Here are a few of my thoughts on what today’s surprise announcement means for the 2012 Republican nomination contest. I hope that everyone who reads this post remembers that I have not endorsed any candidate in this race, and feel I that I am quite far from being able to make that decision.
Question: So does this move mean that Sarah Palin is really running for President? I am hearing reports that she is done with politics…
Answer: Sarah Palin is, without a doubt, running for president in 2012. Disavow yourself of any notions to the contrary right now. Her speech today was, essentially, the first speech of her presidential campaign. She would not have dismissed Bill McAlister and replaced him with a spokesman who she felt was better able to handle the national media if she was through with politics.
You can also dismiss any rumor emanating from the MSM that Palin is through with politics, as these are likely intentional misdirections from Palin allies who undoubtedly keeled over with laughter upon seeing them reported on MSNBC.
Question: So why couldn’t Palin fulfill her term AND run for president in 2012? Doesn’t there just have to be some scandal that is ready to break that would derail her governorship, prompting this move?
Answer: It is highly unlikely that there is a scandal on the horizon that prompted Palin to resign. Sarah Palin is a fighter would would be far more likely to remain in office and fight to clear her name that to run away into private life.
The answer to this question is actually rather simple. Palin knows that she will need to spend a great deal of time traveling the country in 2010 to campaign for Republican candidates. It is by this process that political capital is amassed and critical future endorsements are sealed. The problem is that she simply cannot do this while she is Governor of Alaska due to the time it takes to travel to the “Lower 48.”
Think about how much time it would take for her to travel and campaign for someone in Iowa: a commercial flight lasts over seven-hours one-way from Anchorage to Des Moines (and Gov. Palin does insist on traveling economy class on commercial flights for non-Alaska related business.) This means that she would spend nearly 15 hours just in travel time for a campaign stop in Iowa! It is twelve-hours one-way from Alaska to New Hampshire. So there is simply no way that Sarah Palin could campaign for Republican candidates across the nation while being Governor of Alaska.
This is the reason that she is resigning, not just announcing that she will only serve one-term. Her resignation is, in fact, the slam-dunk evidence that she is all in for 2012 (although I have no doubt that a desire to get her family out of the headlines is a strong motivating force for her as well.)
Question: Won’t resigning before serving a full-term hurt her presidential aspirations?
Answer: The current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue was a U.S. Senator for a year and change before ditching that job to run for President full-time. Obama’s election should end the argument for significant experience in public service as a requisite for running for president for the near future.
Palin has been governor for two-and-a-half years now. That compares very favorably with Obama’s career experience before assuming the presidency.
It is an open question as to how her decision to not fulfill a full-term of the job she was elected to will be perceived by voters. However, for the reasons I outlined above, Palin really had no choice but to resign if she wanted to run in 2012.
Question: So now that we know that Sarah Palin is running for President, what effect do you think this will have on the GOP primary race itself? Does any candidate have a clear path to the nomination?
Answer: It is hard to speculate until we know what the 2012 primary calendar will be, which we won’t know for some time. What if the California and Michigan primaries are held in May? Or the Florida Primary is in June? Will the Michigan Primary return to its more formal, later date?
I think we can surmise a few things at even this early date:
First off, a primary calendar along the lines of 2008, with many high delegate Northeastern states plus California following the first four contests of IA, NH, NV & SC, would help Mitt Romney against Sarah Palin quite a bit. However, it is extremely unlikely that the 2008 calendar with be repeated in 2012 with no serious Democratic primary contest. The frontloading phenomenon that made a Super-Duper Tuesday possible in 2008 was the product of a bipartisan effort in various state legislatures. There is no reason for Democrats to collaborate with Republicans this time around to re-create such a calendar.
Secondly, Mitt Romney’s path to the nomination mirrors John McCain’s. It is fairly easy to imagine Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee canceling each other out in the race (as Huck, Fred, and Romney did the last time) allowing Mitt Romney to win the nomination by reassembling the majority coalition that propelled John McCain to the nomination.
This will require Gov. Romney to adopt a different tone in this campaign than the one he did the last time around. Can he be the brilliant, innovative, competent and technocractic problem-solver that we thought he’d campaign as in 2008? Or will he once again decide to try to fight outside of his arena in a futile effort to become the candidate of social conservatives (anyone remember the government mandated anti-porn V-Chips in every computer sold in America?) Romney will find even less success in this effort this time around against Sarah Palin–of this I can be sure.
