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chefdennis · 08-20-2009, 09:20 PM

Hmmm....maybe another strong independent woman to intimate the libs??? lol, looks like it!!

The Next Sarah Palin?

by Liz Goodwin

The Next Sarah Palin? - Page 1 - The Daily Beast

Quote:

Kelly Ayotte, New Hampshire’s GOP rising star, is a folksy, gun-loving mother of two who has her eyes on a Senate seat. And, you betcha, she married a dude who puts Todd to shame.

Shortly after a relatively unknown New Hampshire attorney general, Kelly Ayotte, resigned her post last month to consider a run for U.S. Senate, New Hampshire Democrats ran an ad comparing Ayotte to Sarah Palin. In the ad, the song “Two of a Kind” plays in the background as Ayotte states her desire to resign in order to pursue higher office. Text fills the screen: “Both Palin and Ayotte put politics before the public.” The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee ran a similar ad in July, comparing Ayotte to Palin and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, calling them all “quitters.”

So why are Democrats spooked by a 41-year-old attorney general from New Hampshire? Maybe it’s because they’re worried Ayotte, with her budding star power and folksy charm, might actually be another Sarah Palin, a star who rockets out of nowhere. With the national GOP desperate to replace outgoing Sen. Judd Gregg with a Republican—and desperate for any Senate victory, for that matter—Ayotte may prove to be the party’s best prospect.

Ayotte is “untested,” said one GOP consultant, “so the name Sarah Palin comes to mind—you never know exactly what the end result will be.”

“She’s an absolute up-and-comer,” says one Republican political consultant. “She’s charming, nice, and polite. She’s untested, so the name Sarah Palin comes to mind—you never know exactly what the end result will be.” In a sign of Ayotte’s potential, the GOP consultant asked that his Palin comparison not be made on the record because he hopes to work with Ayotte in the future.

Democrats have a tight hold on New Hampshire’s top offices and have been incredibly successful in the state for the past two voting cycles. Judd Gregg’s decision to retire means Republicans are anxious to break their losing streak by beating the major Democratic challenger, Rep. Paul Hodes, in 2010.

New Hampshire political analyst Dean Spiliotes said Ayotte is definitely a rising star, but it’s unclear how she will do out on the stump. As New Hampshire’s nonpartisan attorney general for the past five years, Ayotte’s national profile was largely defined by a case she took to the Supreme Court, successfully defending New Hampshire’s parental-notification law for abortions.

“She’s young, she’s got a nice family, two little kids, married, photogenic, articulate, etc…” Spiliotes said. “All the things you want in a candidate. And she’s fresh. A lot of other Republican candidates have already lost other races. The flip side is, we don’t know much about her as a campaigner.”

There are small glimpses of what Ayotte might look like on the trail. Last week, she made her first public appearance since resigning, where she charmed local Republicans in Wolfeboro with her commitment to gun rights and condemnation of abortion, stimulus spending, and nontraditional marriage—views Republicans were anxious to hear her express. She “struck a local note,” according to one publication, by saying she formed her political approach as a busgirl at a local restaurant, Mame’s.

“And at that restaurant I learned that listening is the most important thing to serving your customers well,” she said. It reminded one of Palin’s talent of mixing the personal with the political.

When asked about her views on abortion, Ayotte invoked her two children under age five. And her background is almost as charmingly woodsy as Palin’s seemed a year ago. Ayotte is the wife of Joseph Daley, a National Guardsman and Iraq war vet, who “founded a small landscaping and snowplowing business,” according to the Concord Monitor. He’s got the earthiness of Todd without any obvious separatist tendencies.

The potential pitfall for Ayotte, as a Washington Times profile noted, is that she might be too D.C.-groomed for New Hampshire, which tends to flaunt its flintiness and independence. The National Republican Senatorial Committee is holding a fundraiser for Ayotte in late September in Washington, with attendees expected to contribute between $500 and $2,000 each. She already has a high-profile campaign manager straight from the Hill, Brooks Kochvar, who was Rep. Michelle Bachmann’s (R-MN) chief of staff, as well as a former K Street lobbyist on her staff. Even the state’s Republican Party Chairman John Sununu—himself a former D.C. macher—told the Times he hopes the NRSC “understands that New Hampshire doesn’t really respond well to having candidates designated from outside the state.”

In fact, New Hampshire Democrats say it is Ayotte’s appearance as a national-party puppet that led them to draw the comparison with Palin.

