Posted on 09/27/2011 10:33:16 PM PDT by smoothsailing
Sheila Marikar
September 28, 2011
A Palin presidency: Too “shackle-y?”
That’s what Sarah Palin suggested on Fox News’ “On The Record with Greta VanSusteren” tonight, saying that she’s concerned jumping into the 2012 presidential race will muffle her message.
“Is a title worth it?” she asked, rhetorically. “Does a title shackle a person? Are they someone like me who’s maverick? I do go rogue and I call it like I see it and I don’t mind stirring it up in order to get people to think and debate aggressively.”
“Is a title and a campaign too shackle-y?,” she continued. “Does that prohibit me from being out there, out of a box, not allowing handlers to shape me and to force my message to be what donors or what contributors or what pundits want it to be? Does a title take away my freedom to call it like I see it and to affect positive change that we need in this country? That’s the biggest contemplation piece in my process.”
Palin expressed a concern about “being caricatured” if she runs, and asked again “whether a title is needed to make a difference or someone can be rogue, can be maverick, can be passionate about issues and can get people to think very wisely about issues.”...
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Yep, she’s running. She’s still playing the media and the Republican elites, keeping them off balance. I believe her decision was made over a year ago. When she formally announces newspapers will burst into flame and spittle will drip from the lips of liberal newscasters. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth by RINOs and Republican elites and there will be a collective sigh of relief by “We The People” all over this country. Sarah is a genuine good person who loves this country and it’s people and I don’t believe for a second that she would string us all along for personal or financial gain. That’s not what she is made of.
Does she honestly think anything she espouses would put her beyond the pale of the entire GOP? She will rub some politicians wearing that tag the wrong way, but that very challenge is what got her into Alaskan politics (where she won). There’s no need for her to get fainthearted now.
Iowa during a stump speech? I’m talking about a Facebook post or some commentary before a national audience that will get widespread media coverage, not a throw-away red meat line in a speech to Tea Party members.
Speeches aren’t worth much to me, and never have been. They are written to sway people without convictions or to make a given audience feel better about themselves, IMO, or even to create a self-image (Obama). I’ve heard Rick Perry is a great speaker as well on the stump, and I’ve never heard him utter a word from the stage, nor do I care to unless it’s a nomination speech or a State of the Union adress.
I did like Palin’s 2008 GOP convention speech, though, and she hit it out of the park. The best GOP move would have been to make her the keynote speaker, let her serve out her term in Alaska, and spring her on the national stage this election cycle.
Unfortunately for all of us, McLame was panicking and needed a conservative fresh face to try and stop Obama’s fresh face. This led to a sequence of events that makes Palin damaged goods for many voters she would need to not only win the nomination, but also to win the presidency. Some of it is her fault, most of it is not, but the reality is that she was simply not ready for the media onslaught, and in politics, sometimes you only get one chance to make that first national impression.
Ain't that a hoot! :)
Tedious, immature, overly dramatic, and self-centered.
If she decides not to run, there are consequences for her in regard to what she says she’d hope to do from the sidelines. She carries a lot of clout now , with both her supporters and her enemies. The media cover her every move now exactly because she keeps threatening to run, or teasing to run. It’s the mystery of her intentions that affords her the status of prominence from those who want her to run because they truly want to give their vote to her because they believe in her, and from those in the media who feel the need to cover her moves in case she does decide to run. Once she decides she’s officially out, all of her clout decreases exponentially. She won’t be able to shape agendas for the nation from a perpetual spot on the sidelines; no one will be anywhere near as interested in her points of view if she chooses to sit out. And if she does choose not to run, then all of her publicity seeking moves - the bus tour; her Harley rides; showing up on straw poll day in Iowa at the State Fair; her trips to New Hampshire and other Caucus states - will all smack of nothing but shameless self promotion for it’s own sake.
