Bristol Palin today posted on Bristol's Blog:

Americans experience “sticker shock” every time they go to the gas station to fill up their vehicle.  I certainly do. I drive a truck in Alaska.  Here, you have to drive something big and safe to meet the challenges of … Continue reading →

Retrieved from: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/bristolpalin/2012/04/it-costs-how-much/.

Bristol Palin today posted on Bristol's Blog:

The best thing about the holidays is getting together with family.  But when my family gets together, it’s a real crowd.  Here we are on Easter. One things for sure — we didn’t have to worry about the chocolate in … Continue reading →

Retrieved from: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/bristolpalin/2012/04/the-whole-fam/.

Governor Palin today posted on Facebook:

Real energy solutions shall be presented! Please join Eric Bolling and me as we host an energy special this Friday, April 13th at 10pm ET on FOX called “Paying at the Pump.” We’ll present real solutions to solve our country’s rising energy prices and relieve America’s pain at the pump. And, yes, there are real solutions! We’ll discuss them and invite President Obama – in fact we’ll challenge the President – to adopt them for the good of our country. The White House will have an opportunity to put partisanship and its stubborn lack of energy common sense aside to get a handle on these outrageous prices. Please tune in Friday night. The energy special will also re-air on Saturday and Sunday.

- Sarah Palin

 

Retrieved from: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150672044758435.

Bristol Palin today posted on Bristol's Blog:

Just now, Rick Santorum suspended his Presidential campaign, after a weekend at the hospital with his three year old daughter Bella. As you probably are aware, Bella was born with Trisomy 18 — a genetic disorder similar to Down syndrome … Continue reading →

Retrieved from: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/bristolpalin/2012/04/a-few-thoughts-about-rick-santorum-suspending-his-campaign/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-few-thoughts-about-rick-santorum-suspending-his-campaign.

Bristol Palin today posted on Bristol's Blog:

Easter is one of the most meaningful days of the year, made better if you’re surrounded by family and tradition. This year, I got together Easter baskets for Piper, Trig, and Tripp. Then Willow, my mom and I played the … Continue reading →

Retrieved from: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/bristolpalin/2012/04/easter-alaska-style/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=easter-alaska-style.

This week on The Palin Update with Kevin Scholla: Game over! Sarah Palin rocks 30 Rock and routs the 'Perky One' in the ratings. Plus Kevin talks with Thomas Schmitz, Chairman of the Board, American Grizzlies United. Also, Governor Palin praises passage of the STOCK act and she gives a thumbs up to John Stossel's new book. Listen NOW!

AGU Introduced and Showcased

Schmitz gave a brief history of American Grizzlies United (AGU), which was founded by Karen Allen in 2010. Organize4Palin (O4P) and Students4Palin (S4P) are both projects of AGU. O4P and S4P helped Gov. Palin's endorsed candidates by phone banking, walking precincts, installing signs on buildings and in the earth, and doing street visibility sorties. These volunteers, then documented their activities on various O4P and Palin-related sites. S4P grooms like-minded college students to be citizen activists and take the plunge into public service. "AGU is a grassroots organization dedicated organizing, educating, and training volunteers for American political elections. The O4P project helps candidates [who] are endorsed by Sarah Palin, and...AGU helps candidates endorsed by you, the people," Schmitz said.

AGU Resources

AmericanGrizzlies hosts a candidate list and resources for volunteers to use, specifically The Grizzly Doctrine and the Citizen Activism Guide.

"The Grizzly Doctrine: A Crib Sheet is an original manuscript. It provides a framework for discussion about honest, ethical policies. It's very basic. All Americans should expect this from our leaders. It doesn't just cover issues that Americans are concerned with. The manuscript helps educate ordinary citizen volunteers on the best way to approach potential voters, because it's so important to talk to people and to discuss the candidate's positions," Schmitz said.

"The Citizen Activism Guide showcases volunteerism, vetting, and organizing for your precinct," he said. Both resources are available as a free PDF download on the AGU website.

"We encourage people to use the resources to vet and help down-ticket candidates, who put country first, who understand that energy independence is a key element to our security, to our economic security, and a betterment that all Americans want and deserve; candidates [who] believe in American exceptionalism, and just good candidates who understand that above all our foreign policy should be founded in our national interests and not the interests of others," Schmitz said.

AGU Reviving Citizen Activism

Schmitz encouraged everyone to check the candidate list and the resources and start helping a candidate "you feel moved by." He said the AGU model has been highly successful and people have been contacting AGU asking how to help these down-ticket candidates. "It is really encouraging to see regular citizens calling us, texting us to get involved in the political process and bringing about real change. We don't really teach our children civics anymore, so this was kind of a refresher course for a lot of us," Schmitz said.

