Scarborough: Palin Knows She Can't Win, In It For Money

NewsBusters ^ | Mark Finkelstein

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Joe Scarborough has a decidedly cynical take on Sarah Palin's public musings about the possibility of a 2012 presidential run. The Morning Joe host asserts that Palin knows she can't win and won't run.

According to Scarborough, Palin is in it for the money, and is engaging in open speculation about a run for the mercenary purpose of keeping her brand alive.

Joe offered his jaded view on today's Morning Joe after the show aired a clip of Palin telling Barbara Walters that she believed she could defeat Pres. Obama.

View video after the jump.

[frogjerk]

not to mention the end of the Tea Party's influence on American politics.

Your statement is proof you should be totally ignored on this topic or at least should be hired as a "conservative" pundit on MSNBC

[truthguy]

The whole political system is BASED on individuals making a difference.

Individuals do make a difference but give me a break. You need to get out more often. I have a number of friends and associates who are not going to vote for Sarah Palin. That's a fact. I wish it were not true. There is nothing I can do about that.

In 2008 I was a huge fan of Duncan Hunter. He was right on every issue and would have made a great president. I gave him money and supported him. I could not even persuade my Republican friends to support the guy. The next person I supported was Fred Thompson who went the same way as Hunter. These were great conservatives, but we ended up with McCain who I knew would lose. Now I'm not going to bring up the R word because I know I'll get 50 spams but if this certain guy would have been elected would we have the mess we have now? Would we have 2 more certified crackpots on the SCOTUS? That's all I'm saying.

[Jim Noble]

If “Obama” could win, Palin can win.

That’s not an argument that she SHOULD be President - but anybody who says she can’t win wasn’t paying attention when Zero started out.

[Old Retired Army Guy]

See my Post on # 38 for a response. I am not comparing her to Reagan.

[citizen]

Interesting. Wasn't the take by FReepers just after she resigned that she was leaving office to earn money to pay her legal bills. Also, the consensus was "If she's doing it for the money, good for her. She deserves it."

That wasn't and isn't my take at all. See my new tag line.

And that crap about having to break her oath of office because of stress on her family is a sadly laughable pile of BS. Even if we were to be dumb enough to believe that, it simply means that when the going got a little tough, Palin just up and quit her sworn duty. As for needing money, she has/had enough star power to establish a very effective legal defense fund to raise the money.

Quitting as govenor and walking out on the people of Alaska was a willful choice by Palin. Just as not supporting her is my willful choice. And I assure you, I am not alone.

[bray]

They also told us George Bush could never win twice. Glad Scarbutt doesn’t say things like this for the $$.

Pray for America

[kanawa]

The Neocons

Why don't you just come out and say the JEWS instead of using code words?

[McGruff]

Now I'm not going to bring up the R word because I know I'll get 50 spams but if this certain guy would have been elected would we have the mess we have now?

You outed yourself. Not brave enough to say you're a RomneyBot? Duncan Hunter never was going anywheres. You talk about unelectable. I actually supported Romney when it came down to him or McInsane. I ended up voting for McCrazy in the general election. Something I swore I'd never do. We tried it the RINO way, I'll never stoop to that level again.

[citizen]

"...the R word..."

lol, true that. Romney is indeed a four letter word around here. At least he would have a decent chance to actually get elected.

[paulycy]

Duncan Hunter.

Duncan Hunter didn't just get 5 million viewers on TLC, an only moderately viewed cable channel. Duncan Hunter has very little name recognition nationally. Duncan Hunter, whom I like very much and would vote for, too, hasn't written any best selling books.

These examples are not proof that Sarah can get elected but they are evidence that she is in the running.

Unless and until someone else better comes along Sarah is still the best chance we have so far.

Having said that, she still needs to 1) actually announce 2) run a brilliant campaign. 3)get some breaks (like all winners do)

But to troll around saying that she is unelectable is measurably, demonstrably wrong. It ignores the whole mood of the country. She can't win every state but she can win a majority of the Electoral College and that's what matters. It would be close but she can do as well as GWB IMO.

We'll have to see if she runs. She might not. But you'll run into a great deal of resistance if you keep trying to sell this "unelectable" nonsense around here.

[ThePatriotsFlag]

... and I believe there was an unexplained death of a girl in his Washington Office ... why doesn’t anyone remind him now and then about his OWN problems so maybe he’d cause less for other people.

