Sarah Palin has entered the fray over a congressional special election in New York’s 23rd district that has turned into a battle among Republicans over how to define themselves as they seek to recover from the election routs of 2006 and 2008.
On one side, the party establishment is backing a GOP moderate named Dede Scozzafava who is pro-choice and pro-gay marriage. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, as stout a conservative as any, has endorsed Scozzafava in the belief that she represents the best chance of winning in a region where Republicans have fallen on hard times and ideological conservatism doesn’t always sell.
On the other side is Gingrich’s former colleague, onetime House majority leader Dick Armey, and a host of conservative groups who have deemed Scozzafava to be a RINO (Republican In Name Only) and have bolted to support a Conservative Party candidate named Doug Hoffman.
Now Sarah Palin wants her say as well. The former Alaska governor, who only one year ago was campaigning to become the Republican vice president, posted a Facebook entry endorsing Hoffman — not the GOP. She’s also using her political action committee to help fund Hoffman’s third-party campaign.
It’s an intriguing twist in an already fascinating race. Palin is publishing her autobiography, Going Rogue, next month. Her decision to go against the GOP establishment in the New York campaign underscores yet again her determination to position herself as a party outsider, with an eye on a possible presidential run in 2012. And her bet is that the party’s going nowhere if it appeals to the same political middle ground that helped Barack Obama win the White House.
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Funny, when John McCain goes against the GOP – in favor of Dem policies – hes a maverick (how cool!)
When Palin goes against the GOP – in order to support core conservative values, which should be cornerstones of the GOP – she is a Renegade. Cant Sarah be a Maverick too?
The GOP has to clean itself up and get rid of the progressives in there who are ruining the party.
She certainly appears to be a dividing factor among some Republicans according to the National Post Article.
Sounds like she maybe self-destructing.