"Going Rogue" - Don't Count Sarah Out

Politics has a new rock star in the person of Sarah Palin.

The "Going Rogue" book-signing tour is playing as if it
were a tour by Lady GaGa or Madonna.

And the "Going Rogue" tour is off and running, playing to
enthusiastic crowds at every stop. And like a rock star's
tour, it's not just thrown together - it's carefully planned
months in advance, with all the panoply that accompanies
a touring rock act: roadies, media support, advance men,
heavy security, scarce tickets, and advertising.

It even has a tour bus plastered with the "Going Rogue"
tour logo, heading up a caravan of support vehicles.

But that's where the similarity ends.

As I've said in these pages, Sarah Palin is crazy and
brainless - like a fox.

Make that a beautiful and (to this observer) a
surprisingly articulate fox. One that knows how to
put together a successful tour.

First of all, it's no accident that the tour is not playing
the Establishment's concert venues. New York, Washington D.C.,
and Los Angeles are not on the schedule.

But Grand Rapids Michigan and Cincinnati and Columbus
Ohio are , along with Sioux City Iowa, Sioux Falls South Dakota,
Reno Nevada, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, and (importantly),
Ft. Hood Texas. Among big cities, Phoenix, Minneapolis,
Dallas, and Salt Lake City will also welcome the tour.

Places populated by Real Americans, dealing with real
problems that for the most part they didn't create.

And this is what has driven the "Chattering Classes"
(including faux-conservatives Ross Douthat and David Brooks)
bonkers.

To begin with, they pointedly weren't invited to participate.
You don't have to be a rocket scientist to see how that's playing
in New York editorial offices or Washington salons.

And second,( even among so-called conservative pundits), the
lack of "specifics" has all these great thinkers tied up in knots.

And here is where I am going to differ with the rest of
"punditocracy". At this stage of the game, the specifics
aren't important - but "rallying the base" IS.

So Sarah, here's my advice.

First of all, look at the calendar. It's three years
to the general election - and twenty-five months until
Iowa and New Hampshire. And if history is any guide,
the issues that will dominate that campaign may be totally
different from the issues we face now.

Rolling out early with "specifics" has really helped presidential
contenders - you can ask Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney and
Fred Thompson about that. All that does is set you up to be a
target to be shot at by those who would never support you
anyway.

So , this is the time to be developing Broad Themes -
the ones that will play to the audience that has already
embraced you. And you should roll these themes out
one at a time, carefully, after the book tour.

And what should these themes be? The ones that have
always played well to Real Americans and conservatives
everywhere in all places, at all times.

Low Taxes. Limited Government. Sound Money.
Individual Responsibility and Initiative.

The specifics can come later. Trade policies that favor
America rather than China, India, Mexico or Brazil.
Immigration policies that reverse "The Silent Invasion"
from South of The Border. Banking reform that helps banks
on Main Street and punishes the crimes of banksters on
Wall Street.

And, most importantly, no more wars where our
interests aren't threatened - unless it's to punish a country
that has struck at us. Which is why we should never have
invaded Iraq or Afghanistan - but rather have made Saudi Arabia
glow in the dark.

Do this - stick with the broad themes and fill in the details later -
and you'll be following in some pretty good company.

Fellow by the name of Ronald Reagan did pretty well with that
approach, as I recall. And if anything, the "Chattering Classes"
disliked him him even more than they do you.

So, I'm not counting you out - as I see it, you'll either get elected
or decide who does.

Not bad for a gal from Wasilla. Not bad at all.