VERY BAD DECISION BY PALIN - STUMPING FOR McCAIN

Sarah Palin has lost me. Up to this point, she was the only potential candidate in the current field of likely Republican nominees for president in 2012 that had my support. She's now off the short list. It has been announced that she will stump for moderate John McCain not in his race against whoever his Democrat opponent will ultimately be but during the primary.

That's not ok. Former Republican congressman J.D. Hayworth has been seriously mulling a run for McCain's seat. Unlike progressive John McCain, Hayworth is a staunch conservative and having Palin stump for McCain doesn't help Hayworth's chances but it may eventually hurt Palin with conservatives - it has with this one.

CNN reports:

Sarah Palin, McCain's former running mate and perhaps the most powerful brand in Republican politics, will stump for McCain in Arizona on March 26 and 27, a Palin adviser told CNN. The presence of Palin - and the considerable crowds and media attention she will draw - might give pause to J.D. Hayworth, the former Republican congressman and radio host who opposes McCain's position on illegal immigration and is mulling a Senate run of his own.

In light of the extremely strong rise of conservatism, using the word unfortunate to describe Palin's pledged campaign support for McCain is an understatement. Yes, this is obviously her returning the favor for being chosen as McCain's running mate but she risks losing significant capital with the conservative movement. Palin is revealing her allegiance to conservatism by choosing this option to repay the unspoken debt to McCain.

If Palin is concerned about re-paying that debt, she should hold back any support or endorsement until AFTER the primary, if McCain wins. She doesn't have to support Hayworth but based on her having successfully ingratiated herself with the conservative movement, she absolutely should NOT put her support behind a progressive Republican, no matter what is owed to him or what his chances of winning without her.

When Palin resigned from the governorship, many questioned her resolve to stick to the job she signed on to. It hurt her chances with some Republicans. Her commitment to stump for John McCain against a true conservative like J.D. Hayworth, it will not only hurt her chances with conservatives, especially if the primary is close, it will cause people to wonder if she has the resolve not to let conservatism get trumped by political favors.

Support J.D. Hayworth

h/t to Free Republic