Thirdly, this move by Palin makes Mike Huckabee the most important person in Republican politics for the time being, as the impact of his decision regarding whether to run for President will profoundly alter the race.
If he runs, he will likely engage Sarah Palin in a fight to the death over the Conservative Wing of the GOP, which in turn leads to a scenario where absolutely anything can happen. Who wins Iowa if Huckabee runs? Who wins South Carolina? What happens if Romney, as expected, carries New Hampshire and Nevada easily while Palin and Huckabee expend a tremendous amount of their resources to win IA and SC? Does Huckabee’s entrance into the race ensure that Mitt Romney travels the “McCain Path” to the GOP nomination?
Question: Could Huckabee’s refusal to run in 2012 result in a Sarah Palin landslide in route to the Republican nomination?
Answer: Well, there is an argument to be made that it could.
Palin without Huckabee in the race would likely dominate among self-identified “conservatives” (leading, perhaps, to the ironic scenario in which Romney supporters champion open primaries after decrying them in 2008.)
The Iowa Supreme Court’s decision to legalize Gay Marriage makes it even harder for Romney to win Iowa this time around, as the most active traditional marriage advocates in Iowa are already highly suspicious of Romney’s actions as Governor of Massachusetts when Gay Marriage became legal in that state on his watch (although there are rumors that these same people are less than thrilled with Palin after her recent Alaskan Supreme Court nomination–and, of course, there is really nothing more that could have been done by Gov. Romney after the MA Supreme court ruling.)
Gov. Romney also faces a major hurdle in South Carolina, which has been the definitive contest in the GOP nomination race since 1980. Many expected him to fair well there after gaining the endorsement of Sen. Jim DeMint, as well as allocating significant financial resources to the state. However, Gov. Romney was forced to resign from the contest in the week leading up to the primary, which resulted in a disappointing 4th place finish.
So if Palin is greatly favored to win IA and SC in a “Huckless” primary fight, why shouldn’t she be favored to win the nomination outright? Especially considering the fact that she will be armed with the resources to match Romney penny-for-penny in organizing the caucus states (as well as with the lesson learned by Hillary Clinton regarding the importance of this.)
The answer, I think, is that many Republicans will be able to imagine Mitt Romney defeating the sitting President of the United States in the debates. An event, where it to come to pass, that could play as big a role in Republican victory as Ronald Reagan’s defeat of President Jimmy Carter in their sole debate of the 1980 election.
I think that it is more difficult for rank-in-file Republicans to image Sarah Palin giving such a performance at this point in time. That does not mean that she is incapable of such a performance, however, should her dominating performances in the 2006 Alaskan Gubernatorial debates be any guide.
The bottom line is that it is a long, long, ways until 2012–and there are certainly events yet to unfold that will profoundly influence the race (Newt Gingrich’s eventual entrance for example.)
But one of the most significant events of this race did indeed unfold today, July 3rd, 2009. For it is this day that we gained the knowledge that Sarah Palin was, indeed, going to run for President.
___________________________________________________________________________
This post is dedicated to the memory of Dean Barnett, who was the originator of the FAQ format in the Blogosphere.-KWN
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:12 pm
Remember Mitt and the utterly strange “In God We Trust Must Remain on the Quarter…?”
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:16 pm
I don’t think many Republicans would want to nominate a candidate with little ability to win unless 2012 looks like a bloodbath.
If Huckabee, Romney and Pawlenty all take a pass because Obama is unbeatable then I could envision a Palin nomination as soon as 2012.
Otherwise I think she’s burned too many bridges.
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:17 pm
Palin isn’t running. This is going to look horrible on her resume. If she really thought this was the best thing to do in order to help Presidential prospects, she is very, very stupid.
In addition, her speech today was absolutely horrible. It is one of the worst speeches I have ever seen from a national figure.
I think there’s a scandal of some sort.
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:21 pm
Your in complete denial. And if you read between the lines, she said quite clearly she wants to help other candidates win.
Here is my prediction: Sarah doesn’t run, writes her book, goes on a speaking tour, makes lots of money, gets hired by Romney as an Adviser for his 2012 run, and she endorses Romney. Romney wins the election, and nominates her for a cabinet post.
