(NEWHAVENREGISTER)— If you ask Paul Streitz, it’s never too early to start planning for the future, especially if your hope for the future is to see Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin run for president — and win — in 2012.
So, over coffee, pie and burgers at Denny’s restaurant on Sawmill Road Tuesday night, Streitz held the first community "Sarah meet-up" for supporters of the former Republican vice presidential candidate to get together and talk about the future.
Never mind the fact that newly elected President Barack Obama has only been in office for 1½ months and the Republican Party is still picking up the pieces after its presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., lost in November.
"There is no ‘start time’ for an election. After November, I said, ‘Let’s get going on this,’" Streitz said.
And he did. Just weeks after the election, Streitz, who lives in Darien and is co-director of Connecticut Citizens for Immigration Control, co-founded the first federally registered committee with the goal of raising money to draft Palin for president in 2012. So far, the committee has collected about $3,000.
The 2012 Draft Sarah Committee is based in Colorado Springs, Colo., where the group’s other founder, David Kelly, lives, and officially filed paperwork Nov. 20 with the Federal Election Commission. The goal of the "meet-ups" is to provide a chance for like-minded people who want Palin to run in 2012 to get together and chat.
"Her values resonate with the American public," Streitz said Tuesday while fumbling through his bag looking for a "Vote Sarah Palin 2012" sticker for the newest arrival to the group.
Six people showed up for the gathering, most of them friends of Streitz’s who share his desire for tougher anti-immigration laws. Discussion shifted to various topics including Obama, conservative commentator Ann Coulter, illegal immigration and, of course, Palin.
"I think she’s a beautiful-looking woman," said North Branford resident Ted Pechinski.
"And she has a good brain to go with it," added Veronica Kivela of North Haven.
Kivela said she does not know who she will support in 2012, but she has great respect for Palin.
"She is a fine American. She’s just everything that we need in this country: An honorable woman who can stand with men," she said.
The group’s only newcomer, Jim Troyer, who resides in Bridgeport but lived for years in Arizona, said he can relate to her as a Westerner. He also praised her experience as governor.
"The thing I like best about her is she has international experience and she started at the very bottom and moved to the top," he said. When asked to elaborate, Troyer replied: "Her state does not border any other state. It borders Russia and Canada, and China isn’t too far away."
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