[Artemis Webb]

"With her negative numbers among Democrats and independents still high, that is quite a challenge"

Well she isn't going to get the Democrat vote anyway. No Republican would (except possibly Romney). She's going to have to bring her negatives among independents up though.

[dselig]

I don’t think the debates will be a big problem at all for the Mama Grizzly. She did fine against Joe Biden!

[nmh]

Palin needs the Independents and they HATE her. The Palin cult alone will not get her there. Her people skills are nonexistent. She is confrontational to an extreme. She is petty and shrill. Honestly, even acknowledging a turd like Levi ... should be beneath her. It's not.

Palin would make a counter commentator to Joyce Behar. Palin could unload on her and pull out all stops on her sharp tongue - of course with a s.e.g. smirk on her face. Palin only appeals to confused conservatives who think being a “populist” is being conservative.

This coming election is too important to screw up with another O'Donnell type. As ridiculous as Obama is and LOW poll numbers, with cheating and OUR stimulus money that he uses as a SLUSH fund, he could get a second term. We literally can't afford to lose this coming election and Palin will do THAT for the GOP.

Make her a VP and use her as an attack dog and a fund raiser for the cult. Let her be the "pit bull" she is. VP are supposed to be "pit bills". Or throw her a bone and replace Steele with Palin. Even as a VP she would need someone with a brain to guide her and clean her up and get her up to speed on issues ... . There truly is NO substance there beyond the fun patriotic sound bytes.

Some people are so fanatical they'll donate their savings to her. Just don't vote for her as President in the primary. Of course she's running! She basically wants to be anointed and just being coy.

I don't know who the RIGHT person is ... I just know Palin isn't it.

[OldDeckHand]

"Well she isn't going to get the Democrat vote anyway. No Republican would (except possibly Romney). "

There was this guy, named Reagan. He did OK with the Democrats. Sadly and strangely, Reagan was also the last Republican to get a majority of the "moderate" vote, both times.

I think we sometimes lose sight of the importance of the individual candidate, and how a "greatness" (for lack of a better term), transcends political division. Again, like Reagan did.

Marco Rubio - although far too young to think about 2012 - I think could be just like that. Remember, he's about as orthodox conservative as you can get. And, in a state that went comfortably for Obama and in a three-way race, he darn near got 50% of the vote. I haven't seen his exit polls yet, but I bet he received some Democrat voters and a good percentage of independents/moderates, given the under-representation of Republicans in that state.

Does Palin transcend political divisions in this way? I'm not so sure.