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:21 pm
nice spin…i think you might be right the inner team palin probably thought this was a great idea to launch her onto a 2012 run but she bombed big time with this move…listening to her speech again, i can see why tina fey went bonkers, some of the catch phrases, high school
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:26 pm
Analysis: Palin Plays by Her Own Rules, Again
By Dan Balz
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/03/AR2009070302216_pf.html
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:34 pm
All I can do is laugh. It’s VERY likely that there is a scandal that drove her out of office. We’ll be hearing about it in the coming weeks. If you are trying to make the first speech of your 2012 campaign, you don’t do it at 4:00 Eastern Standard Time on the Friday before the 4th of July weekend.
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:36 pm
Did you actually watch Palin today ?? Are you kidding ? Everything is for her family, …..so she quits early so she can disappear to the lower 48 to do fundraisers and give speeches for 36 months? She thinks it is bad to be a lame duck? Aren’t ALL Governors with term limits lame ducks in their last terms from the moment they win?Alaskan’s have lot’s of problems so she is quitting and that will help?
You are certifiable if you think today was any help to Sarah Palin. She grabs a seat on the Mark Sanford bus, which is filling up fast.
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:37 pm
Well, while we are all speculating today, here’s what the speculators are saying:
Intrade on 2012 GOP Nominee
Palin…….Crashing to 6.5
Huckabee….Unchanged at 13.9
Jindal……Unchanged at 16.0 (Got a Sanford bounce but no Palin bounce)
Gingrich….Slight bump up to 15.0
Romney……Jumped up to 29.9
Everybody else…unchanged
So the speculators are saying:
Bad for Sarah
Small plus for Gingrich
No affect for Huckabee (I’m surprised here)
Boost for Romney
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:38 pm
Winners never quit. Quitters never win. She should have served out the term the people of AK elected her to.
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Don’t you think that if there was a scandal brewin’ that we would know about it by know?!? I mean, the media seems to know EVERYTHING about her and seems able to dig up anything they want to. David Shuster seemed stunned when that Shannyn Moore or whatever her names is talked about a “criminal investigation” being rumored. Which means to me these people are blowing smoke.
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:40 pm
Romney would never hire her. He likes to have folks around him with drive and stick to it ness.
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:41 pm
Maybe the MSM was sitting on the “good” news like they were in Sanford’s case and waiting for the right “timing”?
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Analysis: Palin Was Fed Up
Alaska Governor Struggled With an Inhospitably Post-Campaign Environment
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/07/03/politics/main5132151.shtml
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:45 pm
The local papers seem to be scooping the big stories. Not surprising if the MSM missed a scoop in Alaska of all placed. Look at Mark Sanford, a story unearthed by a relatively small paper The State.
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:46 pm
Why doesn’t everyone take a breather, calm down and re-read Kavon’s post.
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:49 pm
Same excuse Sanford tried to use. It’s not going to work this time either.
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:02 pm
I will wait and see for a couple of months to see if this was a smart move or not.
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:04 pm
Well if she doesn’t run she needs her own talk show!
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:13 pm
First of all, I want to say that anyone who is a Republican should not create or spread rumors about other republicans. We have enough of our guys with blemishes on their record.
Next, I’ve been thinking about this most of the day and I cannot come to the same conclusion that this mean Palin is running in 2012 for sure. She may, but today’s events don’t make me any more certain that she is running in 2012 because no one, to my knowledge, has taken a path like this before.
As for saying Obama had little experience, so it doesn’t matter how much Palin has a few problems with it. First, Obama is having a rather dismal first-term and his lack of experience is somewhat to blame, so why would Republicans want to take away one of their arguments that Obama wasn’t ready to lead. Also, the MSM helped Obama way more than it will ever help Palin, so it’s harder to overcome things like this.
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:16 pm
Found on the net. Not sure of it’s legit, but this is just some of what’s out there. Regardless of the reason, I don’t think she’ll be a major player on the national stage anymore. That’s a good thing. However, if she quit because of famiy health issues, I wish her well in dealing with them.
