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Sarah Palin sparks 2012 elections speculation
POLITICO ^ | 05/25/11 | ANDY BARR

Posted on 05/27/2011 3:51:37 PM PDT by reformjoy

Palin moves spark 2012 speculation

By: Andy Barr
May 25, 2011 07:41 PM EDT

Sarah Palin is fond of saying she’ll feel compelled to run for president “if nobody else were to step up.”

It just might come to that.

The recent departures of Mitch Daniels and Mike Huckabee from the 2012 GOP field, combined with a flurry of recent moves by Palin—staff changes, the purchase of a home in Arizona, the Iowa premiere of a new feature-length film extolling the former Alaska governor—is rekindling speculation that she sees an opportunity in 2012 and may be thinking more seriously than ever about a presidential run.

John Ziegler, a conservative filmmaker and activist close to Palin, said he believes the ex-governor is closer to a run now than she’s ever been.

“I have felt for a while that she is probably running and its seems more clear than ever that she is,” said Ziegler, who interviewed Palin for a different film, “Media Malpractice: How Obama Got Elected and Palin Was Targeted.”

“The movie is a great idea. I suggested a similar concept to her a long time ago and I am sure it will be fantastic viewing. I am concerned though that it seems there are at least some people involved in it who are not actual Palin loyalists and that its hoped for impact may be based on an overly optimistic view of the nature of the electorate,” he said.

Palin herself has stoked the fires with her comments, including telling Fox News’s Greta Van Susteren that she indeed has “the fire in the belly” to make a bid for the White House.

The launch of a new SarahPAC website last month also fanned speculation since it provided a vehicle to collect email addresses of her supporters and start interacting more directly with her potential donors and activists. Palin recently used the growing list to send a fund-raising mailer to supporters in South Carolina, a common strategy that those close to Palin say will continue to bring money into her organization.

“No ands, ifs or buts about it, Sarah Palin is going to run for president,” asserted Alaska pollster Ivan Moore in a column last week, pointing to a convergence of conditions that make the timing for a Palin campaign perfect.

The former governor’s aides declined to speak to POLITICO about her thinking, but have acknowledged in discussions about the 2012 race that there is an opening for her and have said repeatedly that no other candidate’s decision would affect her own. Palin’s camp has ignored outside pressure to commit to running and is privately eying July as the last month they could enter the race, if the former governor wanted to throw the switch.

For months, Palin’s camp has been talking about hiring additional staff and planning high profile travel — though much of it has yet to come to pass. Still, her staff is keenly aware of filing deadlines and is preparing as if she is running, even if they don’t know the final decision. Palin’s team also closely monitors the actions of her potential 2012 GOP rivals, particularly what the other perspective candidates say about her.

The purchase of a home in Scottsdale, Arizona — confirmed by a source close to Palin — may have solved one of the major logistical impediments to a campaign by providing her with a perch near a major airline hub in the lower 48 states that would allow her to travel more freely. Her staff has repeatedly declined to answer questions that Palin would run a potential campaign from Scottsdale—and there is scant evidence that discussions have yet gone that far.

The former governor’s team expects to have one advantage that other prospective 2012 candidates do not—due to her stature in the party, they don’t believe they have to operate by the same rules as the other campaigns. Those who would make up team Palin are counting on a flood of small dollar donations if she enters the race and believe her strong core of support and near-universal name identification keeps them from having to take part in the early stages of the long slog toward Iowa.


Ed Morrissey, an influential conservative blogger for the site Hot Air agreed that traditional campaign rules don’t apply to the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee.

“Palin’s got a longer window to make this decision than most of the other candidates do,” said Morrissey. “She has almost universal name organization and I’d imagine her organization would come together rather quickly…She could probably wait until at least Labor Day.”

A Gallup poll conducted after Huckabee’s exit from the presidential race confirmed that Palin remains well-entrenched near the top of the field, taking 18 percent and finishing second only to former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

Palin has been quiet since her trip to Washington a few weeks ago to rub elbows with the city’s elite ahead of the White House Corespondents Dinner and speech to an anti-abortion rights group in Bethesda.

In the absence of any hard evidence that Palin is building the infrastructure for a presidential bid—and a number of incentives to stay out of the race—many Republicans continue to doubt she’ll plunge in.

“She has a fulfilling array of activities with a solid income, adoring fans at her speaking engagements, and time for a wonderful family life,” said Fred Malek, a major Republican fundraiser in Washington and one of the former governor’s few friends among the Republican establishment. “I haven’t talked to her in four months but seriously doubt it’d be in her interests to change that.”


Republican strategist Mary Matalin pointed out that Palin is one of the few politicians who can “pull rabbits out of hats,” but expressed little expectation that she will.

