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Reality TV Star Endorses Reality TV Star
Sarah Palin, the host of “Sarah Palin’s Alaska” and “Amazing America with Sarah Palin,” has endorsed the star of “The Apprentice” and “The Celebrity Apprentice”:
“I’m proud to endorse Donald J. Trump for president,” Ms. Palin said in a statement provided by his campaign.
“I am greatly honored to receive Sarah’s endorsement,” Mr. Trump said in a statement trumpeting Mrs. Palin’s decision. “She is a friend, and a high-quality person whom I have great respect for. I am proud to have her support.”
In Iowa, where Ms. Palin spent years developing support, the endorsement could be especially helpful.
“Over the years Palin has actually cultivated a number of relationships in Iowa,” said Craig Robinson, the former executive director of the Republican Party of Iowa and publisher of the website The Iowa Republican. “There are the Tea Party activists who still think she’s great and a breath of fresh air, but she also did a good job of courting Republican donors in the state,” he added.
Ralph Reed, chairman of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, added, “Palin’s brand among evangelicals is as gold as the faucets in Trump tower.” It is equally as gold at that calf below Mount Sinai, I presume.
The convergence of Wasilla values and New York values shows just how hard Trump is wooing the religious right. Monday he spoke at Liberty University, where he was given a glowing introduction by Jerry Falwell Jr., who spoke of Trump’s Christlike life:
Falwell lauded Trump’s generosity and worldly success; he called him “a breath of fresh air.” He compared Trump to his father and to Martin Luther King Jr., who also “spoke the truth, no matter how unpopular.” Trump, he said, “cannot be bought—he is not a puppet on a string like many other candidates.” Though Falwell’s comments were, he said, not an endorsement, he repeatedly imagined a Trump presidency as a boon to America. “In my opinion,” he said, “Donald Trump lives a life of loving and helping others, as Jesus taught in the great commandment.”
For his part, Trump boasted about his polls, boasted about his business success, and boasted about his bestsellers, much like Jesus would have done:
TRUMP: I wrote The Art of the Deal, I wrote many best-sellers, like The Art of the Deal, everybody read the — who has read The Art of the Deal in this room? Everybody. I always say — (laughter) — I always say, a deep, deep second to the Bible. The Bible is the best, the Bible. The Bible blows it away. There’s nothing like the Bible.
But The Art of the Deal was about — in fact, there are a few of them right over there. But The Art of the Deal was the best-selling business book, and Obama didn’t read it and Kerry didn’t read it. But we can do things with our country that will be so good. But I’ve always used that word, incompetent, they’re incompetent. Now I don’t care anymore. I don’t care.
We’re going to protect Christianity — and I can say that. I don’t have to be politically correct or…
AUDIENCE: (applause, whistles)
TRUMP: We’re going to protect them, you know? And I — I asked Jerry and I asked some of the folks because I hear this is a major theme right here. But Two Corinthians, right?
A few in the crowd shouted that Paul’s epistle is called Second Corinthians, but forget it, he’s rolling…
TRUMP: Two Corinthians 3:17, that’s the whole ball game. “Where the Spirit of the Lord…” Right? “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty,” and here there is Liberty College, but … Liberty University. But it is so true … I’m a Protestant; I’m very proud of it. Presbyterian, to be exact. But I’m very proud of it. Very, very proud of it.
Pride is a sin, but forget it, he’s rolling…
TRUMP: And we’ve gotta protect, because bad things are happening. Very bad things are happening. And we don’t … I don’t know what it is. We don’t band together, maybe? Other religions, frankly, they’re banding together and they’re using it…
If I’m president, you’re going to see “Merry Christmas” in department stores, believe me.
St. Donald of Mar-a-Lago was thrilled to get Palin’s endorsement since in 2012 the former Alaska governor, former VP candidate, and former Tea Party darling had endorsed Ted Cruz in his 2012 Senate race.
Over the weekend, a spokesman for Cruz argued that it was in Palin’s interest to endorse the Texas conservative. “I think it [would] be a blow to Sarah Palin, because Sarah Palin has been a champion for the conservative cause, and if she was going to endorse Donald Trump, sadly, she would be endorsing someone who’s held progressive views all their life on the sanctity of life, on marriage, on partial-birth abortion,” he said.
This rather meek advice prompted an ugly response from Bristol Palin that mom dutifully promoted to her millions of followers on Facebook and Twitter:
After hearing what Cruz is now saying about my mom, in a negative knee-jerk reaction, makes me hope my mom does endorse Trump. Cruz’s flip-flop, turning against my mom who’s done nothing but support and help him when others sure didn’t, shows he’s a typical politician. How rude to [sic] that he’s setting up a false narrative about her!
