Posted on 04/03/2016 12:18:24 PM PDT by Brices Crossroads
As I watched Sarah Palin deliver a speech on behalf of Donald Trump the other day before an GOP establishment fundraiser in Wisconsin, I was struck by the enthusiastic response of the crowd. She received a standing ovation at the end. Ted Cruz, who followed her on the dais, received only light and intermittent applause. The contrast in their political skills was stark. Palin was the star who knew how to connect with, and hold, her audience. Cruz, not so much...
Let me say at the outset that I am analyzing this from a purely utilitarian and political point of view. Anyone with a white hot, visceral dislike of Sarah Palin or anyone who has swallowed the MSM narrative that she is a stupid, inarticulate rube is not likely to be voting for Donald Trump anyway. Trump obviously holds Palin in high regard and says so quite often, calling her an "amazing woman" and a "special person." If he did not consider her a genuine asset, why in the world would he have her campaigning with him all over the country?
Putting Palin on the ticket would have obvious advantages and disadvantages. The case for Palin as Trump's running mate boils down to six factors
I. The Trust Factor
First, there is an obvious chemistry between Trump and Palin that would be rare for two national candidates on the same ticket. They obviously like and respect each other immensely. And Trump obviously trusts her, which is so important. He cannot have a running mate who is apologizing for him or damning him with faint praise. Trump values loyalty and Sarah Palin is loyal to a fault, as is the Donald.
II. The Deflection Factor
The second advantage, which I would call the "deflection" factor, centers around the collective star power that a Trump/Palin ticket would embody. Both are media superstars of the first order. Having either one on a national ticket would draw disproportionate media interest and coverage for that ticket. Together, however, they would dominate every news cycle, pushing the Democrat candidates into oblivion. The Main Stream Media and the Establishment smear machine intends to try to destroy Donald Trump in the November Election. However, like Pavlov's dog, it simply cannot resist the urge to savage Sarah Palin. Palin's presence on the ticket would deflect much of the media onslaught away from Trump and would stretch the capacities of the smear machine to the breaking point.
III. The Woman Thing
The Democrat nominee is going to be a woman. Trump needs help with women. So isn't it logical to put a woman on the ticket? It is certainly not absolutely necessary but it would help. Palin brings several things to the ticket that a more conventional female politician would not bring. Let me concede at the outset that the majority of professional women (not all by any means) dislike Palin intensely. The majority of professional women also despise Trump. Most such women are likely not "getable" for Trump, not matter who he picks. However, a much larger swath of married women, evangelical women and working class women--the hair dressers, secretaries, waitresses and factory workers--ARE available, and Palin relates very well to this group. Palin's presence on the ticket can help to persuade, and to turn out, such voters.
Even more important, though, Palin's presence on the ticket would give Trump a unique opportunity to defend her against the inevitable and savage attacks by the elitist Establishment and the MSM. In so doing, Trump would give the lie to the baseless charge that he hates women. His actions in defending his running mate would speak much louder than any platitudes about taking care of women.
IV. The Insurance Policy
In a very important sense, Palin provides an insurance policy for Trump. When he is sworn into office, he will likely face a hostile Congress and Senate, with relatively few allies. Should Congress or the Establishment ever be tempted to impeach, or otherwise to remove, Trump the specter of Sarah Palin as President of the United States would surely represent a massive deterrent to such a scheme. If Trump's removal would yield a John Kasich or even a Ted Cruz, it would embolden the Establishment to try to get rid of Trump before his term ended.
V. The Geographic factor
The next advantage is geographic. Palin is a Westerner, with ties to North Dakota, Alaska and Arizona. Trump's weakest region, according to polls, is the mountain west. Putting her on the ticket would provide geographic balance.The counter-argument is that, in spite of her endorsement, Trump lost Alaska. My reply to that is that Palin has never been beloved by the Alaska GOP Establishment, ever since she took out its darling, Frank Murkowski, in 2006 and stopped the gravy train up there. And Alaska was a closed caucus, where the GOP Establishment would be its most powerful. Her appeal in Arizona and Nevada (and Florida) was quite evident in the Trump landslides there.
