Posted on 05/27/2011 3:51:37 PM PDT by reformjoy
|
|
Palin moves spark 2012 speculation By: Andy Barr |
|
|
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.
|
||
“Media notwithstanding, my point is that not everyone who dislikes a candidate - or potential candidate - does so out of fear.”
In that you are right.
That would be Sarah Palin. No question.
What do you base that upon? I'm not saying you are wrong or right, I'm just asking what you base that upon. Because you are passionate about Palin doesn't translate to electoral votes on the first Tuesday in Nov 2012.
Sheeesh, friend, you're asking me for a dissertation, and I just ain't up to it at the moment.
You're a long time Freeper. You read here every day. You can't possibly have missed the hundreds upon hundreds of articles related to Palin over the last two+ years. If you've read most of them (as I have), and have closely tracked the thousands of opinions and data points therein, you already know the answer to the question you're asking.
You may as well be asking me why water's wet, or why the sun is hot. It just is, and you can trek backwards to discover all of the reasons why, if you like.
The fact is, there simply isn't anyone running for the presidency who can hold a candle to Sarah Palin. The nomination and the White House are hers for the taking, if she decides that's what she needs to do for her country.
Millions upon millions stand ready to catapult her to the top, just as soon as she gives the word. She is an historic figure, of a type that has rarely been seen in US politics. The people perceive this about her, and resonate with her at a core level. No other US politician has this effect on people. None - including Zero.
She also has the right stuff when it comes to solid, real life qualifications for the office. Score all of the prospective contenders on a host of key qualifications, and Palin outdoes them all. This really isn't rocket science.
No, and it's not my job to give you the facts. If you're still wanting for facts and well-reasoned conclusions about the GOP field, and where Palin stands in it at this point, I can't help you.
Study period is over, my friend. The game is on, and you'd better take what you've got and choose whom to support.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.