cruz.

But it is very clear that Cruz could not have done what Trump has done. That makes Trump my choice hands down.

Limbaugh: ‘Trump Coalition’ an Offshoot of the Tea Party Movement

http://www.breitbart.com/video/2016/01/21/limbaugh-trump-coalition-an-offshoot-of-the-tea-party-movement/

Limbaugh: ‘Trump Coalition’ an Offshoot of the Tea Party Movement

On his Thursday broadcast, conservative talk show Rush Limbaugh offered his analysis what has led certain elements to gravitate toward Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump, including former Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK), the 2008 GOP vice-presidential nominee.