By KATIE WILSON
STAFF WRITER
On January 19, Sarah Palin, the vice-presidential nominee of 2008 and former governor of Alaska, made a pit-stop in Ames, Iowa, swinging by the campaign rally of hopeful presidential candidate, Donald Trump.
After emerging on stage alongside Trump, Palin gave her full-fledged support to his presidential campaign, saying, “Are you ready for the leader to make America great again?”
Palin, who is no stranger to raucous, often rambling speeches, utilized her well-known tactics (referred to by CNN as Palin-isms) when speaking in favor of Trump. According to CNN, after referencing his well-known campaign premise of making America great again, she went on to make a 20-minute speech filled with praise for oil, gas, and Trump while simultaneously using phrases such as “pussy-footin’” and “holy rollers.”
Palin also went on to exalt Trump’s past history as a real estate mogul, referring to him as a “self-made man” who has the ability to rectify the so-called “failure” of President Barack Obama in his eight years as President.
As Trump and respective presidential candidate Senator Ted Cruz come head-to-head in state polls, Palin’s endorsement shines as a beacon of hope for Trump’s possible success in Iowa.
Palin represents the most prominent political backer of Trump’s campaign thus far. Although it is currently unclear how Palin’s support will impact Trump’s campaign in the coming months, it is a definite possibility that her endorsement may garner the vote for Trump in Iowa.
According to the NY Times, in addition to being a favorite of both the grass-roots conservative movement and the Tea Party, Palin carries a far amount of sway in Iowa, where she has created strong networks over the years.
Strangely enough, prior to Palin’s public endorsement of Trump, presidential hopeful Senator Cruz ignored rumors of her impending support, and proceeded to speak quite highly of the former Alaskan governor, saying, “Regardless of what Sarah decides to do in 2016, I will always remain a big, big fan of Sarah Palin.”
Cruz then went on to state that he felt Palin’s possible support of Trump would actually negatively affect her in the long-run, as Trump’s non-solidified stance on many conservative issues could greatly shake her conservative backers.
Although the long-term effects of Palin’s endorsement of Trump’s campaign remain to be seen, it is safe to say that her support has the possibility of tilting the scales in favor of presidential hopeful Donald Trump.