Sarah Palin's GOP shakeup

last updated 8 January 2015

Sarah Palin clearly isn't afraid to ruffle feathers at the top of the Republican Party, said Allahpundit in Hot Air. The former GOP vice presidential candidate is endorsing stalwart conservative Doug Hoffman over the moderate GOP candidate, Dede Scozzafava, in an upstate New York congressional race. "More interesting than the endorsement, though, is her derisive reference to 'political machines'" -- take that, party leaders.

This is just the latest proof, said Chris Cillizza in The Washington Post, "that the former Alaska governor's allegiance is to her conservative principles rather than the edicts" of the Republican Party. Powerful Republicans are choosing sides in a race that is turning into a fight "control of the direction of the national party." And that debate may continue into the 2012 presidential primary if Sarah Palin runs against establishment Republicans, such as Mitt Romney and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

Sarah Palin certainly gave her "reemergence" a boost by backing Doug Hoffman, said Steve Chaggaris in CBS News. Now there will be "even more chatter about this race being a fight for the future of the GOP; conservative vs. moderate, etc. -- and Palin's name will be front and center. Conservatives see this as their big chance to derail a moderate and show that GOP success requires moving to the right -- but it's more likely that Hoffman will just derail Dede Scozzafava's chance at winning, handing the Democrats another House seat.