Posted on 09/16/2010 12:00:52 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Written off by pundits as a lightweight, mocked by comedians as a dummy and quietly cursed as a loose cannon by Republican officials, Sarah Palin has nevertheless emerged as a potent kingmaker in national politics. Her success may be setting up a run for president in 2012.
On the surface, Palin's endorsement record is impressive. Of the 36 candidates facing contested primaries that she has endorsed, 25 have won. That's a win ratio of just under 70%.
What makes it really notable is that it includes several upsets that have shocked the Washington establishment. Many of Palin's picks were opposed by the GOP leadership, which poured resources into other candidates.
Upsets? You Betcha
These upsets include Joe Miller in Alaska, Nikki Haley in South Carolina, Sharron Angle in Nevada and, on Tuesday, Christine O'Donnell in Delaware.
While elections are rarely determined by one factor, many cite Palin's endorsement as key in bringing in donations and whipping up grass-roots support.
Rob Godfrey, a spokesman for Haley — the GOP nominee for governor in the Palmetto State — said Palin's "decision to get involved — and stay involved — in the race here was a huge boon to our campaign, because it caused a lot of South Carolinians to take a second look at a once little-known — but rising in the polls — state legislator who was fighting to give them back their government."
Even those who didn't make it say the endorsement made a big difference. For example, Cecile Bledsoe lost her bid to be the GOP nominee for Arkansas' 3rd Congressional District by a slim 52%-48% result. She only wishes she got the endorsement sooner.
"It helped tremendously," Bledsoe said.
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
Why do people think she wants to run from the Oval Office?
Better to run the country from the grassroots. And way more effective.
i don’t think she made up her mind yet to be honest. She’s just doing what she said she will do when she left gov
I agree. Palin has a great deal of influence as a writer and journalist. She has Karl Rove shaking in his boots.
The base has been upset for years..the GOP has ignored or laughed at the conservative concerns and maintained a ‘we know best’ attitude.The success of the Tea Party, Palin, DeMint and others is the direct result of the base taking a stand and saying no more!
Maybe its time the elites, including the entire Bush family, form their own little party. They could have Monica Lewinsky and Barney Frank as their guiding light.....
That rebellion hasn't even come close to reaching the core yet, but when the full impact of wasting a billion dollars a day sinks in, there will be political blood on the streets. The GOP should offer prayers of thanks that there's no H Ross Perot in the wings right now, or they'd be completely crushed.
I think you’re right, she hasn’t made up her mind. She’s very smart by keeping her options open, getting others elected, proving her political savvy nationally.
I suspect she won’t decide until Spring. She’ll gauge her options and the possibilities, then act. I also think, whatever she does, it will be wholly unconventional by Washington elite and political consultant thinking.
I need to see Palin on the Sunday morning shows before I am sold. Anybody can read from scripted notes or a teleprompter.
More effective for now, because we’ve got Obama in office and it’s what she can do—but to think she couldn’t do more as president is to miss the whole point of her current efforts. Who our elected officials are—locally, in Congress and as president—makes a difference.
Let this be a lesson for Sharron Angle's campaign. Merely attacking Reid without giving uplifting message by highlighting her positives will run into a risk of being defined completely by Reid & Co.
This, of course, also applies to other candidates as well. Let the outside groups attack the opponent. Of course, the candidate should also take part by giving those groups 'blessings', unlike McCain who was afraid to attack 0bama (although he fiercely attacked Hayworth).
That rebellion hasn’t even come close to reaching the core yet
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McCain will be with us for 6 more years. Snowe needs to go.
I’m thinking she will wait until she sees who decides to run. If it’s not a true conservative, I believe she will, then, throw her hat in the ring.
She is for our country, that’s her main intent and not running for political office. Say if a Col West decides to run, I think she’d throw her support behind him and not run.
A newt or mitt - I think she will feel the need to run.
If she has coat tails this long in an off election when she is not running, imagine the tidal wave she could generate in 2012 ? A female Reagan in this post modern world would be a new dynamic.
We need Sarah in the Oval Office, if for no other reason than to undo all the international damage the asshole in chief has done.
And get that bust of Winston Churchill back where it belongs.
I sincerely wish we had Sarah Palin as President now, instead of this man-child we have been handed by an electorate that was fooled by the likes of Katie Couric and the rest of the liberal “journalists”. It’s easy when the interviewers ask you if your pillow is comfy and lob softball questions at you as they did Obama. Palin isn’t likely to allow herself to be savaged by the so-called journalists ever again. Katie Couric will rue the day she connived to destroy Palin. Yup. Anybody can read from a teleprompter. Sarah’s values are at her core. I’ll take Sarah Palin over McCain, Romney, Gingrich,Obama, or any of the others that the media pushes at us as Presidential “material”.
As for a teleprompter, I still remember the long speech she was giving when her teleprompter broke....she completed her speech from memory. A detailed speech from MEMORY!!!!(and without batting an eye, breaking a sweat, and not stumbling with a lot of uhhs and ahhhs and clearing of the throat!
Dat woman ain’t stupid....!
(I still wonder if the teleprompter malfunction wasn’t a bit of contrived sabotage from some smarmy frat boy)
She’ll probably request that a bust of Mrs. Thatcher be sent over along with its return.
Wow—what a quotation!
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