Palin to Limbaugh: No, America’s not ready for a third party
posted at 4:19 pm on November 17, 2009 by Allahpundit
Her interview with Barbara Walters had more memorable lines — calling the tea-party movement “beautiful,” declining Letterman’s invite because “I don’t think that I’d want to boost his ratings” — but I’m giving you the Limbaugh clip because, well, meat this red simply must be served. If you can’t spare 20 minutes, skip ahead to 6:55 and listen for five as Rush prods her on whether she fancies herself an “unanointed” outsider in the Doug Hoffman mold. This seems like his way of enlisting her to help tamp down the potentially destructive third-party fever being stirred by Beck and other members of the “we can’t trust either party anymore” school. She’s on Limbaugh’s side here, which is all to the good, although she qualifies her answer by emphasizing how she’s a fan of spirited primary battles. Unasked by Rush: Whether a particularly “spirited,” a.k.a. bruising, fight between Crist and Rubio will leave enough Republicans so disgruntled as to suppress GOP turnout in the general election.
Other highlights: She shows off a little knowledge on Afghanistan and Iran at around 17:45 (not sure Reagan, who pulled out of Lebanon, is the best person to cite in this context, though) and finally answers a much-anticipated question on immigration. She’s been suspect on that subject up until now; her brief answer here signals improvement, although I’d have liked to see Rush ask her squarely what she thinks about a path to citizenship given last year’s unfortunate pander to Univision. Exit question: Is this too good to check? The thought of easy blog content in the form of another round of McCain/Palin drama is making my heart go pitter patter. Click the image to listen.
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I heard the conversation on the radio.
Glenn Beck appears to be all alone on this one since Palin and Limbaugh prefer the two-party system over a third party.
Mark Boabaca on November 17, 2009 at 4:21 PM
Beck will come around. He will almost have to.
rollthedice on November 17, 2009 at 4:23 PM
Baracuder
Spathi on November 17, 2009 at 4:23 PM
Whether you like it or not….she has that “IT” that excites people. Is she perfect? Of course not…but she has the “it” factor that can drive a cause and help build real momentum.
search4truth on November 17, 2009 at 4:24 PM
Yes, conservatives need to re-take the republican party. No 3rd party. That is a loser for sure.
Mirimichi on November 17, 2009 at 4:24 PM
The two-party system is part of the problem, not the solution.
nukemhill on November 17, 2009 at 4:24 PM
In answer to your too-good-to-check question, AP, I’m not sure anyone would buy McCain’s “tell-all” book about Sarah. Besides libbies, of course. Would the WaPo read it all before writing a review? Would it be dismissed as fiction?
As to the bigger issue, the chat with Rush was good, and my favorite part was her answer about illegal immigration.
Red meat, indeed.
NebCon on November 17, 2009 at 4:24 PM
very good observation ap, but i would point out that getting OUT of lebanon has ENDED any shia militia/hezbollah terror attacks on american soldiers, whereas gettin gout of afghanistan basically allows AQ to go back there and start planning to hit us again (a la kenya, tanzania, riyadh, bali, 9/11, madrid….)
so false analogy!
lebanon actually WAS a sort of ‘blowback’….. dare i say, blind squirrel ron paul found his acorn???
battleoflepanto1571 on November 17, 2009 at 4:25 PM
No surprise. She made her bones as an insurgent outsider. The GOP elitists hate her. She’s gonna tear their playhouse down.
Bruno Strozek on November 17, 2009 at 4:25 PM
Unfortunately, some aspect of this will still play out.
Mark, I don’t believe that Beck necessarily supports a third party so much as has equal disdain for both parties and does think that a third party has a chance of gaining popularity. His stand is more like “I don’t care about party,” not that he advocates one nor wishes to organize one either.
I agree with that position.
True_King on November 17, 2009 at 4:25 PM
Bless yer little pitter-pattering heart ;)
McCain has too much class to write some rebuttal book like that. The last thing he would ever do is get into some kind of be-atch fest with Palin.
