Las Vegas (CNN) – Though Sarah Palin has recently endorsed several political candidates, she has yet to give an official nod to Mitt Romney. And on Friday, as she rallied conservative bloggers toward “victory in 2012” –- Palin didn’t even mention Romney’s name.
The former Alaska governor gave the keynote speech on the opening night of the RightOnline conference in Las Vegas -– a gathering of conservative leaders and new media activists. About 1,000 people descended on the city to attend the group’s fifth annual event.
Much of Palin’s speech was aimed at encouraging the grassroots activists ahead of the November elections.
“Without you there probably wouldn’t be a tea party movement,” Palin said. “Thus no 2010 electoral victory, thus no hope for victory in 2012.”
She did not mention Romney as part of that potential victory.
Palin has praised Romney in the past. At one point during the Republican primary, she told Fox News anchor Chris Wallace that Romney was “a great candidate.” Yet during that same interview, Palin took some swipes at the former Massachusetts governor.
"I trust that his idea of conservatism is evolving, and I base this on a pretty moderate past that he has had, even in some cases a liberal past,” Palin said. "I am not convinced [of Romney's conservatism] and I don’t think that the majority of GOP and independent voters are convinced.”
During the primaries, Palin spoke well of Newt Gingrich, admitting in March that she voted for the former House Speaker in Alaska’s caucuses. More recently, Palin’s political action committee, SarahPac, has listed her endorsements of Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch in his re-election battle, and senate hopefuls Ted Cruz of Texas, Deb Fischer of Nebraska and Richard Mourdock of Indiana.
Palin could help Romney, indirectly, in other ways. One way: firing up the base and possibly independents with a steady diet of anti-President Obama red meat.
While accusing the mainstream media of not properly vetting the president, Palin said: “We would have known, had the media done its job, of his strange attraction to the most leftist -– radical of leftist ideas.” And seizing on a hot button issue, the former Alaska governor charged, “If [the news media] had done their job, perhaps we would not be shocked to know that our White House would politicize national security by leaking highly confidential information to prop up the polls.”
Last week, the president broadly dismissed such claims.
"The notion that my White House would purposely release classified national security information is offensive, it's wrong, and people, I think, need to have a better sense of how I approach this office and how the people around me approach this office," Obama said.
Palin was also relentless in her attacks against the media. Large chunks of her speech were devoted to blasting reporters for, what she called “lies.”
“According to news reports over these years, shoot, by now - I guess I should’ve been divorced how many times?” Palin said. “And under FBI investigation. And living in Montana. Or the Hamptons. Lately it’s been the Hamptons. It is still a great mystery: who really is Trig Paxon Van Palin’s real mother?”
Meanwhile, some of Palin’s zings were directed at members of her own party.
As she hailed last year’s pro-Gov. Scott Walker rallies in Wisconsin, Palin said: “Remember, while we were in Wisconsin defending tough, needed fiscal reform, some back in the establishment in [Washington] D.C., they were already walking back their promises to cut $100 billion dollars from deficit.”
In the 2010 midterm elections, House Republicans promised to cut $100 billion in spending, something they did not achieve.
“The permanent political class broke promises that they never intended to keep,” she said.
And as she praised the work of the conservative bloggers and new media activists – calling them “an army of Davids against the Goliath of the old media that still wants to deceive” - Palin urged them to keep their grassroots street cred.
“Whatever the outcome is in November, please do not get co-opted by the permanent political class,” Palin said. “You need to stay outside of the machine…stay outside the political establishment in order to hold them accountable.”
Palin did attempt to lighten the mood during her speech. At one point, she used a play on words between polls - and poles.
Now here we are in Vegas, and you know – like in Vegas – and in Washington too, they talk a lot about polls. There are a lot of poles in Vegas,” Palin said, eliciting laughter from the crowd.
“The White House likes to cite polls in their recent reports - especially because the figures involved in those polls are usually augmented, too.”
Also see:
Back in the spotlight, Cain invokes rabble-rousing routine
Romney bus tour's immigration detour
From CNN Politics
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CNN, do us a favor, by not showing this wicked lady, no sense talker....
Who cares
She couldn't get anyone to take her seriously if she was 'serving up' lemonade in the middle of a desert. She's good for comic relief and nothing more.
Once again CNN, 98% of Americans don't care what Sarah Palin thinks so why do you insist in giving her any news coverage? Big deal, she spoke to a crowd of 1,000 people. That hardly makes her or anything she has to say relevant.
Give it up Sarah. Only idiots take you seriously...
Who cares if she mentioned Romney? It's a done deal. Romney is just the turnaround specialist this country needs. If he has a strong majority in the House and Senate, he can save this country. Of course, the far left Democrats will fight him every step of the way because they want us to go the path of Greece and Spain, bankrupt and 20% unemployment.
This article is very discombobulated. The author tried to put in too much information. Ms Palin is often all over the spectrum when she speaks but this article made it look worse than usual.
This was not one of Ms. Palin's better speeches. Wish I had read all of the reports about her and her family. Unfortunately or may be fortunately, the media reports that I read do not include that information. The gossip columns and the gossip programs on the networks may talk about her but I do not think they go looking for info but rather respond to info about the Palins.
It defies logic that anyone still pays any attention to this airbag. She will not go away and give us all a break while stupid organizations like the one in Vegas continue to pay her to mouth off her simplistic crap!
Some one tell me why this person is still in the news? She is a wanna be and a has been.
No class, this woman. Has there ever been anyone else who's introduced so much sexual innuendo and baseness into the political conversation? "Polls" vs. "poles." "WTF." "Cajones." "Big boy pants." "Panties in a bunch." Usually followed by "Jesus." What a weirdo. I am soooo grateful and believe that it's divine providence that her popularity is waning.
It's ironic to hear one of the biggest liars around complaining about anyone else lying. And it's also ironic to hear someone who purports to be so religious having no problems breaking the commandment about not bearing false witness.
Serves up "Red Meat" to the "pale end" of American Politics!!!
This person couldn't be funnier...She is the "laughing stock" of the "rest of the world"!!!
“If [the news media] had done their job, perhaps we would not be shocked to know that our White House would politicize national security by leaking highly confidential information to prop up the polls.”
Unless you have proof of that Palin then you had better shut up with you own lies that you accuse others of.
1000 people descended on the city??? Wow, how did they find room in Vegas for a megacrowd like that???
Palin IS red meat...
Red meat is bad for you.
So is Palin.
There she goes again like Ronald Reagan said.... what an empty vessel she is.... pretty, but still an empty vessel....
Romney should schedule more joint appearances with Palin. She is a good reminder to independents and moderates why they should NOT vote for the GOP/Tea Party presidential ticket.
Palin and other Tea Party Republicans don't like Romney and don't think much of him. On Election Day, the rest of America will follow suit.
Who's Palin?
This sad excuse for a women continues to speak dribble with references to tired hackknee sound bites. Lame Media has become Old Media (like she is even aware of what New Media would be) and Political Class is more about Romney and the Bush family than it is about the President.
Sarah....go away
Why does the media prop this woman up by putting her in the news again? She can only deliver vicious sound bites, and revels in portraying herself as a victim. Why doesn't the GOP squash her? Thank heavens I am a Democrat, and will be voting for Obama, again.
I'm sure the "WrongOnLine" crowd ate this drivel up, but noone else is listening to our twisted sister Sarah.
Palin? Who's Palin?
I doubt Sarah Palin has the influence she once had...therefore I believe she has very little say in the 2012 presidential election. At this point, she is only a diminishing media story. Thanks CNN for playing into the hype of an otherwise irrevelent political personality.