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Posted on 09/17/2010 5:15:12 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
I know, I know. Supposedly they already decided to do this, right? Well, yes and no. David Plouffe took a few shots at her the other day and Gibbs called her “the most formidable force in the Republican Party” at today’s White House presser, but no one’s thrown any roundhouses yet.
The question: Is it time?
There is, in fact, a much better avatar of the Tea Party movement [than Boehner, Beck, or DeMint], someone whose very name provokes disgust among Democrats, someone whose name identification is 100 percent and whose ubiquity is extremely useful.
That person is Sarah Palin. All that’s required is for the President to utter her name a couple of times. The Fox-Rush-Redstate nexus would explode. Palin would bask in the attention and respond. And respond. And respond. The press would cover the story and ask why the President would elevate Sarah Palin? David Broder might write a column bemoaning the fact that the President chose politics over the institution of the presidency, which is supposed to respect the dignity of all Americans.
Elevate Sarah Palin? How much higher can she go? Everyone knows her. Some of Obama’s advisers have argued in the past that the attention paid to Palin by Americans in the last stages of the 2008 campaign is one reason why Obama was able to win so cleanly.
PPP’s new presidential snapshot poll has her trailing Obama by six, with 38/52 favorability nationwide. (Follow the link for interesting numbers on Glenn Beck.) I’m mystified as to why they’re holding back. If they’re worried about raising her profile, forget it: She’s so famous now that not even Obama can do anything to further raise her profile. All the media coverage this week of O’Donnell’s win and her endorsement has cemented her identification with the tea party, which makes things nice and tidy for Democrats in terms of using her unfavorable ratings to taint TP candidates by association. In fact, as Ambinder goes on to note after the excerpt above, her image among Dems and centrists as a culture warrior is an efficient way to counter the GOP’s strategy of appealing to indies by playing up fiscal concerns and downplaying social issues. And of course, regardless of what happens this year, building up Palin is in the White House’s long-term interest insofar as she’s the candidate they want to face in 2012. A “referendum election” in which voters are asked to grade The One’s first term sounds like a very bad idea right now if you’re a liberal. But if you can make it a “choice election” between Obama and the left’s idea of a wingnut supervillain, then, in theory, they’ve got a shot. No one’s more super on the right at the moment than Palin; if the White House believes in its strategy, they should want to do everything they can to keep it that way.
And if they take her on now, the timing would be perfect. Tonight’s her big Iowa speech, an occasion which led her to say this to Fox News earlier today: “If the American people were to be ready for someone who is willing to shake it up, and willing to get back to time-tested truths, and help lead our country towards a more prosperous and safe future and if they happen to think I was the one, if it were best for my family and for our country, of course I would give it a shot,” she said.
“But I’m not saying that it’s me. I know I can certainly make a difference without having a title. I’m having a good time doing exactly that right now.”
She’s not opening the door, just sort of … opening the door to opening the door. Presumably Axelrod et al. are holding back on her because they saw how O’Donnell’s fundraising exploded this week the day after the election; a White House attack on Palin would be gleefully exploited by the GOP among grassroots donors — “Defend Sarah and tea partiers by donating!” or something like that — and the resulting moneybomb could cut deep into the Dems’ dwindling money advantage. But as the big red wave advances — and it’s starting to look awfully big — they have less and less to lose. Why not help a blogger out by giving him a traffic bonanza for weeks on end? C’mon, Barry. Attack.
In honor of the glorious prospect of a full-on Obama/Palin smackdown, I give you the latest from the blogosphere’s favorite Taiwanese animators. Keep a sharp eye out for the chicken.
(VIDEO AT LINK)
Also there was a time not that long ago when I read that Sarah`s approval numbers were climbing, she was getting warm reviews from her Leno and Oprah spots.
So I do not trust any polls, the people that take them have an agenda, and that includes even Fox. Fred Barnes threw out a poll today that had her at 31% or something like that.
“letting Palin get so under his skin during the 2008 campaign”
You mean the Obama that Sarah recently said lacked “cajones”?
She believes in the military being used and her son went over with the press praying that he'd get hit. Even going so far as to give his unit, area of operation, his MOS and identifying tattoos. While Joe Biden's spawn hid out in JAG with nary a peep of exactly where and even what he looked like till he thought he might run for office as a "war hero".
She cleans what she hunts and cleans what she catches. She rides a motorcycle and she seems like the type of lady who might be able to handle a rifle, knife, skillet and isn't hard on the eyes.
She makes me smile when she says, "you betcha". The most attractive thing about her is that she makes liberal women look PITIFUL by comparison in both demeanor, character, physical beauty and patriotism.
Of course I liked Ronald Reagan and everybody thought he was an idiot and that the monkey in his movie should have been President of the United States.
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I agree. There are a lot of reasons on his part why this would be. But for Sarah, I think her background as a championship athlete has given her the ability to see her opponent's weaknesses, and to attack them. It's what a real leader would do. As for the current resident, I don't think he's ever had to deal with someone like Sarah, male or female. I believe he is FLUMMOXED.
That was a good analysis, I agree with you.
Exactly. Bring it on. If the President and his party want an even bigger grassroots backlash than has already occurred, then Bring. It. On.
Given the current mood of the country, the more the Left slanders conservatives, the more it will backfire on them.
The Left's arrogance and conceit is really going to awaken a sleeping giant this November...
I think the WH and Obama are AFRAID of her.
This is why they need someone to declare for 2012. It will give The One a person to run around the country to campaign against and shouting like his angry wife.
Personally, if she decides to run I hope she declares as late a possible.
If she chooses not to run, Zero will look even more pathetic attacking her.
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