Fresh off a disastrous, rambling performance at the Iowa Freedom Summit last month, Sarah Palin sought to win back skeptical conservatives with a sober CPAC speech on foreign policy and America’s “civilizational” war with radical Islam.
After an introduction by Marine Sgt. and Medal of Honor winner Dakota Meyer, the former Alaska governor strode onstage to deliver a stark tribute to America’s suffering, wounded warriors.
“In these 4 days at CPAC, 92 veterans will have taken their lives,” she said. “Bureaucracy is killing our vets. They’re losing hope.”
The crowd seemed to warm to Palin as the speech progressed, with the former governor — who has sometimes made headlines in the past for lacking focus in speeches – delivering a relatively-coherent, pointed critique of President Obama’s strategy to defeat the Islamic State and other forms of radical Islam.
“We must provide our troops the political will to win and the rules of engagement to win,” she said. “How many Americans are harmed today because of politically-correct rules of engagement?”
“Aside from God almighty, what’s only force that can keep these forces at bay?” Palin asked. “The only thing standing between us and savages — its the red, white, and blue! It’s the United States military!”
“We are in a long-term civilizational struggle against the forces of evil,” she warned, to raucous audience applause. “And if we’re going to beat them we better get serious about victory.”