Scholla asked Schmitz which of the candidates he saw as being rising stars. "They're all stars...they're really putting it all on the line for their country," Schmitz said, but he noted that Josh Mandel, OH won his Senate primary. Now, Mandel is campaigning with Marco Rubio against Sen. Brown.

On the Importance of Down-Ticket Races

Scholla said there is a tendency to over-focus on the large national races and to neglect the smaller local ones. AGU, therefore, helps these lower-level candidates. Schmitz said that while everyone tends to focus on the Presidential race, we need to take the Senate and retain the House to ensure that whoever becomes the next President is working with common-sense Constitutional conservatives. The restoration to our founding principles must happen at all levels of government, Schmitz said.

Schmitz is a "born and raised native Californian who has gone through the various degrees of political activity" for his entire life. He's been very involved, complacent, and once again fully involved. He had been O4P's California State Coordinator and was appointed to AGU's Board of Directors in November 2011, and elected Chairman of the Board the following month.

Many Candidates' Ideas, Platforms Come from Sarah Palin's Facebook Page

"Why is it so important to keep Gov. Palin's message alive?" Scholla asked. He continued, "even if she is not running for office, I think she has tried to explain that to a lot of folks but some people think 'like well if you're not a candidate, we look to other things,' but isn't the reason a lot of us support Gov. Palin - it's her values, it's what she believes in? Is that what we're looking for in a lot of these other candidates?"

Schmitz responded, "oh absolutely, because it's restoration, not transformation that our country needs, and I think concerned citizens get that, and I also think many people running for office get that too - from the down-ticket all the way to the GOP Presidential field. Many of the ideas and platforms coming from these candidates can be found on Sarah Palin's Facebook Page....she's made a really big impact on this race across the board - outside of the race.

Bristol Palin today posted on Bristol's Blog:

I’ve mentioned before that I’m a pulling for Mark Ballas and Katherine Jenkins on this season’s Dancing with the Stars.  (How could I pull for anyone else?) But even I hadn’t made my decision about whom I’m supporting, I would’ve … Continue reading →

Retrieved from: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/bristolpalin/2012/04/a-dwts-waltz-celebrates-fatherhood/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-dwts-waltz-celebrates-fatherhood.

Governor Palin today posted on Facebook:

Happy Easter! Today Christians everywhere celebrate the risen Lord. In his sermon yesterday, Pope Benedict summed up the lessons of Easter quite simply: “Life is stronger than death.  Good is stronger than evil.  Love is stronger than hate.  Truth is stronger than lies.”

Our family’s annual Easter Egg Hunt was in newly fallen snow today that contributed to Alaska’s record-setting snow year. Thankfully most of the eggs we dyed were bright fluorescent colors – otherwise they’d stay camouflaged in the snow banks for another few weeks.

It’s 9pm now, the springtime sun is now up shining, but it’s time to make the kids come in and call it a day. Hope you had a great Easter! 

- Sarah Palin

Retrieved from: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150666542198435.

With a Servant's Heart

Six months to the day that former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin announced her decision to not run for President of the United States, LaDonna Hale Curzon, Executive Producer and host of Sarah Palin Radio interviewed me to discuss Gov. Palin's leadership style and methods. "So, what type of leader is Gov. Palin?" Curzon asked. "Gov. Palin's leadership falls into two classes: Transformational/Charismatic, and Servant Leadership. Both styles were defined in the late 1960s and early 1970s. If you load the US for Palin Accomplishments page, you will see the cover to the definitive book that was written about Transformational Leadership by Bernard Bass and Ronald Liggio." I continued,

"Transformational Leaders make their own continued leadership contingent upon the results they produce. They lead by example. They will never ask you to do something they would not do themselves. Self-sacrifice is a core behavior of transformational leaders. They do not pursue power for its own sake or seek popularity. They principally focus on vision and mission. They have a high degree of what in MBA-speak is called 'referent power' - what we in politics would call 'political capital' or 'influence.'" "Leadership means upholding the law and oath of office even when it contradicts core values. A perfect example was how Gov. Palin handled domestic partnership benefits in the early days when she took office. She looked to her state's constitution and would not veto the benefits, even though she was against them. The Constitution took precedence."

I also noted that Transformational Leaders purge and cleanse in every new position. They fire everyone who can in any way, shape or form undermine their mission and vision. Gov. Palin has done this in every position she's held.

"Servant Leaders have 10 characteristics: listening, empathy, healing, self-awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of people, and building community. Gov. Palin has every last one of these characteristics," I said.

Curzon asked, "How do Transformational and Servant Leaders differ from Conventional Leaders?"

