Sarah Palin's running for president. The best political news I've heard in a while, it should be enough to put a smile back on any sullen Democrat's face.
You might have guessed, as I did, that when the former vice-presidential nominee resigned halfway through her single term as Alaska governor, she had traded elected office for the world of media celebrity. But we, apparently, were wrong. Proof of Palin's presidential intention is no further than the shock-and-awe campaign she recently undertook against veteran political reporters Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei for their Oct. 31 Politico story.
Allen and VandeHei reported unnamed Washington Republicans want to block Palin from becoming their 2012 nominee. The tea party princess responded by calling Allen and VandeHei "jokes," and telling the pair to "man up."
That Palin went to such extraordinary, and fierce, lengths to knock down that story during the final week of what was a hectic season of campaigning for her endorsed candidates in the midterm elections, well, it doesn't take an expert to see that perhaps the story hit just a bit too close to home. There should now be no doubt that Palin very much intends to be the one to try to knock Barack Obama out of the Oval Office. To which I say, "Bring it on."
The reasons for Democrats to warmly embrace a Palin candidacy are myriad, both politically and substantively. The most obvious argument of course, is the simple horse race analysis. Even as Obama has begun to trail other potential rivals in recent polling, the president continues to trounce Palin in head-to-head contests. This is the essential worry expressed in that Allen/VandeHei piece that Palin savaged. While she is wildly popular among the tea party crowd, Palin is dramatically less revered elsewhere among the electorate. Her unfavorability continues to poll higher than her favorability.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Baronius
I don't know if Palin will run. I wouldn't vote for her, as I've explained many times before on BC. Dems are right to hope for her candidacy, although Scott might want to remember the lesson Republicans learned a couple of years ago: sometimes the laughably inexperienced opponent beats your candidate in the general election.
2 - Al Barger
Mr. Nance, I understand what you're saying, but I'd suggest that this is a likely possible case where you should be careful what you wish for. Baronius was on point with his comment - except that Palin is actually considerably more experienced and now more proven in the public arena than Senator Obama was.
Just for a little reality check, we just had an election a few days ago where her people whooped the tar out Democrats. It mostly was not mealy mouthed establishment Republicans, but hardcore tea partiers.
Also, Palin has some image problems, in that not everyone likes her. No one worth having would be universally loved. Her unfavorable ratings somewhat outflank her favorable ratings, but those ratings can edge a few points the other way.
Your mistake is thinking that because you and your people hate her, almost everybody else does. That's human nature. I myself had a hard time getting my mind around the possibility that my fellow citizens would actually elect this Marxist college professor we've got now. A lot of the opposition to her is a half-inch thick. Plus, you give Tina Fey WAY too much credit.
Buddy up to the idea of President Palin. I'm looking forward to it. God bless and protect our future president. After four years of Obama's crazy amateur hour, President Palin may be looking awfully good to very many people.
3 - Ruvy
I have to agree with Brother Al on all this. But Scott, you and others here need to take a look at the world around you. I know it's hard pulling your head out of your belly-button but if you do, you will learn that China is liable to overtake you in purchasing power in a couple of years, you will learn that your government has been spinning like a top over a Chinese ICBM spotted near LA a few days ago. AND you will learn that your sovereign debt has been downgraded from AA to A-. In addition, you will find out that a Chinese sub was shadowing a Pacific Ocean exercise a while ago, and popped up right within torpedo range of the USS Kittyhawk.
All this is considerably more important than what Sister Sarah does or doesn't do. The Chinese dragon has finally awakened, and it would do you well to PAY ATTENTION.
4 - zingzing
"Just for a little reality check, we just had an election a few days ago where her people whooped the tar out Democrats. It mostly was not mealy mouthed establishment Republicans, but hardcore tea partiers."
i'm pretty sure it was mostly establishment republicans that got in. a lot of the tea partiers lost. how many true tea partiers actually won?
5 - zingzing
ruvy, you posted a link by a conspiracy theorist. that wasn't a goddamn chinese missile.
6 - zingzing
just so you know, you're author there is also anti-israel, and thinks the jews run cnn and he wants them fired.
7 - Dan(Miller)
Here is a little thought experiment. Imagine that ten or fifteen years ago, Mr. Obama was transformed miraculously into an attractive young female and did not revert to his original state but otherwise proceeded as far as he could with his notions and contacts.
Would he have been considered for the Democratic Party presidential nomination? Would he have secured it and gone on to win the presidential election.
It's just a thought experiment, but I would be interested in learning the results.
Dan(Miller)
8 - Irene Athena
Well, Dan, if he kept his skin color, he could have been Condi Rice, and geopolitically speaking, the results would've been pretty much the same.
9 - Irene Athena
Just ask John Podhortetz.
Hope all is well with all the pets. Have been enjoying reading more Temple Grandin since we last talked. Good to run into you.
10 - Baronius
Al, I've always been a stickler about presidential resumes. My hunch is that, despite the Tea Party's successes in this election, a lot more people will demand experience from a presidential candidate by 2012. Two years in the Alaska governor's mansion won't be enough. Neither will three years running New Jersey, or four years running Louisiana. I don't even think a full term as governor and running an Olympics is enough for me. I'll tell you what, though: being Commander of CENTCOM is enough of a resume to get my attention.
11 - Irene Athena
John Podhoretz on election day 2012, looking from Left to Right like a kid who doesn't know which Christmas present to open first.
