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Palin Urges GOP Governors To Lead Party
November 13, 2008 12:45 PM
ABC News' Imtiyaz Delawala Reports: In her first public speech since she and her running mate Sen. John McCain conceded the 2008 presidential election, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin expressed disappointment in the 2008 election results. But she urged her fellow Republican governors to help lead the party back by challenging an all-Democratic leadership in Washington through implementing conservative policies in their own states.
“Of course there was disappointment. You run to win,” Palin said of the election before a panel this morning at the Republican Governors Association’s (RGA) annual meeting in Miami, Florida. “But for us, it was not our time, it was not our moment. But it is our country, and the winner will be our president, and I wish Barack Obama well as the 44th president of the United States.”
While Palin was often an attack dog on the campaign trail questioning President-Elect Obama’s readiness to be president, she praised Obama’s potential today.
“If he governs with the skill and the grace and the greatness of which he is capable, we’re gonna be just fine,” Palin said. "And as he prepares to fill the office of Washington and Lincoln, know that this is a shining moment in American history."
Palin was the featured speaker before the RGA’s morning panel entitled, “Looking Toward the Future,” which featured Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN), Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC), Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), General Tommy Franks, and conservative columnist Bill Kristol.
After widespread Republican losses across the country, Palin urged her party not to become negative, saying they should challenge Democrats in Washington on issues such as energy and health care policy through effective reform efforts in their own states.
“So now with recent elections wrapped up, yup, on the federal level we are now the minority party," Palin said. "But let us resolve not to become the negative party, too eager to find fault or unwilling to help in this time of crisis and war."
“Losing an election does not have to mean losing our way," Palin added. "And for governors, the way forward leads through our own state capitals, in reforms that we will carry on or begin anew. And I promise you, Americans will be looking to their governors for reactions, for stepped-up leadership, and for our ability to unite and to progress."
Palin dismissed speculation about her own political future -- with many now believing she will be a top candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.
"Let the pundits go on with their idle talk about the next election, what happens in 2012," Palin said. "Our concern should be about our state's next great reform, our next budget, our next opportunity to progress in the states that we serve."
Palin joked about the whirlwind she has been swept up into in recent months, as she went from an obscure state governor to the national political stage through her selection as the Republican vice presidential nominee.
“Honored to be here, get to speak with and to my fellow governors,” Palin said. “It hasn’t been that long I think since we all gathered, but I don’t know about you, but I managed to fill up the time.”
“Let’s see, I had a baby, I did some traveling. I very briefly expanded my wardrobe,” Palin jokingly added, referring to the flap over the $150,000 in clothes purchased for Palin and her family for the campaign trail. “I made a few speeches, met a few VIPs, including those who really impact society like Tina Fey. Aside from that, it was pretty much same old, same old.”
While her running mate Sen. John McCain did not make a public appearance for a week after Election Day, Palin has been on a media blitz in the last week.
Palin spoke twice with reporters in Phoenix the day after the Republican ticket’s loss, and twice more in the days after her return to Alaska. Since Monday, Palin has participated in four national television interviews, answering the charges of anonymous critics of her role in the campaign, while hinting at her own future in national politics.
Before the panel, Palin participated in a press conference with her fellow Republican governors, giving brief remarks and answering four questions. Media interest has remained high in Palin’s future – she has been swarmed by cameras in her two days in Miami, and her remarks at the RGA conference were aired live by all three cable news networks.
When asked how she would use the “political celebrity” she’s gained since being named the Republican vice presidential nominee, Palin again dismissed questions about the campaign and her own future plans, and reiterated that she will focus on her work as Alaska governor.
“As far as we're concerned, the past is the past, it's behind us," Palin said at the press conference. "And I, like all of our governors, we're focused on the future. And the future for us is not that 2012 presidential race. Its next year, and our next budgets and the next reforms in our states.”
“We are united and we understand what it's going to take to get this economy back on the right track, national security issues, immigration issues, education reform, health care reform, those issues that we deal with every day in our states,” Palin added. “We want to reach out to the new administration and offer our assistance, our support, offer solutions and I think that we'll be sought by the new administration, by Congress, and we're here to help."
November 13, 2008 in Palin, Sarah | Permalink | User Comments (283)
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Palin does not know when to back off with grace. Whether we like it or not we have to hear her or see her in the media. She still does not know how she comes across. A very determined but very dumb person. She thinks she is charming. We would rather hear her talk sense than see her pretty face. If she wants to compete in 2012 she better start studying..NOW
Posted by: TiredofyouSarah | Nov 13, 2008 2:09:37 PM
Who would be her potential adverseries in her march to 2012?
Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty , Bobby Jindal, Charlie Christ.
Posted by: IsThereNoOneElse | Nov 13, 2008 2:10:20 PM
She said PUN-dints again this morning.
Posted by: WWW | Nov 13, 2008 2:10:51 PM
blah blah blah blah blah.... shut up already sarah. I blame the media for this. She needs to go back to Alaska, take care of her family and govern.
Posted by: anon | Nov 13, 2008 2:11:08 PM
Palin can talk and talk all she wants but one thing for sure, she won't have our votes no matter what.PROMISE!!
Posted by: michael | Nov 13, 2008 2:12:27 PM
God bless Ms Palin, through her efforts, the white house is now within reach of at least 50 million other females in this country. Ladies, that until now, would never believed they were qualified.
Posted by: jrc903 | Nov 13, 2008 2:12:32 PM
I want the McCain advisors who leaked negative information about Palin to reveal themselves -- and to reveal more information. The country deserves to know what they know. She is one incredibly good looking, dynamic politician who also happens to be vacuous, insipid, and uninformed. She has nothing important or valuable to say. The only reason the media is covering this is ratings. It truly troubles me. She does not deserve one minute of our time, and I have just wasted time writing this. Enough of Palin, please!!!!
