From article by Michael J. Gaynor at the Post Chronicle:
Sarah Palin Endorsements Deliver Power Punch
by Michael J. GaynorThis year, more often than not, candidates endorsed by Sarah Palin in Republican primaries won. It appears that Palin was five for five last Tuesday.
Most notably, in the race between Joe Miller, an authentic conservative, and the much less reliably conservative Senator Lisa Murkowski, for Alaska Republicans’ United States Senator nomination, Palin endorsed Miller and on primary election night Miller led and duly credited Palin for what appears to be a huge upset win.
Palin seems to have a preference for conservative women (“mama grizzlies”), like soon-to-be South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, but Palin hasn’t always endorsed the female candidate running again a male or male candidates. For example, she endorsed pro-life conservative Governor Rick Perry over pro-abortion “moderate” Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson in the Texas Republican gubernatorial primary.
Many expect Palin to support the more conservative, more pro-life candidate, but that has not always been the case.
Palin endorsed Senator John McCain, the man who chose her to be the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate, over former Congressman J.D. Hayworth, but that was largely attributed to gratitude and personal loyalty and McCain opposed the confirmation of now United States Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan and veered to the right, especially on immigration, to win the Arizona Republican Senate primary.
Palin also endorsed the less conservative Carly Fiorina over authentic conservative Chuck DeVore, but that was explained by a plausible belief that the very wealthy Fiorina was much more likely to beat Senator Barbara Boxer and would be a marked improvement instead of “reverse sexism.”
Palin endorsed Kelly Ayotte over the authentic conservative, Ovide Lamontagne. Ayotte volunteered that she would have voted to confirm Justice Sotomayor, thereby demonstrating that she’s not up to the job of United States Senator. Radio and television star, Obama Diaries author and Dartmouth graduate Laura Ingraham endorsed Lamontagne as “the only true Conservative in a very important race” and the prior excuses for Palin backing a much less conservative person in other races don’t apply. Ayotte did not pick Palin as vice presidential running mate, and polls show that both Ayotte and Lamontagne would beat the liberal Democrat nominee, Congressman Paul Hodes, so, New Hampshire Republicans take note, it appears that personal interest, not ideology, drove Palin’s Ayotte endorsement.
Palin has not announced that she will run for President in 2012, but her endorsements match her political interests if she does run. Palin endorsed the winner of the Iowa Republican gubernatorial primary, Terry Branstad, and Iowa is the first stop of the presidential campaign trail. In South Carolina, the first southern primary, a Governor Nikki Haley can be a big help to Palin running with a bunch of male presidential hopefuls. In New Hampshire, the first primary, Governor John Lynch, a Democrat, is favored to be re-elected, and Ayotte would be a boon to Palin if she becomes New Hampshire’s only Republican United States Senator.
The keys to Palin’s success have been putting principle first and standing up to the opposition.