Posted on 11/25/2010 9:10:56 AM PST by roses of sharon
I spent only a few hours with the former governor, helping to prepare her for the vice presidential debate in October 2008. And during that brief window, I saw Palin at one of her most vulnerable moments, when any result other than a complete train wreck seemed impossible. And yet I also saw a determined woman buckle down, recover her confidence and then storm the national stage where she more than held her own against a seven-term senator.
Did she face some tough slogging to reach her remarkable perch? Sure, you betcha. I admire her tenacity, her verve, her moxie, and her pluck. As she releases what’s sure to be another bestseller, America by Heart, I think it’s phenomenal how Palin has been able to leverage her moment in the spotlight. I marvel at her masterful manipulation of the media, and her ability to redirect the national debate with merely a tweet. Most of all, I like the way she defies conventional wisdom and does things her own way: She doesn’t retreat, she reloads. And without Palin and the Tea Party backing Republican candidates, I doubt the crimson tide would have risen so high Nov. 2.
Palin’s appeal completely befuddles metro-intellectuals. They scoff at her “experience,” holding the one-time city manager, mayor, oil and gas commission chair, governor, and vice presidential nominee to a different standard than candidate Obama. A marathon runner, mother of five, and grandmother to one, she has no qualms about smacking a slimy halibut—or an oil and gas company—upside the head. And don’t be fooled, underneath that “prom hair” is a brilliant populist.
Yet I find myself continually goaded into denigrating her, saying things like “she’s reached her sell-by date,” “her stock is going down,” and “if she’s smart, she won’t run for president.” And I was going to go on TV recently and say, “It’s rare you hear quantitative easing and Sarah Palin in the same sentence,” until I realized that she did a hell of a lot better job explaining the complex concept than I could.
Though she is rightfully suspicious of advice from outside Team Palin, and she certainly doesn't care what I think, it is my strong opinion that she should not run. Not just because I don’t agree with her positions or her politics, but because the coming political fight is about more than the future of Sarah Palin. It’s about the future of the country.
All the fun, the money, the power will only be diminished if she runs. Because I don’t care how you cut it, in the end she will lose.
President Obama’s approval rating is now just 39 percent, and he is statistically tied in a direct matchup with Palin according to a new Zogby poll. And according to Quinnipiac, American voters believe that Obama does not deserve a second term by a margin of 49 to 43 percent. But Palin is viewed unfavorable by 51 percent of voters. And among independents, the key swing voting bloc, her negative is at 54 percent. She is not the right candidate right now.
Framing the presidential contest ahead, Mona Charen put it well: “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.”
If Palin runs, I think the entire Republican primary process will be hijacked. With ardent fans and a rabid media, it will become Palin-palooza. A celebrity fest will follow with even more amplitude than the adulation and adoration that surrounded Barack Obama, who was so revered he was sometimes referred to in biblical proportions as “The One.” An all-consuming super nova, Palin will suck the oxygen out of every room, everywhere she goes. And one of two things will happen. Discerning conservative voters in early primary states will be offended by the circus-like atmosphere and the presumption that they could so easily fall for a “cult of personality.” And they will vote against her. And she will lose. Or, Republican voters will be completely swept up in the mania and nominate her as the GOP standard bearer to go up against President Obama. And she will lose—perhaps the only Republican nominee who could lose in 2012.
But I also think she shouldn’t run for her sake. How could life get any better? She has more power, money, control, and influence than she could have ever possibly imagined. Two bestselling books, almost 2.5 million Facebook fans, a record-breaking cable TV show, and a daughter who made it to the finals on another TV show—not because of her abilities, but because she’s Sarah Palin’s daughter, and by god, the Palinistas out there defiantly come to her rescue week after week.
Palin is having fun. She decided governing Alaska was, well, just a pain. Too much work. A hassle. Whatever. Next. There I go again, denigrating. See, it’s just a reflex. It’s easy to discount her accomplishments, and to ignore the ludicrous opposition Palin faced in the courts and in the press on her return to office from the campaign trail. But my point is, all the fun, the money, the power will only be diminished if she runs. Because, I don’t care how you cut it, in the end she will lose. She is just too polarizing a figure at this point in her career to win a general election. And if the Republicans lose to a weakened President Obama, she will forever be blamed for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
But I know how these things go. First of all, as James Carville said, running for president is like sex. Once you’ve done it, it’s hard to stop. Second, once the drum beat starts, and all your friends and admirers start telling you, “For the sake of the Republic, it’s your duty to run,” it’s awfully hard not to let your ego get filled with a lot of helium. Next thing you know, you’re shivering at a diner in January in Iowa.
I know there are millions of conservative women and young grizzlettes out there who admire Sarah Palin. She inspires them; she is them. They know that beneath the sequined lapel pin roars the heart of a Mama Grizzly wronged. And they are offended when elites, the media, and smart asses like me dismiss her infectious optimism, her pitch-fork populism, and her love of family, faith and the flag.
In my view, it would have been interesting to see what would have happened to her as a political figure had she not been plucked too soon from obscurity, if she had been allowed to ripen on the vine for a couple of terms as governor of Alaska before emerging on the national scene. Alas, she was thrown onto the rocket sled of celebrity and has ridden to heights never before seen.
