As I have said before there are many issues Palin needs to address before being considered a serious threat to Obama.
That said, if she doesn’t run, then what?
The media will rejoice and treat the field as they did in 2008, annoint someone and build them up and destroy them in the fall. Palin has already been destroyed by the MSM so there is no where to go but up.
If she doesn’t run it probably helps Hailey Barbour and Newt Gingrich more than anyone else. The also rans from 2008 are RINOs or nut jobs (Ron Paul}. It does give some oxygen to some long shots Herman Cain, John Bolton or some others who might jump in.
Finally, it frees up a lot of cash and voters with currently no where else to go.
Time as always will tell.
Mitt Romney, Karl Rove, and the rest of the old Rockefeller branch of the GOP have a plan in place to fill the gap.
I think, and have always thought, that she knows she might very well lose the general, but as a ‘kingmaker’ she could have immense sway over who gets the nomination. I think she would put country above ego- the MSM could smear her, but she could make damn good and sure that the Republican nominee was a true conservative and do a lot to help them win; subsequently having a great deal of influence in the administration.
And still be young enough to run in 2020.
That and she has a great thing going right now
Quitting halfway through her last job are political cement boots, period. To ignore that is idolatry worship with rose-colored glasses.
Ms. Palin can do the most damage to the opposition in the capacity in what she’s already been doing. And she is having fun, good for her.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have say, a SOS that isn’t so damned ugly?
She is a fighter and should run to correct the perception that she is dumb which she clearly is not. I’m sure she is relishing that challenge. As a bonus, she also gets to score an historic victory for her gender.
Those who think she can’t pull this off (winning the presidency) are in for a shock. To the doubters: your ultimate nightmare will begin to unfold sometime in 2011.
1) Functional family health..
2) Marriage complications..
3) She doesn't need the grief..
Note: She can still provide much political impact on the country.. Maybe more.. The primary's are more important than the elections.. The TpCaucus can vet the candidates federal, state and local.. to ferret out all or most of the RINOs.. And Raise money for qualified but unconnected candidates..
Sarah Palin is not the only conservative who will run. If not her, there will be a few other decent choices. The question is whether conservatives will settle on a consensus choice in time to block the establishment’s choice from sneaking in on 30% of the vote as McCain did. I’m going to reject any sentiment that sets her up as the Republic’s last hope and our only option. It just isn’t so.
I will argue with those saying she had no substantive policy prior to her launch into the national spotlight. She was well versed on ANWAR, energy and issues affecting Alaskans. She isn’t as well versed on some national issues Presidents would confront but give credit where it’s due. She has clearly been studying, reading and filling in gaps. People have a point there is a double standard against her when I’d wager her knowledge and expertise exceeds Obama’s. Be it sexist, her schooling, her familial relations or whatever the case she is treated differently.
The issue supporters need to understand is that life is not fair. It may not be fair it was excused for Obama and not for her but it is reality. What I need to see from Palin is a sign she can win over Independents and conservative Democrats. I haven’t seen that yet and until I do or even if I do I’m inclined to keep looking at the alternatives. In the end i’m going to vote for who I think is the most viable conservative. The only people I’m ruling out of consideration are those I don’t believe are conservative.
I don't think Gov. Palin would be a good president. The more I see of her, the less impressed I am with her. When McCain chose Palin for his veep, I liked what I saw. It's gone down hill from there. My better half was a much more enthusiastic Palin supporter than I, right up until we watched her reality show. After two episodes, all the enthusiasm was gone.
For me, the turning point was the interview (with Greta Van Sustren?) where Gov. Palin explained her answers to the perky Katie Couric. I had a huge problem with the way she discussed it. I have no doubt Couric was antagonistic. Palin's inability to handle the Couric situation, coupled with the way she addressed it later raises A Big Red Flag. It reminds me far too much of Pres. Obama's interview with Bill O'Reilly where Obama couldn't bring himself to admit that the surge had worked in Iraq.
I am saying that Sarah Palin represents all of us underdogs and regular people
Please do not be so bold as to tell me who represents me. Barack Obama has not stolen this right from me (yet), and I have not granted anyone license to exercise it for me.
Lastly, I understand that you're still relatively young, but statements like, "If she doesn,t run. I don't think I could stomach politics and I doubt I ever vote again" show your immaturity. Hopefully, you have a long, long life ahead of you with many opportunities to exercise your right to vote. Basing your outlook on the future on the decisions of one woman is not healthy. I'm glad you've found someone you support so strongly, but don't turn her into some sort of messiah; that's the same mistake many supporters of Barack Obama made.
JEOPARDY!
This list has grown and grown over the years (as our candidates got worse and worse).
And now they must be "smart" enough to win at Jeopardy?
Good grief.
- Unabashedly promote and explain economic conservatism to the American people
- Get them to understand that the FREEDOMS in economic conservatism will benefit ALL Americans, no matter their group
- Help them understand that with freedom, people fall through the cracks, and that is just the way life is. That we must leave to the private sector "helping people" who have hard times; it helps them better, and hurts innocents less
- Has the balls to take what the liberal media will dish out against him/her personally, and his/her family
Whoever can do this should be our President. We don't need much else in a President (well, maybe supporting our military). So far, only Sarah is unafraid of the liberal media and unafraid of being a conservative. Where is ANYONE else?????
What if Betty doesn’t run?
What if Joanne doesn’t run?
What if Lilly doesn’t run?
What if Misty doesn’t run?
What if Kathy doesn’t run?
What if Heather doesn’t run?
Any more childhood crushes you wanna talk about?
Oh, were you talking about someone specific? Like, with a title and a last name?
How are you even alive? If breathing required intelligence, you'd have suffocated by now.
two reasons she shouldn’t run
One, she is not qualified (neither is Obama and you see what is happening because of this).
Two: It would destroy her family. On the Alaska show she mentioned how Bristol needed to get away from all the stress from the tabloids. The gutter press is already claiming Willow is pregnant. And then there are the jokes about her retarded son.
I say let her do what she can do best: be a Tv commentator. She is young, and has another 30 years before she is “too old” to be president.
If ...she continues where she left off at the Republician Convention, ripping and disrespecting odumbi, she will win. If ....she continues to ride her America-is-Great Stallion, she will win.
She needs to show people what America was and can be again! As opposed to odumbi’s what America was and shouldn’t be again.
She needs to lead Americans into new positive American Ideals that are the ones we always have had instead of listening to what the polls say Americans believe.
ATTACK
“What are political reasons she shouldn’t run in your opinion ?”
Because she recognizes that with all the media exposure orchestrated about her, her unfavorables haven’t come down at all.
And for that reason, she recognizes she would be defeated.
So she decides to not run, but to use her influence to help get a solid conservative nominated; one with a better chance of winning than she has.
Great vanity. It seems that if what many have posted here about her is true then she has a moral duty to run to save the country, no excuses. And over the past year or so many have posted that she was actually all ready running, but just not announced it, and that others are just to blind too see it. If she doesnt run (announce) those past appraisals will look very silly.
Thanks again for a great post. Sorry I am late.