Posted by: dissertator08 | Nov 13, 2008 2:13:01 PM
She's getting even more attention than the President-elect, even from the Democrats.
To those who say the campaign is over, it's just begun...
Go Sarah!
Posted by: Elaine | Nov 13, 2008 2:13:33 PM
She drew huge crowds on the campaign trail despite tough criticism that she lacked political experience.
But correspondents say Mrs Palin could face stiff competition if she wants to become the Republican nominee in 2012.
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who both failed in their candidacy this year, along with Florida Governor Charlie Crist and Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, may also be candidates.
Posted by: NotYet | Nov 13, 2008 2:15:27 PM
Jimmy A - Fox will need retract about 5 yrs worth of false stories. Every news item are fairy tales at best.
Posted by: anon | Nov 13, 2008 2:19:35 PM
There should be some good investigative reporting regarding her performance as Governor. Alaska is a sleepy state and it doesn't have the problems that Governors usually have. She has made a lot self proclaimed accomplishments that have proven not to be true, such as the bridge to nowhere. Her only accomplishments appear to be her ability to attack an opponent, however her own resume is remarkably thin, with her lack of education and experience.
Posted by: Tandalyn | Nov 13, 2008 2:20:04 PM
How she got as far as she has is beyond me. She would have made the perfect running mate for W. The blind leading the blind--or in this case the incompetent leading the incompetent. I really hope we don't have to hear much more about her.
Posted by: mtatom | Nov 13, 2008 2:20:33 PM
Maybe she has something the other two or three candidates do not have. In a recent poll of "Who would you nominate as the next GOP candidate?"... These were the results:
Palin: 63%
Romney: 13%
Huckabee: 12%
After all, Obama won over Hillary as a result of his charisma, definitly not experience.
If she gets in the Senate, the 'inexperience' card will not work in 2012.
Posted by: Ana | Nov 13, 2008 2:20:46 PM
The power of the presss and media to build or destroy was never more evident than in the attempt to ruin Palin as compared to their promotion of Obama. The intensity of the Palin character assassination was matched by the gushing exhuberance in endorsing the Obama candidacy. In the Palin case the media quickly adopted a strategy of ridicule to capitalize on criticizing every aspect of her being. In the Obama case the media crafted a positive image from every angle: family, character, career, etc. Magazines, TV newspapers presented wildly flattering reports. Care was taken to minimize every Obama foible or defend against any negative perspective. Of course, since the hard core leftists have no honor, the achievement of their objective justified any action, any distortion, any ploy. America has seen the 21st century version of Masters of Deceit. It is tragic that the purveyors celebrate their shame.
Posted by: Janina | Nov 13, 2008 2:22:33 PM
Go Sarah!!
Posted by: Ceci23 | Nov 13, 2008 2:23:48 PM
One of her "claims to fame" has been that natural gas pipeline she's been pushing.
When asked the other day, "Where does the gas line stand?" Palin replied, "It's nonsense that we are relying on foreign sources of energy to the degree that we are when Alaska has much of the resources that the rest of the nation could utilize. But, we're only going to be able to get there with the allowance to develop and with the ability to develop if we do things up here right."
In other words, it's still a pipe dream.
Posted by: WWW | Nov 13, 2008 2:27:03 PM
You know why she is getting all this press? Because everyone is waiting for a train wreck. Pretty soon, she will go away.
Posted by: Phil | Nov 13, 2008 2:34:13 PM
All I wish to express, as a
former Cuban exile, is that Barack Obama and
Fidel Castro share many personality traits, ie:
Both were abandoned by their
fathers at an early age.
Both are charming, eloquent
lawyers that say exactly what people
want to hear at the right
time and place.
One never led the nation to
suspect he was a communist at heart, the
other doesn't mention
the word socialism when in reality
this is exactly what his
agenda stands for.
Neither Obama nor Fidel ever
held a real job either in government or in private enterprise
for they think of themselves as demigods unworthy of soiling
their hands when their destiny is much larger than their own
realities.
Both were virtually unknown
until they began to use the word "change" as their main
political motto.
Both have egos as tall as the
twin towers, yet they manage to present themselves humbly, one
in soiled military fatigues and the other sweating and with an
undone tie.
Both have the unique ability to
distort truth and lies as if they were the same.
Both have the ability to
hypnotize the ignorant and fool the wishful thinker and to
divide a nation in classes, (divide and you shall win) In
Fidel's case he divided the rich against the poor, the
illiterate against the educated and the black against the white.
In Obama's case even if by omission, he's de-facto dividing the
races already.
Another resemblance between
Obama and Fidel and one that shall never be forgotten is that
the American media supported the 'Twentieth Century Latin
American Liberator' (Time Magazine) with the same degree of
irresponsibility devoted to Barack Obama today. All I wish to express, as a
former Cuban exile, is that Barack Obama and
Fidel Castro share many personality traits
Posted by: Joe | Nov 13, 2008 2:37:45 PM
Sarah Palin is going to be president. If Obama doesn't screw up the country too much til 2012.
God....I can't wait for that day when she wins.
Posted by: One Who Knows | Nov 13, 2008 2:39:36 PM
No Phil,
The train wreck we're waiting for is Obama's. We've elected the most inexperienced candidate to lead this nation in the financial crises it's in and in these very dangerous times.
I just hope his presidency doesn't cost civilian lives with a terrorist attack aimed at us not they we are weak.
Posted by: Tony | Nov 13, 2008 2:40:07 PM
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