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Why Sarah Palin Shouldn’t Run (She'd do better promoting conservatism on TV, not as President)
National Review ^ | 11/19/2010 | Mona Charen

Posted on 11/19/2010 6:50:35 AM PST by WebFocus

By telling Barbara Walters that she thinks she can defeat President Obama, Sarah Palin has dimmed hopes cherished by sensible Republicans that she might decide against a run for the White House in 2012. Here are just some of the reasons she should not run.

The Republican nominee should be someone with a vast and impressive record in government and the private sector. Voters chose a novice with plenty of star power in 2008 and will be inclined to swing strongly in the other direction in 2012. Americans will be looking for sober competence, managerial skill, and maturity — not sizzle and flash.

After the 2008 campaign revealed her substantive weaknesses, Palin was advised by those who admired her natural gifts to bone up on policy and devote herself to governing Alaska successfully. Instead, she quit her job as governor after two and a half years, published a book (another is due next week), and seemed to chase money and empty celebrity. Now, rather than being able to highlight the accomplishments of Sarah Palin’s Alaska, we get Sarah Palin’s Alaska, another cheesy entrant in the reality-show genre. She’d so much rather be out dog sledding than in some “dull political office,” she tells the audience. File that.

It’s true. She is wildly popular with a swath of the Republican electorate. And, as a conservative woman politician told me, political consultants (who get paid the big bucks, win or lose) will doubtless descend upon her with game plans showing how she can win in Iowa and then cruise to the nomination. Maybe. But the general election would be a problem, since 53 percent of independent voters view Palin unfavorably along with 81 percent of Democrats, according to a recent Gallup poll.

There is no denying that Sarah Palin has been harshly, sometimes even brutally, treated by the press and the entertainment gaggle. But any prominent Republican must expect and be able to transcend that. Palin compares herself to Reagan. But Reagan didn’t mud-wrestle with the press. Palin seems consumed and obsessed by it, as her rapid Twitter finger attests, and thus she encourages the sniping. She should be presiding over meetings on oil and gas leases in the North Slope, or devising alternatives to Obamacare. Every public spat with Dave Letterman or Politico, or the “lamestream media,” or (God help us) Levi Johnston, diminishes her.

Speaking of television, have you watched “Dancing with the Stars”? Calling the show cheesy would be too generous. Perhaps the former governor should not be blamed for the decisions of her adult daughter. Yet there in the audience we see Sarah and Todd Palin, mugging for the camera and cheering on their unwed-mother daughter as she bumps and grinds to the tune of “Mamma Told Me Not To Come.” Her parents had advised her, the 20-year-old Bristol told an interviewer, that she had to stay “in character” if she expected to win. Being “in character” evidently meant descending to the vulgarity that DWTS peddles on a weekly basis. The mama grizzly was apparently unfazed by, or — equally disturbingly — unaware of, the indignity. And she is supposed to be a conservative culture warrior?

Voters prize judgment, above all, in a presidential candidate. Some of Sarah Palin’s 2010 endorsements were sound and arguably helpful. Others betrayed flightiness and recklessness. Tom Tancredo, Palin’s choice for governor of Colorado, has ridden his anti-immigration hobby-horse in a style perfectly suited to alienate Hispanic voters (describing Miami, for example, as a “Third World city”). Her endorsement of Christine O’Donnell was irresponsible and damaging, losing a seat that would otherwise have been a Republican pick-up. Of course, O’Donnell received an absurdly disproportionate amount of ink and attention during the race (the liberal press naturally seizes upon any opportunity to make conservatives look kooky), but Palin should have anticipated that. Besides, this one cannot be laid at the feet of the biased media. O’Donnell was a thoroughly unqualified candidate.

Palin has many strengths. I admire her fortitude and her principles. Her ability to connect with a crowd is something most politicians can only dream of. I will always remember her 2008 convention speech as a rollicking star turn. She would be terrific as a talk-show host — the new Oprah.

But a presidential candidate? Someone to convince critical independent voters that Republicans can govern successfully? Absolutely not.

— Mona Charen is a nationally syndicated columnist.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2012; afraidisromney; backstabberromney; charen; charen4romney; charen4romneycare; cowardlyromney; cowardromney; hidingromney; operationleper4mitt; palin; pimpingromney; pimpromney; pimpromneyhere; pimpromneynow; presidency; romneycare; saboteurromney; sarahpalin; timidromney
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To: little jeremiah

Now I’m off the phone and it looks like I missed something.


441 posted on 11/19/2010 2:38:19 PM PST by DJ MacWoW (If Bam is the answer, the question was stupid.)
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To: onyx
We can play poll tag if you want.

52% unfavorable, 40% favorable


JM
442 posted on 11/19/2010 2:41:16 PM PST by JohnnyM
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To: trisham

I just don’t understand why people are so upset. How about just ignoring Sarah Palin, since she’s not even a candidate at this point.


443 posted on 11/19/2010 2:42:07 PM PST by Tax-chick (Global Warming: the first faith preached exclusively by hypocrites.)
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To: JohnnyM

She was an excellent governor. It was the lefty’s with the lawsuits. How can one govern when fighting frivolous lawsuits? The left drove her out and you fall for it. They hate her. Why do you think that is?


