Free Republic

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin continues to be a highly polarizing figure, with a whopping 57 percent viewing her unfavorably according to a new poll. The Bloomberg survey, released Monday, also found that the negative feelings about Palin are particularly strong. A third -- 33 percent -- said they view Palin "very unfavorably." That's the same percentage that viewed her favorably cumulatively -- respondents who either viewed her "somewhat" or "very" favorably (!). The survey results indicate that Palin faces a significant image problem as she decides to run for president. Just look at how Pres. Obama's numbers compare. Obama...

While I was traveling last week, I missed the spat that erupted between the Romney and Palin camps. Steve Kornacki reviews Romney’s track record competing against different women over the years, and he reasonably concludes that Romney comes off looking like a heel whenever he competes against a woman for political office. That seems fair enough, but what seems to have been lost in the discussion is that Romney defeated all of his women opponents. It is quite a leap from saying “Romney treats women opponents badly and wins every time” to saying “Romney cannot possibly defeat Palin,” but somehow...

On Saturday, May 1, the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby, some 20 thoroughbreds will run for the roses in the most famous and important race in the sport. That race of 3-year-old colts (and one filly) will be won in just over two minutes. Meanwhile, another exciting horse race – the race to win the GOP presidential nomination – is gearing up. It, too, has a large field, but this race is a marathon that takes four years to complete. Now, the time has come to begin handicapping the 2012 primary race. This list represents a snapshot of a...

NEW ORLEANS -- I just wrote about "Evangelicals for Mitt," a group of evangelical supporters of Mitt Romney who are pressing people to support Romney at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference straw poll. Afterward, I spoke to a young female delegate who said she planned to vote for Romney in the poll. I asked her how she had ended up at the conference. She said "Evangelicals for Mitt" had contacted her and offered to pay for her to have a limited-access ticket -- so long as she agreed to vote for Romney in the straw poll. Asked how "Evangelicals for...

Dear Mrs. Bachmann You once said to your many supporters about the then propose Health Care bill that "This cannot pass. What we have to do today is make a covenant, to slit our wrists, be blood brothers on this thing. This will not pass. We will do whatever it takes to make sure this doesn't pass."....You stood on principles back then but where is your principles now when you are inviting someone who certainly doesn't stand for the kind of principles you profess in to campaign for you? I'm talking about Sarah Louise Palin, that woman who sold her...

TUCSON — They have rarely spoken in 17 months. Their relationship, as America now knows, turned testy before they parted ways. But as at many family reunions, the old feelings were set aside as Sarah Palin embraced Senator John McCain here on Friday and argued that he should not be unseated by a conservative challenger. “We need this new blood coming into the system and new party officials and folks who are willing to stand up and speak out for common-sense conservative solutions,” Ms. Palin said. “But we also need statesmen and heroes like John McCain to help us get...