…The audacity to suggest that because she chooses one over the other will somehow “damage” her just shows arrogance.
You’ve also said, “She can pick winners!” I hope you’re right, and that she endorses Donald Trump today for President.
Bristol’s furious response closed with a boldface pitch for readers to buy her mom’s devotional. And the piqued will inherit the earth…
In response to the personal and political slight, Ted Cruz was exceedingly polite:
I love @SarahPalinUSA Without her support, I wouldn’t be in the Senate. Regardless of what she does in 2016, I will always be a big fan.
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 19, 2016
Humility and grace. What a concept.
Published in Religion & Philosophy
I think Proverbs is a more fitting book for potential presidents to read, like Proverbs 16:18, Pride comes before the fall, or if he insists on Corinthians, then maybe 1 Corinthians 3:19, the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom. Or he could tell us how Indiana Jones the last crusade where Indy kept his head by being humble.
I hate it when politicians pick out Biblical verses to make it seem that God is on their side. Obama is a convenient Christian also.
For those of us that are socially conservative, sometimes a vote for a pro life candidate is a vote for the person that will vote against you. Bart Stupak was my representative, known as a firm pro-life politician. His was the vote that made Obamacare possible. It would have been better if a pro choice Republican was in his place.
Concretevol: Your title says it all. Pop culture once again screws America. Huge news out from the IG about Hillary’s emails and we have to hear about these two attention whores. Shoot me now.
Songwriter: And this speaks to the very heart of this country’s problems. We are an unserious nation with very serious enemies, led by people whose primary aim is to remain in power rather than serve the Constitution.
These two comments above ring loudest and truest to me. My husband keeps saying this bizarre primary season on both sides is exposing the underbelly of our cultural rot and vast numbers of ppl who simply cannot think properly and are slaves to emotion and tee vee mind control. Yet I also know that so much of what we are hearing is media driven astroturf. We just won’t know till Iowa votes. Which really gives me agita.
I watched some clips from her speech and my first thought was, “she is dumber than a box of hammers”. It was like watching her imitate SNL imitate her…..
I was raised by a single Mom. I am confident you would be fine. Not always easy or fun, but you would raise a wonderful child.
The nomination is over? Trump won? Dewey defeats Truman? WTH?
Frozen, we have a ways to go. There are a ton of smart folks on Ricochet, you among them, and none of us saw this coming. I don’t think any of us know what is coming between now and March 8th.
There have been some debates and a bunch of debatable polls. No votes cast, no nominations seconded, etc. This isn’t the end of the republic, but I acknowledge we may be able to see it from here.
on breitbart
Donald Trump Rampages to +32 Point Lead in Florida
After reading this post and the orgy of snobbish virtue-signaling in the comments, I’m going to take some time off from Ricochet and think about whether I want to stay a member.
You mean Trumpbart……it’s pretty much his personal newsletter at this point. lol
What is most interesting is Ted Cruz’s biggest PAC donor is a financial backer of Breitbart. When Mercer came on board there was concern that Breitbart would become the Ted Cruz campaign newsletter. Now Trump is full throttle attacking Cruz saying he is worse than Clinton and Breitbart remains the leading source for Trump coverage.
Yeah there is some interesting battle lines being drawn. The first person ever to block me on twitter was John Nolte from Breitbart.com…..which was weird because I hadn’t really gotten into any kind of scrum with him. I’m just not a trump koolaid drinker and he can’t have that. lol It put me in good company though so I wasn’t upset at all.
I watched Gabriel’s 2 min. clip of Sarah. Oy.
I have a little bit different opinion now. I smell desperation and it makes me worry Cruz will be the benefactor in Iowa. The audience could barely work up a decent cheer. Total mismatch of speaker and audience. Sarah sounded like a chipmunk with a cold. Her cadence was off, and she got nothing from the audience to help her. “Halleluiah” ? With that crowd…really? Mixing God and mammon doesn’t work. This was a total flop and even the most ardent trumpster didn’t miss it.
Branstadt may have finished off Cruz but for a poor reason that only plays in iowa (and the one issue where I have some respect for Cruz). I hope Rubio just stands there looking normal and alert….with clowns to the left of him, dominionists to the right of him, maybe the polite young man in a suit starts to look like a winner beyond Des Moines. But then again rubio may be forced to do infommercials for renewable corn subsidies (if they’re only in Spanish does it count as pandering?)….. Ai yiyi, its getting kooky, think i will binge watch I, Claudius over the next few days and hope the farce gets boring enough that rational starts to seem sexy and wild.