“Independent information from multiple sources that all of this precedes what are said to be possible federal indictments against Palin, concerning an embezzlement scandal related to the building of Palin’s house and the Wasilla Sports Complex built during her tenure. Both structures, it is said, feature the “same windows, same wood, same products.” Federal investigators have been looking into this for some time, and indictments could be imminent, according to the Alaska sources. ”
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:17 pm
This been the bizarrest week for off year presidential politics ever! It could only get wierder if Romney and Huck were to get caught as gay lovers!
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:19 pm
22 nowandlater, hahaha I was just thinking the same thing the other day.
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:26 pm
If this was “the first speech of Palin’s presidential campaign,” what a disaster. The primary reason she provided for leaving the job that she was elected to perform made the argument that she was incapable of governing–she would just need to take junkets, etc. Then, it appeared that her reason for going was to help Alaska by helping America (the reason she polled her children–not whether she should stay home and spend more time with her family). Her tone of taking the high road, rather than politics as usual (milking it) was pathetic. If she wants to address national issues, she should have taken the opportunity to make a case against what the Obama administration is doing. What she gave us was a mumbled mess…
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:27 pm
Kavon,
“The current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue was a U.S. Senator for a year and change before ditching that job to run for President full-time. Obama’s election should end the argument for significant experience in public service as a requisite for running for president for the near future.”
The problem with this theory is that Republicans will ONLY have a fighting chance if Obama fails. If he fails, people will question why they elected someone with such little experience. Then they will back up the car and look for someone with more than 1/2 term experience. If Obama vindicates a lack of experience, then that means he is considered successful, and we don’t have a chance anyway.
We’d better nominate at least a 2 termer.
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:27 pm
#22:
The way things are going, we are going to have to hang up a sign at the 2012 Convention “WANTED: ANY REPUBLICAN WHO WANTS THE NOMINATION APPLY INSIDE”
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:32 pm
Wow!!! I just thought of something. Can you imagine the GOP debates and the Presidential debates! She is going to have to rehash this again and again?! She may run but it ain’t going to be pretty.
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:34 pm
“It could only get wierder if Romney and Huck were to get caught as gay lovers!”
And Palin is discovered to be moonlighting as an Argentine named “Maria.”
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:46 pm
If anyone thinks that Romney is not the front Runner for 2012 is nuts.
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:49 pm
does this put pressure on Romney and those others that want to run in 2012 to decision timetable?
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:49 pm
Palin may have been launching a pre-indictment defense when she said we’d have to be naive to think this wasn’t an effort to take her down. If she is indeed charged she will then say its just Washington trying to clear the field. By preemptively resigning she also gets to say she is not being forced out or leaving in disgrace, although nothing prevents prosecutors from acting between now and July 26.
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:51 pm
Weird week is right! of ALL people in the GOP today, the last two I would suspect of gay lovers, or even extra martial affairs would be Romney and Huckabee. However, it’s been a weird week.
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:53 pm
I disagree with you, Kavon. I think this is a very bad move for Palin in terms of her presidential possibilities. It may be, as you say, that she had no other choice — that it’s impossible to run in Iowa and New Hampshire from Alaska — but still I think this looks like confirmation of the negative perception of her as unserious.
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:53 pm
Reply to 31: Problem is, there is nothing for her to be indicted for. That’s crazier than those who thinks that this was a good move for 2012.
Reply to 30: No, Announcements will come only after 2010 election.
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:54 pm
#30:
Not really. She technically didn’t announce anything about 2012 today, technincally. Mike and MItt are probably going to go ahead with their schedules just the same.
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:57 pm
Huckabee and Romney would never have an extra-marital affair. NEVER!!!! For starters, they actually believe in marriage. And secondly, they have to out-God each other. It would be the end of the world if it happened.
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:57 pm
Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee won’t get the nominee in 2012. Since Palin is resigning as the Governor of Alaska this month, it is Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota. He probably might be a good choice to run for President in 2012. Romney and Huckabee are not true conservative.
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:58 pm
She could have ran, and not stood for re election in 10. That would have given her close to a year and a half, and almost a year before the first ‘test’. This sounded a lot like Nixion when he resigned.
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Noandlater. that was my point.
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:59 pm
It’s an MSNBC item from a virulently anti-Palin blogger named Shannyn Moore that Knickers found at Daily Kos:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/7/3/749721/-I-Think-Its-Housegate!
By the way, Knickers, it was a week ago now that you promised to send Richard Murray and I that absolute proof you have of Palin’s alleged affair.
