Todd Palin and Eric Quam – Iron Dog Team #11 – They’re Off!

Two videos are available so far for Todd Palin and Eric Quam’s start for the 2011 Iron Dog snowmobile race.

h/t Townhall.com

Our prayers are with Todd Palin and teammate Eric Quam, for their safety and their success, as they trek across the Alaskan wilderness in this year’s Iron Dog competition. 

The Associated Press reports:

Todd Palin is participating in the world’s longest snowmobile race, with his famous wife on hand to see him off at the start.

Palin and his racing partner took off late Sunday morning in the 2,000-mile Iron Dog. Palin is a four-time champion of the Alaska race, which ends in Fairbanks.

Seeing him off was his wife, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the 2008 vice presidential nominee. Also on hand were daughters Bristol and Piper.

Standing4Palin has photos.

PALIN FLASHBACK: Palin Hearts Reagan: How Gov. Sarah Palin Benefited from Choosing President Reagan as a Role Model

In this article at NewsRealBlog, award-winning political scientist Dr. John C. Drew,  gives his views on how Governor Sarah Palin’s choice of President Ronald Reagan as a role model has contributed to her political success.

Palin Hearts Reagan: How Gov. Sarah Palin Benefited from Choosing President Reagan as a Role Model

by John C. Drew, Ph.D.
Posted on March 22 2010 9:30 am

The life stories of charismatic leaders invariably reveal that they are ordinary people who take big risks.  Even Napoleon Bonaparte, for example, was dismissed by his Austrian father-in-law, Francis I, as simply “a gambler.”

These hardy risk-takers, however, almost always rely on a handful of techniques to improve their odds of success – including a startling willingness to pattern their lives on a pre-existing model of political and military success.  Young Abraham Lincoln was fascinated by the life story of General George Washington – the first U.S. President.  Saddam Hussein modeled his political career on the example of the USSR’s Joseph Stalin.  Fidelity to an existing political leadership model assists charismatic leaders in maintaining their extraordinary levels of self-confidence.  It can also – if they pick wisely – provide them with sure solutions that make a difference.

A strong contemporary example of this phenomenon came to me from reading Sarah Palin’s new book Going Rogue: An American Life (2009).

In Going Rogue, Palin indicates that she displayed an early interest in the ideas and leadership style of President Reagan while she was still in college.  “I looked forward to every poli sci lecture,” she writes, “I attributed my enthusiasm to patriotism and a fascination with current events.  I was also eager because this was the 1980s and our study centered on one of the most inspiring individuals ever to occupy the White House, Pres. Ronald W.  Reagan.”

In particular, I was impressed by the way the young Sarah Palin dug into one of the most important practical secrets of Reagan’s success when she writes that “I also appreciated his focus on a handful of overarching themes, such as reining in the intrusiveness of government, building a strong national defense, and cutting taxes.”

In November 2006, of course, Sarah Palin became both the youngest person, at 42, and the first woman elected as the Governor of Alaska.

Consistent with the examples of other charismatic leaders, Palin indicates how she drew confidence from Reagan’s example:  “It was a humbling experience to step in to lead an administration that would serve a state of this size and diversity,” she writes,

“I knew we could face the challenge with anticipation and without a sense of overload that we observed Ronald Reagan’s principles: pick your agenda issues and focus on those; empower and motivate your departments and staff to implement your vision in other areas.  Reagan concentrated on a few key issues and knocked them out of the park.  That gave him the political capital to effect change in many other policy areas.”

In her case, she reasoned that if she focused on Alaskan resource development, fiscal restraint, and ethical government, she would create the victories and momentum that would allow her to later deal with “…education, services for special needs and the elderly, job training, unemployment, and social ills in rural Alaska.”

True to her vision, Gov. Palin cut back on the legislature’s construction projects in her first budget and won a bipartisan ethics reform bill – all in less than a year. By August 2008, she had negotiated a natural gas pipeline deal.  All in all, Gov. Palin experienced extraordinary success as measured by her high popularity with Alaska voters. Her successes in office would attract the attention of the McCain campaign in the form of an offer to serve as the Republican Vice-Presidential candidate in 2008.

For me, the lesson of this story is that it is useful for voters to ask candidates which politicians do they most admire?  More than most of us suspect, the answer to this seemingly innocent question may be extremely useful in predicting their later success in elected office.

