Ceci n'est pas une Sarah Palin Presidential Campaign Video

So today I saw this:

That swelling music. Those billowing flags. Those crowds of adoring, hopeful followers. That leader's hair, blowing gently in the winds of change . . . is it any wonder the political punditsphere has been atwitter all day about this latest SarahPAC video's strong resemblance to a campaign ad? A campaign ad of the presidential persuasion?

Sure, the video is titled "Tea Party" not "Sarah Palin 2012" but for a video ostensibly about a grassroots populist movement there sure are an awful lot of dramatic, compelling shots of an individual. Shots that happen to capture said individual being adored by crowds and speaking authoritatively at podiums. 

And then there's that one shot of a guy wearing a Vets4Sarah.net t-shirt and holding a sign that reads VOTE.

I'm not sayin'. I'm just sayin'.  

This is my own transcript of what Palin says during the Tea Party video:

The Tea Party movement is not a top-down operation. It's a ground-up call to action that is forcing both parties to change they way that they're doing business, and that's beautiful.

The soul of this movement is the people -- everyday Americans who grow our food and run our small businesses, teach our kids and fight our wars.

They're folks in small towns and cities across this great nation who saw what was happening and they got involved. And it's just so inspiring to see real people, not politicos, not inside-the-beltway professionals come out and stand up and speak out for common sense conservative principles.

Who can argue? A movement that is about the people -- government is supposed to be working for the people -- that is what this movement is about.

This party that we call the Tea Party is the future of politics and I am proud to get to be here today.

A lot of Palin's voiceover seems to have been adapted from her keynote speech at the so-called National Tea Party Convention held in Nashville this past February. Notably, Sarah Palin heavily edited this this line from the February Tea Party speech:

And in that spirit, I caution against allowing this movement by be defined by any one leader or politician. The Tea Party movement is not a top-down operation. It’s a ground-up call to action that is forcing both parties to change the way they are doing business, and that’s beautiful. This is about the people! This is about the people, and it’s bigger than any king or queen of a Tea Party.

Hmm. Has someone's opinion on defining the Tea Party movement by one leader changed?

Further stoking speculation about a 2012 run: this week on the Greta Van Susteren show, when asked if she would consider running for president, Palin responded, "If nobody else wanted to step up, Greta, I would offer myself up in the name of service to the public."

What I find most fascinating about Sarah Palin's latest hints at a 2012 candidacy is not the simple idea that she might run for President -- I mean, really, ever since she quit as Alaska's governor halfway through her term Palin has been hinting that she might run.

What I find most fascinating is that this video seems to suggest that Palin might run as a Tea Party candidate if the Republican Party rejects her. 

"It's a ground-up call to action that is forcing both parties to change they way that they're doing business," she says. "And that's beautiful." Then, "This party that we call the Tea Party is the future of politics "

Note that, in this video that so many are hailing as Sarah Palin's unofficial presidential campaign ad, she never once mentions the Republican Party by name.

Comments

[Cynematic]

Ha--she removed the one line that cautions others against self-serving people like her.

I've come to the depressing conclusion that she'll run in 2012, because it's the cheapest way to be on a reality show without having to have a single network greenlight it. And of course winning is beside the point--the non-stop publicity, more bookd sold, and fat corporate donations to her campaign will be the point.

I think I'm going to throw up now.

[Lisse]

Heh heh!

Run, Sarah, Run!

[Air Jordan 13]

JO JO JO JO LOVE THIS POST!

[elizabeth auto glass]

The people has thought of doing it the right way. Let's unite!