Reports: Palin won’t announce tomorrow — but might obliquely criticize Perry

Hot Air ^ | September 2,2011 | ALLAHPUNDIT

[Hojczyk]

The bad news for Palin fans? If NRO’s Robert Costa and CNN’s Peter Hamby are right, tomorrow’s not “the day.” The good news? Per Hamby, “the day” may still be coming.

The source said Palin is attempting to burnish her image as an outsider and a reformer, reminding the audience of her record in Alaska and specifically highlighting her battles against what she called the state’s corrupt Republican political class that was in cahoots with the oil and gas industry.

Palin plans to unleash a furious criticism of “crony capitalism” and attack the “permanent political class” in both parties: thinly veiled criticisms of Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who has surged to the top of most polls for the Republican presidential nomination.

Political opponents have long accused Perry, who has held some form of elected office since 1985, of rewarding his allies and campaign donors with plum government posts and contracts.

Though she has no plans to mention Perry or any other Republican presidential hopeful by name, Palin will implicitly contrast herself against the current crop of GOP candidates and further define her brand in case she does decide to run.

Scott Conroy of RCP got a preview of the speech too and also seized on those phrases as veiled digs at Perry. Whether that’s a case of him and Hamby reading things the same way independently or, more significantly, whether their sources inside Palin’s camp are pushing that reading on them, I can’t tell. If she does end up taking a dig at Perry, the only reason to do it is that she’s planning to announce herself in a few weeks. Criticizing him just to criticize him would be unthinkable given the mileage the left will get out of it, but it makes sense if she’s running per her “I’ll jump in if there’s no one else to carry the banner” rationale from months ago. She needs to distinguish herself from Perry somehow in order to justify that logic and this would be one way. (Conroy notes that she’ll also tout her record as governor, another sign that she’s in.) But don’t jump to conclusions: Much depends on how all this is framed in the speech. By “permanent political class,” she may mean the Beltway; and the attack on “crony capitalism” might be aimed explicitly at Obama, with good reason. Who knows? She could throw us a curveball by praising Perry or the other nominees outright in the speech. Or maybe tomorrow’s “the day” after all and the leaks to Costa and Hamby that she’s not announcing are merely a feint designed to throw the media off her trail.

John Fund thinks she’s not running and will probably end up endorsing Perry, but if Hamby and Conroy are right about those veiled digs, that endorsement will be highly nuanced indeed. Via the Right Scoop, here’s her old pal Karl Rove on Fox this morning warning her that she’s doing damage to her prospective candidacy with this endless game of “in or out?”. Is he right? Her core supporters will forgive her anything, but Rasmussen’s latest finds 52 percent of Republicans think it would be bad for the GOP if she jumped in. No doubt Rick Perry agrees. Does Mitt Romney? Click the image to watch.

[don-o]

I took umbrage with your accusation that I am being manipulated by the MSM.

That is a favorite tactic that is just worn out. And it is insulting; and about as compelling as "Yer Mom wears army boots."

[Windflier]

You insinuated that if she didn’t run this time, before she is wrinkly and saggy that she would not win in the future.

You know you posted that. I think that was the childish remark.

Huh???

You want me to go find it?

I absolutely want you to try, but I can tell you that I've never said any such thing. I don't think I've commented more than twice on Palin's physical appearance in the last three years of commenting about her.

This is quite interesting. Now that you've made this challenge, you've got to stand up to it. It's a pretty bold accusation. I'll bookmark your post and wait to see what you come up with.

[Windflier]

Unless I have missed a LOT, "vicious" is an inaccurate and overly dramatic way to portray honest differences of opinion.

What are you guys -- historical revisionists, or something? I didn't claim anything that hasn't been painfully apparent on this website over the last few years.

Where do you think the term Palin Derangement Syndrome came from anyway? I can't believe you now want to pretend as though all of the non-stop irrational attacks against her never even happened here. Unbelievable.

[Windflier]

Stop drinking the vinegar and water.

Good grief, hobbes. Get over yourself already.

[don-o]

Where do you think the term Palin Derangement Syndrome came from anyway?

I have no idea of its origin nor what is supposed to mean. I do know it gets dragged across the discussion from time. I believe the formal term is "red herring."

[Windflier]

I have no idea of its origin nor what is supposed to mean.

Then you really haven't been engaged in this conversation for the last three years.

[hobbes1]

Me?

are you ESL?

[hobbes1]

LMAO.

Red Herring.

They see the Red Lobster Crabber commercial when you say that.....

[JaguarXKE]

I don’t think they are succeeding. I think they think we’re dumb.

