Will She Run? Palin in High-Profile Visit to Iowa
September 17th, 2010 . by TexasFredWill She Run? Palin in High-Profile Visit to Iowa
DES MOINES, Iowa — Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin is on a roll: Her political endorsements have helped propel upstart Republican contenders to victory in recent primaries, her cable TV show makes its debut in November, and now she’s off to Iowa, a state that has made and broken its share of presidential campaigns.
The 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate will be the big draw at Friday’s Reagan Dinner in Des Moines, the Iowa Republican Party’s biggest fundraiser, and the question that will be on everyone’s mind is whether she’ll run for president in 2012.
Iowa, home to the nation’s leadoff presidential caucuses, can be tough terrain for celebrity candidates. Those who try to ride their fame to victory in Iowa without organizing a grass-roots campaign often find themselves on the outs.
Take John Glenn. The former astronaut and senator drew huge crowds and intense attention here when he sought the Democratic nomination in 1984 — but he got just 4 percent of the vote.
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Will She Run? Palin in High-Profile Visit to Iowa
Politics, and the choice of a particular candidate, is as much about opinion and likability as it is facts and ability regarding a particular candidate. Sarah Palin has some good points on her side, but she presents a few less than desirable points as well.
Palin is a STAR right now, of that there is no doubt. She can draw a crowd, she can energize a crowd, she can raise a lot of money and without a doubt, her endorsements of candidates have been GOLD in recent elections.
She drives the LEFT crazy!
Palin talks a lot. She has an endless supply of political feel-good sayings. She’s folksy, she’s good looking and she has lots of fans that fawn over her and every word she utters.
Can anyone recall her ever making a statement of substance? One that left no doubt about her being a person of deep thought and great political acumen?
I see a cheerleader when I see Palin. I see someone that could be an outstanding leader for the RNC, a group that is in severe need of a leader. I see Palin as a good handicapper when it comes to picking candidates, and as I said, her endorsements carry a lot of weight.
I don’t see Palin as presidential material.
If she runs, Palin would start with strong appeal among the social and religious conservatives who play a crucial role in Iowa’s Republican politics. But that appeal wouldn’t necessarily last if it’s not backed up by a strong effort to reach out to caucus voters, said Steve Scheffler, head of the Iowa Christian Alliance.
Strong appeal? Yeah, she has strong appeal, sex appeal and rock star appeal.
She plays on her looks as much as anything. She is a cheer leader, not a WORLD LEADER.
Here is where I will likely stir the anger of Palin fans. Sarah Palin is NOT a Conservative. She is, in MY opinion, a Republican opportunist.
I know I will hear all about her loyalty and dedication, but the fact remains, Palin ran as John McCain’s VP. She embraced the McCain campaign, she still supports McCain, a RINO of the 1st order. Conservatives do NOT give their loyalty to a RINO.
I know too that Palin supports Christine O’Donnell, Rep. Nikki Haley, Karen Handel, Arizona, Israel and offshore drilling. I know she shoots guns. I know she can field dress a moose, but her continued support of John McCain gives me great pause regarding her true political thinking and her willingness to toe the GOP line.
And let’s face this one totally indisputable fact: Sarah Palin QUIT her position as Governor of Alaska.
We watched that drama unfold incessantly on the 24/7 news cycle. We were inundated with all Palin, all the time. We still are. We heard all the excuses regarding WHY Palin walked out on Alaska. Those excuses stink. If she was right she should have stayed and fought the accusations against her.
If she couldn’t take the heat in Alaska, why would anyone in their RIGHT mind even remotely believe that she could take the heat of Washington politics and the world stage?
Her favorable ratings have been slipping all year, in recent weeks dropping below 40 percent for the first time, in the latest Associated Press-Gfk poll. Forty percent now have a very unfavorable rating of Palin. But among Republicans, about two-thirds give her positive marks and one-third view her very favorably.
Sarah Palin plays well in a partisan crowd.
Washington won’t be partisan and her folksy little euphemisms won’t run the nation or impress the jobless!
Use Sarah Palin in the method she is best suited for, a fund raising cheer leader.
Consider her for head of the RNC, a place where I believe she would do an outstanding job, but electing her to the White House would expose her for the not so smart Peter Principled rock star she is.
Agree with you Fred, Palin would do a good job as head of the RNC. With the exception on McCain, would keep the RINOs at bay.
Good analysis Fred…
Will she run? Sarah Palin has been running for president since the day she quit being a governor.
You have summarized just about all that has to be said and that just about sums it up…except for one teeny little bit.
As I am so very, very anti The Law Of The Sea Treaty (LOST) Sarah Palin turned me off when she stated that she was in favor of it. God forbid that thing ever gets ratified we will be marching down Main Street under the UN flag.
Norm
Love her or hate her, you gotta admit she has been GOLD for the tea party. She was the face the left loved to bash and she’s came out on top every time. She’s been loyal to the tea party candidates when the established GOP backed RINO’s. (Except that McCain thing. As I said I give her a pass for that one.)
I’m not sure the tea party would be the force it is without her and that’s one hell of a statement.
I am looking to 2012 with a wondering eye once in a while. All I’m focused on right now is the Nov 2nd. The more we make Palin the subject the more we give the liberpukes a target to go after. Palin can take it, but it takes away from the issues we are kicking ass on.
The tea party has went from a fringe group to the most powerful grassroots movement EVER! All we need to do now is, keep pushing the issues. They can’t debate facts and the economy, American values, national security, free markets are the way to victory in 2010.
Palin. Yeah she’s HAWT! Personally I think partying with Palin, Bachman and O’donnel would be a blast! Cept at my age I’d have Palin BBq’ng, Bachman bringing my beer and O’donnel Ironing my shirts…
I am a neanderthal! HA!