“She’s more at the whim of her D.C. handlers, much like Sarah Palin,” said the state party’s spokeswoman, Victoria Bonney. “She’s not standing up for what she believes in.” Bonney pointed out that Ayotte had come out against gambling frequently as attorney general, while a recent fundraising event she attended was underwritten by Foxwoods Casino. Dean Spiliotes said the Dems are hitting Ayotte hard early on, so they can define her before she has a chance to promote her own image.

But Ayotte is already doing well, according to a University of New Hampshire poll, which had her leading her opponent, Paul Hodes, by 39 percent to 35 percent. Another poll by Research 2000 for the liberal Daily Kos Web site had the two at a tie. It’s the kind of numbers that would make even Sarah Palin blush.

Liz Goodwin has written for the New York Sun, GothamSchools, the Tico Times, and Fodor's Travel Guides.

muttly · 08-20-2009, 11:03 PM

Sounds like an excellent candidate. Hope she wins,but it might not be easy. A lot of libs live in NewHampshire.

chefdennis · 08-20-2009, 11:09 PM

Muttly wrote:

Quote:

Sounds like an excellent candidate. Hope she wins,but it might not be easy. A lot of libs live in NewHampshire.

read here:

Now This is Hope & Change to Believe in!!!

Tennesseahawk · 08-21-2009, 01:32 AM

I stopped reading around the second paragraph. The Republicans don't need to find a star, they need to just let it happen. The right person will show themselves without the media giving their two-faced blessing (as they did with McCain/Palin). Thus, this new candidate will not have a deer in the headlights look when the media suddenly turns on him/her, as he/she will expect it - and have a well thought out response.

New Hampshire? I'm sorry, but as NH may be considered the "free-est state in the union", they still vote liberal. I don't know if I can trust someone from the New England political machine.

One other thing... the next Sarah Palin??? Christening someone the next "political fad who got mauled by community organizing and the main stream media" does not sound like anyone is hopeful of this chick winning... just taking center stage until she loses. Maybe a couple spots on SNL?...

RLENT · 08-21-2009, 02:51 AM

Insightful take Hawk .....

mjolnir131 · 08-21-2009, 04:43 AM

i think Palins biggest hurrdle was one of americas short comming,we like to think we are progressive but in truth we are not ready for a POTUS that would be a pilf sorry.

Turtle · 08-21-2009, 05:13 AM

That's very sexist and narrow minded only from the male point of view. Bill Clinton was clearly a pilf for most of the women (and a few men, I suspect). The trouble is in finding a Republican who can be a pilf. The Republicans haven't had that since Reagan, who was one hunka-hunka burnin' well, you know.

mjolnir131 · 08-21-2009, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turtle

That's very sexist and narrow minded only from the male point of view. Bill Clinton was clearly a pilf for most of the women (and a few men, I suspect). The trouble is in finding a Republican who can be a pilf. The Republicans haven't had that since Reagan, who was one hunka-hunka burnin' well, you know.

exactally my point it's ok for a male POTUS to be that sexy not so ok for a female.we are not as advaned s we think we are

Tennesseahawk · 08-21-2009, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turtle

That's very sexist and narrow minded only from the male point of view. Bill Clinton was clearly a pilf for most of the women (and a few men, I suspect). The trouble is in finding a Republican who can be a pilf. The Republicans haven't had that since Reagan, who was one hunka-hunka burnin' well, you know.

Ok... I'll rephrase it in my words... America isn't ready for a MILF to be president. We showed we weren't ready for a cackling banshee or a raised zombie, either. I don't think we were really ready for a black man either, because of the guilt thing that was placed on us. People are realizing that, and the buyer's remorse is sweeping the nation. America needs to get over this rockstar mentality. We're electing a president... not a lead singer for POTUS - the Band.

chefdennis · 08-21-2009, 12:12 PM

TH wrote:

Quote:

We're electing a president... not a lead singer for POTUS - the Band.

some just elected a rockstar...or was it the messiah..........

hdxpedx · 08-21-2009, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chefdennis

TH wrote:

some just elected a rockstar...or was it the messiah..........

NO!! The MAIN EXTREAM MEDIA's pick!! Remember ALL the NEWS TRUCKS took the Chicago 294 BYPASS between Toledo - JOE THE PLUMBER-- Straight to Alaska , to attack the PALIN FAMILY!