I was an undecided voter until McCain picked Palin, then I realized there was no way I could consider her becoming president.
OTOH I think that the media and the Democratic public have been unfair to her–not that she is a credible candidate for national office, but she’s not stupid (although I still can’t figure out why she couldn’t name one newspaper that she reads). She might be a great governor of Alaska for all I know, but her schtick that has worked so well in local and state politics starts to look lame when you compare her to seasoned, shrewd senators or other politicians on the national scene.
But I hope she submerges after this embarrassment and never surfaces for national office again.
The Bush admin has set up the economy and the budget so that Obama will have a very hard time of it. I expect he will do well, but perhaps not well enough. If so, the voters will turn on him like Hoover.
Why? Losing as a vice presidential candidate does not disqualify you (see Bob Dole), and Palin has built up a strong base in the very people most likely to vote in primaries.
The Republicans will be split between those that thought they went too far to the right and those who think they didn’t go far right enough. Palin will appeal to the latter. At this point, her main competition for that segment would be Mike Huckabee (who probably has an edge); if Huckabee doesn’t run again, there’s no one on the far right with her name recognition. If she goes against two or three centrist Republicans, they’ll split the primary vote
And if the Obama Administration is a success, the field will further be limited; Palin may have no serious competition for the nomination at all.
Palin is one of the reasons McCain lost, if not THE reason. Any sober, intelligent Republican would have to be insane to consider her a viable candidate. Personally, I hope she does run.
There I disagree. If the evangelical arm of the GOP prevails, the GOP is only in for a number of years of marginalization of itself, until it does reinvent itself. Possibly, they will catch on after a single election - and at least take the extreme social stuff stealth. It will - long term - survive - but it may spend several terms with less power until it figures out how to recreate its big tent.
Right now, Obama pitched one hell of a big tent. The GOP has spent a lot of time telling moderates that they don’t live up to snuff (RINO) - which has driven moderates into the more encompassing arms of the Democrats. Too many social litmus tests limit their ability to be inclusive.
Her only job was to borrow hilarys voter base for this election and capitalize on their disenfranchisement.
With 2012 I would expect that Jeb Bush will at least be in the top five possible contenders for the nomination. At the moment I don’t see palin anywhere near that short list.
If “cooler heads” do prevail in the republican Party, I could see Sarah Palin as mounting a non-GOP drive for President in 2012 or 2016. She has a huge ego and a self-righteous, maniacal bent, and if the true fiscal conservatives abandon divisive social politics, she’d try to take the Freepers, gun nuts, and Utah without them.
I don’t think cooler heads will prevail. I think they will look at cult of personality, the draw Palin had at rallies, and believe that America will vote on personality, not on issues (not that the personality will necessarily be Palin’s - there are other candidates with evangelical chops). And if Obama has a decent first term, the “cooler heads” may be willing to let the evangelical wing crash and burn in an election there isn’t much chance of winning.
In fact, if Obama’s first term is successful, the GOP war might be ‘who’s philosophy becomes the sacrificial lamb?’ and not ‘who gets to reclaim power?’
She was also supposed to attract the far right because of her conservative views on abortion, etc. Oh, and she was a “maverick!”
I usually vote Republican but didn’t this year in large part because of Palin. She was an embarrassment. And just about every Republican who I discussed it with felt the same way. So I don’t think we’ll see her again.
Senator Ted Stevens is facing jail time and I believe if he’s stripped of his senate seat, the governor gets to choose a new one, including herself. Apparently she IS going to be able to ‘get in the Senate and really shake things up maverick style’.
I was really hoping that was the last we’ll ever see of her, but I doubt it now.
Discussed in multiple threads elsewhere: Alaska will replace Senator Stevens after a special election. No appointments. She can resign and run, however.
Since considerable post-election info has come out (Clothesgate, blowing off interview prep, etc.), do you see how Palin has no chance in 2012?
Also, her popularity among all Republican voters is overrated, IMHO. Can’t prove it, don’t have stats, but I’d bet three in four Republican voters were very disappointed in Palin’s addition to the ticket.