[toddausauras]

Why the heck wouldn’t Palin run?? She’s in a great position to win the nomination, she polls high in most of the early primary states and the campaign hasnpt even begun. She is in a great position to make history as the first woman nominee of either party. If she can do that she will be in the history books forever. In my opinion she’d be foolish not to run. Go Sarah! To the folks here who against her running: What are you afraid of? You seem so invested in convincing the rest of us that she is not electable...do you see any of us writing hundreds of words about Newt or Mitt? No, we don’t care!

Go Sarah!!!

[se_ohio_young_conservative]

You know. I can’t wait until the wheels start turning and the the campaign starts next year. It will put up or shut up time for Governor Palin and those who hate her. It will be decided out on the trail.

[irish_links]

...Your statement is proof you should be totally ignored on this topic or at least should be hired as a “conservative” pundit on MSNBC...

May I disagree? Rather it is evidence that I live in the real world and not in the world of delusional fanboys. Whether you choose to accept it or not, Palin is a polarizing figure with exceptionally high negatives. She doesn't possess the abilities to persuade her detractors that she can be trusted with the immense responsibility that comes with the highest office in the land, full stop.

If the Tea Party carries her to the nomination in 2012 and thereby contributes to the kind of disaster that we witnessed in Delaware on November 2, its influence on the GOP and national politics will plunge and never recover. Choose to believe what you will, but don't say you weren't warned. You can blame Rove all you want for O'Donnell, but O'Donnell was a disaster that many on this board more than embraced, they developed a big fat adolescent crush on. It is no different with Palin. Folks, let's be serious. This is serious business.

[se_ohio_young_conservative]

Go on back to DU where you belong. Palin haters are the enemy here.

[Old Retired Army Guy]

Scarborough ops off with a lot of predictions that are mostly wrong. He predicted the reublicans wouldn’t gain more than 35 seats in the House. He doesn’t seem to do his homework and listens too much to the liberals that he lives with in the upper west side of Manhatten and those kooks at MSNBC and their liberal MSM guests. He isn’t the Joe that represented the panhandle of FL in the 90’s. Besides, I think he is influenced by Mika who I suspect he is “infatuated” with.

[onedoug]

Yeah? She might have done something when hundreds of Marines were murdured in Lebanon. He didn´t.

[Durus]

"Your resolution means next to nothing. Don't ever forget that. You have very little power to see that Palin wins. If you really believe this, you are truly delusional. If the public perception of her is negative, she will lose and there isn't a damn thing you can do about that".

If the media's portrayal of republicans was the most important factor in determining who wins elections then republicans would never win anything. The simple fact of the matter is that two things wins elections. Money and the hard work of dedicated individuals.
There is always a naysayer who waxes enthusiastically about how others will never achieve their dreams...and then there are those that achieve their goals regardless of people trying to drag them down.

[WVKayaker]

People like you lose elections.

You know you sound like the Dim talking points don't you. With mainstream candidates called into play by dirty tricks, we got Dole, GWB, and McCain. I voted for all three. I held my nose on two of them, and regret the third.

I love GWB as a man, but he ran up more spending than anybody until Obambaby. His policies and his lack of care allowed the Dems to retake the lead. Now, we are up against the wall.

I see NOBODY else with the balls to confront those in power, and yet we have this woman with bigger ones than any on the men on the horizon, but hers are ovaries.

With more people showing up like you and other supposed sceptics on FR, we know she is dong well! She IS not only electable, but desirable. I am not talking about looks, or sex appeal. I prefer small blonds! She has credibility, no matter how the MSM and you supporters try to say otherwise.

Sure, she angers and alienates those with liberal tendencies or shallow minds. But, her form of campaigning isn't about the money. That's just a side benefit to build a war chest! Along the way, she is racking up more than frequent flyer miles like Obambi. She is making friends and influencing lots of people (in Iowa, in New Hampshire, In Delaware, etal). The nomination will be easy, and by the end of this year, she will have more positives than negatives despite the hard fought negatives applies by those you seem to listen to....

Obambi has his golf cart, while Sarah is speeding down the beach!

[citizen]

I can not conceieve of a man or woman with the stalwart character of a Ronald Reagan abandoning the governorship of California or any other state for a non-lethal reason. I also can not fathom how any principled conservative was not appalled by Palin leaving office for her stated rationalizations.

Just my opinion.