VI. The Vetting Factor
Finally, Palin has been vetted to a fare the well. No politician, and few public figures have been so thoroughly scrutinized. Trump does not need to suffer any distractions or surprises coming out this fall about a less thoroughly examined candidate.
Let me just say a word about her resignation as Governor in 2009 and her decision not to seek the GOP presidential nomination in 2012. Many of her supporters were disappointed in her decisions, especially in 2012. But I remember her appealing publicly to the Establishment in 2011 to be open to her candidacy as a vehicle to unseat Obama and repair the damage he had done to the country. I think her appeal fell on deaf ears, and she realized what many of us did not. She could not seize the nomination in the face of united Establishment opposition. Trump's difficulties with the Establishment, in spite of his far greater advantages, shows that she was more than likely right.
Ultimately, any voters Palin would lose for Trump would be more than offset by some of the voters she would take from Hillary Clinton, especially lower to middle income blue collar women and housewives. In essence, though, anyone who is dissuaded from voting for Donald Trump by Sarah Palin's presence on the ticket would likely not be voting for Trump in the first place. As I heard someone say recently, Palin is the female counterpart of Trump. If you really dislike the one, you almost certainly do not like the other.
Well, I’d vote for on hotness alone.../S
No coffee this morning?
They meet one week before the convention to change/set any rules they want, including the required number of delegates to be the nominee. They have changed it in the padt . If Trump gets 1400, they can make the magic number 1500.
And only four states would allow Trump to file under another party or indie.
Keep dreaming. I wish I believed in unicorns too.
The RNC has their own nominee waiting in the wings.
A non starter
Agree 100%.
I’m not here to simply bash someone else’s candidate. So don’t take any offense. I’m very learned about politics and I just think Cruz is not presidential. For one, he’s only a senator. And he kind of skeeve’s me out.
I want a President the world FEARS. The world hates and fears Trump. Done deal.
“Sarah quit her position as governor, for no good reason.”
For no good reason you say? Wrong!
To research the truth these days you have to circumvent the msm and venture into the alternative media. And talk to people who are in the know.
Your assignment for tonight is to find out just why the former Governor had little choice but to resign. Report back to us by Tuesday.
Well from the “insurance policy” standpoint, Cruz and Palin are about equal.
Fine by me.
Picking Palin would be out of the box thinking. How could Trump pick another candidate that even more hated than he is, is how most people think. Both Trump and Palin have charisma that Cruz lack. Palin will carry on Trump’s legacy because politically they’re very similar. Palin was actually the one who came up with the Common Sense Conservative moniker that Trump thought he came up with first
Besides the fact that Cruz is ineligible, I wouldn't get within 10 miles of Cruz after this campaign. He has shown himself to be a fraud, a phony and slimy as can be. Cruz will have a difficult time getting reelected to the senate.
I really like Sarah but her 15 minutes of fame has come and gone. I doubt she would help Trump much.
You've been on FR since 2000 and you have the nerve to post that falsehood here ? She and her family were being BANKRUPTED by her opponents filing frivolous ethics charges against her in office. She had to personally pay lawyers to defend herself against these unfounded allegations that well exceeded her salary as Governor. Let's see how well you'd do in her shoes, Hoss.
Ivanka will be 35 before Election Day. She would throw a wrench in people’s anti trump stances
As far as the Establishment lie that State sore loser laws would block a 3rd party run by any of the candidates, The rules that say who can run and the requirements for them are stated clearly in the US Constitution. It overrules State laws that violate it. Sore loser laws add to and run counter to the US Constitution that sets out the requirements to run for office.
So no sore loser laws have any validity where the US Constitution states the qualifications for federal offices.
“And only four states would allow Trump to file under another party or indie.”
Isn’t it the party that has to be on the ballet, not the candidate?
Wouldn’t he just have to be selected as such a party’s candidate?
She did not go for the perverted windbag,don’t you remember she is backing Donald trump?
No. Too much blast from the past. Besides, just like Trump, she has legions of enemies on both sides of the isle. Donald is controversial enough all by himself, so he needs a VP who easier who presents a more neutral tone, making it easier to unify people. I have always liked Mike Pence, he just needs to keep away from the abortion and gay rights rhetoric minefields.
You are correct. Too polarizing. And she would scare away most crossover voters, which republicans will need against either Hill or The Communist.
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