The liberal mainstream media continue their quest to discredit Sarah Palin and her supporters, with so-called journalist Eleanor Clift becoming the latest journalist to take the plunge. Just this week, Clift wrote a piece for Politics Daily entitled The ‘Palin Effect’: Not all Young Republican Women are Buying it. In the piece, Clift goes to great lengths to argue that many young, Republican women do not view Sarah as a role model for their generation. As a young, Conservative Republican woman myself, I had to laugh at this notion. While it is no secret that Sarah Palin has a fair share of those who dislike her and her politics, I find it hard to believe that Clift knows anything about the powerful impact Sarah has had on so many young women of my generation. Before Sarah entered the forefront, I did not care too much about politics as a whole. While I always have made it a point to vote and keep up to date on the happenings going on in the country, I did not have an activist streak in me. Sarah changed all of this for me. When she became the VP nominee, I, along with the rest of America, was introduced to a woman who seemed to have it all: a great career, an awesome husband and family and a deep faith- all while leading a normal life in the last frontier. She reminded me of a modern-day Annie Oakley or Margaret Thatcher.

While Clift argues that a large number of young, Republican women do not feel inspired by Sarah, I find it odd that she is only able to cite one young woman who feels this way. Senior Leanna Cannafax, President of the Samford Young Republican’s Club, had this to say when asked about Sarah:

It’s hard for me to relate to her even though she’s Republican and conservative. As a young woman, I have to be open-minded to things I don’t agree with, and I feel she doesn’t even listen.

Hmmm, Leanna, I have to wonder if you are listening to a word Sarah says. After all, while governor of Alaska, Sarah was one of the few Republican governors who was widely known for reaching out across the aisle, listening to Democrats and Republicans. She was never a quote on quote “rubber stamp” to any set political party. I have to wonder if Leanna knows what Conservatives even stand for. While is a good thing to be open minded and unbiased, it is also important to stick to your convictions and fight for what you believe in. This is exactly what Sarah does day in and day out.

Perhaps the most ridiculous part of the article is Clift’s sad excuse for a conclusion:

I don’t pretend to have taken a scientific poll, but getting outside the Beltway and inside a small Southern campus made me wonder if Palin’s biggest constituency is the media, not voters, and whether she makes a better story than she does role model.

So Clift’s trip outside the Beltway suddenly classifies her as a scientist??? If you ask me, she needs to do her research and gather a few more sources before she even begins to attempt to try to understand young, Republican women of my generation. Maybe if she actually did her homework, she would she why women like myself look up to Sarah with such high regard. It’s called fact checking- plain and simple. Ever heard of it, Ms. Clift???

While Clift was only able to quote a single source for her biased piece, I can name a large number of young women who, like me, connect with Sarah and view her as a role model for our generation. For me, Sarah is a modern-day feminist. She is a fierce force to reckon with, and those who try to bring her down usually fail. As a great wife and mom, Sarah is able to balance motherhood with her career, all doing so while wearing a phenomenal pair of, excuse my language, “kick-ass heels.” Thank you Sarah, for being the mama grizzly you are, and for teaching this grizzly girl and thousands like me how important it is to stand up and speak out on behalf of the commonsense conservative movement. I’m not the only grizzly girl who feels this way. In closing, I leave you with some great insight from a couple of fellow grizzly girls:

For me, Sarah Palin embodies everything I love about conservatism and feminism. She is a self-made woman, works arduously for the sake of her family and her country, she does not shy away from her principles, she scares the establishment of both parties, she is unafraid of pointing out the fallacies of the liberal agenda, and always has a smile on her face when doing so.

Her message inspires women of all stripes to participate in politics and not relent. Mama and sister grizzlies (as well as those papa bears) are uniting for the common cause of returning our country to the common sense conservatism we crave and need. She is one of the many reasons I love to engage in political discourse on my blog. Thank you to the Mama Grizzly herself for being one of the leaders of this new movement of real change!
-Jennifer of Cubachi.

Governor Palin is inspiring to many women – myself included – in ways that transcend her political views. One can agree with her, or not, in that regard. But, really, her appeal lies in the courage and perseverance she shows in the face of very challenging situations. There’s something comforting about seeing a woman ‘just like me’ take all of the experiences of life in stride and continue making her own way forward. I think that’s a character trait any honest person should be able to appreciate.
-Camille Friend of  The Design Conservative.

NOTE: I will be a guest on Alaska’s 700 KBYR tomorrow where I will be interviewed by Eddie Burke. The show runs from 5-6pdt/8-9edt. Outside Alaska? Listen online at kbyr.com.

(Click here to visit Conservative Girl with a Voice and become a follower. Follow me on Twitter @rachellefriberg.)