KTUU Live-Streams Iron Dog, Gov. Palin’s Tweets Herald Race Start

Todd Palin and Eric Quam constitute Team 11, starting position three in the 2,000-mile Iron Dog race. The husband of Gov. Palin, Todd is a four-time champion in the dangerous snowmachine race.

Alaska’s KTUU live-streamed the race start.

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Governor Palin today Tweeted at 1515 EST:

SarahPalinUSA: And they’re off!!! Iron Dog 2011! http://yfrog.com/h2ekoisj

More here: http://twitter.com/SarahPalinUSA

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Governor Palin today Tweeted at 1459 EST:

SarahPalinUSA: RT @JedediahBila: Wishing Todd Palin the best of luck in the #IronDog race today! :) Race map: http://bit.ly/ffq0xp #awesome

More here: http://twitter.com/SarahPalinUSA

Astonishing Results To Date For “Vote For Your Choice For Palin’s Vice President Poll”

The Open poll “Vote For Your Choice For Palin’s Vice President” has produced a startling result so far. Freshman Congressman Allan West has taken a substantial lead with 45.3 % of the votes too date.This appears to correlate with the general feeling that a true conservative team is the deep-seated wish of the grass roots of the GOP.

Poll after poll has shown that the Palin/Huckabee support level runs up to 40% and is basically twice that of the establishment preference of Mitt Romney. The rank and file, according to this VP poll, is signalling it wants a young, dynamic and totally committed to conservative principles team, as clearly figured by Sarah Palin. It appears that Allan West appeals to the same, Palin-supporting base. 

 From a personal point of view I am pleased to see, and I must admit it is a pleasant surprise that Rudy Giulliani is running a solid second. I set out a substantial case for Giulliani based on his long record of experience and achievement and felt that this would balance out the ticket with Palin admirably, whereas West, for all his positive attributes-not least being from Florida, might leave a Palin/West ticket open to the charge of not having the wide-ranging experience that a Palin/Giulliani would bring.

I was also pleased to see my second choice, Condoleezza Rice, garner some votes as she too would bring a solid balance to the proposed team.

The “Other” vote is relatively high and it is a matter of regret that those who chose this option did not make a preference as it would have been interesting to see how the split went and if, e.g.,  Paul Ryan garnered a substantial part of that vote. What is certain, however, is that, for this poll anyway, the establishment figure of Romney has had very little response, even with his experience possibly being a consideration.

The poll closes February 28th and can be voted at at here.

Palin-Centered Analysis Of Wisconsin.Palin As FDR’s Heir

By Senior “Point of View” Editorial Contributor Lisa Gilmer

Lots of news about Wisconsin protests this week… Regular people back Wisconsin’s Governor Walker for his proposed bill…, but TheWon, the DNC, and theunion-goonies back the unions. Of course they do – that is their base 

Governor Walker spoke to RightNetwork and explained “what will happen if his proposals are not passed: It means 5,500 state workers would be laid off. It means anywhere from 5,000- 6,000 local employees would have to be laid off. That’s anywhere from 10,000 to 12,000 people in a time when we have a 7.5% unemployment rate. We can’t afford to have anyone laid off.  I’m trying to save jobs…”

The Wisconsin public sector unions are hugestriking crybabies! Most regular, working people in the private sector do not get hefty pensions when they retire like public  employees receive. I’ve worked for over 20 years for private companies. I am just a regular person – like most Americans – who have to save for their own retirement.

These public sector union thugs, marxist-manifesto following, globalist liars and elitists are really mucking up America. They have been for a few decades.  Even good ol’ leftist hero and liberal policy implementing President FDR said:

“Particularly, I want to emphasize my conviction that militant tactics have no place in the functions of any organization of government employees. Upon employees in the Federal service rests the obligation to serve the whole people, whose interests and welfare require orderliness and continuity in the conduct of Government activities. This obligation is paramount.  Since their own services have to do with the functioning of the Government, a strike of pubic employees manifests nothing less than an intent on their part to prevent or obstruct the operations of Government until their demands are satisfied. Such action, looking toward the paralysis of Government by those who have sworn to support it, is unthinkable and intolerable.”

Thank God Sarah Palin isn’t in the elitist gang. She is one of the regular people; a hard-working American who made – and continues to make her own success.

She will make a great POTUS because she is not an elitist.

Images above from Draw for Truth .