"The principal bases of power for a conventional leader originate from formal title, reward, and punishment. A conventional leader is good if you want to maintain the status quo and keep things the way they are. Someone like Gov. Palin is brought in to overhaul a broken organization. When her work is complete, you bring in a conventional leader behind her to maintain the new status quo and she goes to climb her next mountain. Transformational Leaders don't stay long after they've done what they needed to do."

Political World View is Totally Divorced from Leadership

Curzon asked if political world view influences or affects leadership style. "It does not," I said. "They are completely divorced." I gave the example of Lopez Obrador, a candidate running to be President of Mexico. Obrador is a leftist, but he has many similar characteristics to Gov. Palin despite his politics being 180 degrees divergent from hers. When he was mayor of Mexico City, anyone with a concern could come to his office seven days a week during a time he set aside. Gov. Palin used to take calls at her home during all hours of the night from her constituents in all the offices she held. Obrador expanded Mexico City's main highway - the Viaducto among other capital improvement projects. As a candidate, he draws huge crowds and inspires his base. People travel far and wide just to have a few special moments with him - just like they do here with our Sarah. Leadership knows no political bounds."

Gov. Palin's Principal Base of Power

Curzon asked what Gov. Palin's principal base of power is. I answered, "referent - what we call 'political capital' and 'influence.' It is based on identification with the leader, respect, and trust. It makes people want to be with the leader. No title is needed to make a difference. This has been Gov. Palin’s power base since July 26, 2009, when she stepped down from office."

I recalled several interviews Curzon gave to people who had been in Pella, IA the day it took Gov. Palin two hours to walk 100 yards because she was swarmed by the crowd. "I was not in Pella, but I was at the Machine Shed and Indianola. At the Machine Shed, Gov. Palin's entire body was drenched in sweat within five minutes of her arrival, because we were all swarming around her. In Indiaonla, she walked the rope line twice." Curzon asked, "she walked it twice?" "Yes," I said. "Twice. She went to the left, and when it looked like she was going to leave, she turned around and came back to the right. She spent more time with us than on her own speech."

Even Non-Supporters and Enemies Recognize How Gov. Palin Inspires

I noted that Matt Lauer of the Today Show is not a supporter of Gov. Palin's. "Many Palinistas would argue that he is an enemy," I began. "But, even he recognized something, and I think most of us missed it....Lauer said, 'One thing that everybody realized was that you had the ability to stir the passion of your base. Governor Romney does not have that ability.' Gov. Palin responded that 'he will have that ability.'"

I interrupted my recitation of the exchange between Gov. Palin and Lauer, and continued, "Referent power - or political capital and influence if you prefer - is not something that is built overnight. It develops very slowly over time. When Sarah Heath was on the [high school] basketball court, she was not drawing large crowds. It sometimes takes a lifetime to build this, but you can lose it in mere seconds."

"Lauer - remember, he is not what you would call a supporter of Gov. Palin's - recognized this. Lauer asked, 'Where is it going to come from? Aren't you born with that?" Lauer's assumption that one is born with the power to influence is wrong. But his question about where it will come from is spot on. The power to inspire cannot be manufactured or contrived. The power to inspire does not magically and suddenly appear in a person. Romney cannot shake his Etch-a-Sketch and have crowds thousands strong ready to give him their all.

Gov. Palin predicted that once the nominee was chosen, voters would unite and coalesce behind him to oust Obama. It was her purported enemy who cut straight to Gov. Palin's base of power. Lauer in his final words on the subject asked, "But Governor Romney can - in your opinion - all of a sudden - develop that skill? He can get the guy sitting at a bar in Alabama or the woman working in a factory in Des Moines to feel he is one of them?"

Gov. Palin's responses to Lauer underscored her grace, humility and servant's heart - not pursuing power for its own sake. Though Lauer was clearly right about her power to inspire and Romney's lack of same, Gov. Palin did not use it as an opportunity to grandstand, showboat, toot her own horn, or go negative on a candidate. Instead, she she elevated Romney, even at her own expense.

October 5

Curzon asked, "Why does Gov. Palin’s October 5 decision make perfect sense when you understand what type of leader she is?"

"When you examine her decision from the standpoint of conventional leadership, it makes no sense. But, we know she is not a conventional leader. When you consider the core behaviors of Transformational Leaders - personal sacrifice - not pursuing power for its own sake - considering family in their proposed actions, Gov. Palin's decision makes perfect sense. Further, when pursuing a formal title, restrictions on discretion - that is freedom to undertake actions without consulting rulebooks or being answerable to anyone - is a contingency against that power. Listen to Gov. Palin's interview with Greta the week before the announcement. She spoke about being shackled. And her other oft-cited reason is family. She spoke about that in her announcement and in two speeches following. You interviewed the president of the Clare Booth Luce Institute who gave Gov. Palin an award for putting family first in this decision."