Matalin suggested Huckabee’s decision to stay away from the campaign could prove to be key to Palin’s decision-making process.

“Huckabee’s departure would be a greater factor in her strategic thinking than the departing (that is, never entering) candidates who were not playing to her strength,” Matalin said of Palin.

Jonathan Martin contributed reporting to this story.



TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 1hotlady; 2012palin; 2smart4hillary; election; johnziegler; martin4romney; mediamalpractice; notrunning; palin; palin2012; politico4romney; pollutico; pr4therinoromney; president; rinobots4mitt; rinoromney; rinoromneypr; romneybotstench; romneybs; romneydirtytricks; romneyflack; romneyprrep; rumors4romney; sarahpalin; stenchofromney
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To: Windflier
RE :"If Sarah decides not to run, it will be because some new and unforeseen factor entered the picture for her - not because she never intended to run in the first place."

Like what? You already made the case that you decided she is running because she isnt doing this for 'money and fun'. What possible reason could she give that you will accept for her giving up on 'saving the country' as you say she is, by running for president?

61 posted on 05/27/2011 10:31:22 PM PDT by sickoflibs (If you pay zero Federal income taxes, don't say you are paying your 'fair share')
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To: sickoflibs; Windflier; EveningStar

So she will get the GOP nomination with the GOP against her? That will be a remarkable achievement.


Indeed, it will. The GOP is a institution. Once it realizes the majority of the voting base isn’t going to go for whatever rino they want they’ll have to back her. Once her 4 or 8 yrs are up they’ll return to form.
And I didn’t compare Palin to Reagan. I said she’d get dem votes, like Reagan.


62 posted on 05/27/2011 10:31:52 PM PDT by TwoSwords (The Lord is a man of war, Exodus 15:3)
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To: sickoflibs
Why are you pinging pissant Jr? Some of us have gone out on a limb to try and have an honest, intelligent conversation with you, and you go and call the hate brigade?

If this is all just a big joke to you, we might as well quit talking now.

63 posted on 05/27/2011 10:33:38 PM PDT by Windflier (To anger a conservative, tell him a lie. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.)
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To: Windflier
RE :"Why are you pinging pissant Jr? Some of us have gone out on a limb to try and have an honest, intelligent conversation with you, and you go and call the hate brigade? If this is all just a big joke to you, we might as well quit talking now. "

He doesnt care about this conversation, He keeps the 'Palin is similar to' list and Reagan was brought up again here in relation to Palin. But you didnt do it. Why, do you have any historical references to add not on his list?

64 posted on 05/27/2011 10:38:48 PM PDT by sickoflibs (If you pay zero Federal income taxes, don't say you are paying your 'fair share')
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To: sickoflibs
Like what?

Like what? I don't know - you tell me.

The point I'm making, is that Sarah Palin is running for president. She's not flitting around the country and playing celebrity just for the fun of it.

You posed a new hypothetical, in which you made the point that if she doesn't run, then it's likely that she really was just doing it for fun, celebrity, and money.

I replied, that if she were to step back and not run, it would (probably) be for some other reason - possibly some new and unforeseen factor entering into the picture that caused her to change her mind.

Let's not spin this out of the realm of simplicity.

65 posted on 05/27/2011 10:42:05 PM PDT by Windflier (To anger a conservative, tell him a lie. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.)
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To: sickoflibs
He doesnt care about this conversation

So why did you ping him? He's a hate artist, and you invited him into this conversation.

Why?

66 posted on 05/27/2011 10:43:57 PM PDT by Windflier (To anger a conservative, tell him a lie. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.)
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To: Windflier
RE:"The point I'm making, is that Sarah Palin is running for president. She's not flitting around the country and playing celebrity just for the fun of it....I replied, that if she were to step back and not run, it would (probably) be for some other reason - possibly some new and unforeseen factor entering into the picture that caused her to change her mind."

Suppose she said she decided not to run because she can do a better job 'saving the country' by not running? would you buy that?

67 posted on 05/27/2011 10:45:52 PM PDT by sickoflibs (If you pay zero Federal income taxes, don't say you are paying your 'fair share')
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To: TwoSwords
The GOP is a institution. Once it realizes the majority of the voting base isn’t going to go for whatever rino they want, they’ll have to back her.

Yep. They're going to be dragged kicking and screaming across the finish line by Sarah. They're as scared of her dismantling their cozy place in American society, as the Dems are.

68 posted on 05/27/2011 10:47:17 PM PDT by Windflier (To anger a conservative, tell him a lie. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.)
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To: Windflier
RE :"So why did you ping him? He's a hate artist, and you invited him into this conversation. Why? "

I told you, to see if Reagan was on his list. Has he joined in? I dont even think he agrees with me on our conversation. Doesnt he NOT want her to run?