[dforest]

Well, I found it. But I do owe you an apology. I had you mixed up with another.

So, I apologize for my faulty accusation.

Here is a link to the post I was referring to.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2770896/posts?page=19#19

[Windflier]

Good night, hobbes.

[samtheman]

I think your post #31 is pretty good. Her “crony capitalism” attacks keep her options open, that’s for sure. But they don’t lock her into anything.

She is an extremely smart person.

[Windflier]

Well, I found it. But I do owe you an apology. I had you mixed up with another.

I knew it couldn't be me. I recall some poster talking about Palin's toenails, or clothes, and thinking, "what the hell.....?"

Anyway, Lindy, I need to give this back and forth a rest. I'm really past rehashing all of the same arguments I've had about Palin over the last two and half years. My attention is now riveted on her upcoming announcement and campaign.

If by some miracle she doesn't declare, then I'm done with even talking about the 2012 race. I'll just go ahead and pull the lever for the Republican nominee, provided it's not Mitt.

[Windflier]

I just looked at the post you linked to, and I don't see anything wrong with Virginia Ridgerunner's logic. She's just responding to the idea of some people that Palin ought to run eight years from now, instead of when she's most needed to put this country on the track of reform and restoration.

The post:

To: samtheman

"I would love to see her repeat her supporting role of 2010 in the 2012 election, then go on to be Secretary of Energy in a Perry administration and then run for president in 2020, after she’s successfully completed a major, long-term executive assignment."

Yeah, let's just wait until she's old, wrinkled, and grey and in her decline before she runs, instead of right now when she's at her mental and physical peak.

That's a real winning strategy....not.

19 posted on Tuesday, August 30, 2011 10:48:00 AM by Virginia Ridgerunner (Sarah Palin has crossed the Rubicon!)

[dforest]

I understand your logic and I don’t blame you for your conclusion.

Take care.

[samtheman]

56 is not old, wrinkled and grey.

And to say so is idiotic.

And I am 100% sure, 1000% sure, that she has never said that and would never say that about a man.

It’s only a woman who is “old, wrinkled and grey and in her decline” when she’s 56.

That statement is despicable. It sickens me to have to discuss it again, but since you felt the sudden need to re-post it to a bunch of people, fine. Have at it.

[Springfield Reformer]

crazy talk like that does stick

Not really, not in adult conversation. Every group has people in it that take minority positions. You just have to filter that out as predictable but insignificant noise on the signal. Even Palin has rejected third party gambits (despite rumblings from Trump, Inc.), and backs the ABO (Anybody But Obama) candidate in the electoral endgame. Most of Palin's admirers know this and agree with it.

As for “vicious” attacks on Palin, if the Miriam-Webster definition applies, I’d say yes, threads there be aplenty that demonstrate the following characteristics.

Definition of VICIOUS
1: having the nature or quality of vice or immorality : depraved — (see vice)
2: defective, faulty; also : invalid
3: impure, noxious
4a : dangerously aggressive : savage (a vicious dog)
4b : marked by violence or ferocity : fierce (a vicious fight)
5: malicious, spiteful (vicious gossip)
6: worsened by internal causes that reciprocally augment each other (a vicious wage-price spiral)

I’d offer examples, and I’ve even started to write them up, but I’ve decided I don’t have the time, and will leave the application of the term “vicious” to the various styles of attacking Palin as an exercise for the reader, with the added thought that in years to come, once history has settled the true winners and the true losers, some enterprising sociology graduate student could make a wonderful paper out of analyzing this particularly colorful social phenomenon, affectionately referred to as PDS (Palin Derangement Syndrome), as recorded here in one of the more exclusive neighborhoods of the Twilight Zone, known as Free Republic.

[Springfield Reformer]

Ping to #177 (forgot to copy you)

[Friendofgeorge]

Perry and/or Bachmann could drop out then, right?

Because they entered first they can say...we got dibs we were in first? That may be all right for the playground,but not in real life

[Friendofgeorge]

Personally I hope that she does aim some criticism towards Perry, as well as Obama.

Palin/anybody works for me...Perry/Palin does not work for me. She did write in her book that she was not interested in the VP slot anyway. I would feel that VP was beneath her at this point...Just being honest

But back to Palin on Perry,Couple posts at C4P suggest Gov Palin has already been critical of Perry.

I myself witnessed her on Fox saying that even with Perry in the race, she DOES NOT YET, see anybody she could support...I paraphrase from memory.

Outlaw Woman is one of my favorite posters, but I am hoping that she takes on Perry as well, I want her to be President, VP would be so beneath her, very depressing outcome.