Elect Sarah Palin for President 2012
Re-Elect President Sarah Palin 2016
Posted on 01/18/2011 9:34:34 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
In a guest column, John Ziegler, radio host, Palin confidante, and the filmmaker behind Media Malpractice: How Obama Got Elected and Palin Was Targeted, offers his unique perspective on Sarah Palin’s interview with Sean Hannity, and its specific implications towards a potential presidential run in 2012. The views expressed in this guest column are those of John Ziegler alone.
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As dangerous, counterproductive, and pointless as it can be to try and predict whether Sarah Palin will run for president in 2012, I found myself changing my mind last night about what she likely will, and should, do regarding the largest political decision one can make.
As an outspoken and dedicated defender of Palin against a mountain of unfair media attacks over the past couple of years, I have often been amused that many of my detractors presume that I have been a strong proponent of a Palin candidacy. The reality is that I am probably one of the few people to tell her to her face (after our January 2009 interview) that she can’t win in 2012, and, in act of even greater stupidity, I have most certainly harmed my last movie among Palin supporters by publicly stating the same opinion.
Aside from whether it would be a good idea, when I was asked on CNN recently whether she would run, I put the odds at 60-40 that she would not make the big plunge. But, thanks to the bizarre events of the past week, I have experienced a rather strong epiphany on both fronts.
Before I explain myself, let me make it clear that I have no special information, have not had a direct conversation with Sarah Palin about this topic since she resigned as Governor, and strongly believe that anyone other than Palin’s incredibly small inner circle who pretends to know for sure what she is doing is either lying or delusional. With that said, I may have some insight here that will elude the many media watchers who simply don’t understand Palin.
During the final segment of her interview on Fox News last night with Sean Hannity, I became convinced that it is now significantly more likely that she will run than pass. I came to this conclusion based at least as much on what she didn’t say as what she did. At the center of this perception is the core conviction that being blamed by huge portions of the media for facilitating mass murder, and then being roundly scorned for just defending herself, simply has to drive a person on the verge of such a decision in one direction or the other. Based on her answer to Hannity, it very clear which way she has been pushed.
If Palin really has been playing a game in order just to keep her profile high (an article of faith among Palin critics), the insane reaction to this tragedy and the irrational implication of her in it would have provided her with the perfect out. After all, not even her most fervent supporter could possibly begrudge her the right to beg off a presidential run in the name of protecting her family from all of the lunacy (and potentially worse) which will be sure to come their way if they are all subjected to another campaign. But even after being given an opening to “go there” larger than FNC’s rating dominance over its competitors, Palin would have none of it.
Instead, she came closer than ever before to declaring that she will be a candidate, defiantly stating that, while she has no announcement to make right now, she is not going to sit down, and will not be told to shut up.
Technically, this is not a new statement from Palin, but given the timing, context and juxtaposition of her pronouncements, I think there is potentially great significance to what she said. For her to dramatically declare that she will not “sit down or shut up” immediately after the caveat that she is not yet “ready” to make an “announcement” and just after the word “but,” seemed to send a message only slightly more subtle than Ricky Gervais taking a swipe at an obnoxious celebrity.
Palin then went one giant step further by raising the flag in defense of free speech and those who strongly believe that our nation is imperiled by our current lack of regard for the founding principles. Once again, when given the perfect opportunity to seek cover and protect herself Sarah Palin has instead chosen to fight back and protect what she thinks is right.
This leads me to my second change of heart. Ever since I witnessed her 2008 convention speech in person, I have had admiration for Sarah Palin, but I had also (almost out of a desire to not see her and her family unnecessarily harassed) come to the conclusion that it was not a good idea for her to run for president in 2012. I figured that, thanks largely to the same media who has targeted her for over two years, Obama was unlikely to lose to anyone and that blowing her one chance to run wouldn’t be good for her or her cause. But now I not only think she will run, but I really hope she does.
I still believe baring a disaster Obama will be reelected, but I now see nothing to lose and lots to gain by a Palin candidacy. She is the only candidate who has the ultimate freedom of having already faced her political death head on. As Winston Churchill famously said, “There is nothing more exhilarating than being shot without result,” and while thankfully Palin only knows this truth metaphorically, all that she has endured gives her incredible independence. Everyone else will inevitably melt (like even grizzled veteran John McCain did) when they get close to the blast furnace that will be going up against the Obama juggernaut. Far more than anyone else in conservative history, Palin has been forced to prove just how fireproof her convictions are and how deep her resolve is.
Quite simply, no one else in the potential Republican field will be as trustworthy to conservatives on the issues, and less likely to back down, than Sarah Palin. She has shown beyond any doubt that she can literally handle anything that the pressure of running for president could possibly present.
Would she win? Probably not, but there is no Republican who would be close to being favored today against Obama. Instead, a Palin candidacy would guarantee, by far, the best chance to have true conservative principles articulated in a fearless fashion on the grandest of stages, which hasn’t really happened (with apologies to Ronald Reagan) since 1964.
While that losing Barry Goldwater campaign is not one which is likely to be emulated politically anytime soon, with Palin such an outcome (a spirited, non-politically correct defense of conservatism followed by likely temporary defeat) is the absolutely worst case scenario. Considering that such a campaign ended up directly leading to Republican victories in five of the next six presidential elections, such a potentiality is one that should be embraced by conservatives and not feared.
