Posted on 12/28/2011 4:34:54 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Iowans might feel a bit overwhelmed by the choices for next Tuesday’s Republican caucuses for the GOP presidential nomination, but one independent group has begun running radio ads insisting that there is still room for one more choice. Calling itself “Sarah Palin’s Iowa Earthquake,” the group will target specific markets in Iowa asking voters to line up behind the Republican Party’s most prominent non-candidate, and other ads will apparently follow:
Can Iowans caucus for Palin at this late date? Sure. Unlike primary states, there is no “ballot” in the legal sense at caucuses. Attendees can write in names on the list of candidates they receive at the caucuses, and those votes will count. Of course, without Palin on the ballot and not officially in the race, not too many caucus-goers may choose to vote for her. If enough are dissatisfied with the current choices, though, she might be a handy code for None of the Above — and might get some significant level of support if the ads prompt enough Iowa voters to consider this as an option.
If so, who does that hurt most? Probably not Mitt Romney, whose base of support doesn’t have a lot of overlap with Palin’s. Newt Gingrich rose in the polls mainly on Tea Party support, so he’d be likely to feel the sting a little more, especially for those who backed Gingrich because he looked like the only viable alternative to Romney or Ron Paul. Paul might lose a little of his more recent support, but he’s going to get hurt more over his old newsletters and the vetting of his foreign-policy kookiness. It may end up hurting the candidates in the second tier struggling for an Iowa miracle — Rick Santorum and Michele Bachmann. That’s assuming, of course, that it has any impact at all.
Let’s take a look at all five. The first two spots focus on the need to clean up crony capitalism:
paid for by the Romney campaign no doubt.
Ping to Sarah News.
Broadcast outlets just love getting paid up front for ad buys like these...
And if Palin were interested in running, she’d have been a declared candidate. This effort is total used oats.
Yes doubt! These ads are separate and apart from anything Romney.
Sarah Palin herself, has no connection to the ads.
Good grief.
I hope, and I honestly do hope the people unanimously turn out asking for Sarah Palin.
Are you involved in the caucus in Iowa? (curious)
Ya never know. Were she to win Iowa, watch out!
That would be the Earthquake!
We’ve seen ‘kicking and screaming’ vs. ‘stepping up’ in our republic’s history.
Nothing beyond potential attendance. I truly do not like any of the available choices.
The media would definitely need some new Depends, eh?
If she was a man with the same credentials, no one would give her a second look for a place in the White House. But you Palinisties just keep on with your love afair with a prety face and a skirt.She’s got that going for her.
No, it's being paid for by average citizen supporters of Sarah Palin who are not excited by the slate of candidates. This is truly a grassroots effort.
Please make it stop!!
Just about all the other candidates fail respectively in one way or another, they do NOT speak for the people I believe.
Those that DID speak for the people have been blacklisted, I say its time to get down and dirty, hell no to Paul, Newt, Romney and perry, HELL NO!
Can’t disagree with that.
Wish I was Iowan about now... I don’t think the republic can survive more Obama or Romney.
Sigh.
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