69 posted on 05/27/2011 10:49:13 PM PDT by sickoflibs (If you pay zero Federal income taxes, don't say you are paying your 'fair share')
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To: sickoflibs
Suppose she said she decided not to run because she can do a better job 'saving the country' by not running? would you buy that?

That's not a complete enough scenario for me to make a call on. Just how would she do a better job of saving the country by not running, and how would she explain that to her supporters?

Before you dream up an answer, I can tell you that few of her supporters would buy it. There is no power in this country like the presidency to make real and lasting change, and we all know that.

70 posted on 05/27/2011 10:51:50 PM PDT by Windflier (To anger a conservative, tell him a lie. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.)
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To: Windflier
RE :"That's not a complete enough scenario for me to make a call on. Just how would she do a better job of saving the country by not running, and how would she explain that to her supporters? Before you dream up an answer, I can tell you that few of her supporters would buy it. There is no power in this country like the presidency to make real and lasting change, and we all know that."

Thanks, I cant argue with that.

71 posted on 05/27/2011 10:55:28 PM PDT by sickoflibs (If you pay zero Federal income taxes, don't say you are paying your 'fair share')
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To: sickoflibs
I told you, to see if Reagan was on his list.

I call bull. That's a bs reason to invite a known Palin hater into this otherwise honest discussion, and you know it.

I met you half way, and chose to engage you in conversation with mutual respect. You diss me by inviting in someone who brings nothing but disparaging digs against Palin.

That's foul, and a bad mark against you.

72 posted on 05/27/2011 10:59:49 PM PDT by Windflier (To anger a conservative, tell him a lie. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.)
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To: Windflier
RE :"That's foul, and a bad mark against you."

We beat this subject to death anyway, a subject ES doesnt seem to care about, so I dont know why you keep bringing him up. You have someone to add to his list?

73 posted on 05/27/2011 11:35:47 PM PDT by sickoflibs (If you pay zero Federal income taxes, don't say you are paying your 'fair share')
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To: truthguy

If Rick Perry is our “best chance”.... we’ve got a problem. Ask the Texans on this website about Rick Perry. We know him best. He is an empty suit. In Texas, the power is with the Lt. Gov.


74 posted on 05/28/2011 12:42:39 AM PDT by no dems (If the GOP nominee has no fire in the belly in 2012, we're going down.)
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To: TwoSwords
The stars are aligned for a landslide.

I pray they stay aligned until the first Tuesday of Nov. 2012. BTW, I love your tagline. Our Pastor preached that text last Sunday.
75 posted on 05/28/2011 12:53:25 AM PDT by no dems (If the GOP nominee has no fire in the belly in 2012, we're going down.)
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To: sickoflibs
We beat this subject to death anyway, a subject ES doesnt seem to care about, so I dont know why you keep bringing him up. You have someone to add to his list?

That's the third time you've asked me if I have a name to add to that hater's list, and this will be the third time that I'm forced to re-direct your focus to the point, which is that you have just brought an otherwise cordial conversation to a screeching halt by pinging him to our discussion.

Enough. I'm done explaining it to you.

76 posted on 05/28/2011 7:57:12 AM PDT by Windflier (To anger a conservative, tell him a lie. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.)
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To: All

Sarah Is Confident


77 posted on 05/28/2011 8:03:04 AM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: truthguy

Perry is speaks as the spit and image of W—that immediately rules him out in a nationwide race in 2012.


78 posted on 05/28/2011 8:17:53 AM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: Windflier
I don't have any great disagreements with your post although it's a little long winded. As I said I like Palin. But I've been around a long time and she's not saying much different than what others have said.

However I learned a long time ago a simple line from a Rolling Stones' song. It goes something like this:

"...you can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you just might find you get what you need"

(by sear coincidence that song was playing on the radio as I was typing)

So you must have missed the thrust of my post. We need to nominate that candidate who have the best shot at knocking off Obama. And we must also change the makeup of Congress. If Palin were to be elected (long shot) and we had a Democratic Congress, it would be quite difficult to get those things accomplished that so many would like to see. We wouldn't be able to undo the damage caused by the Obama administration or previous administrations.
79 posted on 05/28/2011 11:01:25 AM PDT by truthguy (Good intentions are not enough.)
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To: reformjoy

If Sarah Palin dast blink her eyes, it opens up LSM speculation for all things.


80 posted on 05/28/2011 2:42:44 PM PDT by Sea Parrot (Being an autodidact, I happily escaped the bureaucratization of intellect)
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