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Can Sarah Palin translate celebrity into real political power?
The Washington Post ^ | February 14, 2010 | Dan Balz

Posted on 02/13/2010 8:31:36 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet

Sarah Palin has proved that she can draw a crowd. What she has yet to demonstrate is that she can translate the appeal of a phenomenon into a political force that can attract or mobilize sizable numbers of voters.

The former Alaska governor is the Republican Party's biggest celebrity. She has given voice to a grass-roots movement grounded in anger with Washington and President Obama's policies. But her political future remains in question. Is she presidential timber? A force only within the Republican Party? A protest candidate like George Wallace (minus the racial divisiveness) or Ross Perot?

--snip--

"Right now, she is a figure like [George] McGovern or [Barry] Goldwater, two candidates who led the most intense movements in our country's political history, but who couldn't win the middle."

If Palin harbors presidential ambitions, she has a huge mountain to climb. A new Washington Post-ABC News poll found that 71 percent of Americans do not think the politician who was Sen. John McCain's running mate in 2008 is qualified to be president.

Those numbers are so daunting that some Republicans who otherwise admire what she has accomplished doubt that she will run in 2012. Others say that unless she can transform attitudes dramatically, she cannot hope to win a general election. Still, GOP strategist Phil Musser said, "if she ran for president today, she would be the Republican nominee."

Musser's comments are notable because he is an adviser to Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R), who is eyeing a 2012 candidacy of his own. Palin's political future remains "very much an open question," Musser said, "but the intensity that she brought to the ticket in 2008 hasn't faded, and one could argue that perhaps it's been enhanced."(continued)

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Issues; Parties; Polls
KEYWORDS: 2010polls; 2012; dnc4romney; msm4romney; mythromney; obama4romney; operationleper; palin; pimpingromney; politics; romney; romney4obama; sarahpalin; schmidtheads; teaparty; teapartyrebellion
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

good for you..that is excellent


101 posted on 02/13/2010 10:09:53 PM PST by wardaddy (I have been in a serious RHCPers mood lately......)
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To: wardaddy

I thought you had been here longer than that WD.


102 posted on 02/13/2010 10:10:08 PM PST by WVNan (I hate the liberal news corpse..)
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To: CaptRon

We all joke about it, but they needed us and we needed then. Just wish they’d admit that SecNav signed their paycheck like he did mine!


103 posted on 02/13/2010 10:10:11 PM PST by CaptRon
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To: wardaddy

I lurked for a year. Joined after the rally on the mall which was on C-SPAN. Was very impressed. Of course a lot of those people used that to move on to bigger things and aren’t here anymore.


104 posted on 02/13/2010 10:12:31 PM PST by CaptRon
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To: unseen1

I see her as Secretary of Energy. And a good one.


105 posted on 02/13/2010 10:13:29 PM PST by CaptRon
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To: CaptRon
Hubby said pretty much the same thing. He appreciated the Navy. He liked the food and didn't get sea-sick going over to Korea. He got to chow down on everyone else's food.

That's the best you're going to get out of me tonight Capt. I'm heading for some shut-eye. God bless. Be good.

106 posted on 02/13/2010 10:14:13 PM PST by WVNan (I hate the liberal news corpse..)
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To: WVNan

Tell me about it. I did subs for a short time. Wouldn’t do it now.


107 posted on 02/13/2010 10:14:15 PM PST by CaptRon
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To: unseen1
According to CBS News, only 29% of registered voters considered then presidential candidate Barack Obama experienced enough to be President in August of 2007, “

0bozo did even worse 8 months before that. Only 25% of voters thought he was experienced enough to be president.

108 posted on 02/13/2010 10:14:16 PM PST by SmokingJoe
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To: Bronzy

“I’m with you. She will not be able to overcome the ridicule or anti Sarah controversy. She will be fodder for the left big time. “

Nonsense.


109 posted on 02/13/2010 10:15:41 PM PST by SmokingJoe
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To: unseen1

Her folksy thing will not play on either coast, I just don’t see her getting the votes. Don’t want to argue already did that tonight. I have worked in politics and I don’t see her as being electable. My opinion and I’m entitled to it.