Aside the fact tat Palin seems to go after members of the McCain election team, and not the Mav himself. Interesting too…”Going Rogue”…”Rogue” is very similar to “Maverick”…
JetBoy on November 17, 2009 at 4:25 PM
I agree with Sarah, the 2 party system is the best vessel for us to advance conservative ideals….at this point.
However, if Romney/Huckabee or another RINO gets the nomination in 2012, I will urge her to run as a 3rd party candidate.
Norwegian on November 17, 2009 at 4:25 PM
Good.
Realist on November 17, 2009 at 4:25 PM
Keep the bloodletting in the primary…then go full force in the general.
Rogue on November 17, 2009 at 4:25 PM
Wrongo, Palin. Conservative America thinks it’s not ready for a third party.
Maybe you can help take the blindfold off?
Dark-Star on November 17, 2009 at 4:25 PM
I like a lot of what Glenn says and I understand to an extent of what he says about not looking at parties, but looking at issues and how people stand on the issues, whether they are Democrat, Republican, or neither, but he does seem to push the 3rd party a little too much.
I know that the founders would be appalled at the current structure of politics, but trying to go back to the way it was during our founder’s times would absolutely destroy this country because we would have progressives in power forever.
MobileVideoEngineer on November 17, 2009 at 4:25 PM
The only way to have a successful third party is to very quickly absorb one of the two major parties–and that rarely happens
Rush is right
Janos Hunyadi on November 17, 2009 at 4:26 PM
Heard it and she was clear that she’s staying in the GOP. She likes the idea of “duking it out” within the party, so watch out Mitt and other RINO’s. She’s willing and unafraid to fight you for it.
yogi41 on November 17, 2009 at 4:26 PM
Loved the interview.
fourdeucer on November 17, 2009 at 4:26 PM
Yes, some memorable lines. Best one?
“We win, you lose”
when talking about attitude America should have toward terrorists.
KittyLowrey on November 17, 2009 at 4:26 PM
She’s right. Besides “conservative” third party = permanent Democratic majorities.
Mike Honcho on November 17, 2009 at 4:26 PM
True, but adding a third party would be like adding another septic tank after your first two backed up – better to clean up the mess by removing all the waste.
Mark Boabaca on November 17, 2009 at 4:27 PM
I resent that :p
Rogue on November 17, 2009 at 4:27 PM
She was full of juice! Imagine her debating the laconic narcissist Obooba. It would cause mani-depressive attacks in girls and beta males.
Better her for the nominee than anyone within 1,000 miles of the Ivy League.
Akzed on November 17, 2009 at 4:27 PM
As for her comments on a third party, that’s a fine example of the commonsense she says guides her thinking.
KittyLowrey on November 17, 2009 at 4:27 PM
Chapter 1: Earmarks – a primer
Chapter 2: Obama & Earmarks
Chapter 3: The trouble with Earmarks
Chapter 4: How banning earmarks could save America
Chapter 5: Earmarks 2.0
Chapter 6: If only we’d have pressed earmarks, I’d be president
Epilogue: A future without earmarks?
battleoflepanto1571 on November 17, 2009 at 4:28 PM
Sen. McCain would never do that. In fact that’s pretty insulting to him. Ridiculous.
Cindy Munford on November 17, 2009 at 4:28 PM
Lots of policy talk on the show. Very worthwhile for anyone who has the time to listen, given that we only ever hear about the soap opera aspects of Palin.
BadgerHawk on November 17, 2009 at 4:29 PM
McCain wouldn’t even go after Obama on stuff that was handed to him on a silver platter. He wouldn’t do a book about Palin.
It was a good interview.
Beaglemom on November 17, 2009 at 4:29 PM
Sarah’s entire point is that Conservatives should fight for retaking the Republican party, and moving it back to its original principles, so there doesn’t have to be a need for a third party.
Glenn Beck’s desire of a third party is one in which the Republican party doesn’t change from its current path. If it can, and does change, the need for a third party becomes obsolete.
Enoxo on November 17, 2009 at 4:29 PM
A lot of this is in the hands of the GOP – they can either get with the Conservative program or get out of the way of a third party.
It’s their choice.
