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Republicans trying to stop a Palin run for presidency ("Stop Palin Week" now at Warp 10)
Winnipeg Free Press ^ | 11-9-10 | Lee-Anne Goodman

Posted on 11/09/2010 5:51:12 PM PST by TitansAFC

WASHINGTON -- Republican triumphs in the recent U.S. congressional elections have left the party with an ironic dilemma: The woman who played such a key role in igniting their conservative base is also the woman they fear the most.

Sarah Palin -- either adored or abhorred in the United States, depending on one's political perspective -- is considered one of the biggest winners following last week's mid-term elections.

The former Alaska governor backed some 60 Tea Party candidates, about half of whom won, while targeting 20 Democrats for certain defeat. Eighteen lost.

Yet in the corridors of power on Capitol Hill, there is a determined and focused effort underway among the Republican elite to find a candidate who can handily beat Palin for the nomination. In recent days, the "Blame Palin" strategy has stepped out from the shadows.

Spencer Bachus, a Republican congressman from Alabama, has pointed to Palin and the Tea Party movement for his party's failure to capture the U.S. Senate in addition to the House.

"The Senate would be Republican today except for states (in which Palin endorsed candidates) like Christine O'Donnell in Delaware," Bachus told an Alabama newspaper. "Sarah Palin cost us control of the Senate."

Although Tea Party candidates did well in House races, Bachus added, "they didn't do very well at all" in their attempts to win Senate seats.

Conservative icon Rush Limbaugh, the radio-show host who wields tremendous influence over the party, has been railing against such anti-Palin forces in recent days.

"What's going on here, folks, is very simple," said Limbaugh, who's a big Palin booster.

"They want to establish a lie very firmly in the minds of the public that the Tea Party hurt the Republican party in these elections. They want to use this to stop Sarah Palin. Republican insiders are trying to figure out now how to stop Sarah Palin."

Why the Palin fears? Republicans fret that if she's their presidential candidate in 2012, U.S. President Barack Obama will easily dispose of her. Even George W. Bush, the much-maligned former Republican president, has reportedly told associates that Palin is "unqualified" to be commander-in-chief, and his one-time chief strategist, Karl Rove, says she lacks the "gravitas" for the job.

Palin doesn't appear to be paying any mind. The period after the mid-term elections tend to be when presidential campaigns unofficially begin, and Palin's Twitter stream moved in a new direction Monday. The self-styled hockey mom relies on social media like Facebook and Twitter to communicate with the masses.

"Today: trade speech; tmrw school event 2 start discussing QuantitativeEasing w kids around US so they prepare 4 Feds experiment w their future," Palin tweeted. She usually uses Twitter to make personal comments about political candidates, current events and the media, not to alert followers about her own upcoming policy announcements.

Palin also delivered a hard-hitting speech in Phoenix that assailed Ben Bernanke, the Federal Reserve Board chairman, by focusing on a primary conservative concern this election cycle: government overspending.

"I'm deeply concerned about the Federal Reserve's plans to buy up anywhere from $600 billion to as much as $1 trillion of government securities," Palin said in prepared remarks. "What's the end game here?... All this pump-priming will come at a serious price."

A recent ABC News-Washington Post poll found only 27 per cent of registered voters believe Palin is qualified to be president. Even those who identify themselves as lifelong Republicans are uneasy about her, including the segment that voted for the party in droves last week -- older white men.

"I think she's a very good lady, but I just don't think we're ready for her," Daniel Phillips, 48, a North Carolina Republican businessman, said in a recent interview.

Phillips said he lost respect for Palin when she resigned as Alaska governor last year before serving her full term.

"When she did that, I think she hurt herself. I think she's a good cheerleader for the conservative party and the Tea Party movement, but as far as being a serious presidential candidate, no. I just don't see it."

Nonetheless, 55 per cent of conservative Republicans like Phillips do believe she's qualified, the same poll suggested. And a whopping 73 per cent of Tea Party supporters believe she's got what it takes to be president.

Those making the case that Palin can emerge victorious on a national level often point to 1966, when Richard Nixon, another figure facing some public antipathy, took to the hustings after losing in a presidential election. Nixon won the presidency in 1968.


TOPICS: Government; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2012; huckabee; palin; romney
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To: Al B.; Jim Robinson; Syncro; Fiddlstix; RedMDer; musicman; Lakeshark; Sarah Barracuda; ...
Al B. just wrote,

Will Bunch from (George Soros's Media Matters) just tweeted Sarah's response to a question at the Q&A from PA tonight:

"Asked about 2012, Palin said: "If I run, I'm in it to win it."



81 posted on 11/09/2010 8:17:39 PM PST by onyx (If you truly support Sarah Palin and want on her busy ping list, let me know!)
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To: KoRn

your math doesn’t add up.

thus your entire conclusion is wrong.


82 posted on 11/09/2010 8:19:08 PM PST by unseen1
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To: TitansAFC

If she goes out there on a regular basis debating candidates for the Republican nomination she will change minds easily IMO.

IMO the reason for her not being loved is Democrats see her as a threat and have gone after her since her VP nod. They even caused her to resign as Gov of Alaska by making her defend baseless lawsuits that were making her personal estate go broke. I remember if she stayed she would have been about 3 million in debt at the end of her first term as Gov.

Republicans see how she ignites hatred of liberals the way Hillary does conservatives and they don’t know what that will bring in an election. Also lets face the fact that Republicans haven’t been the party of smaller government and accountability lately, so that talk by her is also challenging to them IMO.

I think she would be a great President. She has a solid conservative balanced view on things and she has a spine.

God Bless her, if nothing else she’s going to become very wealthy expressing herself.


