Posted on 08/18/2011 6:22:34 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Former George W. Bush chief of staff Karl Rove has been an influential GOP strategist for decades.
When Rove speaks, many Republicans listen. So when the outspoken campaign manager spoke up about Paul Ryan or Chris Christie joining the race to become the GOP nominee for the 2012 presidential election, his hint about another potential candidate entering the field also raised eyebrows.
"And I also think looking at the schedule of Sarah Palin after Labor Day that she's got a campaign style schedule post-Labor Day that's either going to accentuate her celebrity hood or lay the predicate for running for president," Rove said.
Palin has been mum about a possible run, though she has a solid base of supporters. Some political experts believe her candidacy may hinge on the success of Michele Bachmann, the only female candidate in the GOP field. Bachmann won the recent Iowa straw poll, but with the addition of Texas Governor Rick Perry, it's possible Bachmann's popularity might fade.
Should Bachman not poll well in the coming weeks, Palin may throw her hat into the race. It's also possible Palin may run no matter how well Bachmann is doing.
The big difference between Palin and Bachmann is immigration policy, a hot topic going into the 2012 Election. Palin has spoken about granting legal amnesty while Bachmann has been strongly opposed to mass legalization.
Palin is well-liked amongst Republicans. Research in June by Public Policy Polling showed 62 percent of Republicans giving Palin a favorable rating.
It's possible the former Alaska governor could be waiting for more candidates to join the race, since a crowded field could strengthen her chances of winning primaries. Palin has strong name recognition, and also has a decent foothold in the Tea Party movement.
In a March Pew Research poll, of those who agreed with the Tea Party movement, 24 percent had Mitt Romney as their first-choice candidate, while 19 percent chose Mike Huckabee, a candidate who won't be running. Palin was at a respectable 12 percent, below experienced candidates Newt Gingrich at 15 percent and Ron Paul at 13 percent. For Palin, a 12 percent showing, is a solid showing amongst a key GOP voter block.
In the same poll, Republican voters showed they cared more about electability over ideology when it comes to picking their candidates -- a similar sentiment to liberals in 2004 when the Democrats tried to unseat Bush. The poll showed 56 percent of conservative voters prefer the candidate with the best chance of beating Obama, compared to 31 percent who would prefer the candidate with conservative positions on every issue.
Those numbers may work against Palin. Top-tier candidates like Romney are less polarizing than the former vice-presidential candidate and would likely fair better in a general election. However, Palin seems to challenge conventional political wisdom, as evident with her abandoning her term as governor. She may run in spite of poll numbers and public sentiment.
So will she run make the big leap?
One piece of evidence says she will. Palin named George Washington as her favorite founding father because of his reluctance to serve at President but still serving as form of answering the call of duty. Her long delay in announcing her candidacy might be her way of showing that running for president is for the good of the country and not for her own personal gain.
Palin recently seemed to describe herself when discussing the ideal presidential candidate.
"That candidate's not fearing so much what the interpretation is going to be when it comes to the comments and positions you are articulating, but just speaking from the heart, saying, 'Here's how I think we can turn the economy around, and here's what I've done in the past to show you truly a foundation of where my beliefs come from of what works in a small town, in a state, in a big industry like oil and gas - what it is that can be done to turn the economy around,'" Palin said.
We’ll see...
As a Texan I read Palin as having much more real inner strength than Rick Perry.
Perry is a little overly theatrical in his overt swaggering performances, it is a far cry from his days as a college cheerleader. Perry is almost like LBJ in playing theatrical, manly, Texas politician.
The little baby is already crying about how nasty Obama was to him. He hasn’t seen a tenth of the level of attack that Palin gets.
By labor day he’ll be spending more time with his shrink than on the trail.
>> “Americans want a strong alpha personality” <<
.
Then how’d Obama get in there?
He’s got a feminine passive agressive personality.
Agree with this.
Talk like that really helps Palin. /s
>> “...playing theatrical, manly, Texas politician” <<
.
Yes, playing is the word. His vituperative behavior during the Gardasil fiasco was like that of an unattractive lesbian in a middle management position, not a big, manly Texas Governor.
Cleaning the toilet in her office would be too good a job for a-hole Rove.
She will not back Perry he is too sleazy for her.
The liberals love that. They came out from under their rocks en masses to worship him.
I’ve been wondering if that isn’t a possibility.
She is but I believe she’d step in if she reads a weak nominee on the horizon.
She’s not going to run and here’s why. She knows there’s a huge chance she loses, and if she does, she will lose a lot of her influence and gravatas. My bet is, she plays it safe, sit’s this one out and see what the future brings.
>> “Wonder where Rove would fit into a Palin administration.” <<
.
In an orange jumpsuit, living in a room with a stainless steel toilet at the foot of his bed?
>> “I gotta hand it to Sarah’s supporters. They won’t take no for an answer.” <<
.
Don’t have to; she won’t take it either! :o)
Sarah is very smart in that sense. She will do whatever it takes to rid us of the current vermin occupant and I believe she knows her chances and they are what you say.
>> “She will not back Perry he is too sleazy for her.” <<
.
In the Megyn Kelly interview today, she flatly declared that none of the currently announced candidates could qualify for her endorsement.
How much more does anyone need to figure out that she is not stopping until she reaches the oval office.
You can say she was just articulating the McCain view but she said it.
As governor, how do you deal with them? Do you think they all should be deported?
There is no way that in the US we would roundup every illegal immigrant -there are about 12 million of the illegal immigrants- not only economically is that just an impossibility but that's not a humane way anyway to deal with the issue that we face with illegal immigration.
Do you then favor an amnesty for the 12 or 13 million undocumented immigrants?
No, I do not. I do not. Not total amnesty. You know, people have got to follow the rules. They've got to follow the bar, and we have got to make sure that there is equal opportunity and those who are here legally should be first in line for services being provided and those opportunities that this great country provides.
To clarify, so you support a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants?
I do because I understand why people would want to be in America. To seek the safety and prosperity, the opportunities, the health that is here. It is so important that yes, people follow the rules so that people can be treated equally and fairly in this country.
She will lose her influence if she doesn't run.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.