Juno77 on November 17, 2009 at 4:29 PM
I can’t wait to actually listen to this later. In the middle of Chapter 2, Going Rogue right now.
XWing5 on November 17, 2009 at 4:29 PM
Beck will come around. He will almost have to.
rollthedice on November 17, 2009 at 4:23 PM
—–
Beck doesn’t even have to come around – and I’d bet he knows it. All he has to do is to shift his targets. Don’t *endorse* the RINO candidate, just ignore him (or her) and turn the focus onto the Dem in the race.
This wasn’t possible in NY-23 because the RINO was to the left of the Dem, but that’s the exception, not the rule.
Mew
acat on November 17, 2009 at 4:29 PM
You forgot the chapter on Amnesty…
Rogue on November 17, 2009 at 4:29 PM
I don’t think even Glenn “prefers” a third party- he just likes the threat of it if the Republicans don’t do some major house cleaning and quit running people that are just Dem-lite.
Warmongerer on November 17, 2009 at 4:30 PM
I’d like to think that someone who survived the Hanoi Hilton would be man enough to take the heat and politely decline the offer to write a book.
Buy Danish on November 17, 2009 at 4:30 PM
:D
JetBoy on November 17, 2009 at 4:30 PM
I enjoyed Barbara better. My problem with the Rush interview was how softball it was. He gave her quite a few very leading questions, basically telling her what he wanted the answer to be.
She did fine in the interview, and while I’m not expecting Rush to be hostile, he doesn’t have to bend over backwards for her.
Chris of Rights on November 17, 2009 at 4:31 PM
“Going Rogue” is what McCain’s staffers were leaking and screaming she was doing during the campaign–in a method of setting up a fall guy for when they lost.
Enoxo on November 17, 2009 at 4:32 PM
Seriously? Did McCain not demonstrate in 2008 that he’s chronically allergic to confronting his opponents and critics? Sorry, no easy blog content there. You’ll have to spin this one too.
Ronnie on November 17, 2009 at 4:33 PM
when in doubt, just cite ronaldus magnus!
sesquipedalian on November 17, 2009 at 4:33 PM
Can’t believe McCain wants to be the one to totally trash the GOP. She apparently has not said anything negative about him. If he were to write a book calling her a liar he would be insuring that a significant conservative part of the GOP bailed on the GOP for a long time. The GOP may not really like Conservatives but they know they can’t win without them.
katiejane on November 17, 2009 at 4:34 PM
Palin is no Liz Cheney.
txag92 on November 17, 2009 at 4:34 PM
i was REALLY impressed with palin on oprah. and babs walters this morning.
i’ve heard her speak clearly, but she didnt have those annoying turns of phrase she had on the few national interviews from the 08 campaign
sarah unleashed = a different person
SEE RINOS? im TELLING you. sarah the “idiot” is at 43% favorable, 46% would vote for her….. sarah the “unleashed” only has to convince a few people that she is better, then boom! she defeats teh one.
battleoflepanto1571 on November 17, 2009 at 4:35 PM
The Republican Party has been using the conservatives as the chained rowers in the bottom of the ship. Palin is going to cut the chains and when they throw the Elites overboard or into a dinghy, they will run the party as it is supposed to be. Fiscally Conservatively.
Sarah Palin as portrayed by Charleston Heston.
portlandon on November 17, 2009 at 4:35 PM
Did anyone really believe Palin would either run as a third party candidate or attempt to start a third party? She’s gonna seek the GOP nomination as a conservative and she’s gonna win in a walk.
Doughboy on November 17, 2009 at 4:35 PM
I doubt McCain would go for that. His legacy is built around so much more than the 2008 campaign. I think, in his eyes, it would be beneath him.
Plus Palin went out of her way not to be critical of him in her book.
