The Republican gathering today in Columbia, South Carolina, the Palmetto Freedom Forum, hosted by South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint, Iowa Congressman Steve King, and Professor Robert George of Princeton University, was very revealing as to just how far Right the Republican Party has swung.
Anyone not of that persuasion would feel dismayed and disturbed by the tone of the gathering, but without Texas Governor Rick Perry present, due to wildfire problems in Austin and other areas of Texas, it seemed that Michele Bachmann, who went first, may have made the best impression for those who believe her views.
One thing is clear: Even if one dislikes Michele Bachmann and her views, she knows how to present her arguments and views without notes and in clear statements, and has certainly done her “homework”, unlike former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, who never seems to know what she is talking about, and just utilizes applause lines, rather than presenting substance and indications of knowledge of facts!
It is also interesting that no one at the forum suggested the elimination of corporate income taxes, although they all favored lowering of those taxes, while Palin, in her Iowa speech on Saturday, made the crazy suggestion of the total end of that tax!
Anyone paying attention today would find it difficult to imagine Sarah Palin competing on an even plane with Bachmann or any of the other participants, as she would not have any substance or detail that would make her look serious as a candidate! So, while she teases supporters in Iowa and today in New Hampshire with her rhetoric, and the hint she might run, it is hard to imagine her getting into the game of serious preparation and thoughts needed for a Presidential campaign!