If she should decide, Iowa, and Palin Nation, will follow. They will campaign relentlessly. They will fundraise constantly. They will stand in the rain, in the blazing sun, in the bitter cold.
And yet the same could be said of Ron Paul supporters. If anything, they may be more devoted than Palin's die hard followers. In the end it doesn't matter because Paul can not translate the dedicated support of his loyal fans into broader appeal even among Republicans.
Being there, however, gives a whole new look into what Palin means to those who love her, and what Palin Nation will do to get her to run, and elected.
Again, these kinds sorts of anecdotal observations don't necessary have much meaning. There are plenty of examples to chose from, but in Iowa a few years back Democrat Howard Dean inspired the lefties and was adored by his followers to the extent they would crawl over broken glass to see him speak. In the end, it did not matter because he did not have broad support, only intense devotion from a small segment of the electorate.
The observations in this article would matter much more if Governor Palin were a new face and was just starting to build a name for herself and solidify her brand. Unfortunately, with Palin, that just isn't the case. Everyone knows her, most don't like her, and majorities of even conservatives and Tea Party folks do not want her to run.
Longbow1969 shot an arrow into the air, and it landed in his derriere.
Most of the status quo establishment didn't like Reagan either. Why is this any different?
You are simply rationalizing your own conclusions... we are simply refusing to accept your view of the situation.
LLS
"After it was over, Palin left the stage to sign autographs. 20 minutes later, she was still signing autographs. When it looked like she was going to finish, she turned back to sign more books, more t-shirts, more bumper stickers She didn’t stop. She signed, she smiled, she talked, she listened. All the while, the crowd pushed towards her, beckoning her, begging her for a few seconds of her time. At one moment, a young man approached, looking for Palin to sign his t-shirt. After signing the shirt, Palin gave the man a hug. He then put his hand to his mouth, and began to cry. It was like watching a Justin Beiber fan win front row seats. It’s a reaction that you do not see at Bachmann rallies, and you will never see at a Perry rally….nor a Romney rally."
Longbow, I'm convinced of one thing, alot of these so-called Palin supporters aren't conservatives at all, conservatives just don't carry on like that. Rock star groupies act like that, that's what teenage girls and mushminded liberals do. Those same people would probably cry at an Obama rally. It's not the message of Palin or Obama that brings them out, it's the cult attraction. It's the same mob mentality that you allude to with Dean or Paul followers.
Some people’s only hope for attention is by getting in the way of people who have other things to do.
“The fanaticism of ones supporters is no indication of how much actual support and appeal they will actually have.”
We need the entusiasm she inspires. Even IF she should not ultimately win. I hope she runs. I think her running is good for the GOP. She doesn’t “inspire” me per se, but the fact that she does others is significant to me. As it stands now, she or Bachmann will get me vote when the primaries reach my state. I will vote for Perry in a general election, but I won’t be that pleased to do so...at least at this stage. My perceptions are always subject to change. I cannot imagine ever voting for Romney. I m 57 and have always voted for the GOP nominee in a general election.....I will probabbly vote third party or leave the ballot blank if Romeny gets the nomination. I consider him an equal evil to Obama.