110 posted on 02/13/2010 10:16:13 PM PST by CaptRon
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To: WVNan

Nite WV


111 posted on 02/13/2010 10:18:19 PM PST by CaptRon
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To: latina4dubya
... and i really am not convinced she'd make a good US President”,/i>

That is relevant how?
Most Freepers on this site KNOW she will be a great president.
Why? Because she has a great track record as Governor of Alaska which beats any experience 0bozo ever had before he became president.

112 posted on 02/13/2010 10:20:20 PM PST by SmokingJoe
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To: CaptRon
I made my living gettying Repulicans elected for 5 years

Yeah, I'll call you ignorant.

How do you go about "gettying" someone elected for 5 years?

(And what office has a 5-year term anyway?)

OK, fine. With writing skills like that, you've convinced me you're probably a lawyer.

Cheers!

113 posted on 02/13/2010 10:20:48 PM PST by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: WVNan

nope the Bush-Gore election...first I had heard of FR

before that I went to Trixie’s site although I knew nothing about FR or the FLAP.

when I heard about FR right before 11-4-00 it was so logjammed I could not get on for days

I think I posted on RCP too maybe

I have not posted anywhere else but LP on which I posted a bit during my involuntary vacation from here in 2006-07 during the amnesty “discussions” but although there are some decent folks and some genuine fruitbats there it just doesn’t seem the same.

I think upon invitation I actually posted on Clown Posse for a day or two till I was tossed for being labeled a homophobe which I took as a compliment.


114 posted on 02/13/2010 10:22:32 PM PST by wardaddy (I have been in a serious RHCPers mood lately......)
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To: CaptRon; WVNan
Not baiting. He started it.

"MOM MOD, he's touching me! Make him quit!"

Cheers!

115 posted on 02/13/2010 10:22:50 PM PST by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: CaptRon
yeah because the present SEc of energy was able to turn out 8,000 supporters at his last campaign event. and i must have missed the Sec of energy's last national televised speech where it was covered by 4 major stations end to end.

yeap she has Sec of energy written all over her.

as far as her not winning the coasts i live on the coast she doesn't need much of the coasts.

Obama won by 370 EV in 2008. Palin can and will win NC, VA, OH all of the heartland plus CO, and possibly NM. that's 100 EV that McCain did not win. she will be very strong in the north in states like MI, WI, MN. If she wins any of those three she wins. She can lose NY,NJ,CA, Maine, Mass, Conn, Maryland,PA, Oregon, WA, just like bush, and McCain lost and still win a big EV win.

She does not need the east or west coast. Your argument is FLAWED.

116 posted on 02/13/2010 10:23:06 PM PST by unseen1
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To: grey_whiskers
3 2-yr terms. You calling me a liar too? Based in what? You don't know me or my background. I've done a lot of other things as well.

Drinking and posting is not a good mix a-hole.

117 posted on 02/13/2010 10:24:17 PM PST by CaptRon
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To: latina4dubya
the more i hear her, the less i think she will win... i guess i'm just a skeptic... but i am not against her...

You must be one of those "Wise Latinas". /sarc>

BTW, why didn't you like McCain, if you are Latina?

(I lived in Phoenix for 6 years; he pandered to the Amnesty crowd in the hopes of getting the Latino vote. I'd like to hear first hand from a member of that demographic, their opinion of McCain in general, and then with respect to that issue.)

Cheers!

118 posted on 02/13/2010 10:26:34 PM PST by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: unseen1
My argument is flawed because the current Energy Secretary is incompetent?! And I'm ignorant? Did you log on under a different name? I just had this discussion with another jerk.

She is unelectable. She is the prom queen and will always be viewed as that no matter what you want to think.

119 posted on 02/13/2010 10:28:19 PM PST by CaptRon
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To: CaptRon
She will be ripped apart but the leftist media.

WTF?

She already *HAS* been, and look at her popularity; New York Times bestseller; crowds wheresoever she goes; able to stop Health Care with a single Tweet.

Time to wipe the defeatist RINO dust out of your eyes.

Conservatism wins BIG at the ballot box, every time it's tried.

Cheers!

120 posted on 02/13/2010 10:29:03 PM PST by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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