Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin energized and rallied thousands of conservative activists with a thunderous attack on President Obama Saturday, closing out the Conservative Political Action Conference by uniting the crowd in a way that none of the party’s presidential contenders could.
Palin, the Republican Party’s 2008 vice presidential nominee and Tea Party darling, didn’t endorse any of the four contenders still vying for the right to challenge Obama in the fall, but she made clear that she doesn’t think it should be the man now favored to win, Mitt Romney.
Just minutes after the former Massachusetts governor won the CPAC straw poll, Palin cautioned the crowd that “our candidate must be someone who can instinctively turn right to constitutional conservative principles.” She said the divisive nominating race should continue as long as needed to produce that conservative nominee.
Palin never mentioned Romney by name. But her remarks mirrored the criticism of many activists at the three-day conference that Romney isn’t truly a conservative, but a moderate saying and doing whatever he needs to do to win over skeptical Tea Party members.
“It’s too late to teach it or to spin it,” said Palin, whose husband, Todd, endorsed former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, one of the candidates overtly appealing to conservatives on the grounds that Romney doesn’t represent their values.
Still, if Romney wins the nomination, the party must “work together to get him over the finish line” with the ultimate goal of defeating Obama, Palin said.
Palin’s trademark one-liners and repeated swipes at Obama delighted and energized the crowd after two days of dissent and disagreement. Besides giving voice to conservative concerns about the Republican presidential contenders, Palin also echoed activists’ sentiments toward congressional Republicans, who conservatives believe have been too quick to compromise with Obama and unresponsive to Tea Party concerns.
Palin’s 35-minute speech was repeatedly punctuated by resounding applause. But it was also interrupted by Occupy DC protesters, who attempted to shout out a list of grievances before being ushered out while CPAC attendees shouted them down with chants of “U-S-A! U-S-A!”
But many were left wondering who Palin would pick if she had her way. Those who lined up to hear her speak outside the Marriott Wardman Park Ballroom were eager to see if she would declare a favorite.
“I would be upset if she didn’t,” said Tyler Dandrea, a student at East Carolina University. “Then I would think she’s looking for something rather than taking a stand.”
If Palin remains neutral in this year’s presidential race, after already deciding against a run of her own, her supporters worry she would risk becoming irrelevant within the Republican Party.
“This race is so important, if she doesn’t get involved and put her energy, which we love, behind a candidate, she is undermining her effectiveness,” said Stacy Carey, a mother of four from Loudoun County. Carey said she was surprised Palin has not thrown her weight behind conservative former Sen. Rick Santorum, who is surging in the race after winning three nominating contests last week.
Instead, Palin reserved Saturday for bashing Obama over the job he’s doing as commander in chief and in handling the economy, rallying conservatives to vote in droves this November.
“The conservative movement,” Palin declared at the conference’s close, “has never been stronger or brighter.”