Curzon asked if it was possible to predict Gov. Palin's future decision based on her leadership style. I answered, "Yes and no. Let's get to the 'no' first. You cannot predict a precise action she will take such as running for an office or undertaking a major project. But, you can predict how she will behave under a given set of circumstances by applying the leadership theory, and also using what she has done before."

Finally, Curzon asked me, "what would you like to see her do?" "In my heart of hearts - I want to see the convention go open or brokered and she be nominated as a result. She is the best one for this job." It was a visceral response. I never got to say that I would support Gov. Palin no matter how she chose to reach her Summit, which is part of my position and part of a promise I made. No one knows what the future holds. While I expressed my preference, the preference that matters is not mine, but Gov. Palin's.

I will be on the air with Kevin Scholla, SarahNET Radio on April 13 to bring the subject of Gov. Palin's Leadership to his show.  

Curzon is the Executive Producer and Host of Sarah Palin Radio. Since Sarah Palin Radio was launched in 2008, the program has been covered on MSNBC, CNN, WUSA, "America's Morning News," Agence France-Presse TV, SVT Sweden TV, PJTV, United Press International,The Washington Times, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The New Yorker magazine and numerous blogs and radio shows. The executive producer and host was named "Worse Person in the World" by Keith Olbermann on his MSNBC show and acknowledged by Gov. Palin in her best-selling book Going Rogue.

Curzon is also the Associate Producer of US Tea Party Radio and a contributor to PJTV and Breitbart's Big Government and Big Hollywood.

Audio Transcript of Ron Devito Interview

Governor Palin today posted on Facebook:

Todd and I would like to wish our friends in the Jewish community a Happy Passover. Tonight Jewish families throughout the world will gather and ask, “Why is this night different from all other nights?” We can all reflect on the courage and faith inherent in the Exodus story and know that the Almighty hears the cries of those who suffer and leads them to freedom. Chag Sameach!

- Sarah Palin

Retrieved from: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150661536748435.

Governor Palin today posted on Facebook:

May we all have a peaceful and reflective Good Friday and remember what this day is all about. For Christians, this is a day of forgiveness – the ultimate day of forgiveness and mercy. In a recent blog post, Bristol explained this by quoting a lyric from a song: “After all, it’s not about what you’ve done, it’s about what’s been done for you.” Good Friday is about what was done for us. At her Catholic blog, National Review’s Kathryn Jean Lopez saw Bristol’s message and was reminded of something a priest friend told her: “live the present with God, leaving the past to His mercy and the future to His providence.”

The Living Bible’s translation of 1 Peter 3:24 promises that Christ suffered and overcame for us, and He is our example. And the Resurrection promise is “His wounds have healed ours.” That’s something to hold on to!

God bless you all on this Good Friday.

- Sarah Palin

Retrieved from: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150661268768435.

Bristol Palin today posted on Bristol's Blog:

As I settle into this new world of blogging, I thought it might be fun to have a weekly feature focusing on inspiration. What better day to begin than Good Friday! When life is tough — or even when it’s … Continue reading →

Retrieved from: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/bristolpalin/2012/04/what-keeps-me-going/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-keeps-me-going.

Governor Palin today posted on Facebook:

Today we saw a small step forward in reform with the signing into law of the STOCK Act. Though many of us feel that the bill was watered down and thus could have been much stronger, this is at least a small step in the right direction. Obviously, there is still a lot more we need to do to combat government corruption (especially in addressing the rampant crony capitalism in our government’s executive branch, which we see so clearly on display in the Obama administration). The best parts of this Act are a requirement for more immediate financial disclosure (with lawmakers required to disclose their trading activities every 45 days instead of just once a year) and a provision that outlaws sweetheart IPO deals like the ones Nancy Pelosi benefited from in the past.

Today’s reform victory wouldn’t have been possible without the great research done by Peter Schweizer in his groundbreaking book “Throw Them All Out” and the investigative reporting of “60 Minutes” based on Peter’s book. We applaud them, and look forward to the next steps in our movement to eradicate the cronyism and government corruption in DC.

- Sarah Palin

Retrieved from: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150657447093435.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Bristol Palin today posted on Bristol's Blog:

Hello, new blog friends!  I just wanted to congratulate my mother for doing a great job this morning hosting Today!  I laughed when she poked fun at herself by pretending to read all of those newspapers, a reference to that … Continue reading →

Retrieved from: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/bristolpalin/2012/04/ratings-change/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ratings-change.