An Open Letter to Sarah Palin

by: Scottie Hughes
You are beginning to worry me. I am afraid you are losing touch with the people of whom your fame is based. I, after all, was one of your biggest supporters once. I am thrilled that you get invitations to go to NBA games, that you display your Chick-fil-A shirt, and that you go and support your daughter and her celebrity friends on Dancing with the Stars.
But at CPAC last week you made a rush for the exits. After you gave an inspiring speech where you said to a thrilled audience, “At a time when our country is desperate for leadership, we get instead a permanent campaign“. Instead of coming out and shaking the hands of those who you inspire, you quickly left the building without even a second glance.
You called out the liberal media as being unashamed, so at least you took notice of them. Not so for those of us on the right who had hoped that the woman from Wasilla, Alaska might understand our plight and give us a chance to engage one of the top names in the movement.

We were, to put it bluntly, disappointed. And while I wish this was a solo occurrence, unfortunately this seems to be your pattern.
I know we in the Tea Party movement don’t throw the best parties or live the most glamorous lives, but we are the ones who faithfully donated to the McCain campaign once you joined the ticket. We are the ones who defended you publicly when the liberal media made fun of you and when your own campaign advisors turned on you. We are the ones who add you and your family to our prayers every night at bedtime.
Yet it seems those in Hollywood who have made their money making you the butt of their jokes get more of your attention than the movement you helped inspire.
As a working mother in political journalism, I always looked to your journey as a source of inspiration. It was a testament to the fact that a woman can use her professional talents and not let her family suffer. The other side wants to make female conservatives feel like we are put in binders and that our party doesn’t encourage women to grow in our careers.

Whether it is Dr. Rice, Rep Bachmann, Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin and legions of others, time and time again conservative women prove this statement to be false. But what makes us different is that women on our side are not afraid to come off the stage and get involved with the people they claim to represent and champion.
Our party does not need another “celebrity.” One of the best attributes of today’s Republicans is that we do not hide behind the curtain and only come out to chat when there is a teleprompter present. The American conservative wants an honest and humble spokesman unafraid to mill about with real people, to listen.
The continued backhanded slaps you keep giving talk radio and bloggers makes me think we are in an abusive situation. Our wounds are starting to get too deep to cover with band aids. Your beloved Tea Party has come under attack from both parties. Our activists are battle worn and weary, but words and actions from leaders like you can give us the strength to keep fighting.
I beg of you in the next few weeks to try and find time to spend with those of us on the grassroots level. The power of conservative activists is always underestimated. You of all people should understand our power. You are at a critical inflection point of either being forgotten or being relevant to the political landscape by the activists who have been your lone defenders over the past four years.