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If this poll is to be believed, it appears as if Sarah’s path to the White House will not be running through the Senate:
Dittman 2010 Alaska Republican Senate Primary Poll
- Lisa Murkowski 57%
- Sarah Palin 33%
- Undecided 9%
In my opinion, this is a blessing in disguise as I believe that such a move would backfire on Gov. Palin and hinder, not help, her presidential aspirations.
January 12th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
At this point, I for one hope that it is a Blessing in disguise. For several reasons, I may never get a chance to join the Palin camp. Oh well, that life. Maybe I’ll join the Palin camp, maybe, I’ll join another camp. Time will tell.
January 12th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Doubt it.
January 12th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Palin should definitely run for the Senate. It would force her to learn about foreign policy and other national issues. It would allow her to develop relationships she needs to develop if she wants to run nationally. In other words, it would give her some much-needed depth.
Another poll shows Palin leading by a mile, so I’m not sure about this one.
January 12th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
Regardless of whether Palin intends to run for President in 2012 or
wait till 2016, this move makes no sense.
If she intends to run for President in 2012, I would think her best course of action would be to win re-election in the job she is currently performing and continue to build on that executive experience. The Senate is a good platform for building a national security resume, but I really don’t see what she can accomplish on a 12 month foreign policy crash course, especially while running for President at the same time. Besides which, who says the existing Republican Senate Caucus (populated by potential rivals for the nomination) will hand her over a key committee position in the first place?
If, on the other hand, she intends to run in 2016, I think the best course of action would be to run for the Senate seat coming up in 2014. Yes, she would have the same problem I mentioned above, but she will be in for the fight of her life against Murkowski in ‘10 and if she loses she will be damaged goods for some time. If she waits till 2014, however, she would avoid a primary fight altogether.
January 12th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Plus, does she really want to alienate herself by knocking off a Republican in good standing? I think eliminating Murkowski in the primary would make her self awfully selfish and a little too ambitious for her own good.
January 12th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Just got an email from Romney’s PAC:
January 12th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
In an age where Reps are more and more becoming an endangered species in DC, it would likely hurt Gov Palin tremendously to run against (attack) a sitting Sen from her own party. It would be especially damaging if doing so caused Reps to lose the seat (unlikely, but possible). Gov Palin’s time has not yet come. She’s well advised to win re-election in ‘10, then start building her campaign staff for a run in ‘16 (if Pres Obama’s re-elected) or ‘20 (if Pres Obama isn’t re-elected). By then, she’ll have a record as Gov that won’t be near so open to interpretation as the limited record she has now.
January 12th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Flip Dixon,
Would you be able to find a link for that poll (I am still looking myself)? I would like to post it.
Thanks!
January 12th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
#8, it’s a daily kos poll:
DailyKos.com (D) / Research 2000
12/15-17/08; 600 likely voters, 4% margin of error
(400 likely Republican primary voters, 5% margin of error)
Mode: Live Telephone Interviews
(source)
Alaska 2010 Elections
Governor:
General Election: Palin (R-i) 55%, Knowles (D) 38%
Senate:
GOP Primary: Palin 55%, Murkowski (R-i) 31%
General Election: Palin 53%, Knowles 39%
General Election: Murkowski 49%, Knowles 41%
House:
GOP Primary: Young (R-i) 33%, Parnell (R) 27%, Harris (R) 11%
General Election: Young 49%, Berkowitz (D) 46%
January 12th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
I love Sarah and would love to see her in the Senate. I keep up with the goings on in Congress on an almost daily basis, and I can tell you that I NEVER hear Sen. Murkowski’s name mentioned. What is it that she’s doing over there? We need bold leadership, someone who’s willing to stand toe-to-toe with whomever we need to. Ex: Why hasn’t Lisa Murkowski introduced a bill to allow drilling in ANWR? It’s an Alaska issue just as it’s an American issue- why is that debate suddenly dead? I hope in the coming months, domestic drilling will reform as an issue. The Democrats are just plain wrong about it.
January 12th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Plus – if Palin loses against Murkowski then she is going to lose her star is going to fade. So-cons keep insisting that she prevented the ticket from losing by more than it did. If Palin tries to muscle her way into a senate seat and then fails she is just going to look pathetic.
January 12th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
It’s not just a Daily KOS poll. R2000 is a reputable pollster. Kos just happened to pay for it.
January 12th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
The bind for Sarah Palin is that I think she is a star NOW, even if she doesn’t have the experience to back it up. Politics works in funny ways, and the flash of electricity she has now may’ve faded into obscurity by 2016…that is, if she waits, no one will care about her anymore, because a whole other presidential cycle will have erased her from the memories of many. Thus, the only way she, as governor of Alaska (a position which doesn’t naturally lead to POTUS) can really hope to get elected is to hope to ride her CURRENT electricity to the win in 2012. Of course, as you guys have noted, that creates other problems or her…
January 12th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Palin needs to take Coulter’s advice. Take 8-10 years to gain wisdom and knowledge and then present herself as a legitimate candidate. A crash course isn’t going to cut it, and she needs to prove that she’s more than a political opportunist. If she’s the real deal, waiting a few years won’t damage her. If she continues to be a good governor, her star will shine brighter — she’s have some honest qualifications.
