Posted on 03/16/2013 5:47:30 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
In January 2009, Sarah Palin had the world on a string. A potential Republican presidential field-clearer for the presidency, every sentence she uttered was news. A Fox News contract awaited her. So did book deals.
Four years later, Palin is without a clear option for elected office - or a clear sense she has an interest in any position of real public influence. She never took an active, leadership role in the tea party movement, beyond showing up at a scattered handful of events and talking it up on television. For many Americans, her name is now primarily a punchline and if she is envisioning a comeback, it may simply be too late.
Once as polarizing as a 1990s-era Hillary Clinton, she can still rouse the conservative base and create headline ripples, and has instincts for picking candidates in a primary battle that other Republicans follow. She is getting the most speaking time at CPAC when she takes the stage Saturday at the Gaylord National hotel in Maryland, and her speech is among the most anticipated.
But as a force within the party, Palin has gone from sixty to zero within the span of a single presidential cycle.
"There was a ton of potential there, and it's conceivable that there could be a second act, but it's a little hard to see it now," said Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol, who championed Sarah from Alaska as a potential VP pick in 2008 for Sen. John McCain.
"She didn't run, obviously, in 2012, and she hasn't really made herself a leader on any particular issue," added Kristol, arguing that one either needs to hold office or make themselves relevant on an issues front . "Usually you have to do one of those things...otherwise you're just another pundit."(continued)
(Excerpt) Read more at syracuse.com ...
I personally think that Palin made a decision to raise her family first.
I believe that job will be much more complete next time around, and look forward to her running in 2016.
They sure spend a lot of time and effort telling us someone is irrelevant.
Not that her values are wrong...they are not.
Our next leader will have to speak truth not to power but to idiots...and make it understandable and self evident.
Do you see anyone besides her on the horizon that could accomplish that task?
She’s so much more effective in a supporting role like she’s doing now.
I would love for her to be POTUS but I sadly think that she has decided it’s not in the cards - the rats did too good a job trashing her. Even some Freepers trash her.
To me, as funny as it was, the rack and rifle joke in her speech wasn’t something you’d want to come back and haunt you if you planned on running for POTUS.
But I could be wrong. In fact, I hope I am.
The only person in view at the moment is Dr Ben Carson.
That’s what I think too. Her youngest daughter came into the spotlight at a difficult time and I think the Palins saw what Bristol went though and said “family first” means something. I don’t blame her a bit for taking advantage of the opportunities to earn enough money to make sure her family would be taken care of in the future.
Much as I’d preferred otherwise, stepping out of the spotlight is necessary in order to make a second appearance.
The humor of Winston Churchill was much more colorful than that joke, and it only increased the interest factor. I hardly think a joke is going to cause her to fail.
However, I do think that someone that is able to make a joke now and then is much more interesting than one who never does. If persuasion is the issue, humor is a valuable tool.
Unless it is a bias against women telling jokes. There is always that to deal with.
Me? I laughed my ass off.
Guess you missed these:
Dr. Ben Carson: Your right to own a semiautomatic should depend on where you live
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2993428/posts
Dr. Ben Carson: I dont think Chris Christie and GOProud should be excluded from CPAC
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2992770/posts
Don't play coy little reporter. For some of y'all in the "better than the rest of you" media it always has been.
Well I thought it was funny and there’s nothing at all wrong with a POTUS with a sense of humor but she’s been brutalized for less.
I despise what they’ve done to her. But as Pat Caddell said - for his party winning is a matter of life and death importance. They’ll do anything.
Are you serious? The Republican field in 2016 is likely to be much stronger - crowded with far more competitive conservatives than 2012. It will almost certainly contain several strong candidates such as Walker, Jindal, Paul (Rand), Rubio, etc. Additionally there will be some moderate types like Christie who will be very powerful candidates.
Palin had a golden opportunity to run as a conservative in a pitifully weak field in 2012 and she passed it up. She almost certainly wouldn't have gotten the nomination and I am sure she knew that - but it would only be more difficult for her next time around when she'd face even tougher competition. She isn't going to run 2016.
This man Dr. Carson is a perfect foil and trump personage against Obama and Obama’s enablers. He i.e. Carson doesn’t seem to want to take on Obama being the anti of much of what he i.e. Carson speaks for but the implications are plain. Watch out for Obama to try and suck up to what Carson is saying especially as to GOD in his i.e. Obama forked tongue spiels.
I think one has to look at Palin’s family.
Seriously. She had to make that decision as a Mom. For all the things she may someday be, at that time Mom was the most important job she had available.
I certainly hope she has moved above and beyond that in 2016.
I believe she is considering it.
Gov. Jindal and Senator Rubio are not eligible to be president, or are we disregarding that now because of Mr. Obama? Their parents were NOT US citizens at the time of their birth.
I love Sarah, but in this country at war, she cannot get elected.
That said, she can certainly lead a major effort to defend us against the tyranny being imposed by Obama.
Have you forgotten Trig, Sarah's special needs child? Won't she need to be there for him??
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.