News flash! Sarah Palin has endorsed Carly Fiorina in Carlyfornia's California's Republican Senate primary race, and her Tea Party supporters, who tend to side with Fiorina's more conservative rival, Chuck DeVore, are not at all pleased with the decision. As Politico's Andy Barr reports:
Palin's Facebook page is littered with comments opposing her endorsement of Fiorina, the former CEO of Hewlett Packard. "The only REAL CONSERVATIVE is Chuck DeVore. Fiorina is a RINO [Republican in name only] and wedon't need any more of those in [California]," one irate commenterwrote. "Why wouldn't you back Chuck DeVore???"
"Sorry Sarah but I think Chuck DeVore is the conservative candidate youshould be supporting," added another, who was followed up by a DeVoresupporter who wrote: "I don't agree with this endorsement AT ALL! Whatare you thinking Sarah?"
Hate to say I told you so guys, but, well, I told you so. For anyone who's been paying attention to Palin's political maneuvering over the past couple of months, it should come as no surprise that she chose Fiorina over DeVore in California. As I wrote in February:
While Palin's PAC has occasionallycontributed to politicians—such as Michelle Bachmann, Rand Paul,and Marsha Blackburn—with tea-party sympathies or support, she's beenjust as likely, at least so far, to funnel her resources towardestablishment Republicans, many of whom have been deemed insufficientlyconservative by grassroots activists and now find themselves campaigningagainst tea-party-type challengers back home ...
Last year, for example, Palin donated $5,000 to her former boss, JohnMcCain, even though—as a past supporter of climate-change legislation,campaign-finance reform, and amnesty for illegal immigrants—he'sconsidered a RINO ... by many Tea Partiers,including his new primary opponent, J. D. Hayworth. Still, Palin plansto campaign for McCain—against Hayworth—in the coming months.
Meanwhile,she's chosen to invest in Missouri's Roy Blunt over his tea-partyishfoe (Chuck Purgason), and Ohio's Jean Schmidt over hers (Mike Kilburn).When conservatives threatened Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley last year for working with Democrats on health care, Palin sent some cash his way. She even cut a check to global-warming heretic Lindsey "Democrat in Drag" Graham.
So, yes, Fiorina is a recent (and rather conveniently timed) convert to the pro-life cause—a candidate who as recently as 2008 was assuring women voters that John McCain "has never signed on to efforts to overturn Roe vs. Wade." Yes, she's in favor of civil unions. Yes, she once said Palin was not qualified to run a "major corporation." And yes, the California contest will be closer than the races mentioned above—meaning that Palin's backing could potentially carry more weight. But she chose Fiornia regardless, and, given the pattern of the past couple of months, it's easy to see why. Despite her godhead status in Glenn Beck country, and despite the fact that she no longer holds elective office, Palin is still a politician, and the Fiornia endorsement proves, yet again, that for the former Alaska governor, making
Uncommon Knowledge
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