RR: 46% of GOP Primary Voters Who Favor Palin Might Back Third-Party Option If She Isn’t Nominated

Rasmussen Reports ^ | January 30, 2011 | Rasmussen Reports

[parksstp]

Nearly half of the Republican Primary voters who support Sarah Palin say they are at least somewhat likely to vote for a third-party candidate if she does not win the GOP presidential nomination.

[centurion316]

You are part of the problem

I will not vote for a Democrat, either directly or indirectly, period. If you think that makes me part of the problem, then you are late for your ACORN meeting.

[Night Hides Not]

Not to mention the famous "read my lips" statement.

Wasn't going to go there...wouldn't be prudent.

[Jim Scott]

We're going to see an almost endless stream of polls - most of them skewed - in the next 12 months that will, one way or another, indicate that Sarah Palin is (a) 'unelectable' and/or (b)'divisive' to both the GOP and the the general electorate. The conclusion will inevitably be that the Republicans will lose, big-time, if they nominate Palin for their 2012 presidential candidate. This has been the left's theme for the past year. Remember the leftists saying that they hope the GOP nominates Sarah Palin so Obama would be assured an easy victory in 2012? I do. Despite the usual pro/anti Palin posts that any thread on FR with her name in it automatically generates, I don't buy for a nanosecond the strident leftmedia contention that Sarah Palin would be reflexively rejected by a majority of American voters, were she to run for president in 2012.

Leftists live in a political & cultural bubble where 'everybody' hates Sarah Palin, 'know' that she's a dope, etc, etc. Just as the left tries to bring up Rush Limbaugh as an emblem of 'the hateful right-wing', assuming that most Americans despise Limbaugh (as they do) and wonder why Rush keeps gaining audience and few Americans seem to consider him toxic. It's the leftist hothouse mentality, again. Same with Sarah Palin. Her staunch conservative views (and relatively 'rugged' lifestyle both offend and worry the left. The very fact that they haven't stopped bashing Palin since she was nominated as John McCain's VP in '08 should offer a clue as to who the left is worried about taking down Obama in 2012. It isn't Romney, Huckabee or other oft-mentioned GOP 'contenders' for the 2012 presidential nomination, that's for sure. So, the left continues it's 'divide-and-conquer' strategy within the GOP and it seems to be working. We all know that a third party bid - by anyone, including Sarah Palin - would be a disaster. The disdain the 'establishment' GOP has for Palin - and any real conservative - is almost palpable. This does leave the 2012 nomination open to question but don't expect to see the GOP hierarchy rooting for any conservatives, be they Jim DeMint, Sarah Palin or whomever you wish to add to that group.

Today, I'm a Palin supporter - but that isn't blind support. I intend to stick with her if she declares for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, a scenario that isn't guaranteed, at this point. Should a stronger conservative candidate emerge, I would reconsider my support for Palin. However, like many on this thread, I will not waste my vote in my state's Republican party primary on a RINO and I will not vote for a 'third party' candidate...not even Sarah Palin. If it comes down to it, I'll write in her name on the ballot as a 'protest'. The days of holding my nose and voting for a McCain-style 'Republican' are over for this conservative - and 'third' parties are a dead end. Polls can be easily skewed and although I trust Rasmussen I don't intend to go all wobbly based on one poll that asks hypothetical questions and gets hypothetical answers that are simply speculation. Now, should a dozen Rasmussen polls from around the country over a relatively long period of time (6 months) have the same numbers, I might begin to take them seriously. Of course, this far out with no declared candidates for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, it's all pure guesswork.

[latina4dubya]

I call BS on that headline, her negatives are 33%.

it's not 46 percent of GOP voters... 46 percent of GOP primary voters who support Palin... so i wonder what percent of GOP voters that comes out to...

[latina4dubya]

46% of GOP Primary Voters Responsible for Zero Second Term.

no, no, no... it's 46 percent of GOP Primary Voters who support Palin--NOT 46 percent of the entire population of GOP voters... it's a smaller number when all things are considered... i would think there would be more than 46 percent of Palin supporters who would "likely" vote third party if she's not the nominee...

[unseen1]

You seem to forget one important fact: the Gop primary voter can only vote for those on the ticket. If the socialists in the GOP succeed in having only RINO’s on the ticket then the game is won before it's played. Those that make the rules always wins the game. which if you have been paying attention is what the gop Establishment have been trying to do for the last 3 months with their campaign to STOP palin before the primary. Having a choice between Danials, thune and Mitt isn't a choice. Or a Demint that could never win but will pull just enough support to allow the Mitt or Danials to win like Fred in 2008 who statyed in just long enough to give his good friend McCain enough cover to win the nomination

And the reason I mention Mitt is because he is the classic example of a GOp socialist there are plenty of others like Chrisite, mcConnell, or danials but so far the biggest socialist the gop establishment has put up as frontrunner is Mitt. so he gets the slings and arrows.

[dragnet2]

do you honestly think she would do anything different on that day than President Bush did?

Bush publicly aided and abetted a violent invasion of our borders, then called Americans that had a belly full vigilantes, while Celebrating Cinco De Mayo up in the White House, all during war time.

Will Palin do the same? What do you think? Or are you just concerned about what she does on May 5th?

((wow))

[centurion316]

Third party candidates can and do win local elections, even for federal office. They do not, however, ever win Presidential elections. That is a simple statement of fact. That means that you must choose between the two major parties, and I will never choose a Democrat.

Now, in my State of Kansas, the Democrat candidate stands little chance of winning. So, a Conservative could conceivably cast a protest vote for a third party candidate without running much of a risk of helping the Democrat. But, its a risky game that would have to be played with great care.