I doubt she will take the advice. She seems to act hastily in making important decisions. She doesn’t blink and wants to plow right through the door. It’s too bad. It’s either arrogant or naive for her to believe she is capable of being POTUS or VP at this point. I don’t want anyone in the White House who has such a small grasp on reality.
January 12th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Murkowski and Palin should just agree to change places. Murkowski actually spent most of her time in state government, so she probably prefers the governorship anyway.
January 12th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
Mcon – Romney is doing what everyone suggested he do the day he dropped out of the primary — working his butt off, and gaining creds. He’s done an absolutely bang-up job so far. He articulates the conservative message better than anyone right now, and his work ethic is unmatched.
January 12th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
#3 “Palin should definitely run for the Senate. It would force her to learn about foreign policy and other national issues.”
Why would it? Priorities for an Alaskan Senator are not the same priorities as for, say, an Illinois or Arizona Senator. I imagine (as I don’t know, never having been there) that foreign policy isn’t of high priority to Alaskans (other than OPEC and MAYBE Russian aggressions towards former satellite states). Sure, she’d have to actually vote on these other issues, but would Alaskans really care? No, she needs an independent forum to learn about foreign policy and national issues.
January 12th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Flip,
Murkowski isn’t going to lift a finger to help Palin.
January 12th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Flip, do you think Sen Murkowski just might hold a wee bit of a grudge against Gov Palin for ousting her father from the Gov mansion? Why would she do anything that might be seen as beneficial to her regarding child care, much less helping Gov Palin run for the Pres?
January 12th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Maybe Murkowski will help because she wants the governor’s office. It may be in her self interest. I don’t pretend to have inside info on this. My understanding is that being governor is a lot more fun than being senator, and it’s easier on your family.
If Palin is patient, serves a full 8 years as governor, then 2 as senator, she might have enough depth to get taken seriously by independents. Her major problem is being taken seriously by people in the middle. She won’t be as sexy at 52 as she is now, but that’s probably to her advantage.
January 12th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
“She won’t be as sexy at 52 as she is now, but that’s probably to her advantage.” Perhaps and Mr. Obama might not be quite as sexy in 4 years either, but that is a sideshow.
January 12th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Ohio Joe, Did you see Obama on the news the other night, wow did he age. Makes you wonder why any of these people fight for the ‘top’ job?
January 12th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
Romney is looking more and more like the prohibitive front-runner every day.
January 12th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
No, I missed him Kristofer. I also missed your cartoons these last few days. But more to the point, I am aging enough without fighting for the top job. Yes, one wonders why these people do it.
January 12th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
#23, I found another white hair and I almost fainted. LOL!
It has to all be about ego and having understanding spuses.
heath, Romney is not even running. Find a new candidate, or are you going to vote for Obama again?
January 12th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
Kristofer, I’m thinking of changing my name to Martha’s dead right. Someone said it the other day here, and it has a nice ring to it. I just wanted to give you a head’s up.
January 12th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
Kristofer, wishful thinking will get you nowhere.
Although, I’m sure you’re at a loss as to how to help your candidate overcome Romney.
January 12th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
Martha M, you already change your name a lot, so changing again would be no surprise…LOL!
Mitt’s not running…
January 12th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
“heath, Romney is not even running. Find a new candidate, or are you going to vote for Obama again?
” And as I understand, Health cannot even vote. Mr. Romney may be the front-runner now, but there is still a few years to go. One starts to get the feeling that Mr. Romney is the Montreal Canadiens, New York Yankees, Boston Celtics and Dallas Cowboys all rolled into one. However, nobody thought that New York Giants would win the SuperBowl last year.
January 12th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Kristofer, maybe not, but how would you know? Signs point to it, and unless something happens to Ann, I think he won’t be able to resist. He’s a guy who is driven to do big things. It’s almost irresistable, I would imagine. It would be hard to walk away from front-runner status, too.
January 12th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
oh yeah, Heath cannot vote, he is not a US citizen. Another lost vote for Romney…..too bad.
January 12th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
Kris, doesn’t that apply to you, too?
January 12th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
#30, at least we agree on one thing….it will be difficult for Palin to walk-away from front-runner status in 2012.
January 12th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
Kris, At least I’m willing to admit that Palin has a lot of support. I wouldn’t say she’s front-runner status, and I think most people agree that belongs to Romney. But I think she’ will give him some trouble initially. She’s the only one who makes me a little uncomfortable.
January 12th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
Martha, I vote in all Presidential elections.
January 12th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
Thank you Flip!
January 12th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Kristofer,
Sorry, I guess I’m mixed up.
Do you live in Canada, and have dual citizenship?
