Tonight, long-time conservative superstar and sometimes TV reality star Sarah Palin endorsed Donald J. Trump for President, thereby fulfilling the prophecy of old and signifying the new age. As usual, I was sitting at home in a dark room staring at the television when it happened. So here are the big moments.
First, Sarah showed up in one humdinger of a jacket that got a little bit of buzz on its own. It’s easily the most this jacket has been talked about since it was worn in an Earth, Wind and Fire concert back in 1976.
Is Sarah Palin wearing an outfit from the Randy Savage Collection? pic.twitter.com/AC2IFITuVW
— Tim Hare (@TimHare87) January 20, 2016
@ErickaAndersen @RagCon impossible not to notice when she comes on stage looking like the NRA's Pinterest board
— Sarah Rumpf (@rumpfshaker) January 20, 2016
Hey, every famous person’s clothing choices are fair game for humor, so simmer down, Josh.
The bulk of Gov. Palin’s speech was an appeal to those conservatives and Republican base voters who are not supporting Trump. In other words, mainly people who currently support Ted Cruz.
Palin systematically trying to attack each objection non-Trump republican base have to his candidacy, one by one.
— Caleb Howe (@CalebHowe) January 20, 2016
Which is, in theory, an effective strategy. In practice, she lost her place several times, got a less than enthusiastic crowd response, and generally didn’t really make any statements of substance.
"No more pussy-footing around. Our troops deserve the best. You deserve the best." – Sarah Palin
— Caleb Howe (@CalebHowe) January 20, 2016
"Are you ready for a commander in chief who will let our warriors do their job and go kick ISIS ass?" – Sarah Palin
— Caleb Howe (@CalebHowe) January 20, 2016
Avoiding policy is not only a general stump speech practice, it’s particularly a Trump practice, both on the stump and in interviews. Policy is not his bag baby. But he’s going to hire really smart people to handle those things. People like, we can infer, Sarah Palin.
Sarah Palin says Trump's "power and passion" is the "fabric of America" and "woven" by "work ethic", "dreams" and "faith in the Almighty."
— Caleb Howe (@CalebHowe) January 20, 2016
This was typical of her approach. She addressed the concern that he wasn’t conservative enough merely by mocking the idea that his critics know the meaning of the word …
Sarah Palin mocks the idea that Donald Trump is "not conservative enough": What would [the GOP] know about being conservative?
— Caleb Howe (@CalebHowe) January 20, 2016
… And she addressed the New York Values by saying he’s a family man who loves God. Trump, too, has been trying to really press the “man of God, man of the people” theme the last few days.
Make no mistake, that is because the “New York Values” attack hit home and hit hard. But those values are now fine by Sarah Palin.
Sarah Palin lauds Trump as being a "family man" who is "not elitist at all" and filled with "quiet generosity."
— Caleb Howe (@CalebHowe) January 20, 2016
The other parts of the speech were filled with the typical, and typically effective, hoo-yah America lines that make Palin famous and popular. Although the crowd in the house didn’t seem to get riled up by her speech, which she was clearly reading off of notecards and which at one point she totally lost her place in, it’s certain that the sound bites will play well. Palin’s truisms always do.
All in all, I’d say she did what she came out there to do and gave Trump what he wanted. Whether it will effectively change any voters minds remains to be seen. Personally, I’d be surprised if it did.
Here are some sample reactions from Twitter:
Hey y'all, remember when @SarahPalinUSA was a champion of limited government, #prolife values, & fighting Obamacare? That was a fun time.
— Sarah Rumpf (@rumpfshaker) January 19, 2016
Sarah Palin endorsement is big coup for @realDonaldTrump, and in turn a disaster for @RNC. No wonder they're trying to help @BernieSanders
— Brian Fallon (@brianefallon) January 20, 2016
Sarah Palin for Secretary of Energy — if only to hear the explosion of heads at CNN.
— John Nolte (@NolteNC) January 20, 2016
I have had a really horrible day, but the worst part was having to see Sarah Palin on my TV again.
— Sara Gonzales (@HowSaraRolls) January 20, 2016
One of my highlights of the summer of '08 was watching @SarahPalinUSA hit the scene. Which makes her endorsement so very disappointing.
— Angela Nelson (@angelaisms) January 20, 2016
I didn't know until this line just how much I've missed @SarahPalinUSA: "You Rock n rollers and Holy rollers"
— Matt Laslo (@MattLaslo) January 20, 2016
Here's why Sarah Palin thinks Donald Trump is doing so well: "He's going rogue left and right."
— Jenna Johnson (@wpjenna) January 20, 2016
“People in Washington are addicted to opium!” @SarahPalinUSA endorsing Trump
— Kemberlee Kaye (@KemberleeKaye) January 20, 2016
(note: OPM is what Palin meant to say. As in “other people’s money.” It just didn’t quite come out right.)
But by far, the tweet of the night goes to my friend Wayne Dupree:
If you look at @SarahPalinUSA and @RealDonaldTrump together and really listen to the message, they are cut from the same cloth
— Wayne Dupree™ (@WayneDupreeShow) January 20, 2016
Because if you like Donald Trump, as Wayne does, or if you dislike Trump, that observation works equally well.
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