BadgerHawk on November 17, 2009 at 4:35 PM
Like the WaPo reviewer, I haven’t read the book either, but it sounds like Palin doesn’t go after him, so I doubt he would be so classless as to go after her. Besides, I doubt he would win that fight..he’s a washed up has-been who needs to retire, and she’s fresh, energetic, and full of fire with a solid, growing nation-wide fan-base.
ornery_independent on November 17, 2009 at 4:36 PM
Rush went on to say after the interview that if she did decide to run her campaign slogan should be Common Sense. She has an abundance of common sense. Something lacking in a lot of the current crop of politicians.
fourdeucer on November 17, 2009 at 4:37 PM
Exactly. Not sure why so many here choose to mischaracterize his position.
True_King on November 17, 2009 at 4:37 PM
No they don’t. If they did, they wouldn’t have picked Scozzafava, Crist, or Perry as their men.
Listen to Rush a little more. He talks about his Northeastern Republican friends all the time and how they tell him to get his audience to cool it on the abortion issue.
MobileVideoEngineer on November 17, 2009 at 4:37 PM
Great question-and-answer segments by Rush and Palin.
So far the Walters’ interview is great as well.
Barracuda is making a huge comeback! Go Sarah!
cubachi on November 17, 2009 at 4:38 PM
I’d say most of us prefer the two party system to a third party, but if both parties are Democrat: Socialist and Democrat lite (RINO), there may be no choice but to move to third party. Seems to me it’s up to the Republican party. Live by the platform or plan to be losers for a very long time.
Christian Conservative on November 17, 2009 at 4:38 PM
AP, you have a gift of over-analysis that is second to none. Too smart by half.
pugwriter on November 17, 2009 at 4:38 PM
McCain is going to want Governor Palin to campaign for him. He won’t write a bad book about her.
Enoxo on November 17, 2009 at 4:38 PM
Please explain how a spirited primary battle (by definition a one-party affair) qualifies her answer on the viability of third parties.
Ronnie on November 17, 2009 at 4:40 PM
She’s gonna do a lengthy interview with O’Reilly later this week. He’ll challenge her on policy the way Rush, Rod Stewart(aka Barbara Walters), and Oprah never did.
Doughboy on November 17, 2009 at 4:41 PM
Half a minute later, I finally stopped laughing.
well played, sir. :)
KinleyArdal on November 17, 2009 at 4:42 PM
Palin/Cheney 2012… Liz Cheney.
rcastle on November 17, 2009 at 4:42 PM
Yeah, she should totally be quoting Walter Mondale.
fiatboomer on November 17, 2009 at 4:42 PM
The threat of a third party is to counter the go-alongers.
Beck is doing it right.
the_nile on November 17, 2009 at 4:42 PM
True_King on November 17, 2009 at 4:37 PM
—–
Because it lets the RINOs off the hook.
Mew
acat on November 17, 2009 at 4:43 PM
Who says it needs to be bad.
the_nile on November 17, 2009 at 4:43 PM
Listened to it on Rush today. Great interview.It’s funny how the media will concentrate on the few pages out of 400 to talk about though. They don’t have a clue.
ohiobabe on November 17, 2009 at 4:43 PM
It qualifies it in the sense that she’s very much in favor of “outsider” candidates taking on the establishment pick, provided they do it within the primary, not the general election.
Why do you even read my posts, Ronnie? Your nitpicking is beyond tedious.
Allahpundit on November 17, 2009 at 4:44 PM
O/T: Obama down to 50% in GALLUP today. Total collapse of -3 pts from yesterday. I think we might actually see 49 in their ‘weighted’ (i THINK D+7?) sample tomorrow. Not even W hit the 40s this soon.
battleoflepanto1571 on November 17, 2009 at 4:44 PM
If RINOs have such a problem with conservatives in the Pub party, why don’t they all switch, become Dems, and be done with it?
Because of the RINOs, I vote independent–usually a conservative party.
Oh, wait! Nevermind! Like according to the RINOS’ liberal friends in the Enemy Party, I’m just just a hateful racist.
Glad you feel that way. The way I feel, though, I can’t express in terms acceptable among polite company.
