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The myth of Palin's frontrunner status
Washington Post ^ | December 1, 2010 | Jennifer Rubin

Posted on 12/01/2010 7:48:56 PM PST by neverdem

Much of the punditocracy is obsessed with Sarah Palin. It's understandable on several levels. First, she makes for good copy and has a knack for coining catchy phrases ("death panels") and new words ("refudiate" -- it's now in the dictionary). She is controversial and opinionated, so given the choice between, say, a story on John Thune and one on Palin, it's a no-brainer to choose the best-selling author, TV reality show star and Tea Party darling. But conservatives suspect there's also some mischief-making afoot -- the desire by liberal-leaning members of the media and the White House to make Palin the symbol of the Republican Party, which they are convinced will translate into her presidential run, her nomination and a shellacking for the GOP at the polls in 2012.

You don't have to buy into a conspiracy to see that many in the media and on the left are convinced Palin will be the nominee. In fact, they seem to be in a bit of a time warp. Howard Kurtz recently praised her media savvy, an observation widely held by conservatives -- 18 months ago. Unlike conservatives who have had time to process the Palin phenomenon, non-conservatives are just beginning to evaluate her as more than a punchline or an object of ridicule. They suspect conservatives are oblivious to her shortcomings. But that's simply wrong.

For months now the real story on the right has been the search for new presidential contenders. There is far more awareness than many in the media imagine among conservative activists, Tea Partyers included, of Palin's limited appeal to independent voters. Her backing of questionable...

--snip--

And now there's Mike Pence...

(Excerpt) Read more at voices.washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial; Politics/Elections; US: District of Columbia
KEYWORDS: 2012; du4romney; iag4romney; mittfakeendorsements; msm4romney; obama4romney; palin; palin2012; palinoia; pds; pence; plannedparenthood; proabortionposter; rinos; rinos4romney; romney; romney4obamacare; romney4romney; romneybackstabbing; romneycare; romneydirtytricks; romneyfakepolls; romneymarriage; romneythrewelection; romneyvictorymosque; ryan; saboteurromney; sarahpalin; sharia4romney
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To: pissant

Crimney, reading those quotes, I wonder if she even knows what amnesty really means. At best, she was woefully unprepared for the aggressiveness of O’Reilly’s questions. At worst, she hasn’t given the issue any serious thought beyond punching her conservative ticket with the right soundbites.

I have a strong suspicion that it’s the latter. It’s doesn’t say much more of her if it was the former, though - O’Reilly does the same thing to every guest, so there isn’t much excuse for being unprepared.


121 posted on 12/02/2010 8:36:34 AM PST by The Pack Knight (Laugh, and the world laughs with you. Weep, and the world laughs at you.)
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To: neverdem
I don't think MA's version of Obamacare is Romney's main problem.

Romney keeps defending the health care law in Massachusetts so it certainly is one of his main problems along with this liberal record as governor.

Romney is lying sack of manure. No conservative with a brain buys into the lies he spews.

122 posted on 12/02/2010 9:36:24 AM PST by Ol' Sparky (Liberal Republicans are the greater of two evils)
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To: MrEdd; Arizona Carolyn; Diogenesis; dirtboy
So you are saying the Massachusetts legislature over rode Romney's healthcare veto?

If they did, I am a liar and an effing troll.

If they did not, well one of us is a liar and an effing troll either way.

The record shows just which one of us that is.

Credit Hog - Mitt Romney got more props than he deserved for health-care reform.

Romney's relatively stingy plan had little chance of becoming law. But it was an admission that, if the ballot initiative were to be headed off and the federal waiver preserved, something would have to be done. And on some level, Romney held surprisingly few cards, given the state's veto-proof House and Senate Democratic majorities.

Mass. Gov. Romney Signs Health Insurance Bill; Vetoes Assessment on Employers Not Providing Coverage

Other Vetoes
The governor vetoed several other provisions, but the "vetoes promise to be more symbolic than meaningful," as the Legislature "passed the bill overwhelmingly" and is expected to override Romney's vetoes, according to the Boston Globe (Helman/Kowalczyk, Boston Globe, 4/13).

With faint praise from Ezra Klein of Journolista fame, the situation was worse than I remembered. There are many reasons to vote against Romney, that MA healthcare law, with multiple sections vetoed by Romney because of a line item veto in MA, is one of the weakest. You're entitled to have your own opinions. You can't have your own facts.

Why is Romney bragging about it? How can he disown his past? Why are some pubbies saying that there are parts of Obamacare that they want to keep? Romney was given a lemon, so the opportunistic politician made lemonade.

123 posted on 12/02/2010 9:44:38 AM PST by neverdem (Xin loi minh oi)
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To: curiosity
My hunch is he won't run, but instead work behind the scenes for someone else he likes, like Mitch Daniels.

And that would be another nail in Daniels' coffin.

