Posted on 08/16/2011 8:11:57 PM PDT by RonDog
Accidental Good Fortune? Or Strategic Genius By The Woman Tony Knowles Called Alley Cat Smart Guest Submission by John Smith I suspect that even in 2008, Sarah Palin had a general idea that shed run for President in 2012 depending on how the next 20 months or so played out. After all, she admitted as much on The Bob & Mark show then as Kelsey recorded here. Well, in terms of how things went in the midterms, the general mood of the country, and President Obamas performance, things couldnt have played out any better for her 2012 chances. Oh, shes had some high moments and some low moments, but, going into the late spring, everything lined up as well as could be expected for a Palin 1976 style run of her versus the establishment, with all Anyone But Palin (ABP) forces coalescing around Mitt Romney. Then Michelle Bachmann started looking more and more like she was ready to enter the fray, especially as the bus tour came to a close on June 2. That, in turn, created a difficult dynamic. It would be tough enough to go one on one against Romney with all ABP forces behind Romney. Leaving aside the stalking horse theories, it would have been infinitely more difficult to confront that challenge AND ward off Bachmanns attack from the right flank at the same time (she may not have seen Bachmann as a threat to eclipse her, but she most assuredly knew the dynamic put Romney in the cat birds seat. Thats when I think Palin called an audible and laid the seeds to bait Rick Perry into the race. This is complete speculation, the type of thing one believes if one thinks Palin, as Tony Knowles once said, is alley cat smart . . . On the bus tour at the beginning of the summer, she twice offered unsolicited praise for Rick Perry, suggesting that hed make a fine candidate for President. The first mention came early in the tour. The second mention came on the last day of the tour, in an interview with Sean Hannity. What made this interesting is that she never before or since specifically made unsolicited mention of a potential candidate. She knew perfectly well that Perry continued to say that he had no interest in running, and she knew perfectly well that stories were coming out at the same time that Perry did not see a path to the nomination for himself if Palin were in the race. Then, after June 2, Palin did the strangest thing. She disappeared. She retreated to Alaska. One week later, Newt Gingrichs entire Iowa campaign team, which included long time Perry campaign people, resigned en masse. The Perry for President talk began in earnest. For the rest of the month, Palin pretty much stayed out of sight. We later heard something about jury duty, even though the jury duty didnt begin until July 1. In total, Palin wrote very little and said very little over a 70 day period. When she would talk 2012, shed say she had a fire in the belly but otherwise still was contemplating. To an experienced political pro, I suspect that looked like she was saying Id rather be kingmaker for the right person. So, the Perry machine got ready for an entry to the race, and it was clear two weeks ago that Perry was in for one simple reason: He saw a GOP race without Palin shaping up like the Texas 2010 primary. On one side, you had the DC establishment person in Romney (not unlike Kay Bailey Hutchinson in Texas). On the other side, you had the nutty purer tea party type in Bachmann (not unlike Debra Medina in Texas). So, the Perry plan would be to run like he did in 2010: Appeal to tea party types, let the purer tea party type implode, and then use a Palin endorsement at the perfect moment to seal the win against the DC establishment opponent. Its a really smart plan if Palin is sitting out the race. But, then, about 10 days ago, the damndest thing happened. Palin re-tweeted an article about Perrys spending and debt record. A week ago, Palin then announced she was restarting the bus tour and would be including a stop at the Iowa state fair. During interviews at the fair, she took a few jabs at Perry, and a few more at Bachmann. All of this raised an interesting question: If Palin was planning to endorse Perry, then why fire a few shots across his bow? If shes not going to endorse Perry and we know she wont endorse Bachmann or Romney, then whats her game plan? Well, maybe the game plan is that shes running (that shes always been running) and holding off the announcement as long as possible. This, of course, begs two obvious questions: One, if shes running without declaring, then why abruptly end the bus tour with the time to take Piper back for school excuse? Two, why is she holding off the announcement as long as possible? The answer to both questions is the same: As Sun Tzu wrote, All warfare is based on deception. Time for a little more speculation: While Rick Perry has visions of a race that shapes up like the 2010 Texas GOP primary, Sarah Palin sees a race that can shape up like the 2006 Alaska GOP primary if she goes pretty much dark for two more weeks. Why two more weeks? Michelle Bachmann is under the full glare of the media after her straw poll victory. Shes got Rick Perry employing his 2010 primary playbook. Simply put, Bachmann, already polling worse and bleeding support more than others care to admit, will be in Cain territory in two weeks. At the same time, the Perry versus Romney war