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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: neverdem

His main problem is he’s from Massachusetts, which is a death knell to any candidate.


41 posted on 12/01/2010 8:30:31 PM PST by nickcarraway
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To: earlJam

Bachman had to back down on her quest for a leadership position. I wonder why? Anyone?


42 posted on 12/01/2010 8:30:32 PM PST by listenhillary (A very simple fix to our dilemma - We need to reward the makers instead of the takers)
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To: curiosity
I really hope they're right. If she runs, she'll be a disaster for the party, even if she doesn't win the nomination.

Actually, with the exception of Palin and Demint, all of the other potential POTUS candidates are guaranteed to bring a second term for Obama.

Only Sarah and Demint have a chance of winning.
43 posted on 12/01/2010 8:32:41 PM PST by SoConPubbie
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To: FTJM

OK.

I saw Compost and wrote it off.

Don’t have time to follow another blogger, but go ahead and support her for as long as she stays true to the base.

Still not sure why the Compost took her on.


44 posted on 12/01/2010 8:34:14 PM PST by Ghost of Philip Marlowe (Prepare for survival.)
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To: FTJM

Forgot to add that she sounds like the same “conservatives” (Rove, et al.) who wrote off Christine in DE and Palin because they are not mainstream GOP.

Yes, “conservatives” needs to be in quotes given the context.


45 posted on 12/01/2010 8:35:25 PM PST by Ghost of Philip Marlowe (Prepare for survival.)
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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.


Yes, let’s run someone with no name recognition, no executive experience, in fact, let’s ask the democrats who we should run. Maybe the media can help us choose our standard bearer. Better yet, let’s just re-elect Obama.


46 posted on 12/01/2010 8:35:42 PM PST by excopconservative
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To: pissant

Still beating the useless Hunter drum I see,


47 posted on 12/01/2010 8:36:28 PM PST by Arizona Carolyn
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To: wtc911
I believe that her main motivation is the palin brand and how to profit from it.


48 posted on 12/01/2010 8:38:11 PM PST by Virginia Ridgerunner (Sarah Palin has crossed the Rubicon!)
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To: neverdem; Jim Robinson
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.

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.

49 posted on 12/01/2010 8:38:22 PM PST by MrEdd (Heck? Geewhiz Cripes, thats the place where people who don't believe in Gosh think they aint going.8)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

We don’t want her to be in the lead this early. To me this is like a horserace, Remember Secretariat always came from the back covered in mud and dirt to shock the field he won and in the race he was expected to lose because it was too long a race he ran well away from the field...


50 posted on 12/01/2010 8:41:09 PM PST by Arizona Carolyn
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To: wtc911
Honestly, I can't imagine why anyone would want to be POTUS. The agony and the horrendous responsibility would be grueling and from what I've seen lately we only get megalomaniacs and power monger narcissists.

But maybe if you were a normal person who loved your country..and knew you were in a position to save it you'd be willing to make the sacrifice.

I have a feeling that as much as zero wants to turn us into a communist worker's paradise that to some extent he's stunned by the responsibility and the difficulty of “fundamentally transforming” life for people who just want him to get out of the way when he figured we'd all be lapping up his ideas. HA!

51 posted on 12/01/2010 8:41:37 PM PST by Aria ( "Remember, attitudes are contagious, so make sure yours are worth catching." Sarah Palin 9-18-2010)
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To: pissant
Sorry Pissant, but you just don't know what you are talking about:

John Bolton supports "gay" "marriage", refuses to address the moral questions posed by abortion

“I think [same-sex marriage] is something that in society today, we ought to be able to live with,...”

He also does not support DADT.

As for his weakness on Abortion, all he has said so far is that he is against a Constitutional Amendment against Abortion. There has been no statement on his part that he is Pro-Life, except for the weak: "My position is the same as Reagan’s. As a form of birth control, it’s unacceptable".

Like I said, he is weak on Abortion.
52 posted on 12/01/2010 8:42:54 PM PST by SoConPubbie
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To: neverdem

PalinWhite


53 posted on 12/01/2010 8:43:16 PM PST by FrankR (Don't let the bastards wear you down!)
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To: Ghost of Philip Marlowe
If all they claim is true, why do they fear her so much?

People like Jennifer Rubin fear her because they believe her nomination will doom the GOP's chances of taking the WH in 2012. It's a perfectly reasonable concern IMO.

I like Sarah a lot but will not advocate her until I see evidence that she can attract independents. I just dont see it at this time.

54 posted on 12/01/2010 8:44:37 PM PST by freespirited (This tagline dedicated to the memory of John Armor, a/k/a Congressman Billybob.)
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To: neverdem
"...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..."

AHHHH HAAAAA
HAAAAHAAAA
HAAAAHAAA!!!!!!!!!!!

(too funny!)

55 posted on 12/01/2010 8:44:42 PM PST by rlmorel ("We treat terrorists with kid gloves, and our citizens with rubber gloves." Rush Limbaugh)
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To: listenhillary
Bachman had to back down on her quest for a leadership position. I wonder why?

That's an interesting question...I'd be interested in why also.

56 posted on 12/01/2010 8:45:12 PM PST by Aria ( "Remember, attitudes are contagious, so make sure yours are worth catching." Sarah Palin 9-18-2010)
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To: neverdem

“If” that is/was the case.... how do you explain Romney going on Chris Wallace’s Sunday show a few months ago and bragging about Romneycare and how great it is and bragging that the state of MA only picks up 50% of the cost because this financial genius (Romney) got it so the Federal Government (the rest of us who don’t live in MA) pick up the other 50%. THEN he went on Bill O’Reilly spewing the same stuff and when BOR confronted him with incontrovertable data that there has been more emergency room visits under Romneycare, costing MA MORE money said genius Romney was flumoxed and said he didn’t know about that..... so for someone who could have vetoed it and allowed it to be over-ridden Mr. Romney instead seems very proud of what he accomplished in MA... so your argument doesn’t hold any water at all and is, in fact, full of holes created by Romney himself.


57 posted on 12/01/2010 8:49:22 PM PST by Arizona Carolyn
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To: CharlesWayneCT
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?

Why not? Palin drives them crazy like Reagan drove them nuts. But others read the polls and see independents unimpressed with Palin. She's my favorite, but I don't want 4 more years of this regime.

58 posted on 12/01/2010 8:50:22 PM PST by neverdem (Xin loi minh oi)
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To: Ghost of Philip Marlowe

Rubin is a neocon who was a big Rudy supporter in the 2008 GOP primaries.

- JP


59 posted on 12/01/2010 8:53:11 PM PST by Josh Painter ("May we always be happy, and may our enemies know it." - Sarah Palin)
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To: wtc911

so she wont run and it’s a moot point; we can move on—
whatever Palin ultimately decides however WILL benefit the debate for a conservative candidate


60 posted on 12/01/2010 8:53:11 PM PST by Optimist (I think I'm beginning to see a pattern here.)
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