124 posted on 12/02/2010 9:45:43 AM PST by Ol' Sparky (Liberal Republicans are the greater of two evils)
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To: pissant
...she is my #2 babe now in the House. Kristi Noem bumped her.

Five hundred posts, or more, later and you finally submit a sensible one.

125 posted on 12/02/2010 10:12:57 AM PST by jla
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To: onyx

Not slighting Paul Ryan, but he looks like he’d fit right in as Nitti’s bookkeeper in The Untouchables.


126 posted on 12/02/2010 10:16:21 AM PST by jla
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To: neverdem
Why is Romney bragging about it? How can he disown his past? Why are some pubbies saying that there are parts of Obamacare that they want to keep? Romney was given a lemon, so the opportunistic politician made lemonade.

Once again, Romney fails to acknowledge the failures of Romneycare and instead is promoting it as some kind of absurd positive. Romney is selling his particular brand of lemonade without sugar and expecting us to drink it up and enjoy it.

127 posted on 12/02/2010 10:40:34 AM PST by dirtboy
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To: MrEdd
Outline to all of us Curiosity, just what those good parts of Romneycare are that you assert made it not worth rejecting in totality.

Well, for one thing, it equalized the tax treatment of individual policies and employer-sponsored policies.

But I don't want to get into Romneycare in too much detail, since I don't live in Massachussetts and I think Romney is going to run in 2012.

128 posted on 12/02/2010 11:05:02 AM PST by curiosity
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To: neverdem
Good post.

At the same time, I'm not sure conservative bickering over Romney is all that constructive, since I don't think he has a prayer of getting the nomination. His best chance was 2008, and it didn't happen.

I say we get behind another competent executive who has a good grasp of economic and fiscal policy issues. I have a mild prefernece for Daniels at this point, but he's by no means the only possibility. It's still very early.

129 posted on 12/02/2010 11:11:03 AM PST by curiosity
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To: MrEdd
Woops. Typo on post 128. I meant to say that I don't think Romney is going to run. He didn't make his fortune placing bets with poor odds.
130 posted on 12/02/2010 11:13:38 AM PST by curiosity
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To: The Pack Knight
At worst, she hasn’t given the issue any serious thought beyond punching her conservative ticket with the right soundbites.

That's a pretty good description of the amount of though she's put into any national policy issue (except, maybe, some topics related to energy). The woman's a lightweight, and there's no getting around it.

131 posted on 12/02/2010 11:22:38 AM PST by curiosity
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To: factmart
Everything they say about her they said about REAGAN, Puppy!

Perhaps, but there's one important difference: when they say it about Palin, it's true.

132 posted on 12/02/2010 11:23:50 AM PST by curiosity
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To: onyx
Thankfully, Kristol is not for Sarah.

According to Britt Hume, Kristol was key to bringing Palin to the national spotlight prior to being selected as VP by McCain.

133 posted on 12/02/2010 11:33:34 AM PST by Balding_Eagle (If America falls darkness will cover the face of the earth for a thousand years.)
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To: curiosity
Perhaps, but there's one important difference: when they say it about Palin, it's true.

Maybe you should post over at Politico, I'm sure they believe that with the same fervor you do - and without anything to back it up (the libs think the lies about Reagan are true as well). And as I have said before, I'm not sure if Palin should run, as the media has Quayled her to the point that someone like you believes all of that bullcrap, but the kneejerk responses like yours make me far more sympathetic towards her actually running so we can make some popcorn and watch your handwringing.

134 posted on 12/02/2010 11:51:45 AM PST by dirtboy
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To: curiosity
He didn't make his fortune placing bets with poor odds.

He lost a goodly chunk of it in 2008 doing just that.

135 posted on 12/02/2010 11:53:34 AM PST by dirtboy
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To: curiosity

As a RomneyBOT, Curiosity, your attacks on Gov. Palin are
getting quite tiring.


136 posted on 12/02/2010 12:02:31 PM PST by Diogenesis ('Freedom is the light of all sentient beings.' - Optimus Prime)
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To: dirtboy
Acutally, I think his odds were okay in 2008. But even great odds aren't a sure thing, so he lost anyway.

IMHO his odds in 2012 are much worse. But we'll see.

137 posted on 12/02/2010 12:04:57 PM PST by curiosity
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To: listenhillary

She probably figured out she wasn’t going to win. No use alienating people you have to work with.


138 posted on 12/02/2010 12:08:43 PM PST by rwrcpa1 (Let freedom ring!)
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To: neverdem

Okay, damn, that was fast.


139 posted on 12/02/2010 12:10:00 PM PST by RichInOC (Palin 2012: Don't Make Me Get My Cluebat.)
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To: Diogenesis
I see. So somehow by not supporting Romney for 2012, even saying he shouldn't run, that makes me a RomneyBot? Okaaaaay.
140 posted on 12/02/2010 12:27:52 PM PST by curiosity
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