I don’t know about Richard, but I’ve yet to receive it.
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:00 pm
Actually, it was not on Daily Kos, that I found it.
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:00 pm
I sent it to richard, and you should have gotten it too.
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Hey, I’m wondering what the real reason is too. If it’s for her family and or health reasons, She did the right thing. If it’s a mavericky move for president, she’s got Loser tatooted on her patootee now. If it’s for one of the many reasons I’m seeing out in the blog o sphere…. I just sratch my head and say huh.
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Well written but she IS TOAST. In my profession you don’t just quit a job then expect that to look good on the resume. In her profession it looks horrible. What makes you think she wont quit as POTUS when she feels pressure? She call a presser and announce her VP is the new POTUS.
What a joke if she gets nominated, and the GOP is dumb enough to do it. At least Obama wont walk away from the the job, that’s more than I can say for her.
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Not received — I’ll give you my email address again: hovicb@yahoo.com
Richard: Did you receive it?
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:06 pm
For those holding onto hopes for a 2012 run, please tell me one thing. How does she respond to it in a debate? She can’t.
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:06 pm
#34 No one quits being governor – especially governor of Alaska which is not even fulltime. Also consider she “dumped” this on a holiday weekend and that it was obviously a hastily arranged announcement. She basically had a couple neighbors out there and her rambling remarks were reminiscent of Sanford’s ramblings at his press conference. Her comment that the world needed more Trigs was just bizarre.
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:07 pm
#44:
Yeah, because Obama didn’t walk away from representing the people of Illinois in the Senate to fulfill his own egomanical dream of being President. No, he didn’t do that at all…
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:16 pm
#48–wouldn’t you agree that there is a difference between being a chief executive and being a senator? Is has been common for sitting senators to seek the presidency, but resigning as governor 3 1/2 years before the next presidential election seems a bit of a stretch.
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:16 pm
I can’t believe some blog comments on other pro-Sarah blogs actually think she will run for Prez. If you can’t handle being governor than you can’t handle being a prez. Will se resign as prez. once she becomes a lame duck too? That is crazy. She is not running. If she is putting family first, then she would not go around to the lower 48 states and leave her family in Alaska where she can see them since she lives there. She is out of politics but will get involed in political causes.
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:20 pm
It seems to me that while criticizing other “lame duck” office holders for “milking” the system, she is really anxious to “milk” her current celebrity status. I think she comes off as somewhat hypocritical.
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:21 pm
Prepping for a run for president?
Palin is potentially a major GOP player in 2012 race
by Howard Fineman
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31727978/ns/politics-more_politics/?GT1=43001
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:23 pm
#52, I read Fineman’s piece. His underlying premise is that the core of the Republican base are fools–the guy is a jerk.
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:27 pm
#48
I disagree. Obama did not resign until he won POTUS. That makes sense and still looks good on the resume. She quit for what? There was no need for her to quit. She could have EASILY finished her term and run for POTUS too.
She whined and moaned about pressure and people making fun of her kids. That’s not how to get elected. The pressure will increase by a factor of 10 at least.
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:33 pm
I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but I tend to be a pretty good judge of political calculation and strategy and I have to say that I think that unconventional as this may be, it might pay off huge dividends and be strategic genius. I believe 100 percent that Sarah is running in 2012 and I tend to agree with Bill Kristol’s analysis that this was a bold yet risky move. Palin’s an unconventional candidate from an unconventional State so it only follows that she would adopt a rogue unconventional strategy.
I phoned some friends to get their take and there responses were full of words like, “bold”, “leadership”, “resolute”, “strong”…
Most respondents thought that this move was refreshing that a Governor would accomplish all that she set out to do and would voluntarily step aside. I think that this sets her up nicely for 2012 and I believe that she will begin to raise a ton of money and build a fantastic infrastructure.
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:33 pm
Palin Resigning Governor’s Job; Future Unclear
By ADAM NAGOURNEY and JIM RUTENBERG
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/04/us/politics/04palin.html?_r=1&ref=global-home&pagewanted=print
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:35 pm
Bob, I also inculded my reasoning behind why I thought it. AND I also added that I can see why other’s don’t.
I’m just wondering why dump this on a Holiday Friday? If it’s to be a full time mom to the kids that need her. It’s all good. If it’s because something is coming down the pike – and it’s not good – than she did the right thing as well. I’m just glad the party now can move on from rock star to solid rocks.
