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Palin Visit Has PA Conservatives Feeling Left Out

By Keegan Gibson and Judith Ayers

Sarah Palin has been deliberately secretive about the details of her ongoing bus tour, leaving many Pennsylvania activists frustrated at the seeming lack of acknowledgement from the conservative icon.

News that the former Alaska Governor and 2008 Vice Presidential candidate was taking a bus tour through the Commonwealth broke on Thursday, but excitement turned to disappointment for many PA conservatives, who have had to rely on scattered news reports for details of her itinerary.

After unveiling news of her trip and the campaign-style design of her tour bus on the SarahPAC website, Palin has maintained near silence with local activists as well as the press. Through the dutiful tracking of several journalists, supporters learned that Palin arrived in Gettysburg yesterday evening and that she will likely tour the battlefield this morning. She’s expected to travel to Philadelphia later today.

Privately, conservative leaders say that Palin’s radio silence reflects at best a serious lack of foresight, and at worst a sign of disrespect.

PoliticsPA reached out to nearly a dozen separate statewide and local Tea Party and Republican organizations, representatives of which said they tried reaching out to Palin with no success.

“We all support Mrs. Palin’s message and her talents and abilities, but we wonder if she’s going on a family vacation, then why is it billed as a political trip on her website,” said Don Adams, President of the Philadelphia-based Independence Hall Tea Party PAC.

Palin’s website describes the “One Nation Tour” as, “part of our new campaign to educate and energize Americans about our nations founding principles, in order to promote the Fundamental Restoration of America.”

“I think it sends a mixed message,” Adams continued. “So many Tea Party members wanted to see her, but there’s been no communication. We know she’s going to Independence Hall, but we don’t know when.”

Adams traveled to New York City to join the protest against David Letterman when the Late Night Show host made inappropriate comments about Palin’s daughter, Willow. He said his group reached out to Palin through several channels, and expressed disappointment that they hadn’t gotten any response.

Republicans and Tea Partiers for the most part have been hesitant to criticize Palin openly, but many have expressed their frustration on the condition of anonymity.

“How many American families travel with a national reporter while on vacation?” asked one Tea Party leader, referring to the fact that Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren has accompanied Palin on the bus.

“It’s poor campaigning to send out a press release with no information,” said one member of the Adams County 9-12 Patriots. “If they really wanted people to come out and visit her why didn’t they include more?”

While disappointed, others are giving Palin the benefit of the doubt.

“I suspect it is because she is truly visiting various sites to pay homage to our fallen servicemen and women. I can only surmise that they are trying to keep the focus on that and not trying to
make the tour overly political,” says Lowman Henry, President of the conservative Pennsylvania  Leadership Conference. “On the other hand, there are a lot of folks who would like to join her in honoring our troops, so a bit of advance notice on where she plans to be would be nice.”

Adams County GOP Chairwoman Elizabeth Hower said she would have liked details so that supporters could have welcomed Palin to the area, but said that she wasn’t frustrated and that Palin’s decisions are “private.”

“She should have made clear it was a family vacation, then no one would have been frustrated. People naturally want to think that she would want to meet with her supporters. Supporters came to see her and instead will to see the battlefield. So there’s an upside. When the hubbub dies down, I appreciate the press given to these areas and historical sites.”

“The press is more frustrated than supporters,” Hower said.

9 Responses

  1. Having a bus tour and not telling people when/where you’ll be defeats the point of having a tour. I would’ve liked to meet her, but without any info, I had no idea when she’d be arriving.

  2. Pain will quit before it is over. She loves attention more than actual service.

  3. skponggol and DaMav – ditto!

    As far as the Tea Parties are concerned, unfortunately far too many have aligned with the likes of Dick Armey (Freedom Works) and the GOP and in so doing we only further enable career politicians to continue to repeat cycles that have resulted in a blending Vs separation of Party principles.

    After GWB and McCain we have learned the importance of voting principles over Party and to more carefully research the backgrounds of those anointed by Party bosses. Kudos to Palin for standing up to two entities most resented by this Conservative; i.e., Party bosses and the media.

  4. How much does it cost the tax paying citizens in the cities for security the president travels to for a fundraiser?

    Sarah isn’t negatively impacting the cities she’s going to. If she announced scheduled times of arrival, that WOULD be a campaign style event and the security and parking, etc, would have to come with.

    Thank you Sarah for thinking ahead!

  5. My goodness. She is sharing and bringing attention to the great historic sights while mingling with the locals when she arrives.

    I’m sure she is taking note and appreciating all the people that would like to come meet her, but we have learned, the havoc the swarms of folks and MEDIA brings.

    I could NOT believe I watched that camera man cut in front of Sarah as she was walking to get in front of her to get camera shots. I’m shocked he didn’t knock her in the head.

    Governor Palin is doing a wonderful job sharing with us up to date infor and pics of where they have been traveling.

    I’m sure the Governor is realizing on this trip, the taste and excitement for her and her message that she will have to answer the call to service and enter the race for presidency so she can start traveling the country to speak with the citizens more directly, soon.

  6. “The press is more frustrated than supporters,” Hower said.

    I’d say that nails it nicely. She slips off with her family and visits some historic sites and the press attacks her for not handing out a detailed itenerary. If she had handed one out, they would be attacking her for grandstanding at the monuments, proven by the fact she handed out a detailed schedule of visits.

    Now we have Gibson and Ayers assembling anonymous quotes to show how upset the nameless are at Palin. Well this PA conservative is happy as can be to see Sarah Palin making fools of the media yet again. Most conservatives I hear from have no respect left at all for the kind of hacks that write this kind of hit piece and pass it off as analysis.

  7. The way Sarah Palin treats the American media is similar to the ways We Asian treat our journalists during the days when they were controlled by dictatorial regime. During the dark days when the media was propaganda tools of the autocratic regime, dissident politicians and the common people, like Palin, always view the journalists with contempt, distrust and non-compliance. The rating and the trustworthy of the journalists then was as low as that of American journalism today. Thanks to our great resistance, we finally brought the lamestream media and the totalitarian regimes down to their knees. Nowadays, the journalists are more professional, competent and trustworthy. It is no surprise that while Asian journalism are booming, American jounalism are sinking and her journalists continue to be sacked.

  8. Anyone dumb enough to believe in Palin or the idiotic things she says is too stupid to realize she’s using them to fill her pockets and that she’s not going to give up the money to run for president

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