I am quite serious about my loathing for Democrats. I would also love to see liberals expunged from the GOP, but I won’t do anything that helps Obama. I’ll let the Freepers for Obama do that all by themselves.

[reasonisfaith]

True, but as of right now Palin is defeating them.

[itsahoot]

Old Deck Hand, take it from an Old Stew Burner, sometimes you don't make any sense.

The point is that the media makes attacks daily on Palin, and as far as I can tell, the E-publicans, just pile on. I don't see them do that with anyone else.

In any case why stir the pot for them.

[itsahoot]

And that ‘read my lips, no new taxes’ pledge that GHWB broke didn’t help him one bit.

Even simpler, he said he would continue the Reagan Revolution, and that was patently a lie.

[OldDeckHand]

"If the socialists in the GOP succeed in having only RINO’s on the ticket then the game is won before it's played."

Honestly, I'm beginning to think you haven't a clue how America's electoral process works.

Aspiring candidates collect two things - money, and signatures for ballot access. You get enough signatures, and you have the nominal fee (between $5K-$15K) to pay in each state, then you get on the ballot. There are no "Republican Socialists" who magically control who is or is not on the ballot.

Once your on the ballot, you're on the ballot. No one can take that away from you.

Like I said earlier. This is not about "the establishment", it's only about voters - primary voters. McCain was as far from the Republican establishment as you could get. In fact, he was HATED by the establishment, and yet he won the nomination EASILY. How about that?

"Or a Demint that could never win.."

If you think Jim DeMint can't win the Republican nomination (if he chooses to run), then you are smoking crack. Please, put the pipe down, and get yourself some help.

DeMint could win walking away. And he EASILY wins wins two of the first three primaries - going away in Iowa and South Carolina, leaving NH to Romney.

[fluffdaddy]

“Whoever wins, deserves to be supported without equivocation in the general election, because the alternative is to hand the opposition the election on a platter.

The alternative is also known as stupidity on steroids.”

No, actually, electing a conventional Republican like Mitt Romney or Tim Pawlenty would be stupidity on steroids. The temple is coming down around our ears. If we can't have a President that might improve our situation, then the least bad option is to have a Dem, any Dem including Obama, in the White House. A clueless Republican coming to office just in time to take the blame for all the damage done by 100 years of progressive insanity could easily make the restoration of constitutional limited government impossible for generations. If we are going to have Utopian, progressive government then we need to make sure that it is firmly associated in the public mind with the Democrat Party so that we can offer the voters a genuine alternative.

It would be nice to turn Obama out of the White House in 2013, but it is absolutely essential to rebrand the Republican Party and make it consistently conservative. That is the first and most important step toward reclaiming our country. Of all the potential Republican contenders, only Sarah Palin seems positioned to move the Party toward where it needs to go. The progressive Republican tradition that coughed up Hoover, Landon, Wilke, Dewey (twice), Eisenhower, Nixon(twice), Ford, Bush (both of them), Dole and McCain is at a dead end. Only Sarah can bury it.

If the progs beat her in the primaries and nominate yet another of their own, I'm staying home and I'll hope for a Dem victory. To do otherwise would be steroidally stupid.

[Breto]

“The state that also gave you Michele Bachmann and a Republican statehouse. I tire of correcting people who don’t know how to research, but there you go.”

We’re purple here. That’s generally accepted by people who know what they’re talking about.
With all due respect....You forgot to mention Senator diapers, not to mention the other leftist senator Minnesotans sent to the Congress. Thanks for Bachman she is a respected and notable exception. As for a republican statehouse may I remind you that means nothing. Brown, Lugar, Snow, Collins, Muksowski, all republicans but all leftist. The proof will be in the legislating.

so there you go......

[unseen1]

President Lincoln would disagree with your contention that 3rd parties do not win the POTUS elections....

[OldDeckHand]

"The point is that the media makes attacks daily on Palin, and as far as I can tell, the E-publicans, just pile on. "

Please, somebody let me know where I can find this list of establishment Republicans.

I was responding to a question about the Republican National Committee wading into every brouhaha that Palin finds herself in the middle of. They have done EXACTLY what they should do - keep their mouth shut.

If you can find a quote from REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS who are critical of Palin, or any nominee, please let's see the quotes. The RNC is NOT in the business of endorsing, nor protecting specific candidates. They protect nominees and sitting Party politicians. That's it.

[itsahoot]

Most Americans learn about it in an 8th grade government class.

Most Americans used to learn about it in an 8th grade government class. Hasn't been happening for about about decades. Even less true in Higher Education.

[Caipirabob]

Your comment, coupled with your tagline is priceless. You need to add a Freeper to your list, you.

Maybe so, if you're a GOP RINO suck-up.

I didn't vote for mccain for the AZ senate race this past year, either.

I'm not a republican. I've had it with half-baked socialists and their sycophants.

I've parted ways with the GOP. If there's a conservative out there, he's got my vote.

[unseen1]

Demint has no chance. his comment about single mothers not be allowed to be teachers will be played in a loop over and over. He can win some of the South but after that he fizzles out. But you know stranger things have happened.

As far as how the elections work you must be the most navie person I have ever met if you think that is how things work in politcs. Talk to nader about how easy it is to get on the ballot, if one or both party machines don't want you on it.

[OldDeckHand]

"Only Sarah can bury it."

Only Sarah, only Sarah, only Sarah - sounds more like a worship service than an intellectual argument. Just saying.

I don't want nor need a savior. I've got one of those already. But, it sure would be nice to have a Republican nominee who has negative approvals below 60% - you know, for winning and all that.