I recall when Sarah Palin quit her job as Governor of Alaska, my initial response was “well I guess this means that she doesn’t want to be President.” My rationale was "abandoning her elected office to write a book and embark on a speakers tour does not make her more qualified for the most challenging job on the planet." And here we are several months later with Palin making public pronouncements like "I think that it would be absurd to not consider what it is that I can potentially do to help our country." Sarah, you being on the Republican ticket in 2012 will help nobody but Barack Obama, regardless of how many books you have sold to the conservative base.
While I do feel some sympathy for the pro life movement as a reluctant pro choicer, my apprehension of a Palin candidacy is as prevalent as my desire to re-open the abortion debate in Canada. I understand why some people really like Sarah Palin, and on a personal level I like her too. But to think that she can shoulder the responsibility of leader of the free world is as foolish as believing Obama is a messiah. It is pure idiocy to endorse Sarah Palin for a Presidential run in the upcoming cycle. Perhaps you view Palin as the candidate who can personify an issue that you feel very passionately about, but I caution you that the candidacy you seek is a Pandora's Box. The overwhelming majority of votes are in the center, and you are advocating a polarizing force that will split those of us stuck in the middle. Just because Obama pulled it off, that doesn't mean that you should be endorsing Palin 2012.
It is okay to like Sarah Palin, but once you start chanting her name to run in 2012, you risk alienating yourselves from a lot of people who already vote for you. The objective should be to attract NEW votes, not to ostracize yourselves from those who are already under your tent. Be smart about how you make your choices, because endorsing inexperienced intellectual lightweights like Sarah Palin will not endear you to anyone but yourselves.
I don't know why you think she is an intellectual lightweight. Just because she reads cheat notes on her palm while on national television as part of her keynote speech doesn't mean she doesn't have what it takes to lead. Nor does the fact that she needed the crib notes to remind her about her basic priorities and even then she had to re-write it twice on her palm. I'm sure every Leader of the Free World has needed a little help reminding them what their fundamental principles are once in a while.
ReplyDeleteOf course, cheating on a Q&A on basic questions is nothing compared to cheating on your taxes.
But if she is pro-life, well then, we can just shovel all of that under the carpet, can't we?
Sorry, I gave you a link to a story about her cheating on her taxes two years ago.
ReplyDeleteI meant to link to her more recent tax cheating.
I wonder how the Tea Partiers would have reacted if Obama had once been late on his taxes, let alone being a serial cheater.
Ponder, friend, that the fertilized egg is 100% human. Despite all the rationalizations, abortion kills a human being. As for Palin's intellect, beware the elitist stance that has been behind every scheme for domination of the benighted masses by the enlightened few. Palin's resume' speaks for itself.
ReplyDeleteAmerica has competitive primaries for a reason.
ReplyDeleteNobody is excluded from the political process. Its up to actual voters to decide who they like.
Usually the cream rises to the top.
This is why I don't like the kind of arguements you're making.
If she REALLY is as unelectable and irresponsible as you say then she wouldn't get ELECTED with the RESPONSIBILITY of being the GOP '12 nominee would she ?
On the other hand if she can prove herself then your point is irrelevent.
Well insofar as you were 100% wrong on her 'quitting Alaska' decision, I don't have very much more confidence that you might be right on this one either.
ReplyDeleteAbortion is a side-dish for the increasingly divine Ms.P. Sure she will mention it if the subject arises, but I have increasingly come to the conclusion that she is one very smart operator. Very ,very very SHARP.
If you have not watched it, try to catch the Wallace interview of yesterday on Fox. The difference between Palin 1.0(2008) and Palin 2.0(2010) is VAST. She is at the least 100% more composed and believable.
Don't watch it for the stupid details of political solutions(which are really not details at all,merely longer and more articulate simplisms). Watch it for the PRESENTATION of the PRODUCT.
It's very instructive indeed. And this is only Palin 2.0 in action. Wait until Palin 3.0 and 4.0 get trotted out before 2012.
I once thought like you that she was just an over-rated rube from Alaska. I freely admit to being wrong.
She is impressive now and by the time she soaks up all the FoxNews 'stylistic' enhancements, she will be a very potent force.
I'm not sure that she will run in 2012(it depends upon the economy), but if the economy is still tanking(as I believe it will be), I expect her not only to run but to WIN.
As per the GWB coined phrase -- She is completely 'mis-underestimated'. Her enemies will be laughing derisively at her right up to the point where they look up in horror, and she is standing there ready to club them senseless.
Palin/Romney -2012.
How does that one grab you.
I agree with dougf & shadow... I don't see why everyone is so vicious in trying to tear down Sarah Palin. She has gone from being a nobody from small town to a state governor and VP candidate which is no small accomplishment, and it wouldn't surprise me if she goes further.
ReplyDeleteSo she wrote a few key notes on her hand... big deal... I fail to see how that makes someone an idiot. And you can hardly equate that with reading verbatim from a teleprompter.
I'd probably support her run for president, certainly couldn't be any worse than today's administration who's only solution to anything is to throw as much money as they can at it (that they don't have).
"And you can hardly equate that with reading verbatim from a teleprompter."
ReplyDeleteHa. That's funny.
Palin read from a speech for 45 minutes written on paper - paper, that is the old-style telepromter one uses when one wants to take a cheap shot at the use of a teleprompter - barely ever looking up from her prepared notes. If you want to compare that to a teleprompter - the kind Palin uses all the time too, as did Bush and does Harper and every other US leader - fine.
But the hand written notes were there for a scripted softball interview to remind her what were her three fundamental priorities. She was given the question beforehand and had to write down the answer!
And if you watch the video, she still bungles it.
If this amount of prep work and softball questions and party support still can't produce a decent straight, intelligent answer... then on behalf of all moderates and non social conservatives, please please please pick Lady Palin.