90% of my commentary in this post was made with you in mind Rob… I know how you feel about Palin, you know how I feel about Palin and again I say, IF Palin is the answer, it was a stupid question, you betcha by golly ya know it was don’tcha?
I do agree with you on some of your Palin commentary. IF she’s the “One” on the Ticket for 2012, Houston we have a problem.
I’d really like to see her in a role in the senate or House. I’d feel pretty damn confident she would uphold the tea party values to the letter. She’d pretty much have to. She would be a great RNC chair. She’d be great just doing what she’s doing. It would/will be interesting to see how she treats the “R’s” if they take over and go “RINO” on us. If she turns a blind eye she’ll show her true colors. IF she takes the stand we will take, then she will get another check mark in my asset column.
She can get *checks* til hell freezes over, Palin is a lot of things, and I gave her credit where credit was due, but she is NOT presidential material…
I like Palin but I don’t think I would even like to see her in Congress. Fred, you had her pegged in your first five paragraphs. If she really wants to help the Conservative movement, like she says, she should do what she does best: support conservative candidates and drive the left nuts. In her roll now she can say things that as an office holder would be taboo.
I think you’re on the money, Fred. In her favor: 1. she does drive the leftists nuts. 2. I like looking at her a lot more than I like looking at any of the other Republicans (although Rob’s right-Bachmann & O’Donnell are pretty easy on the eyes-what kind of eye candy do the Dems have? Hillary? Boxer? Gimme a break). It’s probably true that Palin’s not presidential material, but who is, given the quality of the material available these days?
BTW, my previous comment is not an endorsement of Sarah (except as pretty good centerfold material). WhoBeen, I don’t like the so-called Law of the Sea Treaty either, or any other piece of UN anti-American tripe. Who the hell wears blue helmets anyway? So Palin definitely needs some remedial work.
Thanks Bob
If you can ever get her attention tell her to read Subsection G of LOST…
One of the eye opening moments for me was getting a 4 page letter from my RINO, senile Senator Dick Lugar on why he voted “Yay” on the Treaty of the Sea! It was the biggest bunch of hog wash drivel ever kicked out by a Progressive, RINO POS!!!! I think I still have it somewhere. I’m in total agreement with WhoBeen on that.
Palin is exactly as Fred summed it up. A Cheerleader who doesn’t have the knowledge or leadership skills to be Presidential. We have far too many good Conservatives who haven’t sold out, to look at or to even consider someone who would support McPain or the Treaty of the Sea or anything that the UN puts out… in fact I want someone who will push for kicking the UN out of this country! In my mind Palin’s value is exactly as Fred said, she drives the left crazy and she is a great cheerleader / fund raiser. Great piece, as usual Fred!
Doc, I would love to see Allen West too. As a military commander who sacrificed his career for the safety of his men, I believe he’ll be someone who will put this nation before politics and uphold the conservative principals of the Constitution. Also, once he gets elected to congress, he’ll pick up that experience quickly. And, as a commander, he know that the only way any successful leader can succeed is to surround himself with the best people. I think Michelle Bachman would be a good choice too along with Bobby Jindal. There are a some good conservatives in the wings,
Hoosier Army Mom…I would like to see that letter from Lugar.
I’ve got a lot of info on LOST and would like to add it to my collection…thought about writing a book on the subject but right now I’m lost in a bunch of other stuff…but who knows, maybe on of these days WhoBeen will get ‘er done.
BobF…I liked that comment about Allen West specially ’bout the two-bit organizer with the 2X4
ps: I was rooting for West before he was famous…think I wrote something a way back called “Go West young man, go West.”
Fred, Palin is the ONLY so-called Republican who is out every day kicking the shit out of the Socialists. They, the Socialists, are very, very afraid of her. She has enthusiasm, a deep love of our country, and tremendous courage. The Dems are a bunch of thugs, generally, and they’d stop at nothing to stop her. I fear for her safety. Before the last election she came to FT. Collins for a presentation at our Budweiser Events Center. The Center will hold easily three thousand people.(Three thousand tickets were sold.) The fire chief of Loveland, a big Democrat, who has jurisdiction at the Center, would let only 200 people into the building; danger of a fire, you see. Well, a semi flatbed truck was run up to the front of the center and Sarah Palin, in that signature red dress, stood on that flatbed and used a hand held speaker to address the thousands who were standing in the bitter freezing cold north wind to hear this lady. She talked for twenty five minutes; without a teleprompter and didn’t slur a word. The local “newspaper” gave two small paragraphs to her event.
Doc Roy — I never once said she didn’t have a great work ethic, she does, and she most definitely has her uses in the current political world, she also has a few drawbacks, and slurring her words was NEVER mentioned, at least, not by me…
She talked for 25 minutes huh? Did she SAY anything? That is the question…
I can stand up and talk for 25 minutes without a prompter too, I can recall a ton of one liners and euphemisms, and I have no issue with being in the cold, doesn’t mean I am a good choice to be POTUS, although there are some in the blog world that would nominate me and support me if I ran…
Palin HAS her uses, I just don’t believe POTUS is one of them…
WhoBeen, as soon as I can find that letter, I’ll forward a scan to Fred for you. Right now I’m in the process of moving, but I’m sure I’ll come across it when I reorganize my office files. I know I didn’t chuck it, as I keep those items for when the senile RINO runs again! I intend to work hard to retire the crooked scumbag!!!
Off topic….
Fred, I’ve been having computer woes like you wouldn’t believe!
Anyway, I wanted to explain my lately absences here.