Dienhart: Our nation's welfare may depend on the 'Saracuda'

2010-07-26

By George Dienhart

Swing is more than just a dance, or a playground activity. Georgians saw an unprecedented swing during the Republican gubernatorial primary. Fifteen points of swing for Karen Handel, mostly at the expense of state insurance commissioner John Oxendine. According to a Mason-Dixon poll released on July 11th, Commissioner Oxendine held an eight point lead. Then something happened. The next poll showed Ms. Handel up by seven points.

That is a surge that would make General David Petraeus proud. In fact, the Handel surge was far less likely than our success in Iraq. As a former political consultant, I would first ask what Oxendine did to drop in the polls like that. A 15 point electoral swing doesn't occur very often, and certainly not without scandal. So what did "Ox" do?

Nothing. He worked the election as he had every other election. He kissed babies and shook hands. He made friends and was careful to make no new enemies. He was the consummate candidate. All was going well. So, if Ox didn't mess up, what did Ms. Handel do? She also kissed babies and shook hands, but that doesn't get you 15 points. Frankly, she could have pulled Falcons QB Matt Ryan out of a burning building and not picked up 15 points amongst Falcon fans, let alone likely voters.

Don't get me wrong -- I didn't vote for Oxendine. I actually voted for Handel. I'm a conservative, and I like Handel's stance on just about everything. My intent is not to belittle her achievement. My intent is to give credit where credit is due, but there is more to it than that.

I also want to tweak some liberal noses. The tweak comes with a message, and the message is beware of the dog. The swing occurred after the self-affirmed pit bull in lipstick, Sarah Palin, endorsed Ms. Handel. After the endorsement, Handel was the beneficiary of a 15 point bump in the polls. The 'Saracuda' struck again, this time leaving Oxendine gutted and bleeding out in Lake Lanier. There have been Saracuda attacks all across the nation, but none as bloody or important as this one.

While Commissioner Oxendine ponders his job options, Nathan Deal waits for the inevitable defeat. This may well be a done deal at this point. Former Governor Roy Barnes is not worrying about Nathan Deal right now. He may not even be worrying about Handel. I assure he is watching Sarah Palin's travel itinerary. When will she be back in Georgia? Will it be in November?

It's bad enough he is a Democrat trying to weather one of the angriest anti-liberal swells in recent times, but now he has to deal with a movement and it's default leader.

Movements are not something politicians want to be on the wrong side of, and Barnes is on the wrong side of the Tea Party. Angry conservatives are lining up their opponents and taking no prisoners.

Sara Palin knows this, and is happy to speak to the nascent movement. One sentence at a Tea Party event calling Handel a "pro-life, pro-constitutionalist with a can-do attitude" swung a primary. What is next?

Tea Partiers love Sarah Palin, but liberals loathe her. Barnes will likely now start attacking Handel and Palin. Not himself, at least not at first. His intermediaries will start making the same tired anti-Palin arguments, and then try linking them to Handel. Don't buy it. They are acting out of fear.

Liberals loathe Palin because she represents the things that they hate -- the vast part of this country that is not New York City or Los Angeles. States like Georgia, Texas, Kansas and Montana value life, liberty and small government. People here want low taxes and sensible immigration. People here understand that an unborn baby is still a baby. These beliefs are all shared by Sarah Palin. On top of that she, can clearly articulate these facts, and connect with the American people in a way that has not been seen since Ronald Reagan.

Sarah Palin actually has an advantage over Ronald Reagan -- the Tea Party movement. There was a clear conservative lurch to right in the 80s, but it was unorganized. Sarah Palin has an opportunity that has never before presented itself in American politics. She is not only the right person, in the right place at the right time. She also has the advantage of a ready made and organized army of volunteers ready to take up her cause -- so long as she stays true to their cause.

It's a two way street, but she is in the drivers seat.

I did a previous piece for this paper stating that I was leery of the tea partiers. Not for what they stand for, but for the damage they could conceivably do if they work outside the Republican Party. A third party movement would guarantee a second Obama term as President.
I can't support that. I can support a tea party movement that takes back our Republican Party and our country from destructive liberal politicians.

For now, the Tea Party movement seems to be heading in the right direction. They are working with, and winning elections for conservative Republicans. This makes it easy for me to throw my support to the tea partiers. We support the same low tax, pro-life, business friendly policies that will redirect this nation back to its roots. The tea party also supports the God-given freedoms we are in danger of losing. Most importantly, it supports the right candidates.

This is all important to a political movement. Palin is a great standard bearer -- if she takes on the role. Let's hope she does. The welfare of our nation may depend on it.


Dienhart is a Peachtree City resident. He is the current Commandant of the Marine Corps League's local detachment. He can be reached at george.dienhart@gmail.com, or follow him on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ResidentHack.

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