The general election is going to be about Barack Obama IMO. Voters simply need to be comfortable enough with the GOP candidate to make the decision to fire him (assuming things are still rotten in 2012). If the economy has a reasonable recovery, Obama wins again.
No conservative Republican is going to be judged accurately until they go face to face with Obama. Reagan had the same problem against Carter. It wasn't until 8 days before the 1980 election when they had the debate that the electorate shifted to Reagan.
Given the mood among conservatives, nominating another statist Republican will drive millions of conservatives to the sidelines, Obama or no Obama. I agree with you on that.
I hear you oin your concerns about sidelining Palin. I trust her to make the right decision on that. She's not consumed with being president. She says that and I believe her.
Did anyone notice that when she had a go at Babs & the ‘blue-bloods” she also made a comment on the Bush economic policies that led us to where we are now...did anyone notice this? I’m wondering if she is referring to the SKY-ROCKETING IMMIGRATION parralleling the NAFTA treaty & de-industrializing America. Anyone see this in her comment?