George Will: Sarah Palin and the mutual loathing society

The Washington Post ^ | February 18, 2010 | George F. Will

[2ndDivisionVet]

The Republican presidential nominee, an Arizona senator, was a maverick, which was part of his charm. He spoke and acted impulsively, which was part of his problem. Voters thought his entertaining dimensions might be incompatible with presidential responsibilities. For example, he selected a running mate most Americans had never heard of and who had negligible experience pertinent to the presidency. This was 1964.

Barry Goldwater, whose seat John McCain occupies, chose to run with Bill Miller, a congressman from Lockport, N.Y., near Buffalo. Miller, Goldwater cheerfully explained, annoyed Lyndon Johnson. After the Goldwater-Miller ticket lost 44 states, Miller retired to Lockport, where he practiced law and lived in dignified anonymity until his death in 1983. Although he had served as an assistant prosecutor of Nazi war criminals at Nuremberg and spent seven terms in Congress, no one suggested he should be considered for the 1968 Republican presidential nomination.

Yet Sarah Palin, who with 17 months remaining in her single term as Alaska's governor quit the only serious office she has ever held, is obsessively discussed as a possible candidate in 2012. Why? She is not going to be president and will not be the Republican nominee unless the party wants to lose at least 44 states.

Conservatives, who rightly respect markets as generally reliable gauges of consumer preferences, should notice that the political market is speaking clearly: The more attention Palin receives, the fewer Americans consider her presidential timber. The latest Post-ABC News poll shows that 71 percent of Americans -- including 52 percent of Republicans -- think she is not qualified to be president.(continued)

[familyop]

"I’m not sold on Palin either (although I like her moxie)—but it makes me laugh when anyone declares with certainty who will and will not be president. No one knows what will or won’t happen next week, much less two years from now."

Agreed on all of that. But my guess is that after our country is rebuilt from the fallen, global, effeminate, effete house of cards, the liberal, bipartisan special interests (plutocrats) will be out of useful currency and out of power. There will be a man for president--a man like Duncan Hunter.

[Hildy]

Why do modern journalists think it is so important to put the value of someone’s home in the story? I see it done more and more and it’s obnoxious.

[Destroyer Sailor]

George Will and those like him are part of the reason why Washington does not work. Its time for him to go.

[Hildy]

bravo

[Windflier]

Ya forgot yer barf alert.

[Destroyer Sailor]

The man comes from money. That is how he can afford a house like what he owns.

[presently no screen name]

Yeah, some are easily led - so, it’s not that his voters thought he was qualified for the job, that didn’t even come on their radar screen - nor the propagandists’ talking heads.

[presently no screen name]

Yeah, some are easily led - so, it’s not that his voters thought he was qualified for the job, that didn’t even come on their radar screen - nor the propagandists’ talking heads.

[budwiesest]

Were they this hard on Reagan? I mean, he was supposed to be a real dumbass, wasn’t he?

[wardaddy]

George...be my bitch.

[ellery]

or Jim DeMint! :)

[presently no screen name]

Newt?

You mean Mr.”Reagan Era is Over” “IloveDede” Gingrich?

[EveningStar]

SHE ONLY HAS TO CONVINCE A MAJORITY OF VOTERS THAT SHE CAN DO A BETTER JOB THAN OBAMA.

Not enough. Mickey Mouse can do that. Besides, she's not going to run. :)

[familyop]

"or Jim DeMint! :)"

I've seen him mentioned a time or two. I'm going to look up the info about him now, before finishing a fastener schedule for a house here (digging through code and construction manual). Thanks for the tip!

[techno]

I DON’T THINK PALIN WILL RUN IN 2012, 2016 IS MOST LIKELY. BUT I HOPE SHE DOES JUMP IN

There lies the “torn between two alternatives” that reflect the Palin phenomenon. On one hand you have a faction that feels she needs more seasoning or throwing away her future if she does run in 2012 either because Obama is assured of being reelected or some ‘white knight’ will appear to carry the Republicans to a huge victory in 2012.

And if you think Obama is assured of reelection in 2012, then 2016 appears an opportune time for Palin to run.

But with if Obama is dethroned in 2012, then Palin would have to wait till 2020 to run. Now it is easy to say that in 2020 Palin will be more experienced and only 56, but what about her ‘rock star popularity’ 8 years from now. Simply, I don’t think Palin will be as “hot” physically or politically in 2020. Meanwhile 10 years is plenty of time for another rising ‘rock’ star to come along and supplant Palin as ‘the one’.

In addition Palin will never be as popular with the base and never be this young and energetic again. She is close to approaching 1.4m on her Facebook. Do you think these folks will stay with her if she stays on the sidelines in 2012?

And in 2012 it does not appear she will have to run against a person of immense stature.

All the variables are in place to fun in 2012. This is her time. I know it and I think Palin knows it. I do believe that Palin has a rendezvous with destiny.

[onyx]

Hate to tell you this, but Mickey Mouse is not a person.
You could be right that Sarah might not run.

[presently no screen name]

Great letter! Did you send it yet?

[Bryan24]

Yes, right before I posted it on FR.

[ellery]

I actually have some research to do on DeMint, too, before I support him wholeheartedly for 2012...but from what I’ve seen, he’s doing a great job leading the charge against leftists in both parties.

Good luck with the code/manual!

[Brimack34]

Man I hate these twits. These guys hate conservative women.