Posted on 11/05/2008 8:55:31 AM PST by Keyes2000mt
A few readers have asked whether I think Sarah Palin will run for the Senate in the future. I think that would be a mistake, for several reasons, not the least of which is that, if successful, the decision would take an unique and popular outside-the-beltway executive and put her inside the Beltway as one of 100 legislators voting on every bill that comes down the pike.
For now, I hope Sarah Palin gets to take a vacation and spend some much-deserved time with that beautiful family. Her experience these past four months must have been simultaneously exhilarating, supremely frustrating, and thoroughly exhausting.
I hope Palin runs for a second term as governor and is reelected. This seems like a likely scenario.
Beyond that, her future is a blank slate. If she decided, after this rollercoaster experience, that she was no longer all that interested in national office, I could not blame her. But I suspect that she realizes the strengths she has and the opportunities that will await her.
The Republican base loves Sarah Palin. Many Democrats instantly loathed her, at least partially because they sensed an almost unparalleled threat; a few couldn’t help but like her even if they disagreed with her. Independents concluded she wasn't ready — not that she wasn't likeable, and not that she wasn't an impressive person, but that she wasn't ready. This flaw can be overcome with time and useful experience.
If Palin wants a future in national office, I hope she takes some time to deeply contemplate where she wants to take the country. I suspect she'll write a book about her experience on the campaign trail; I hope she writes a separate one, when she's ready, about her vision for the country.
She indeed could be the next Reagan; the challenge this time was that she was running as the Ronald Reagan of about 1969, after about two years as governor. It’s easy to forget how much time Reagan spent touring and speaking at General Electric plants, a thousand radio addresses, newspaper columns, etc. He familiarized himself with every major economic, social, and foreign policy topic under the sun, and figured out what he wanted American policy to do and how it should go about doing it. Very, very few political figures think through these key questions so thoroughly. A lot of the Palin criticism was unfair, but the Peggy Noonans of the world have something of a point when they say she has as-yet incomplete political philosophy. Until the end of August, Sarah Palin didn’t really need one; her natural instincts were sufficient to successfully navigate the treacherous world of Alaskan politics.
And there is really no deadline for her interest in national office. Palin is a strikingly young 44 years old. If she runs at Hillary's age, she will be running in 2024. You’re going to hear a lot of buzz about her as a 2012 candidate, but I don’t think that she needs to run in four years. (For now, life will keep her busy – she has an infant to take care of, a son in Iraq, a grandchild on the way and a day job.) I don’t think that love from the Republican base is going to dissipate in four years. She stepped up to the plate and hit the ball as far as she could this time around, and for about two weeks, she helped achieve the near-impossible: putting McCain ahead in a Democratic year.
Every once in a while I think about working on a political campaign, and almost always conclude that I like what I do on the outside too much to ever want to accept the inherent limits of working on the inside. But after the joy of offering a line that ended up in her convention speech, Governor, I’ll make clear the exception. I’ll answer that call anytime.
Great comment. Ping to read the thread later.
There was an interesting article here a couple days ago about how the GOP is in the midst of a massive restructuring - AWAY from the northeastern "Rockefeller Republicans" and towards the South and West. The article said that the GOP is so fractured that it might even result in the party splitting completely -- the remnants of the old GOP merging with the dems and a new Conservative party, symbolized by the moose (thanks to Sarah) rising from its ashes.
I mostly agree, except I think she should really focus on 2016, not 2012.
If she realizes it’s being done to drive her out, then yes.
Governor Palin strikes me as the kind of person who doesn’t take abuse without fighting back, she’s been maligned and abused by the media and campaign staffer scum, it might just be the impetus she needs to stay in their face.
Second, she is very much right now like a younger version of Reagan. She can continue to develop her own base while developing her resume. The dems attacked her relentlessly I think not because of this year but because they feared her so much as being a player in the future.
Third- this entire election has felt like a rerun of 1976. The nation was tired of a very unpopular President even though he had already resigned. They voted for somebody with no resume whatsoever, but he basically was elected on a smile and personality. The results of 76 were disastrous for the nation- we are still paying a heavy price today for carter's blunders. Maybe this will be different and for the good of the country I hope the Messiah’s 4 year's aren't a rerun of Carter- but I will be surprised if he is a succesful President. So if Sarah hones her message then I can certainly see 2012 as being the rerun of 1980.
Keep yourself pure. Don’t defile yourself by living and participating in that whorehouse called Washington D.C. (running for the U.S. Senate) Come back when the time is right.
She is a great woman and was treated like trash by the controlling msm, entertainment, and democratic party. If I were her, I’d never leave Alaska again....she’s got it much better up there.
Has Sarah made any post-loss comments? Links?
PALIN-JINDAL 2012
I doubt that the GOP is going to split much. Basically, the they need to do a couple of things to get it right.
1. Run beautiful people in the Presidential slot.
2. Speak to people’s spiritual needs, whatever those may be.
3. Speak directly to the people in order to counter the MSM.
4. Enough with the old geezers (like me ..hehehe). Run the younger crowd that can pull in the younger vote.
I’ll tell you what it holds. Without Palin on the ticket, McCain’s defeat would have been staggering. She is the future of America, and will be the frontrunner in 2012. If she does decide to run, I will work on her campaign. She relates more to the GenX crowd more than people realize. She relates to working moms very well. Plus with no one to tell her how to run a campaign, she will be very aggressive in attacking Obama, even more so than she did this year. If she gets the nomination in 2012, I suggest she pick a fellow governor as her running mate, like Bobby Jindal. Together, they can show the DC politicians how to make America work.
It is because they know she is exactly what we need to re-energise and expand our Party,,...so they will try to destroy her....this is what they(Dems) do.
The question is, will we STOP fighting amongst ourselves and use our energies to also re-energise and expand our party.
Simple. She needs to finish her term as governor and get re-elected governor. Then, in her second term, she can really start looking at national office.
Look, Governor Palin was the only reason I voted at all this year. I'd rather wait until the time is right than see her become a permanent Presidential candidate.
Couldn't agree more.
I’m surprised you failed to mention Ronald Reagan, who ran for exactly two offices.
Well, for one thing, she’s going to make a *fortune* on the speaking circuit over the next few years. And good for her.
Rush said today that there are no more North-East Pub reps. The rinos have been purged.
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