Sarah Palin burst on the scene in 2008 when John McCain chose the conservative from Alaska as his running mate in the Presidential Election that saw Barack Obama defeat the Republicans the first time. Her willingness to say it like it is, and challenge the Democrats directly without pulling any punches put the liberal left into personal-destruction mode, and they launched Bork-Style directly into the popular Alaska governor. After the GOP failed to gain the White House, Palin withdrew from politics, and launched her fight from a different angle, using the media, and her popularity, to forward her conservative message.
Now, six years later, Sarah Palin remains as hated, and loved, as ever. Her influence has been important, and pivotal. Now, however, she's stepped back a little further, and is now residing in the coaching chair, so to speak.
After rumors that Sarah Palin would run for the United States Senate, Dan Sullivan, who once worked for Palin, has stepped through the fog, and is ready to battle Democrat Senator Mark Begich head-on.
As Alaska's governor, Sarah Palin appointed Sullivan as attorney general in 2009. His GOP learning curve did not begin there, however, for he was also a member of President George W. Bush’s inner circle as a senior adviser to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice before becoming a member of Palin's team.
Now, as Candidate Sullivan, he has the difficult task before him of convincing Alaskan voters that he is the better choice for United States Senate.
“Alaska in many ways is a mindset,” said Sullivan, who some have accused of being a carpetbagger born in Ohio, without legitimate Alaskan roots. “I moved to Alaska 17 years ago, was married 20 years ago, my kids and family were raised in Alaska … I've dedicated my life to my great state and my family has and we love it up there.”
While Sullivan describes both Palin and Rice as “great bosses,” he insists that he stands on his own.
The "protege" quips don't rattle him. He does admit, though, he learned a lot from Condoleezza Rice and Sarah Palin while working with each of them in the past.
While Sullivan describes both Palin and Rice as “great bosses,” he insists that he stands on his own.
The "protege" quips don't rattle him. He does admit, though, he learned a lot from Condoleezza Rice and Sarah Palin while working with each of them in the past.
Rice has given Sullivan an endorsement in his 2014 race. Palin has not given hers. The lack of endorsement by Palin may very well be because Palin endorsed Sullivan’s Tea Party opponent, Joe Miller, in the last Alaskan Senate race in 2010.
“One of the things that Governor Palin has been associated with is different elements of the Republican Party, Tea Party -- less government, more economic freedom, fighting the federal government's overreach,” he said. “Those are critical issues for my campaign.”
Regardless of lacking Palin’s endorsement, Sullivan is considered the leading Republican contender in the race and is currently the frontrunner against Miller and Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell in August’s Republican primary.
“This election is about things that are much bigger than one individual or one individual's ambition,” he said. “The focus is to unite the party … but then get behind whoever wins the primary to go on to help get the broader goal that all Republicans in Alaska agree on, which is to beat Mark Begich in November.”
If he wins, Sullivan says he won't align himself with the establishment, but with the “newer generation” of Republican senators, such as Sen. Ted Cruz.
“I do really like the newer generation of senators,” he said. “To me, getting back to limited government, less government, more freedom, is very important. Ultimately, I'm going to be the senator for Alaska based on Dan Sullivan's principles.”
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
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