January 12th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Martha, I work in Toronto, yes, dual. I am probably going to apply for a Canadian passport as well, because where I like to travel, Americans are not liked very much, and i’d like to come home in one piece. LOL!
January 12th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Sorry to hear that you like to travel in Anti-American territory, Kristofer, just show them your cartoons, that will fix those jokers.
January 12th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Ohio, unfortunately, a lot of the world is anti-American territory right now. lol! Go Obama, make them love us all! LOL!
January 12th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
Unfortunately, much of the world is, they have no clue what a great country The United States is. I doubt that even Mr. Obama can destroy our fine country.
January 12th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Palin seems to be doing the right thing. she’s keeping a low profile and focusing on governance. Only misstep was the whining about media bias in that documentary, but other than that she’s been sensible in her approach.
January 12th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
#6. “I hope you and your family had a wonderful holiday season and a happy New Year.”
A minor point, but still a point: When Gov. Palin opened the Governor’s Mansion to the public in December, she wished vistors a “Merry Christmas.” Sorry to see Mitt has to sink to the politically correct “Happy Holidays.”
January 12th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
#14. Should Palin run and win re-election in 2010, and should she run for president in ‘12, she will have had more state executive experience than Mitt Romney. I understand your desire for Palin to “improve herself” at least until 2016 or 2020 as a means of not sinking Romney’s nomination chances in ‘12, but despite your cheery assessment of Romney’s chances in ‘12, I’m still not convinced he’s any more than a smooth looking guy who has a problem connecting with rank-and-file voters.
January 12th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Saturday’s article in the Anchorage Daily News talks about Lisa’s recent rise in seniority on the Senate Energy Committee. As much as I would like to vote Lisa out of the Senate, I’m less likely to so now that she is gaining power in the Senate.
http://www.adn.com/senate/story/649769.html
“And she’s now the ranking Republican on the powerful Senate Energy Committee — a meteoric rise made possible by a slightly bizarre string of events.”
January 12th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Greg #43 – Happy Holidays is an old greeting long before the PC police came around. It means happy holy days. It’s never bothered me, I say it all the time. I’m sure Mitt’s not afraid to say Merry Christmas.
Greg #44 – If you’re not convinced that Romney is more than a smooth-looking guy, you haven’t been paying attention AT ALL. You’re either lying or simply clueless.
He was the most qualified and substantive person to run in 08, and he did connect with rank and file voters. That’s why he is now the front-runner.
January 12th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
#44
Greg A – That’s what we are looking for…more gov’t experience to solve the government’s problems. yeahhhh.
January 12th, 2009 at 7:07 pm
I call bunk on this poll.
January 12th, 2009 at 11:14 pm
To be fair to Palin, isn’t it possible that people may have polled this way because they want to keep Palin as Governor?
January 12th, 2009 at 11:28 pm
Illinois. . .YES, exactly. People in AK are generally happy with both Murkowski and Palin, and don’t want either stepping aside. Both poll very highly here. Of course that won’t stop anti-Palin people from trying to show that Palin only gets 30-something percent of the vote.
By the way, if it hasn’t been pointed out yet. . .early polls soon after the election showed Palin ahead of Lisa when she was riding a strong popularity wave while Murkowski just came away from standing by Ted Stevens for months. Things have since settled down and both now have high ratings in their own respective positions.
January 12th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
That makes sense to me jake. Many of us on here who are not in the Palin camp like her, but do not believe she will be ready to be our nominee by 2012. She has a lot of natural talent though, so if and when she gets up to sppeed on the issues, I’ll be ready to support her, unless there is somebody else better, of course.
January 13th, 2009 at 8:05 am
I see we are trying to put lipstick on the walurs again. This poll shows lot’s of things. If I were granny sarah, I’d be wondering if I could even get RE ELECTED. Now wouldent that be sweet? The folks of AK finally see the faker for exactly what she is. Unskilled and untrustworthy and really dumb as a box of rocks.
January 13th, 2009 at 8:28 am
Brad, you’re a jerk if that’s the best political analysis you can come up with.
January 13th, 2009 at 8:40 am
“That makes sense to me jake. Many of us on here who are not in the Palin camp like her, but do not believe she will be ready to be our nominee by 2012. She has a lot of natural talent though, so if and when she gets up to sppeed on the issues, I’ll be ready to support her, unless there is somebody else better, of course.” Even though, you are into the Non-Palin camp so to speak, I admire and respect you for being kind to her, Illinoisguy, unlike anti-Palin extremists. I am afraid Brad takes the cake.
January 13th, 2009 at 8:48 am
“into” should be just in.
January 13th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
just say NO to the senate sarah. her major appeal is that she is not of washington, that she is an outsider, she is ‘one of us’.
get reelected governor, learn the national issues frontwards and back, do more interviews and polish your skills. the senate wont make your interviews any less squeamish.
January 13th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
Is any body worried that romney might skip 2012 because I was flipping channels the other day on tv and I thought I heard that obama is planning his 2nd term already and already has it in the bag?