The Tar and Feathering of Sarah Palin....By The Republicans

Now that they have used her to their political benefit, the tables haved turned and the Republican Establishment is beginning to try and force Sarah Palin out of her position of power within the Republican Party. Here, for example, is Michael Gerson, former speechwriter for George W. Bush and conservative WaPo columnist:

In the past, Palin embodied the populist style of the Tea Party movement while espousing a fairly mainstream Republican ideology. On economic, social and foreign policy, Palin seldom strayed from a simplified, popularized Reaganism. The Mama Grizzly may have been ferocious, but her talking points came from the Heritage Foundation instead of from shadier corners of the right.

This election season called that perception into question. Palin's support for O'Donnell showed poor political judgment. But Palin went further, also endorsing Constitution Party gubernatorial candidate Tom Tancredo in Colorado, one of the most divisive figures in American politics.

Tancredo has made a career of fanning anti-immigrant resentment and lobbing ideological grenades. The people who voted Barack Obama into office, in his view, "could not even spell the word 'vote' or even say it in English." The National Council of La Raza is "a Latino KKK without the hoods or the nooses." Miami is a "Third World country." Pope Benedict's embrace of immigrants is all about "recruiting new members," in an attempt at "faith-based marketing." "The guy sitting in the White House," says Tancredo, is a greater threat to the Constitution than al-Qaeda. "If his wife says Kenya is his homeland, why don't we just send him back?"

It was one of the best outcomes of Election 2010 that Tancredo was exiled from any position of public trust. But it is disturbing that Palin found Tancredo to be the "right man for the job." Her endorsement raises the question of whether Palin has any standards for her support other than anti-government rhetoric. Either as a power broker or a candidate in the 2012 election, Palin's increasingly erratic political judgment should raise Republican concerns.

Palin definitely scares the bejeebers out of the Republican 'good-old boys', as she calls them.  And for good reason.  She represents a political force within the party that is calling for real change and not just power (although I think she wants the Presidency for reasons of personal ambition too).  And the Republican Establishment really doesn't want change (small government, for example).  Indeed, it is now reverting back to its normative ruling posture, as seen during the eight years of the younger Bush, i.e. talking the talking, but not walking the walk, of small-government conservatism.  And it's very happy to use the Tea Party folks to its own benefit, but it is most certainly not going to adopt their political agenda!  How very cynical but true.

I think it is going to be very interesting how this relationship between the Republican Establishment and the Tea Partiers develops in the coming months.  Even more interesting will be how this all gets processed by the Fox News stable of personalities, Rush Limbaugh, etc.  VERY interesting.   I may be watching Fox News more than I anticipated just to enjoy this conservative contretemps!

(As I wrote yesterday, with both political parties in turmoil, I think the time is ripe for an independent candidate for President to come forth.  Cue the band, Michael Bloomberg.)