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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: piytar
The babes of the GOP:


21 posted on 12/01/2010 8:07:52 PM PST by pissant (THE Conservative party: www.falconparty.com)
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To: onyx

You have to admit that Ryan-Odierno doesn’t sound bad, especially the Odierno part.


22 posted on 12/01/2010 8:10:09 PM PST by pissant (THE Conservative party: www.falconparty.com)
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To: curiosity

[If she runs, she’ll be a disaster for the party, even if she doesn’t win the nomination. ]

As if Romney, Newt and Huck aren’t even bigger disasters? Come on, who are you kidding??


23 posted on 12/01/2010 8:10:14 PM PST by FastCoyote (I am intolerant of the intolerable.)
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To: neverdem

Whatever you do, don’t google-image Jennifer Rubin with safesearch off. Some disturbing images return.


24 posted on 12/01/2010 8:10:21 PM PST by OldDeckHand
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To: Ghost of Philip Marlowe
I’m sure “Jennifer Rubin” is another high-quality, objective “journalist” trained at the finest school of journalism and that her opinion and desires never find their way into her articles.

I dont think she went to journo school. She is a lawyer by training and just started writing a few years ago when she left her longtime law practice.

She's damn good IMO.

25 posted on 12/01/2010 8:10:21 PM PST by freespirited (This tagline dedicated to the memory of John Armor, a/k/a Congressman Billybob.)
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To: curiosity

I’ve never believed she is going to run. I believe that her main motivation is the palin brand and how to profit from it. Nothing wrong with that but while her choices make the cash register ding they do not make for a serious run at the toughest job in the world.


26 posted on 12/01/2010 8:11:54 PM PST by wtc911 ("How you gonna get down that hill?")
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To: neverdem
This is not written filled with confidence that BamBamKennedy is a sure thing... so the left is left to influence peddle which potential GOP candidate they can ‘McCain’ as their candidate of choice.
27 posted on 12/01/2010 8:12:43 PM PST by Just mythoughts
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To: neverdem

Palin’s (potential) success is likely to rise as she is continually pilloried by the press and other liberals. Republicans will circle around “our girl” and she will continue to thereby be vaulted by us to super candidate status -— which is either EXACTLY what they want ... or the OPPOSITE of what they want (cant really read them on this yet)


28 posted on 12/01/2010 8:14:04 PM PST by Optimist (I think I'm beginning to see a pattern here.)
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To: Ghost of Philip Marlowe
I’m sure “Jennifer Rubin” is another high-quality, objective “journalist” trained at the finest school of journalism and that her opinion and desires never find their way into her articles.

There never seems to be a lack of freepers who are seemingly proud of how much they don't know.

29 posted on 12/01/2010 8:15:44 PM PST by wtc911 ("How you gonna get down that hill?")
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To: Gay State Conservative

Didn’t MA have a veto proof majority in each house forcing their version of Obamacare on Romney? Didn’t he veto a number of its provisions initially?


30 posted on 12/01/2010 8:17:22 PM PST by neverdem (Xin loi minh oi)
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To: freespirited

Yeah, we need more lawyers writing for the Wash. Compost.

And we need to pay attention to what lawyers writing for the Wash. Compost tell us about a nobody politician (so they claim) that is not the frontrunner (so they claim) and has no chance of winning (so they claim) and who is stupid (so they claim) and who Republicans would be well advised to turn away from (so they claim).

Yeah. That’s original.

If all they claim is true, why do they fear her so much?


31 posted on 12/01/2010 8:17:38 PM PST by Ghost of Philip Marlowe (Prepare for survival.)
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To: neverdem

"Alright you hired. Give your Sarah Palin article to write-up, and send in the next Sarah Palin writer applicant on your way out! I need more, more!"

32 posted on 12/01/2010 8:19:16 PM PST by mrsmith
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To: Ghost of Philip Marlowe
"Welcome to Right Turn
By Jennifer Rubin:

To those of you who've read my work before and to those who haven't, welcome to Right Turn, an opinionated blog on politics and policy. Conservative readers, I promise not to go "native" and, like former Supreme Court Justice David Souter, slide left as soon as I'm "in." Liberal readers, I hope you'll find what I have to say provocative and interesting -- and discover that you actually agree with me now and then.

So who am I, and what am I doing on The Post's website? Well, five years ago, I never dreamed I'd be writing for The Post. For two decades I was a labor and employment lawyer in Los Angeles. Then in 2005, my husband and I decided that California was becoming a mess. (This is a theme I'll come back to time and again.) We moved to Virginia, not with the expectation that I'd become a blogger, but to gradually phase out my career as a lawyer, spend more time with our two sons and enjoy living in a red state. But people plan and God laughs. Virginia turned blue shortly after we arrived, and I discovered that the most rewarding job I could do was to write about politics. Talk about a second act.

After freelancing for a couple of years, I found a home at Commentary magazine. I was front and center, sometimes ahead of the pack, on a number of stories, including the New Black Panther scandal, the ill-fated Chas Freeman appointment, the ill-conceived awarding of the Medal of Freedom to Mary Robinson and the rise of the Tea Party movement. I've taken a hard look at the American Jewish community and the internal battles in the right. And I've written on the sins of omission and commission by the mainstream media, which too often are handicapped by unexamined biases."

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/right-turn/2010/11/welcome_to_right_turn.html

33 posted on 12/01/2010 8:20:43 PM PST by FTJM
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To: neverdem

So, which is it? Are they scared to death of her and trying to destroy her, or are they pushing her on us because they think she’ll lead to a “shelacking”? It can’t really be both, can it?


34 posted on 12/01/2010 8:22:56 PM PST by CharlesWayneCT
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To: pissant

I like babes with brains and I know Michele has a strong mind. We’ll see if Noem has what it takes.


35 posted on 12/01/2010 8:23:07 PM PST by ari-freedom (Happy Chanuka!)
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To: ari-freedom

She sounds awfully good so far.


36 posted on 12/01/2010 8:24:42 PM PST by pissant (THE Conservative party: www.falconparty.com)
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To: Diogenesis
So you are a RomneyBOT, now?

No, but I think so called Romneycare is a bum rap. The rats in MA had veto proof majorities in their legislature forcing it on him.

37 posted on 12/01/2010 8:27:09 PM PST by neverdem (Xin loi minh oi)
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To: pissant
Pence, DeMint, Bolton, Bachmann, Hunter. Let’s get some conservative blood into this race.

Might as well scratch Bolton off your list.

He supports Gay Marriage and is soft on Abortion.

He ain't going anywhere and is nothing better than a novelty candidate because of his Foreign Policy credentials.
38 posted on 12/01/2010 8:27:54 PM PST by SoConPubbie
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To: neverdem
The rats in MA had veto proof majorities in their legislature forcing it on him.

Sorry, Romney signed and has been proudly boasting of it being his.

You're making excuses for something Romney did with knowledge and is currently boasting about it.

Apparently he does not have the same feelings about this that you do.
39 posted on 12/01/2010 8:29:31 PM PST by SoConPubbie
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To: SoConPubbie

He “supports” gay marriage in the sense that it is for states to decide.

And his ‘soft on abortion’ has no basis in fact. What little he said in your linked piece is not indicative of soft.

His take on US sovereignty is unmatched with perhaps the exception of Hunter and DeMint.

I wouldn’t count him out yet.


40 posted on 12/01/2010 8:30:29 PM PST by pissant (THE Conservative party: www.falconparty.com)
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