Posted on 07/02/2009 9:30:03 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Sounds far-fetched and, to some, totally implausible. But the Republicans are losing potential candidates at a pace that is downright alarming if you believe in a healthy two-party system. The demise of John Ensign’s political career a few weeks ago and the surreal downfall of Mark Sanford last week is enough to send chills through the even the most optimistic Republican strategist. We know that of the 2008 crop, only Mitt Romney seems likely to stay on as a contender. The old stalwarts like Newt Gingrich may get a lot of press, but it is unlikely they can mount a real challenge to Obama in 2012. Yet, the presidential election of 2012 will be more than a simple coronation of Barack Obama if the economy stalls and there is no progress in two important areas: national security and healthcare.
Ballooning deficits and a sluggish economy could alter the mood of America by the time the 2010 mid-terms come up, giving hope to the GOP for the next presidential primary season. This is why Sarah Palin is maintaining a persistent media presence, whether it is debating David Letterman or being the biggest Republican draw on the lecture circuit. She clearly has her eyes set on the presidency.
The latest edition of Vanity Fair brings this possibility forward, though not in a favourable light. Journalist Todd Purdhom paints a picture of a woman with a narcissistic personality, who’s short on knowledge, disinterested in policy discussion, and not ready for primetime. In the end, the story says more about John McCain’s competence and character than it does about Palin, simply because he flubbed his most important decision as a presidential candidate. That said, Palin brought much needed energy to an otherwise lackluster campaign and, to this day, she energizes the base as no other candidate can. Could it be possible she may someday be a candidate for the presidency?
My experience tells me that no one should be written off in a hypothetical context. Barack Obama is proof positive of this. I still maintain that, without Bush, there is no Obama nomination. Palin is a street smart politician who has benefited from being underestimated most of her career. McCain’s disastrous choice may have been fatal to his electoral chances, but it brought Palin to the forefront of national attention. Since then, she has become a celebrity that transcends her party. However, if she is to be taken seriously and considered a viable contender, she needs to change the negative perceptions of her and develop a political profile that appeals to those outside her narrow base.
To do this, she must gradually reduce her exposure and begin to educate herself on the issues. She will not be ready for 2012 by remaining governor of Alaska and playing the celebrity. The GOP has too proud a tradition to have a re-run of the 2008 vice-presidential candidate. Also, the base Palin relies on for support no longer holds the sway it once did. Social conservatism is losing steam as a political movement thanks to the dubious habits of people like Gingrich, Ensign and Sanford, and the election of an African-American president as well as the increased attention paid to gay rights issues shows that Americans have begun to cast their old divisions aside. The future for the GOP lies with fiscal conservatism and strong national security policy—not with turning back the clock. Palin must embrace the values that created the Republican party in the first place—a belief in the individual, a belief in a limited role for the state, and a commitment to equality. The party of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Eisenhower, and (the pragmatic version of) Reagan is the path to a Republican resurgence. Palin is nowhere on that radar. She is all about celebrity status and controversy.
In the lead-up to July 4, Americans usually reflect on their great democracy. Overall, it is healthy and has shown resilience through the decades. But the Republicans have to become a viable alternative for this democracy to remain vibrant. So is Palin a real possibility for 2012 or 2016? Will she someday be a formal candidate for the presidency? Most definitely. But can she ever win? Based on what we have observed so far, I would say definitely not, though politics has been known to produce some strange developments.
She may be exactly what the GOP needs at this point.
Someone who’s as far away from Washington as one can get.
I still remember when McCain decided to ‘concede’ Michigan and pull out. Sarah wanted to keep fighting for every single vote. That tells me all I need to know. Too often, it seems, elected Republicans are willing to concede.
The party of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Eisenhower, and (the pragmatic version of) Reagan is the path to a Republican resurgence. Palin is nowhere on that radar. She is all about celebrity status and controversy.
Gibberish. In several ways.
Disastrous choice??? If it wasn't for Sarah Palin, McCain probably wouldn't even have won Arizona.
It wasn’t her fault he lost, but the theory that she could attract enough votes to beat Barack 0bama was tested, and it failed. By nearly 10 million votes and 10 points, no less. If she was the only thing making John McCain competitive, she sure didn’t do a good job. They lost in a certified landslide.
Perhaps if the race had been close, then Palin supporters could have some credibility to their claims. But it wasn’t. It wasn’t even close to being close. Either Palin can pull in the votes, or she can’t. People had to opportunity to choose her over 0bama, and they passed by the millions.
Oh she can and WILL be President in 2012!!
http://www.youtube.com/user/purpleporter#play/all/uploads-all/0/_5bUbl9Dgj0
Go Palin-The first WOMAN PREZ in the U.S.
p.s.
I have her autograph along with Piper’s and I plan to place them in my in VOTES for WOMEN banner circa 1913. Talk about a treasure trove!!
GO SARAH!!
The fact the left and the MSM hate her tells me all I want to know.
Look how they behaved last Presidential Election cycle; they did all they could to pump up McCain, and to a lessor extent, Rudy. Two losers they knew were going to be the easiest to defeat because out of all the candidates, they had strayed the farthest from the base.
Sarah excites the base. Furthermore, she is not afraid to fight back and fight back hard on a continual basis.
She is a fighter and exactly the candidate the GOP needs to coalesce around.
Excellent point. I agree that Romney has the best chance to win Michigan as he did in the primary.
Yeah. Like a Kenyan running The United States.
she was not at the top of the ticket!! she was not running against Nobama!! McCain was. Sorry but your theory is utterly rediculous and reasoning inherently flawed.
Gee, that sounds like McCain's strategy.
How about she focus on promoting freedom, opportunity and the removing of government shackles.
If that doesn't appeal to enough voters than the country doesn't deserve her.
“Oh she can and WILL be President in 2012!!”
Sorry, but you’ll have to wait until noon on January 20, 2013.
Was she running for president against Mr. Obama? Conventional wisdom says that the top of the ticket is what decides the winner, not the running mate. Given that, she still has much more executive experience than Obama does. Senator McCain’s suspending his campaign to fly back to Washington and then doing nothing substantial didn’t exactly inspire confidence, or have you already forgotten that fiasco? Being the standard-bearer is different than the VP nomination. BTW, who do you suggest for the nominee three years hence?
10 points is not a “landslide” and in the electoral college it was like the 8 point Clinton victory over Dole in 1996.
Nothing like the Reagan over Mondale 1984 or Johnson over Goldwater 1964 elections. Those were the real landslides.
The article is from a Canada.
Macleans does not understand Conservatives.
Thanks...but NO THANKS.
NO one who supports amnesty will get my vote. NO ONE.
In comparison to zero, biden and hillary, I would say Palin is well qualified
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