While many events can and likely will occur before we know the real landscape of the 2012 presidential campaign, as of today it appears that Sarah Palin will be a large part of that equation, and that conservatives may have much to be proud of. Hopefully, they will be smart enough to realize and appreciate it.
Yea it was a good article.
But, he tends to go overboard thinking that Pres. Obama will be invincible in 2012.
Pres. Obama will have a record that he must prove to the voter—it is a referendum on him. 2012 will not be 1964.
High Unemployment, out of control spending, deficits, a large national debt, immigration, health care debacle, and bankrupt States seeking more federal assistance will certainly be more than enough reason to vote him out.
The case will be made and Gov. Palin is the only ideal candidate who can convey the winning message.
As evidenced by the 24/7 MSM Palipalooza Hate Fest, and a short visit to any of the looney left websites.
Elect Sarah Palin for President 2012
Re-Elect President Sarah Palin 2016
One dynamic that noone seems to factor in is the feverish, frothing, lunacy, etc., that the MSM will bring to the presidential run when Sarah is running against odumbo. They will do anything and everything possible to destroy her. It may very well be that the MSM will doom the rats, and concurrently elevate Sarah to the win.
The idea that there is something uniquely off-putting about Sarah that makes her potential appeal more limited that any other conservative candidate flies in the face of all the available evidence. She is, in fact, much more engaging than any of her potential rivals. She has higher negatives than they for the same reason that battle-hardened veterans have more scars than new recruits. She's already survived the worst that the enemy can dish out and her rivals haven't been through basic training yet.
As for the idea that Obama is unlikely to lose — Presidents don't lose unless they first fail. Obama is well on his way to failing, comprehensively and undeniably. Events could make him unbeatable, but they are much more likely to make him unreelectable. Only time will tell. But nominating Anybody But Palin won't help the GOP at all. Either Obama completes his self-destruction and Palin waltzes into the oval office, or the economy recovers, the world doesn't get any more turbulent, and Obama manages a slight majority. The election won't be about the GOP’s choice of a standard bearer. All the hyperventilating on the subject is absurd.
She quit in Alaska. Game set match. Pick another horse. Too bad she couldn’t rise above it and finish her term.
Don’t see how ‘Bammy loses in 2012.
He has been the best thing for DC since the New Deal. More power has accrued to DC in 2 years of ‘Bammy...than in the previous 234 years put together. Consequently the RinoCrat Oligarchy will be behind him 100%.
He has ‘gifted” away more of our treasure to his henchmen and supporters than all other presidents in history put together. That represents a reservoir of “goodwill” that will find absolutely NO major players in US or International powers on the other side of him in 2012.
Unless there is an absolutely unprecedented grass roots, highly motivated groundswell in Flyover Country that generates hereto for unseen numbers of voters AND the institutional corruption of the vote that characterizes many Red States suffering Blue representation is dealt with ahead of time, he will be insurmountable.
Palin will run. Palin will win.
I’m curious as to why you think she’s a phony. And if she’s a phony, who in your estimation, would you consider not to be a phony?
“Palin has been forced to prove just how fireproof her convictions are and how deep her resolve is. “
That statement alone is enough to make her #1 on my list.
Good points.
However I think the media will successfully encourage the voters to not ‘racistly reject the first black president’.
Voters will elect a lot of Republicans to congress to actually run things and keep him for appearances. That’s the reasoning behind some Dems’ desire to run someone else (though their black constituency is too important for that to happen).
You must be a moderate.
IMO Her Vice President needs to be someone who will give her “gravitas” with RINOs— like Cheney did for W with conservatives.
That kind of ticket-balancing is usual.
I think he is right. I’ve always liked and trusted the Zig, and he helped us personally years ago by getting the truth out about our black on white Halloween massacre here.
Sarah Palin is the only Republican who (ironically) has the cojones to stand up for conservative principles and Constitutional America. Everyone else can be bullied into submission on our side. She’s it, and if we fight along with her, we will in our lifetime experience an election in which our side is the 100% right side: pure freedom, the principles that made this country great. Even if we lose, we get the truth out there, and some kids and historians will be watching..
Better to lose to a lying cheat and die on the hill of our freedom and conservative principles than to gather behind a wimpy, needy, liar with an R by his name and win.
I take it you were ready to loan or give her the millions she would need to defend herself from the almost daily bogus ethics complaints and lawsuits that she faced after November 2008, right? We've been over this and over this since she turned the reigns over to her Lieutenant Governor. Might want to try and keep up...
In 2008 primary voters elected McCain and conservatives failed to stop him.
Most likely it’ll be Romney. He’ll lose in November, which is fine with me.
Another Pro-Obama Freeper.
rat-its the new conservatism.
Agreed! And it cannot be one of the old stable full of broken down has beens and proven losers (Romney, Huckabee, Gingrich, etc.) Fresh faced, offense minded, well educated, conservative candidates. That's what we're after!
Already nominated for President. Who do you believe she should choose for the VP candidate?
I think you are a poor judge of character. :-p
Palin-hatin' troll alert. Everyone knows why she quit. Game set match, eh?
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