[Jim Scott]

Sarah Palin brings an inimitable quality of conservationism that has been sorely missing from the Washington scene for many years. That the left goes bonkers whenever her very name is mentioned speaks volumes. That some on the right are equally dismissive of Palin based on often petty reasons or simply on an elitist-based conviction that Palin isn't from the cookie-cutter school of soggy 'conservatives' that the Old Guard (Karl Rove, et al.) favor. You know, the 'Republicans' that either run as Democrat-Lite with a few crumbs of 'conservative' positions thrown around for the Hoi polloi and lose or, if they win, govern just like Democrats.

I've detected a muted note of misogyny in some of the 'conservative' opposition to Sarah Palin. I can't read minds so I'm not going to speculate about all the possible motivations of those claiming to be political conservatives while consistently bashing Sarah Palin on these forums. However, it does induce a certain level of skepticism about the goal of these folks, especially considering the relative absence of any viable Republican challengers for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.

Meanwhile, Sarah Palin is on the ground, fighting. She makes public stands for conservative principles and in direct opposition to Obama and the left, who shower her with invective and ridicule 24/7. Sarah Palin (and her family) take it while some of allegedly 'serious' wannabes for the 2012 GOP nomination seem to waiting to be ordained by the GOP elite. Then, we have the conservatives who whine about Sarah Palin's TV show, her hairdo, her early resignation of the Alaska governorship and whatever they think may resonate with others. Most of it is either petty or just plain irrelevant. Apparently, airly dismissing Sarah Palin is the way some alleged 'conservatives' demonstrate how astute (they think) they are.

They are mistaken and will be left behind if Palin chooses to run for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination. If that happens, despite the tsunami of opposition against her, the people will decide, not the Republican elites or the implacable 'conservatives' that now disparage Sarah Palin. I believe Sarah Palin, a fighter her whole life, will win the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, go on to win the election and be a great president, helping restore America's greatness.

[RobbyS]

Well, it does depend on the economy and Afghanistan and a dozen other things that have not happened yet. We will see how things stand a year from now. But no doubt she is a phenomenon, and maybe one unstopable. A very different sort of person, but very like Teddy Roosevelt in this way: she knows how to use the media. Teddy knew enough to take a motion picture camera crew with him to Cuba. And at that time, the medium was just a few years old.