83 posted on 11/09/2010 8:23:38 PM PST by A CA Guy ( God Bless America, God bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)
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To: KoRn

I like her(I really do), but I don’t think she stands a chance in hell of winning a presidential election.


Conservatives have been saying stuff like this for decades. “It would be great if so-and-so was President, but they’ll lose big time, so I’ll support candidate Milquetoast.” It’s time we quit worrying about what “they” will do or say or how “they” will vote and start supporting the candidates we really want in office. Look what happened in this election. By supporting real conservatives, many were elected to office. Yes, there were losses, but even where the candidates left much to be desired, a conservative fire was lit in those states that will burn brightly in the future.

I will support the candidate who will take Obama on or Hillary if need be. The only one consistently speaking out against Obama is Palin. When others chime in it’s usually following Palin’s lead. It’s passed time for these guys to start speaking out. Their silence is sealing their defeat. If we choose one of them to run, they will lose. Their heart is not in the fight.


84 posted on 11/09/2010 8:24:22 PM PST by excopconservative
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To: onyx

You Betcha!


85 posted on 11/09/2010 8:30:10 PM PST by Syncro ("Citizen Legislators": As It Was Intended...Not Full Time Politicians : >)
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist

“The fact that they’re screaming hysterically about it, and attacking her through anonymous sources, speaks volumes.”

Exactly. Don’t so much listen to what they say, watch what they do.


86 posted on 11/09/2010 8:31:11 PM PST by RKBA Democrat (Palin 2012: Renew, Revive, and Restore)
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To: SoConPubbie

“People like you are lower than pond scum. “

But I believe that all people are created in the image of G-d. Even someone like you.


87 posted on 11/09/2010 8:37:47 PM PST by ari-freedom (Islam is at war against America, while America is at the mall.)
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To: onyx

Will Bunch from (George Soros’s Media Matters) just tweeted Sarah’s response to a question at the Q&A from PA tonight:

“Asked about 2012, Palin said: “If I run, I’m in it to win it.”


She also asked a young man who sang a song, if he wanted to sing at an inauguration. She clarified by saying, “Not necessarily mine”. She’s tweaking them big-time.


88 posted on 11/09/2010 8:39:18 PM PST by excopconservative
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To: TitansAFC

So in the ‘12 primaries, Huck takes Iowa, Romney takes New Hampshire and Palin wins South Carolina. Where does that leave us?


89 posted on 11/09/2010 8:39:34 PM PST by 38special (AK, CA, CO, NV, WA ... WTF?)
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To: KoRn
and I don’t believe ‘independents’ like her all that much

Hogwash.

Independents went from D+7 in 2006, to R+19 in 2010, a shift to the right of R+26 among 'independents'.

It damn sure wasn't the establishment RINOs rallying them to vote against communism.

90 posted on 11/09/2010 8:41:20 PM PST by meadsjn (Sarah 2012, or sooner)
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To: TitansAFC
"She's too polarizing! But Mitt Romney/Mike Huckabee would be fine choices"

Not polarizing.

She's grizzlyizing.

91 posted on 11/09/2010 8:41:35 PM PST by mas cerveza por favor
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To: 38special

Well, I’ll take that scenario anyday.......

South Carolina has decided every single GOP nominee! LOL


92 posted on 11/09/2010 8:41:53 PM PST by TitansAFC ("Mike Pence's Amnesty plan is the '86 Amnesty with a trip home tacked on." - The Heritage Foundation)
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To: latina4dubya

Maybe I see ‘anointing’ and ‘grace’ different than most.

I was not saying that God has decided, or arranged for Sarah Palin to be the next President.

What I have witnessed is that her daily actions bring her the grace (or anointing) of God. Whether she even runs for President, and that ‘grace’ benefits her, is another story.


93 posted on 11/09/2010 8:43:33 PM PST by UCANSEE2 (Lame and ill-informed post)
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To: 38special

I don’t think huck takes IA. and I doubt huck runs at all. If hucvk stays out you have Palin winning IA, Mitt and Newt splitting NH vote giving Palin a strong second good theird place finish and then winning SC and Mitt and Palin fighting in NV and MI.

Mi has been from day one where Palin is going to fight. both in the primary and in the general. she understands MI.


94 posted on 11/09/2010 8:43:33 PM PST by unseen1
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To: latina4dubya
His thoughts are not our thoughts

True.

But if we make our thoughts his thoughts, then we receive the anointing.

95 posted on 11/09/2010 8:47:49 PM PST by UCANSEE2 (Lame and ill-informed post)
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To: guerito1; One Name

I think you should look up the meaning of ANOINTED as it applies to the Bible.

Anyone can be ‘anointed’. But you have to first ‘walk the walk’.

It doesn’t mean ‘the chosen one’. And I know that is what MOST FREEPERS here are thinking.


96 posted on 11/09/2010 8:51:58 PM PST by UCANSEE2 (Lame and ill-informed post)
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To: onyx

Good find, thanks onyx!


97 posted on 11/09/2010 8:52:50 PM PST by Syncro ("Citizen Legislators": As It Was Intended...Not Full Time Politicians : >)
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To: unseen1; KoRn; Brices Crossroads
Custom made post for KoRn: BRICES CROSSROADS' POST #1. Read it and the article and weep.
98 posted on 11/09/2010 8:54:13 PM PST by onyx (If you truly support Sarah Palin and want on her busy ping list, let me know!)
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To: excopconservative

I missed that, too! God willing, it will be HER inuaguration and we have to be there!!!


99 posted on 11/09/2010 8:55:43 PM PST by onyx (If you truly support Sarah Palin and want on her busy ping list, let me know!)
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To: KoRn

I don’t think she stands a chance in hell of winning a presidential election
I agree %100 my friend .


100 posted on 11/09/2010 8:58:27 PM PST by sonic109
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