Liam on November 17, 2009 at 4:45 PM
I can see him now, sitting there in arizona… “if ONLY i’d mentioned the $25 million saveed, THAT would have showed them!”
battleoflepanto1571 on November 17, 2009 at 4:45 PM
You nailed it! Did you get an advance copy? As in, an advance copy before it’s even written? Cause you really nailed the TOC! :)
hrh40 on November 17, 2009 at 4:45 PM
The last question and answer was the best:
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION:
“We have to crack down on illegal immigration; there’s a reason its called illegal.”
technopeasant on November 17, 2009 at 4:46 PM
I would love a third party but the stakes will be WAY TOO HIGH in 2012.
Not the time to experiment.
Maybe in an election when we have a Democrat who isn’t hell bent on destroying capitalism and kneecapping our country geopolitically, we could give it a shot.
Joe Caps on November 17, 2009 at 4:46 PM
Sarah is now over 1m members on her Facebook.
technopeasant on November 17, 2009 at 4:46 PM
I’ll give the guy credit for one thing. He always manages to be out of the country when bad news hits. Of course when you’re travelling for 75% of your Presidency, the odds are in your favor.
Doughboy on November 17, 2009 at 4:47 PM
he explains it too. he’s said before that those NE gop are usually MEN, and their rich wives are usually bleeding heart liberals, so he says basically the David Brooks’ are WAAAAY too much of a beta male to have a political view that upsets their wife; therefore, they all claim to be ‘prochoice’ so as to not upset the bedroom harmony that is a manhattan woman… (oxymoron)
battleoflepanto1571 on November 17, 2009 at 4:47 PM
Settle down there Bucko! Pace yourself.
juanito on November 17, 2009 at 4:47 PM
If picking apart Allah’s posts was a disqualification for posting here, the comments section would be limited to blatantblue beating up trolls.
fiatboomer on November 17, 2009 at 4:47 PM
Palin, irrelevant as she is, has over 1 million facebook supporters now.
lonestar1 on November 17, 2009 at 4:47 PM
God! You are SUCH a mercenary!
LOL.
Subsunk
Subsunk on November 17, 2009 at 4:48 PM
Does anyone believe that for a minute? Sarah brought the crowds to the campaign so somehow I doubt McCain’s book would outsell hers even with liberals buying copies.
jonkk on November 17, 2009 at 4:48 PM
I can’t wait to see Gov. Palin in Texas. I’ll be driving from south of Houston up to Big D on the day of the event.
Yep, I’m that dedicated.
madmonkphotog on November 17, 2009 at 4:48 PM
Maybe at MSNBC.
angryed on November 17, 2009 at 4:49 PM
Re: Beck and 3rd parties
Shoot, if we don’t make the GOP think we’ll leave’em if they don’t MOVE RIGHT then they’re gonna keep tryin’ to win the middle by standing in it. You know the only thing in the middle of the road…roadkill.
ExTex on November 17, 2009 at 4:49 PM
I never understand the problem with a path to citizenship?
If you start with border enforcement (which, really, is the problem – politicians simply will not enforce the border).
Then you say anyone who is here, now and has a job gets a quick citizenship. Anyone in jail or is a leech on the system gets tossed out. That’s a good compromise, to me.
It ain’t perfect, but face it. There isn’t the will to remove 12 million (or whatever) people out of the country. If someone has a job, a house, a family in this country – why not let them stay? If they are providing for themselves, what’s the big deal. Really?
lorien1973 on November 17, 2009 at 4:52 PM
Subsunk on November 17, 2009 at 4:48 PM
—–
Do you suppose MeggieMac would come up in such a book?
Easy content and MeggieMac = double win for Allahpundit …
Mew
acat on November 17, 2009 at 4:52 PM
Not to nitpick…but when I first read your response to Ronnie I thought you wrote, “the establishment prick”….LOL
d1carter on November 17, 2009 at 4:52 PM
I thought the key moment today was when Sarah told Barbara Walters that Sarah was not against birth control for women, including teenagers.
There is no way the MSM can make Sarah out as a right-wing extremist or lunatic if this tidbit resonates with the American people. And GMA and ABC are part and parcel of the MSM.
technopeasant on November 17, 2009 at 4:53 PM
Well he is a President of Firsts.
