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Sarah Palin Advises Tea Partiers to Pick a Party, 'R' or 'D'

by Karen Hatter | February 18, 2010 at 08:39 am

288 views | 22 Recommendations | 5 comments

Following her well received appearance as the keynote speaker at the National Tea Party Convention held in Nashville, Tennessee, February 4 - 6, 2010, former governor of Alaska Sarah Palin addressed a group of Republican Party activists and those identified as Tea Party leaders in Arkansas on February 16, 2010.

Ms. Palin spoke of independent voters being an important part of the Tea Party movement, advising them it would be the "smart thing" to choose a party, 'R' or 'D', to be effective in the two Party system that exists in the United States.

Ms. Palin stated why she believed the Republican Party to be the best fit for those she advised to make a choice.

"Now the smart thing will be for independents who are such a part of this Tea Party movement to, I guess, kind of start picking a party," Palin said. "Which party reflects how that smaller, smarter government steps to be taken? Which party will best fit you? And then because the Tea Party movement is not a party, and we have a two-party system, they’re going to have to pick a party and run one or the other: ‘R’ or ‘D’."

Palin said that the Republican platform best meshed with the Tea Party’s creed. However, she mentioned that her husband Todd was not a registered Republican and that the party should be open to embracing independents.

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stejeb

at 09:02 on February 18th, 2010

Those independent teapartiers are going to finish up sorry for their movement being associated with this woman, she shouldn't be trying to push her political views on them, she should be listening to what they have to say, and acting on it in her political life, or get out of it and and stick with the republicans.

Roberto Alvarez-Galloso

at 12:28 on February 18th, 2010

Ms. Palin should also include an "L" for Libertarian since she and her husband once belonged to the Alaska Independence Party [a party which favored Alaskan Independence from the USA].

Rory Cripps

at 13:21 on February 18th, 2010

The main reason why a viable third party has not emerged in the U.S. is because of comments such as Palin's. I'm sick and tired of politicians and former politicians telling the American voters that the Democratic or Republican parties are the best bet for America.

Grace H

at 14:50 on February 19th, 2010

Here is a thought for the former gov--how about we allow the Independents to keep thinking for themselves. That way they wont be mired and bogged down by the insipidly rigid party dogma on both sides of the tracks.

On Political Parties:

"It serves to distract the Public Councils, and enfeeble the Public Administration....agitates the Community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one....against another....it opens the door to foreign influence and corruption...thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another." -- George Washington.

"Smart thing" or manipulative attempt at a power pull? Hopefully people will see through this idiocy and Palin will eventually fade to the politicial backburner.