has begun and will be in full bloom in two weeks (and, frankly, more likely by this weekend). In two weeks, Bachmann will be pretty much out of it, and Perry will have a slight advantage over Romney, and an expected Palin endorsement of Perry coming to seal the deal, exactly how Perrys team envisioned things when he entered the race. Theres just one problem with that theory: I dont think thats Palins plan. Endorsing Perry is the safe play, perhaps the conventionally smart play. But, then I remember hearing somewhere a politician who doesnt act like a typical politician note that a ship in harbor is safe, but thats not why the ship was built. I think about how that person is anything but conventional. I think of that person often talking and writing about how shed rather sleep well than eat well. And, I begin to realize that, whether by design or coincidence, what looks like a plan has come together: While Rick Perry may have visions of 2010, I suspect that Palin has visions of 2006. Everyone knows the GOP primary was a three way race. You had Murkowski, the serious challenger in Bitney, and Palin, who was seen as an afterthought initially. Murkowski and Bitney exchanged blows. Palin avoided a lot of direct fire. Then came the Alaskans deserve better moment in the debate in which everyone realized that Palin had transcended both of them. Think about that. Then envision Palin versus Perry versus Romney. Put another way, imagine the 2010 Texas GOP primary IF Perry hadnt gotten a Palin endorsement and IF Medina hadnt imploded. Simply put, it would have been anyones game. If youre Perry, are you going to attack Palin if she enters the race? No, you dont. First of all, he needs to focus on Romney. Second, his initial strategy would be to hope Palin fizzles quickly. Third, hed view Palin as being the kingmaker at some point, even if it were at a brokered convention. Oh, hed fire some shots across her bow, but it wouldnt be a full blown attack. Now, if youre Romney, youd like nothing better than to take Palin out immediately. The problem with that is twofold. One, if you take Palin out, you pretty much assure her supporters and her support goes to Perry. Maybe thats inevitable, but the last thing you want is to be fighting BOTH Perry and Palin at the same time. Two, like Bitney with Murkowski, Perry is seen as the more direct threat to Romneys base of support. So, even from Romney, Palin would avoid a lot of the direct fire, at least for a time. Speaking of Bachmann, I suspect that Tim Pawlentys departure from the race led to another mini audible. Im not suggesting that Palin wasnt going herself to get Piper back to school. But, with Pawlenty in the race, you had a Pawlenty versus Bachmann undercard. Now, you dont. What to do? Well, why not disappear again and let Bachmann deal with the withering scrutiny and Perry for two weeks? Think about it: At the end of the month, the GOP primary effectively will be Perry versus Romney. Oh, some people out there will be trying to build up Bachmann still, but shell be done because most of her support will be soft (perhaps it always has been soft anyway, but I digress). But, Palin wont have to bother with her in the same way you had a Pawlenty versus Bachmann undercard. While shell have to ignore what I expect to be a lot of instigation from Bachmann, Palin simply will eclipse her in the end. Then, what briefly had become a two horse race gets transformed back into a three horse race, where shell get her chance to transcend the two quote serious primary candidates, just like she did in 2006 in Alaska. What once would have been a Palin versus Romney one on one or a Palin versus Romney and Bachmann handicap match could at the end of the month be a three way race in which ABP forces are divided and thus more easily (relatively speaking) conquered IF Palin closes the sale with those primary voters who I suspect in the end will be hers to lose. Anyway, thats my epiphany du jour. Maybe theres nothing to it. Or, maybe Sarah Palin really is alley cat smart.Posted on August 16 2011 - 8:49 PM - Posted by: Submissions
Sarah Palins political tactics always have been unconventional. Supporters like me know this, and even we alternate between aha moments and total confusion as to what shes doing. As weve watched the GOP primary season evolve, as weve watched Bachmann and Perry enter the race and have tried to digest all of the quote mixed signals from Palin herself, it is hard not to arrive at the conclusion that she might not run after all. That conclusion would be wrong, for while her tactics may seem and probably are unconventional, her strategy has always been obvious. Shes running, and she probably has been since November 2008.
P.S.: If youre like me, the real fun lies in speculating about when and how Palin will announce.Some people cite Constitution Day, September 17, but I think thats either too tight or too late in light of some of the current state filing requirements. Personally, I look to the dates of August 25 (the day McCain called her at the fair), August 27 (the day she flew to Arizona), August 29 (the day she was introduced as McCains pick), and September 3 (the day of her convention speech).
I keep thinking about Palins DO OVER reference. Is it really that simple? She said she wouldnt be a candidate on when she returns to Iowa, so shell announce on September 3.
