It seems like every year, we have to suffer through another presidential election. Truth to be said, this year’s election is shaping up to be one of the most contentious in history. There’s Donald Trump, who has a penchant for provocative statements and questionable behaviour. Then there’s Hillary Clinton, who is undoubtedly the most qualified candidate in history for the office of the President of the United States.
Which one will you be supporting? It’s a tough decision and, for some, it comes down to feelings towards Trump and/or Clinton. But, truth to be said, there’s a third option that many are overlooking: Sarah Palin!
Palin has always been a reliable conservative voice, and this year she’s aligned herself with the Republican Party’s presidential nominee Donald Trump. Why? Let’s take a look.
Her Politically Incorrect Manners
Politically, Sarah Palin is considered a moderate Republican, and has always been regarded as a strong contender for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. But, in an interview with CBS News’ Charlie Rose, Palin said she would vote for Hillary Clinton if she were unable to support Donald Trump.
“I would vote for Hillary. I mean, it’s pretty clear to me what’s at stake here…I like Donald. I think he’s a bold, bright, exciting, innovative guy. But he’s not my guy. I support Hillary and Bill,” she said. “In this case, I would support Hillary just to keep Trump out of the White House.”
So, there you have it. The 2016 presidential election is between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. If you can’t make up your mind, at least consider Sarah Palin’s opinion on the matter. She may just sway you.
Her Alignment With Trump
If you listen to conventional wisdom, it would seem like Trump and Sarah Palin couldn’t be more different. After all, he’s a real-estate mogul and she’s an Alaskan governor. But, in reality, they are more alike than they appear. For instance, both are prolific social media users. More importantly, both possess a strong base of support among the people and the media that matters.
In October 2015, Palin tweeted, “Never back down from a fight. Never follow a crowd. And never, ever back down from a bully. – Donald Trump” And, sure enough, Trump has since adopted this maxim as his own.
On the flip side, Clinton has been criticised for being too polarising. In other words, she will say and do anything to get what she wants. Even if that means hurting the relationship with your friends, your family or your community. But that’s not Palin’s style. She’s a fighter and she knows how to have a good time.
It would appear that Palin and Trump see a lot of eye-to-eye. For instance, they both oppose abortion and same-sex marriage. They both also support gun rights. Most importantly, they both support the construction of a wall along the Mexico border and the deportation of all unauthorized immigrants. This would make them ideological kin. After all, both have a strong record of fighting for social and economic conservative values.
So, it would seem that Sarah Palin has positioned herself and Trump as the fighters of the Republican Party. While Clinton is the intellectual heavy — the brainy candidate.
Her Record As A Governor
When it comes to governing, few can match the experience of Sarah Palin. Not only has she governed an entire state, but she’s also served as governor of Alaska during some of the most trying times in that state’s history. For instance, Palin faced the aftermath of a state-wide oil spill. But she also tackled the nation’s highest per-capita crime rate and the worst recession in a generation.
If that weren’t enough, Palin also had to deal with the state’s infamous “Trojan Horse” scandal, in which several state employees were accused of rigging the vote and attempting to unseat Palin as governor. The scandal nearly destroyed her reputation, but she eventually recovered it.
One of the most remarkable things about Sarah Palin is how adaptable she has been throughout her political career. Indeed, she rose to prominence as the Republican Party’s vice-presidential nominee in 2008 only to see that role quickly usurped by Massachusetts Senator John McCain. Yet, rather than sitting back and assuming she would be defeated, Sarah Palin immediately established herself as the primary opposition to McCain, mounting an energetic campaign that saw her defeat McCain by a 19-point margin.
This is a woman who has experienced both triumph and tragedy. And it’s made her who she is today. What’s more, her experience as a governor makes her extremely well-equipped to be a successful presidential candidate. Indeed, while campaigning in Iowa in December, Palin said, “I look at my own life as evidence that no matter what, if you work hard and don’t complain, good things will happen.”
Her Influence In Conservative Media
If you look at the top 30 most influential political twitter accounts, the ones pushing the progressive agenda have the most followers — 31.9 million. The ones promoting conservative values have 38.3 million followers. And, you know what? Many of those following the influencers promoting progressive values are also supporting Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign. Essentially, these influencers have converted their audiences to become a powerful voting bloc.
So it’s clear that influencers have enormous power. And it’s also clear that they’re using this power to influence people to vote for a certain candidate. In the case of the 2016 presidential election, these influencers are mostly backing Hillary Clinton. Why? Because unlike Trump, Clinton is seen as a more established figure and is perceived as the safer choice for voters concerned about their personal safety and security. In other words, these voters feel that they know what they are getting with Clinton.
On the flip side, many influential conservative figures are supporting Donald Trump. Why? Because, like Palin, they feel that Trump is the more promising choice for the future of the country. These figures feel that America is at a precipice and that the only option is to take a chance on a fresh face, one that they believe can shake up the political establishment.
In a nutshell, the influencers have aligned themselves with one of the most qualified candidates in history, Hillary Clinton. Yet, many of those following the Trump train are just as enthusiastic as their champion, excited about his promise to “Make America Great Again!”
It would appear that the influencers’ power is greater than they’re giving credit for. And this is precisely why, during the height of the 2016 presidential election, political strategists are warning that Trump’s popularity among certain demographics could see him defeat Clinton in the Electoral College, despite trailing in the popular vote.
Her Experience As A Mother
Some in the media have criticised Hillary Clinton for being overly focused on her career, saying that she doesn’t care about the interests of women. And it’s true — until recently, she didn’t. In fact, until 2013, Clinton didn’t even have a single female surrogate. Or even mention a female candidate’s campaign in her speeches. But now she does. And it’s quite an important speech, too.
In an important speech on empowering women, Clinton said, “For far too long, women have been ignored and overshadowed by men. We’ve been told that we shouldn’t aspire to be equal to men, but to be a little less than them…We’ve been told that we should feel grateful for what we have, instead of striving for what we deserve. And for too long, that’s been the message of those who want to keep us down.”
While these words might sound like they’re coming from a Republican, they’re actually a message straight from Hillary Clinton’s mouth. Indeed, she went on to say, “Now, more than ever, we need to stand up for what we believe in. Whether you’re a man or a woman, black or white, Asian or Hispanic, gay or straight, we need to fight for what we believe in…When President Obama called for an end to the wars on women, he wasn’t just talking about wars abroad. He was talking about the wars within – the oppression, the judgment, and the discrimination that women experience every day.”
So it would appear that Sarah Palin is standing up for what she believes in. While some might question whether she’s standing up for women, it’s quite clear that she’s standing up for what she believes in. Whether that’s the right thing or the wrong thing is another matter. But, at least she’s confident in her convictions.