DES MOINES, Iowa — After helping propel several upstart Republican contenders to recent primary victories, Sarah Palin said Friday that the primary season was over and it was time for Republicans to unite.
The former Alaska governor and 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee delivered a fiery speech to about 1,400 people at the Iowa Republican Party’s Reagan dinner, the party’s largest annual fundraiser. She warned that the elections are less than two months away and stressed Nov. 2 should be the focus of all Republicans.
“This is our movement; this is our moment,” she said. “The time for unity is near. It is time to unite and make government work.”
Her appearance in the state where precinct caucuses traditionally launch the presidential nominating season drew intense attention, but she found time to joke about it. If she laced up her running shoes, she said, the headlines would read: “Palin in Iowa, decides to run.”
Palin has been coy about her presidential intentions, and her name has been in the news since she resigned as Alaska’s governor in 2009. She has mixed political fundraisers and candidates’ campaign events with speeches in which she commands fees as high as $100,000.
A string of Palin-endorsed candidates won during recent primary elections, including a double win Tuesday in Delaware and New Hampshire. On Friday, she stressed that Republicans needed to come together after a tough primary season.
“Did you ever lose big growing up?” she asked the crowd. “You lose some and you win some. For the sake of our country, America’s primary voters have spoken, and those internal power struggles need to be set aside.”
Palin is far from alone in taking early steps to court Iowa activists. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has made multiple trips to the state, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has put a staff member in Iowa, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania all have visits in the works.