444 posted on 11/19/2010 2:44:51 PM PST by DJ MacWoW (If Bam is the answer, the question was stupid.)
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To: wtc911; onyx
And, btw, you don’t have any idea the number of private messages I’ve received in support.

So trolls love you. That's news?

445 posted on 11/19/2010 2:45:49 PM PST by DJ MacWoW (If Bam is the answer, the question was stupid.)
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To: onyx
A big thank you for maintaining a hugh and series ping list!

And more importantly for making the PDS’ers heads explode. I hope they do not blast their computers with a shotgun because of you.

446 posted on 11/19/2010 2:47:14 PM PST by mickey finn
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To: kgrif_Salinas
I don’t trust his Conservative principles,

You think Mitt has conservative principles? And with a "C" no less.

I think she is better as an outsider, providing support to candidates, and speaking her mind on Conservative issues.

IOW, Sarah you are more needed helping other candidates than leading our courtry. Speaking 'her mind'? In case your haven't noticed, Sarah isn't about herself - she's all about our country. I'd say you are clueless about conservatism - and it shows. You get a 'D' for impersonating a conservative, IMO

Taking your Comments about Mitt and Sarah together, I believe your made your point - vague but VERY OBVIOUS. It's old, that's why it's easy to see through. Sarah's a leader - she doesn't babysit candidates, she's shown them the way - they can know fly on their own - she's that good of a leader.

I am looking for a NEW fresh Conservative face for 2012, someone with experience and Cons principles.

That's too precious, I'll let it stand on it's own. But I'll add your own words here I fully support Sarah and would campaign for her if she decided to run

LOL!!!! Do you NOW see why Barry needs a teleprompter?? TO KEEP ON TRACK. You couldn't keep on track after a few paragraphs. Go back to your training center - and don't collect pay for today, I'm the one that deserves it - not you!
447 posted on 11/19/2010 2:48:39 PM PST by presently no screen name ("Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down.." Mark 7:13)
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To: JohnnyM

Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted Nov. 4-7, 2010, with a random sample of 1,021 adults, aged 18 and older, living in the continental U.S., selected using random-digit-dial sampling.


448 posted on 11/19/2010 2:49:29 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: Tax-chick

Imho, they have an agenda, which involves the support of another candidate whose aspirations are threatened by Sarah’s growing popularity.


449 posted on 11/19/2010 2:49:59 PM PST by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: onyx
They prefer not to be barraged with the name calling like that which you just displayed. So, yeah, you have effectively turned long time freepers off...I know that you're proud of that.

You haven't changed their minds though. That's the funny thing about the name-calling, it makes folks think that you guys are not particularly serious adults.

450 posted on 11/19/2010 2:51:56 PM PST by wtc911 ("How you gonna get down that hill?")
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To: JohnnyM
and they lost bad

Angle did not "lose bad". You are uninformed. And you haven't heard about the vote fraud and intimidation? You know nothing.

451 posted on 11/19/2010 2:52:04 PM PST by DJ MacWoW (If Bam is the answer, the question was stupid.)
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To: mickey finn; trisham; Virginia Ridgerunner

LOL. Oh, I can already tell you’re truly going to be a ‘grate’ addition to the membership! You betcha! Making PDSer heads explode...lol. (We like).


452 posted on 11/19/2010 2:52:37 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: wtc911

Oh boo-hoo, pot kettle. You’re a Palin troll and there’s no way around it for you. FReepers are not cowards so I know you’re telling stories (again) and BTW, calling Sarah Palin a “quitter” is “name-calling.” DUH.


453 posted on 11/19/2010 2:55:11 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: onyx; mickey finn; Virginia Ridgerunner

Welcome, mickey finn! :)


454 posted on 11/19/2010 2:55:41 PM PST by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: wtc911

I’m thinking that you may have had imaginary friends as a child.


455 posted on 11/19/2010 3:00:06 PM PST by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: DJ MacWoW
Reid beat her by almost 6 points in a race where she was ahead in most of the polls up to the election. She lost bad.

Stop whining like dems when Gore lost and accept reality.

JM
456 posted on 11/19/2010 3:01:19 PM PST by JohnnyM
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To: onyx
im not sure what your point is

JM
457 posted on 11/19/2010 3:03:17 PM PST by JohnnyM
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To: Wee-Weed Up; 230FMJ; 50mm; A.Hun; abigailsmybaby; AFPhys; Aircop_2006; AliVeritas; Allegra; ...
Ok, I’m shocked at how sensitive Conservatives are on here.

Because we like kitties? Do you have a problem with kitties?...You hurt their feelings...Zot!!!!

Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my Viking Kitty/ZOT ping list!. . . don't be shy.

458 posted on 11/19/2010 3:06:56 PM PST by darkwing104 (Lets get dangerous)
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To: darkwing104

LOL! Zombie cat is right!


459 posted on 11/19/2010 3:08:58 PM PST by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: trisham

LOL.


460 posted on 11/19/2010 3:09:18 PM PST by onyx (If you truly support Sarah Palin and want on her busy ping list, let me know!)
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