Just voted in the Utah GOP Primary.
My wife, daughter and I voted for Ron Paul, and Lijenquist for senate (anti-Hatch).
However, when you try to equate the probably high % of Romney votes in the Utah primary try to remember that for all practical purposes Romney is the only one running....and even Palin endorsed Hatch. (I really don’t get that one....and I love Palin.)
Otherwise it would make no sense to run with a party. You can't just let people run off and do their own thing and hope to keep a party together.
You'll find the pros pledging they'll support the ticket ~
You'll find people like me pledging to make sure the doufous who got the nomination never runs again ~ not in this state, not in this century~! I'm just a voter and free to do what I want. If I think the Republicans are screwing us with their GOP-e shenanigans, they'll have to do something else to get my vote. It's not enough to know he might believe in God someday.
Sarah, though, is a professional politician and has her eye on Alaska's Senate seat held by Begich, or possibly Murkowski. As we remember Murkowski lost the primary, then ran as an independent. Later she was allowed to join the Republican caucus in the Senate.
This is all highly irregular, but if it's a choice between the politically faithless Murkowski or the politically faithful Palin, the Alaskan party has nowhere to go but Palin ~ and stand against the incumbent in the primaries.
I don't think she's running for President. She's had her time as a target and didn't like it all that well.
Then, if the Republican take over of the Senate is sufficient, she might even move on the party big dogs and demand Murkowski be kicked out ~ to finish her term as an independent, or a sell out to the Democrats. In short, to destroy Murkowski's power base inside the Senate.
Something just utterly trashy ~ but probably effective!