Media Dilemma: Palin in New Hampshire Thursday During Romney Announcement

Michelle Malkin .com ^ | June 2,2011 | Doug Powers

[Hojczyk]

CNN’s Peter Hamby presents what could be an interesting problem for the media — or maybe it’ll be a no-brainer.

Mitt Romney will officially announce his White House intention Thursday in New Hampshire. At the same time, Sarah Palin’s bus tour will make a stop in the state:

Peter Hamby CNN

Reporters will have a harrowing choice to make when it comes to which one of these to cover. They can decide to follow Palin, don their Kevlar “press” hats, and risk the dangerous situation Sarah’s forcing them to endure on a daily basis. Or, the press can choose to report Mitt’s announcement, put on their needle-proof vests, and become sitting ducks in one of the most treacherous areas in the world: Between Romney and the US president’s representatives who are trying to pin the blame for Obamacare on him. Where will the majority of the media choose to focus their efforts? We’ll

[SoConPubbie]

Don’t confuse Rita and her PDS agenda with either facts or logic; that does not factor into her opinion about Sarah.

[vortigern]

Sarah won’t declare, which means she isn’t running, so she doesn’t have to speak on substance

Then you haven't been listening to her have you? She's made more policy statements than most of the wannabe's out there. All you have to do is pay attention. Think first, then post.

[SoConPubbie]

Exactly. That’s my point. The media wants Palin so that’s who they are covering. But Romney will try to attract Independents with policy and not personality or charactor. Independents will certainly cross over and vote Republican. Who is running as an Independent? No one. Romney is after them is the problem.

There is one flaw in your analysis, running, and winning, as Governor in Alaska, Sarah won over a majority of independents.

[who knows what evil?]

The media is going to follow mostly Palin, whom they want as the Republican nominee.

When I see NH Democrats crossing over to vote for Palin in the NH primary; THEN I'll believe that they want her as the GOP nominee (as they did with McCain)...until then, I call that belief BS.

[dalereed]

“Independents will certainly cross over and vote Republican.”

They can’t unless they re register Republican and they won’t do it!

[RitaOK]

I think you’re right! (And thank you for your non-hysterical opinion, btw.)

My concern is that Romney has a RINO machine from his last effort, and as you say, he is DOLE in spades. Palin won’t throw down and hasn’t left FOX, so I don’t think she will run. Failing to commit does not build a machine. The question is the primary. Who will RINOs and Independents nominate. They don’t want Obama. In the clutch I am afraid they will take bad Romney policy over Palin history tours.

[DaxtonBrown]

[Okay with me. Romney may talk policy actually,]

Forward for ethanol! Arriba Romneycare!

[RitaOK]

Thanks for the survey. I hadn’t seen that.

I think Perry and Cain look substantial, unafraid of the media meanies.

Perry has the Trump mouth, the Ryan brain, the Palin energy, Gingrich political know how, but has that unexplainable Guardasil foist on girls, and the Trans-Texas Corridor thing around his neck.

And the Bush’s don’t like him. (That may be a plus in many conservative circles.)

[RitaOK]

“She’s made more policy statements than most of the wannabe’s out there. “ ———

Whatever.

[rob777]

"Palin won’t throw down and hasn’t left FOX, so I don’t think she will run. Failing to commit does not build a machine."


The fact that she has not left Fox lends support to that conclusion. She could be pulling a Trump and using the speculation about a possible campaign to simply gin up more publicity. If that turns out to be the case, she will have distracted attention away from candidates like Bachmann and Cain and aided in the promotion of Romney.

[RitaOK]

” The fact that she has not left Fox lends support to that conclusion. “ =============

Impatience is my worst charactoristic, but I’m not against Palin. I just look like it in the presence of bots. If in my life time she EVER declares she may be able to get enough Indendents/moderates to get nominated, but by ourselves us ducks she is herding are not enough to nominate her. So, meanwhile RINO Romney is after those mods and Independents, who will cross over for our nomination.

I think I like Perry ‘cuz he kind of encapsulates the best of all our candidates in a general way, but he won’t declare either. Guess everyone thinks they can’t beat Obama? What do you think?

[GonzoII]

"The media is NOT going to help him when they have the chance to elevate Palin, who won’t announce and doesn’t have to talk policy."

We've been hearing it the last few days.

[AU72]

The biggest 2 issues the republicans have over Obama are heath care and the economy. With Romney, health care is neutralized.

[RitaOK]

” With Romney, health care is neutralized. “ =======

Super point! Voters are interested in the entrails of policy right now, at least I am, given the WON was elected for beauty and for rousing the voters with flash, but stinkin’ little on policy direction, until....and you know the rest.