12 - Irene Athena
Am I get annoying yet? Because if I'm getting annoying, I'll just stop. But somebody has to tell me, "Irene Athena, you're getting annoying."
13 - Dan(Miller)
Re Comments 8 and 9 -- The pups are fine but I guess I can blame them for causing me not to notice that I had omitted the word "white" from this: Imagine that ten or fifteen years ago, Mr. Obama was transformed miraculously into an attractive young [white] female and did not revert to his original state but otherwise proceeded as far as he could with his notions and contacts. That omission does probably make a bit of difference.
My article about Temple Grandin, the pups and the horses is here.
Dan(Miller)
14 - Irene Athena
Condi Rice fits the bill of young and attractive female better than Petraeus does, anyway. I could imagine a race between Petraeus in drag running on the Democratic ticket and Condi Rice in whiteface vaudeville makeup running on the Republican ticket. Again, no significant difference in the geopolitical outcome longterm. Contacts, schmontacts. People can become old friends in five minutes in a smoke filled back-room.
15 - Irene Athena
No significant difference geopolitically no matter who would win the Petraeus vs. Obama disguised-as-Condi Rice race.
16 - Irene Athena
NOW, if we could morph McChrystal into Ru Paul --not Ron Paul--and THEN morph Ru Paul into Hillary Clinton, so's he/she'd be white and have notions and contacts similar to Obama's, except he/she'd also have McChrytal's notions and contacts--and then the RESULTING ENTITY had a campaign debate with General Petraeus, who was running on the Whatever Party Ticket...
...what insights into what is REALLY going on in the Fight Between Good and Evil in Afghanistan might we glean?
Well, I've officially annoyed even myself now, and as long as I've ANNOYED someone, ANYONE, even if its just me, I will consider my work here finished. Til next time.
17 - Cannonshop
I don't think Sarah Palin's going to run-she's having too much fun doing television and speaking tours, and what sells her books (the rabid dislike of the Left and their Media Servants) and is filling that bank-account would be significantly reduced if she did.
OTOH, Condi Rice would, I think, make a superb candidate (if not President)-she was able to make foreign leaders her bitch on a regular basis, and she scares our enemies-and unlike Sister Sarah, nobody can claim Condi's an ignorant redneck. (and she's not got "Nixon Face"=so even the "SCAAARY" advertising style wouldn't work on her...)
18 - Clavos
I agree with you, Cannon. I think Condi is an excellent candidate and a probable winner if she runs.
19 - Baronius
It's funny. When Rice's name came up, I thought about how she doesn't have a tax policy or a domestic policy. That didn't seem like such a barrier for Petraeus, though. It's my pro-military bias. I think you need to be a more flexible thinker to succeed as an officer than you do as a diplomat.
20 - Cannonshop
#19 Possibly, Baronius, depending on the role the officer is filling-there are many a chairborne "Ranger" out there who're career hydebound pencil-and-button-pusher, and anything BUT flexible on the mental front (part of Petreus' problem was dealing with such Brassholes at the Pentagon both before, and during, his most famous tour in the sandbox.)
Upshot being, Petraeus was a superb general officer, but...
That doesn't mean he's necessarily viable as a civilian politician running for office.
That said, I'd probably vote for him...at least in the primary elections, assuming he is not a Democrat or a pale version of Colin Powell.
Professor Rice has, at least, a body of work to look upon in 'doping out' her beliefs in terms of policy-one's foreign policy proposals tend to require some squaring with domestic policy realities-at least, the reality as percieved by the one making the proposal, and one can not discount her academic works in terms of basic research to determine her less-publicized views on domestic and economic issues.
21 - Mike
Palin would never stand a chance in any nationwide election. She is a joke and always will be.
22 - Irene Athena
I'd prefer a candidate who can give me a morally satisfying answer to this question I have about US foreign policy. Maybe one of you can.
Compare the U.S. military's response to the genocide Darfur. Here is footage sent backUS Marine Captain Brian Steidl, who was ordered to do nothing but observe from the sidelines the slaughter of men, women and children.
We're "doing something" in Afghanistan, because if we don't...something worse than the genocide we ignored in Darfur is going to happen in Afghanistan?
YES, when the Taliban take over after the US leaves, there will be horrible repercussions for the Afghans who joined forces with the US military; but, even if the primary motivation for the US remaining there WERE human rights, which I suspect it is NOT, could it be possible that the US presence is deterring, in fact PREVENTING, a resolution to the civil war in Afghanistan?
The 6-years-long genocide in Sudan ended in February of this year WITHOUT U.S. military involvement.
Maybe the ability to give morally satisfying answers is not a prerequisite for candidacy. Historically speaking of course, it hasn't been...but SHOULDN'T it be?
23 - roger nowosielski
Irene, you're living in a dream world. US foreign policy hasn't changed since John Foster Dulles and it ain't about to change now, not for as long as there are statehoods. One can hope for moral relations between individuals but between states ... That would be a category mistake. Only the primacy of international law could introduce morality into international relations. But if and when we ever reach that point, the very notion of statehood will have become extinct.
24 - Irene Athena
Thanks,Rog but I'm hoping for an answer from people who DO try to act according to a moral, and who, unlike you, believe those who live in a dreamworld are those who believe that government can be abolished.
25 - Irene Athena
a moral ^[compass]