I want to see her run - I will vote for her. But if she chooses to sit out - after all her own activity to keep herself relevant - then I won’t much care what she’ll have to say from the bench. She’s critiquing the direction of the nation at present - as she should. But to do so as though she has solutions (which she offers regularly on her social feeds) and then shrink from the fight to implement the solutions she offers, will lead her to the has-been status fairly quickly. So for her decision making process she discussed with Greta tonight, she ought to realize no one is forcing her to keep herself on the fringe of the political fray, and that her clout she derives from that vantage point only exists because she hasn’t decided to commit. Does she honestly think if she sits out, and some other Republican wins the White House that she will still be as relevant as she is now? No way. She’s not going to do any leading or shaping from the side lines - especially if a Republican beats Obama (or another Democrat who replaces Obama). Once she opts out, no more of her critiques for anything will carry any relevance to anyone bar her closest supporters (and that number will shrink too, if she sits out). You can’t critique the directions of others who walk down a path she was disinclined to travel herself.
I have to admit this is the first time I ever felt like she wasn’t going to run. She talked more about the voice she would lose if she ran than what the country would gain if she did. Maybe she’s just playing a game of sucker with the media, I don’t know. Gosh I wish all this waiting would end. But, as Tom Petty says, “the waiting is the hardest part”.
Cindie
Oh, so the venue is important? A speech covered by television that goes into millions of homes vs. a facebook post? Why is one better than the other. If she’d done a facebook post you’d say she should’ve said something that would be seen by a bigger audience.
Cindie
Had it not been for John McCain’s desire for a vivacious running mate, Sarah Palin would in all likelihood still be puttering along in Alaska, not even thinking about national politics. This might not be how you or I might write a story, but when God is writing the story we can expect man’s rules to be broken.
check, check, check, and check.
“Unfortunately for all of us, McLame was panicking and needed a conservative fresh face to try and stop Obama’s fresh face. This led to a sequence of events that makes Palin damaged goods for many voters she would need to not only win the nomination, but also to win the presidency. Some of it is her fault, most of it is not, but the reality is that she was simply not ready for the media onslaught, and in politics, sometimes you only get one chance to make that first national impression.”
It’s sad if you think of it. If McCain didn’t pick her, she would’ve been re-elected to a second term as governor and she would’ve been a much stronger force.
I thought you were in Perry’s camp. What happened?
She's just a player. Truth will out.
Forgive me if I read this kind of analysis as: "It's all about Sarah." and/or "I can't or don't want to do what it takes to be a candidate."
“Had it not been for John McCain’s desire for a vivacious running mate, Sarah Palin would in all likelihood still be puttering along in Alaska, not even thinking about national politics. This might not be how you or I might write a story, but when God is writing the story we can expect man’s rules to be broken.”
No, but she wouldn’t need to be his running mate. She would’ve been able to run for the top slot on her own terms without any baggage.
A force likely still in the wilderness, and having no particular reason to want to leave it. Her excellent adventure with John McCain (actually, McCain picked her) forced her hand in a different direction.
Can’t change the past and it is speculation. It’s just a lesson for future candidates to not try to go in deep until they are really ready.
What would have opened her up to national visibility? Without the resources that McCain, the candidate, was able to command getting her engaged with the lower 48 (it’s a PAIN to commute down there from Alaska on your own dime) the power would have been all in the direction of keeping her up there in Alaska, fighting for the interests of Alaskans, which is perfectly fine, but there would be nothing more to it.
Ah, so she adopts the Rosie Ruiz strategy. Too clever by half.
I don’t think its fainthearted but contemplating how to do it - she already made the decision to run: She said tonight that she wouldn’t be contemplating this long if she didn’t believe that she could beat Obama and bring a message of anti crony capitalism and individual liberty to the people - It’s just seriously thinking about going around the GOP elites that is the problem to running, they are more willing to kamakazi Sarah Palin and let Obama win than to change their ways (any candidate who really want to rock the boat of the Party will be attackedin that manner)
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