First Black President
First Pacific President
First Black/White President
First President with a Black Wife
First President with Black Children
First President with a Water Dog
First President to tank this fast
portlandon on November 17, 2009 at 4:53 PM
“MY FRIENDS, as I look back on the campaign, I have but three regrets: first, I didn’t talk more about earmarks (see my above memoir, ‘going porkless’), two, I didn’t talk more about looking into Putin and seeing K-G-B, and three, that I didnt let Sarah give a concession speech — I think if she’d been able to give that speech, we just might have won”
battleoflepanto1571 on November 17, 2009 at 4:54 PM
Oh, so third party as long as they’re second party. Yeah, you really busted her on … something .. I guess.
The guy who puts up multiple Levi posts on a daily basis thinks I’m tedious. Oh nooooooooooo.
Ronnie on November 17, 2009 at 4:55 PM
It’s up to the GOP at this point. If GOP leaders will agree to reforms, and let voters pick the candidates they want, then we won’t need a third party.
But if they try to shove a bunch of spineless Dem-lights down our throats, then there will be a bunch of independents running.
Does the GOP prefer winning with conservatives, or losing with moderates? Hopefuly the answer to that question is different in 2010 and 2012 than it was in 2008.
hawksruleva on November 17, 2009 at 4:57 PM
agreed. i think most people are WAAAY more concerned about “stop the FLOW of illegals” and “kick out the CRIMINAL illegals” more than “kick out the maid at the mariott who has 2 kids born here and are in the local elementary school”
i for one welcome massive hispanic immigration (christian-family oriented-hard working); if it weren’t for longtime leftist politics in latin america, i’d say open the floodgates; but the way i see it, as long as their CHILDREN are going to school here, the KIDS will learn english and love america; and as long as their parents get richer, they will move to the middle class, and slowly vote republican.
wanna know how to win over latinos to the gop?
nominate SARAH PALIN.
her hispanic approval is like 55% — only gop even remotely close to over 50%.
battleoflepanto1571 on November 17, 2009 at 4:58 PM
lorien1973 on November 17, 2009 at 4:52 PM
—–
The problem with the “easy path” is that it’s line jumping.
Imagine you’re at, say, the DMV. You’re # 20 in line. A busload of teenagers show up and you get told “They’re all in front of you, move to the back”.
For a country founded by immigrants, on the idea of rule of law, the proposal to let those who broke the law get faster processing is difficult to harmonize.
Oh, and one more interesting little detail. All those jobs Americans wouldn’t do when unemployment was around 5%?
Wanna bet Americans *still* won’t do those jobs today?
Mew
acat on November 17, 2009 at 4:58 PM
LMAO
nyx on November 17, 2009 at 4:59 PM
We’re probably about 100 nitpicks away from seeing a comments section that says
[DELETED]
[DELETED]
[DELETED]
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Ronnie on November 17, 2009 at 4:59 PM
Really? What poll is that from?
dave c on November 17, 2009 at 5:00 PM
FIFY
Laura in Maryland on November 17, 2009 at 5:00 PM
I agree with others that Beck is just trying to reform the GOP, and we all agree it needs it.
Regarding McCain, whether or not he likes Palin, he has to realize that some of his staffers were self-serving vipers, as proven by the leaks that came out before the election. Anyone who would try to throw their own election like that can never be trusted. I don’t think he’d write a book about this anyway.
juliesa on November 17, 2009 at 5:00 PM
battleoflepanto1571 on November 17, 2009 at 4:58 PM
—–
While I think you’re right in the long term, I’d like to see the Fed get off their soggy bureaucratic behinds and process the people in the queue first, before we start talking about a “fast track” for illegals.
There is no way we can process that many illegals with the present state of the bureaucracy. Fix that, fix the border, and we have no problem, eh?
Mew
acat on November 17, 2009 at 5:02 PM
Are you sure there isn’t the will? How ’bout we let the police enforce the law? If it’s ok for people to break the rules, then we should repeal the laws.
hawksruleva on November 17, 2009 at 5:02 PM
That’s my girl…!
Seven Percent Solution on November 17, 2009 at 5:02 PM
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