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:43 pm
More information on “grassroots” supporters gathering across the nation to support Sarah Palin for President in 2012 can be found online at http://www.palin4pres2012.com
Note, the website is in danger of crashing due to the flood of readers and supporters signing up to show their interest in a Palin Candidacy. The GOP establishment had better watch out, Sarah Palin and Ron Paul combined with the power of the internet will remove the stranglehold of GOP special interests and the elites who have brought the party to its knees in defeat in the 2008 elections.
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:48 pm
ron, somehow I don’t think she’ll be running for much after today.
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:53 pm
Is Palin’s national political career over?
by Ed Morrissey
http://hotair.com/archives/2009/07/03/is-palins-national-political-career-over/
Palin’s Resignation Has Many Asking, What Next?
Some political insiders questioned the political wisdom of her decision to quit in the middle of her first term as governor while others were reluctant to bet against her popularity. Sarah Palin’s decision to quit as Alaska’s governor at the end of the month left political observers scratching their heads and wondering, is this the beginning of Palin’s run for the White House or the end of her political career?
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/07/03/palins-resignation-asking/
Palin’s Dereliction of Duty
Sarah Palin’s resignation is an appalling dereliction of duty and a highly cynical move to set herself up for a presidental run for which she is manifestly unqualified.
By Quin Hillyer
http://spectator.org/blog/2009/07/03/palins-dereliction-of-duty
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:54 pm
Text: Palin’s Announcement
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/04/us/politics/04ptext.html?ref=global-home&pagewanted=print
Palin Resigns As Alaska Governor, Citing Probes, Family Needs
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/03/AR2009070301738_pf.html
Why is Sarah Palin really resigning?
http://www.anchoragepress.com/articles/2009/07/03/news/doc4a4eb1c4591bb926815112.txt
The Palin Shocker?
http://hotair.com/greenroom/archives/2009/07/03/the-palin-shocker/
July 4th, 2009 at 12:27 am
#55
Your friends are OBVIOUSLY bias. Did they hear her speech? I had to turn the TV cause I was feeling anxious and nervous for her.
It was by all means a stupid move if she were planning a run, but I don’t think she is THAT stupid, to give her some credit. The spectators who are trying to spin this into something good need to pull their heads out of the sand.
July 4th, 2009 at 2:01 am
Palin landslide? Seriously can we please keep it real.
Dude it’s over. I feel for the Palinites, I really do. But dealing with it now will make it easier in the long term.
If this is such a great strategic move why weren’t you (or anyone in the universe) recommending it before? This is deja vu with McCain suspending his campaign. I remember many saying what a great move that was whilst some like me declared that the race was over then and there.
It’s over.
July 4th, 2009 at 2:08 am
I love it that people still take JA/Greg seriously
.
July 4th, 2009 at 8:24 am
[...] to be honest, I don’t seriously think Palin expects to run in 2012. I do not buy Kavon’s explanation. Yesterday’s statement was all but incoherent and Palin’s normal brimming [...]
July 4th, 2009 at 9:17 am
So, if this was a well thought out strategy, and the intent was to continue to build a brand and a narrative, what just happened to “Sarah-cuda”, the tough as nails, take on everyone champion? Regardless of the real reason, the introduction for nearly every story in the future will be, “Sarah Palin, who resigned as Alaska Governor in the heat of ethics allegations, …
I watched the announcement and have read all the reports now. It comes from a very emotional place. One that we can all identify with, but most of us would think ourselves unqualified to be president. I empathize with the hurt she feels.
But if she is intent on re-entering politics at the national level, with the intent of winning, she will have to first win an state-wide elective race.
July 4th, 2009 at 10:00 am
Just four more stages to go…
July 6th, 2009 at 8:00 am
Bill Kristol is absolutely 100% right when he stated that Palin’s bombshell is the salvo
for the presidential run in 2012. You can see that a woman has tremendous instincts for
what is the decisive thing to do,and men , do not underestimate Sarah Palin, as alot of women
can do , multitask, as she is doing, the mark of great leadership. Her core values are entirely in contrast to what the presnt administration is pushing, which is destroying this great country, bit by bit, into grave economic downturn, and digging us into a hole of deficits and widespread misery!