[9YearLurker]

The thing is Mitt’s event will be scripted and they know they won’t miss anything. Palin’s on the other hand will be a wide-open, rollicking mystery with scoop after scoop they’d otherwise miss.

[9YearLurker]

So the bus is headed up to NH, and just look at this trove of tweets from one reporter in one hour’s time:

RealClearScott Scott Conroy
Other big Palin news from just now...reporter: “Did Fox give you a deadline to decide?” Palin: “No.”
11 minutes ago

RealClearScott Scott Conroy
Where’s Paul Revere when you need him?! MT @NicoHines #Palinbus is rolling... Mr Romney prepare your reinforcements we are on the way
12 minutes ago

RealClearScott Scott Conroy
WMUR was here. News in NH tonight will be Mitt vs. Sarah. Seems like a good thing for both.
14 minutes ago

RealClearScott Scott Conroy
Palin on stepping on Mitt’s toes: “I don’t believe that Gov. Romney is offended at all.” Over to you, Romney press corps...
21 minutes ago

RealClearScott Scott Conroy
Sarah Palin may not be a candidate, but she sure sounds like one. Very eager to go on the attack against tpaw & mitt
44 minutes ago

RealClearScott Scott Conroy
Palin says she disagrees w tpaw on getting in early. “That’s HIS strategy.”
46 minutes ago

RealClearScott Scott Conroy
Palin just blasted Romney on his tea party appeal quite a bit. said if he had let her know he didn’t want her in nh today, she wouldn’t go
49 minutes ago

RealClearScott Scott Conroy
Lots of very excited kids with Palin twitpic.com/55xfga
56 minutes ago

RealClearScott Scott Conroy
John Oliver interviewing a reporter. “How many wheels does the bus have?” twitpic.com/55xdlg
59 minutes ago

RealClearScott Scott Conroy
John Oliver from the daily show has arrived.
1 hour ago

[rob777]

"Guess everyone thinks they can’t beat Obama? What do you think?"


Obama is a skilled campaigner, so he will not be easy to beat. That being said, he is vulnerable. His overall ratings are not very high and his favorability ratings on specific policy matters are even lower. If the economy continues to lag and gas prices continue their rise, he could be even more vulnerable. Most polls show that Americans are largely opposed to raising the debt ceiling even after all of the warnings from Administration officials about the potential consequences of not doing so.

Another trap the Dems may be falling for is the notion that they can win in 2102 if they simply run against the Ryan plan. Even former President Clinton is warning them against such an assumption. If the GOP combines a plan to address our debt crisis with a pro-economic growth agenda, they could pull a Harry Truman and run against the "do-nothing" Dems who have no plan and simply want to oppose everything the GOP is proposing.

I have been of the opinion that the best case scenario for the Dems in 2012 would be to run in an environment where the economy is improving and the opposition is largely fixated on going after Obama on personal issues. These were the conditions under which Clinton became "the Comeback Kid". He simply pointed to the economy on one hand and his opponents engaging in "the politics of personal destruction" on the other. I am now not as worried that this scenario will play out. The combination of public opinion being opposed to raising the debt ceiling, the GOP's sudden willingness to get tough on this issue and the Administration's warnings about what will happen if they do not raise it could very well set the stage for the GOP to take the credit if the economy does recover. On the other hand, if it does not and no serious spending concessions are offered by the Dems, the Dems could get the blame for the economy not rebounding. In addition, the birth certificate issue seems to have died out, so the GOP focus will be more on policy than any personal attacks. (Providing the GOP does not have someone like Trump or Palin as its nominee) There are conditions that are shaping up to make 2012 harder on the Dems than 2010 was if the GOP plays its cards right. Of course that is a huge "if". The GOP has a habit of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

[silverleaf]

Who are “Independents”?

People playing with the heads of the people who ask them which party they are?

People who are embarrasesd by core values? Peopel who have none?

People who are willing to vote present until they enter the voting booth, if they ever do (if they are squishy on values and can’t truly see a difference in candidates based on total issues, then why vote for one over the other?

Democrats who won’t admit they vote conservative?

People who are conservative and too embarrassed and PC to admit it?

I guess you are associating the term “politically independent” with “politically clueless”, “flakey”,or
or more succinctly “STUPID”

Instead of the elitist talking heads making the “independents” so damn relevant to chosing which candidate is electable, we need to make them ALL irrelevant

[Vermont Lt]

Most newspapers, radio stations, and TV stations have more than one reporter. What is the problem?

[houeto]

Either way, Palin and Obama have got decisive advantages over Romney, as far as excitement and passion goes.

Obama has a huge problem that Sarah does not. There are millions of voters that helped to elect Obama that, for various reasons, have buyer's remorse.