Then again, youre only a candidate officially once paperwork is filed with the FEC (Perry only became an official candidate today). In that case, maybe she submits her resignation to Fox News on August 27 (a Saturday), leaving people to spend the weekend speculating what that means. Then, she makes a surprise announcement at the Alaska state fair in a call to Bob & Mark on August 29 and makes September 3 her first speech as an unofficial candidate.
So many options, so many variables . . . its what makes trying to foresee what never has been done before fun.
I’m saying August 29.
I’m leaning towards September 3rd on her speech but there will be a signal on August 28 or 29 in Alaska...She likes the DO-OVERS theme and those days fit with that theme.
Karl Rover suddenly firmly believes that’s she about to run, he may not know anything concrete about it but he has changed his mind after so long awhile.
We are all pretty much talking about sometime between August 27 - Sept 5 timeframe...in the next few weeks.
We sure need a good President. Run Sarah Run
Glad somebody finally acknowledges the smarts of alley cats!!
This article brings me a nice chuckle. It’s all very logical, and quite probable. And WAY beyond the PDSers capabilty to understand.
I can’t see Palin NOT running, so this fits nicely.
Ping!
Hmmm...it’s a lot of speculation but it holds together as a theory from what I can tell and there’s no question that Sarah is really really smart.
blerch Today 05:34 PMThe C4P posting itself dealt with The Other McCain's debunking of Hillyer's hit piece on Palin at the Iowa State fair. It has been mentioned by the media, but not much commented on, that Palin had more staff present with her there than in the past. And this is the first I've ever seen mentioned of direct contact between Palin and the previously purely unofficial grassroots Organizing4Palin forces. That there now is confirmed contact and the volunteers are still working is a good sign that she at least hasn't made up her mind NOT to run. She's either truly still undecided or has decided to run and is prepping her entrance.Out of all this hoopla, the main story of Palin's attendance at the Iowa State Fair has been buried. Palin met with Iowa O4P coordinators Peter Singleton and Michelle McCormick in the VIP tent for lunch and they then spent the rest of the day around her at the fair. Then, on Sunday, as reported by Scott Conroy, they were both in attendance for speeches given by Bachmann, Perry, and Santorum in Waterloo, working the room, reaching out to people and getting a feel for what is going on in the other camps. If Palin had discouraged them on Friday or sent signals that she may very well sit out, they would not have been there. In fact, they probably already would have gone back to their respective home states of California and Texas. Yet, two days after meeting with Palin at the Iowa State Fair, they are at a candidate event, doing their thing. To me, that is the most telling sign that she is in.
Also, it is interesting that Conroy reported that Peter and Michelle were there on Sunday, as it seems that no other reporter digs deep enough to report on something like this. He is becoming one of the best political reporters in the business because he actually talks to people who are not insiders.
This article brings me a nice chuckle. Its all very logical, and quite probable.In addition to Sun Tzu, it appears that Governor Palin has been studying USAF Colonel JOHN BOYD.And WAY beyond the PDSers capabilty to understand.
See wikipedia.org/wiki/OODA_Loop
Thank You for posting that excellent article!
This is the best outline of what she has done this summer that I have read from anybody.
Period. Superbly done.
Fun read. Wonder who ‘John Smith’ is? :)
:o)
Do tell......
Sun Tzu smiles approvingly.
Sun Tzu Sarah ping
Todd Palin? ;^)
Palin and Romney know the same thing: Few are paying attentionBelieve it or not, in their quests (or probable quest in Palins case) for the GOP nomination both Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney are working under the same premise: No one is paying attention right now.
Sure, some people are paying attention. But that "some" is probably you and me and maybe 5% of the rest of the voting population.
Figure that between just 2-5 million people have watched any of the debates thus far.
While Thursday nights 5 million viewers was impressive for primary debate standards, it still represents less than 4% of the usual voter turnout. That means 96% of the 2012 voting public (among them at least 52 million McCain voters) on a Summer Thursday night, against little other programming, in the middle of a depression, during a media-hyped GOP race, with a chance to pick a candidate to throw out the Golfing Fundraiser-in-Chief, couldnt even be bothered to tune in.
Palin knows this. And Romney knows this. And this explains each of their strategies...
-- snip --
Governor Palin is leading **her** forces in the same strategic way that WILLIAM WALLACE led **his** small, but dedicated, army -- in the very risky (but ultimately, very successful) "delayed" defense against the superior forces of the English "heavy horse" attackers.
Hold... Hold... Hold...
NOW!He, too, goaded a prideful superior force into (unwisely, as it happened) committing themselves fully against him, so that he could use their strengths against them -- when the timing was EXACTLY right for victory.
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