I’m a new member (Christmas gift subscription), but I used to read periodically in 2012. My recollection – correct me if I’m wrong – is that people here were also pretty passionate partisans for and against their favorite choices then. It does not seem fundamentally different to me this time, but again, I’m new.
I’ve thought a lot about the “Trump phenomenon” and even before this Trump endorsement, Sarah Palin’s role as a Tea Party spokesperson.
I think conservatives should tread very carefully. As soon as you start to sound no different than Tina Fey or Katie Couric, you have harmed the message of conservatism. And sounded like a pretentious elitist on top off it. Sarah Palin is not the enemy. Heck, even Donald Trump is not the enemy. You may disagree on whether they are good spokespersons or not, but watch how you disparage them because it most certainly disparages a significant part of the very base of the GOP at the same time.
There is good reason for the populist revolt underway in this GOP primary. And it is that the leadership of the GOP talked tough, but in the end it was all Kabuki Theatre by McConnell/Boehner. They gave in to the whole Obama agenda, as has Speaker Ryan with the atrocious recent budget bill. There is good reason to make substantive changes behind that populist rhetoric. It is why it resonates with so many primary voters.
For me the right answer is Ted Cruz. For a great majority of the GOP electorate, it is Trump. I blame government schools. And TV’s new reality show … American Idol Elects A President.
Great to have you here.
How does it appear different. Things still seem pretty partisan.
I know, right?
This is awesome…you win the best comment on this post award!
I think you are 95% correct but I disagree with you about trump. I do think he is the enemy….just my opinion though and everyone has one :)
I don’t really get what you mean iDad but wouldn’t want to lose you around here. Maybe sometimes things need to be pointed out for the nonsense they are instead of granting them some kind of serious discussion. Then if people disagree with that assessment they can make their case. I could be off base with what your objection is….I definitely never been accused of snobbish behavior. :)
I dropped out of college, so I’m not sure what “snobbish virtue-signaling” means.
I think both parties have completely changed. Trump is the example of this. If it were still strictly conservative, he would not be doing this well. Whole groups that currently cannot relate to either party are attracted to the no nonsense language of Trump.
Progressives have turned the former Democratic party into something unrecognizable to middle-of-the-road Democrats, so they are also relating to this shakeup and endorsing Trump. I cannot imagine this campaign season without him – he has rattled both sides – and it needed to be done. This is what makes America great – the rest of the world sees a spirited debate and freedom of speech in action.
I also know that in your gut, you know the right candidate for you. For me, it’s Cruz. The attacks keep getting stronger towards him, yet he never stoops to bashing. He’s smart, even handed and well-qualified.
I remember reading about when they select a pope, many are excited and anxious that they may be selected – many guess at the best choice. But it’s always someone humble and unassuming – those who pack light – who dread being chosen, that make the best ones. It is such a huge, challenging and burdensome position to be in.
The presidency is the same. GW Bush struggled – he saw the burdens, the attacks, how it changes family life first hand and weighed carefully. Someone who will say or do anything, lie, change positions, to win worries me.
People who use the word “sibboleth”.
think invasion of safe space….
Sober-minded, but not totally sober right? I mean, I’m good if I can walk the line and touch both fingers to my nose, aren’t I?
Otherwise, I’m hosed.
Pronounce it correctly and there won’t be an issue.
The forge has only just been lit. The anvil is cold. The hammer and tongs have only just been laid out. Let’s let the process work and see what happens.
When I go back and read Donald’s quotes it reads like a Rodney Dangerfield skit ….or Banya on Seinfeld.
ie: TRUMP: I wrote The Art of the Deal, I wrote many best-sellers, like The Art of the Deal, everybody read the — who has read The Art of the Deal in this room? Everybody. I always say — (laughter) — I always say, a deep, deep second to the Bible. The Bible is the best, the Bible. The Bible blows it away. There’s nothing like the Bible
Yes, and America loved Rodney Dangerfield. He played the common guy who thought the elites were idiots and snobs, and was rich by his own work. Not a bad image for gathering votes
I sure hope you guys are right, Brent & Boss. My first choice is Rubio but I would gladly vote for Cruz. If Trump is nominated I really don’t know what I’ll do.
No, you’re absolutely right. I think iDad is overreacting. Elections always raise passions and Trump blatantly appeals to emotions in a way that nobody even did in 2012, so nothing about these conversations seems odd or really out of line.
I agree about Rubio and Cruz, I guess Christie too. Trump? I’m not voting period. Of course if I were living in an area where Hillary stood a snowball’s chance of winning then I would have to think about it some more. I sure don’t get how someone could say they would vote for Hillary instead of Trump. She is a known entity…and a really bad one.