And if Palin doesn't run for the top slot, she will very likely be on the short list again for vice president. Or certainly for a cabinet slot if the Republicans win.
Only one thing is for sure. Sarah Palin is going to be around for a very long time. She’s already had a few last laughs, and she’s likely to have a whole lot more before the closing credits roll. ’Cause life as America’s sweetheart—and siren for the left—is “flippin’ fun.”
No matter what happens, whether she runs for president or not, Palin is going to be Pot Stirrer-in-Chief.
Nah, Mitt is because no real conservative will vote for the flip flopper.
what does not kill me makes me stronger.
This guy needs his journalistic license pulled.
I am noticing that more and more.
Mark McKinnon? Isn’t he that gay guy that dumped the McCain campaign because he was swoonin’ in bliss over the megawatt Obama smile?
Thank you. Happy Thanksgiving.
No loyalty to Senator McCain , no concern for the damage to the campaign, without regard to party succes, and indiffernt to the destruction to be visited upon this country by this Islamo-fascist usurper.
How dare he show his face?
From Going Rogue: "If you're not the lead dog, the view never changes."
This is an absurd statement. If she does not enjoy unequivocal support on the most chest-thumping conservative website out there, populated by precisely the limited government, patriotic, God-fearing Americans of the kind she appeals to, then what hope does she have among the independents, whom she needs to win over?
So the very fact that there are so many here who bash her (despite subscribing to her views) should be of great concern regarding her viability as a candidate. It is not something that can be dismissed easily.
The bottom line is that while she may enjoy a plurality of support here, she is not the overwhelming favorite, especially if other, less talked-about candidates with less baggage, like Mitch Daniels or Chris Christie, enter the race.
Yes, it’s a self fulfilling prophecy.
They bash her non-stop, then publish polls from the easily led sheep saying she has ‘high negatives.’
This is how the establishment elite (regardless of party) does it.
I have to support and defend Sarah Palin, because all their attacks on her are really attacks on me.
I have had it with the RINO establishment that gave us: Nixon, Ford, Bush, Dole, Bush, McCain, and now Romney...
I want a REAL conservative!!!!
Go Sarah!
May the GOP pay for their behavior.....it is inexcusable that they are threatening and bullying this woman into saying no to a Presidential run.
In public, in front of the Democrats and the MSM...for all the world to see.
We will see how long the Republican Party remains viable after this gross display of perfidy.
I rarely resort to equivalency arguments, but in this case it’s irresistible. I bet Palin isn’t afraid to show the world her credentials. You know, stuff like birth certificate, college grades, SAT’s.
I’m with you on everything but the Romney stuff. I will not work for Romney. I will not donate to Romney. I will not vote for Romney. I am not just blowing smoke and I am far from being alone. I will NOT be responsible for Romney’s brand of liberalism being committed in the name of conservatism.
When few outside of Utah are willing to get out and hustle for a candidate, he’s got a serious problem. Sure, some folks will come around like they did with McCain, but his compulsive need to pander and slither on every issue will turn off enough voters to make Romney a sure loser in the general.
I’m not saying that it has to be Palin, but be careful what you wish for with Romney. If you want to see what happens when conservative activists actually start to advocate against the Republican nominee, push for Romney. It won’t be pretty.
So it would appear.
To who? Glazed-eyed RINObots like you?
I know you don't possess much intellectual heft, so let me give you a hand here. If Bozo wanted to face Sarah Palin in 2012, the state-run media would be running puff pieces about her all the time. The left-wing establishment would do everything in their power to ensure that she was viewed favorably by a majority of center-right voters in order to give her the greatest odds of winning the Republican primary.
Now, ask yourself - how are they treating Sarah Palin? That's right. They're doing the exact opposite. Now that you see this disconnect, what does it mean?
Let me know when the light bulb goes off.
I'd post my true opinions about people who resort to such codespeak but I'd likely get banned.
(The Ivy League is over-rated as a marker for Presidential competence. Kennedy, Bush 41, Clinton, Bush 43, Obaama, ...and Wilson, for that matter) were all Ivy Leaguers, and all were *serious* screw-ups.
Cheers!
Mitch Daniels is a full blown RINO who wants to capitulate to the liberals on all social issues so we can work “cooperatively” to bring about even more left wing economic policies.... Sheeeesh he might even be worse than mittens. And, while Christie is at least somewhat conservative on the economic side he is still suspect. His support for gun bans and his support for RINOS’s like Mike Castle should be giant warning flags to take a wait and see attitude with him.
Even a RINO president is better than ZERO. Our goal should be to beat ZERO, whether it takes a RINO or not.
“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.”
Mona Charen still doesn’t get it. This isn’t about electing someone who has lived their entire life inside the Beltway and posesses her idea of maturity and competence (cough... snort...spit). This is about throwing the entrenched, self serving scoundrels who have run the country into the ground out. The same ones who were all smitten by the zer0 just months ago. Clearly their ideas of bigger government and compassionate conservatism have failed. The zer0 is simply these ideas on steroids with a healthy dose of 60’s radical and some extreme personality disorders thrown in. It’s time to shake things up.
And by thoroughly demonizing her, the MSM somehow increases her favorability ratings among center-right voters, which will make it more likely that she becomes the nominee, then....
Huh? I think you've gotten into the egg nog a bit early today. Your logic circuits have shut down.
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