Posted on 12/02/2010 8:09:20 AM PST by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
I posted yesterday about Ed Rollins being the latest of the "I knew Reagan" types to use a variation on Lloyd Bentsen's "You're no Jack Kennedy" line against Sarah Palin.
Rollins was Mike Huckabee's campaign manager in the 2008 cycle, and guess who Rollins thought was the next Ronald Reagan:
"Governor Huckabee has probably inspired me as much as Ronald Reagan. He had an ability to connect with people and he was a great communicator. I've looked for a long time for another candidate to do that.
"People are always asking: 'Who's the next Ronald Reagan?' Well, I was with the old Reagan. I can promise you that this man comes as close as I've ever seen."
I have nothing against Mike Huckabee, and this is not an anti-Huckabee post. Rather, it's friendly advice to all viable Republican candidates:
Run, don't walk, away from Ed Rollins and the others who think that demeaning Sarah Palin is the best way to advance your campaign.
Other candidates are entitled to make the case why they would be a better nominee, and they should do so forcefully. But if they think -- like Ed Rollins and Joe Scarborough -- that insulting Palin is the way to go, then they have seriously misread the Republican electorate.
Without the enthusiasm of Palin supporters the Republican Party is nothing moving into 2012.
The campaign troops who will be in the field, on the telephones and at the fundraisers in 2012 will be the same troops who fought the 2010 campaign war. And those troops weren't carrying Mitt Romney, or Mike Huckabee, or Newt Gingrich signs.
That doesn't mean Palin gets the nomination just because she wants it, or that she is presumptive, or that her supporters constitute a majority of the Party.
It does mean that the Republican nominee cannot win against Barack Obama without the enthusiasm and support of Palin supporters.
So Mike, I wish you well. But if you start running, don't let Ed Rollins catch you.
Ping.
But Sarah can’t win without all the Republicans either. Once the Primaries are done everyone will step in line with the candidate. This is the last thing we need is division. I think both sides are so immature. I have heard folks say that if Sarah doesn’t get nominated I am not voting and I have heard folks say that if Sarah is nominated I am not voting. How immature responses from both sides. It is totally ridiculous but that is politics for you.
Absolutely pathetic.
I'd agree with this. So my question would be: Are Palin supporters going to get behind another candidate should he/she win the nomination? Or as I've heard so often on FR, in past elections, "If so and so doesn't get the nomination, I'm staying home" or "I will not cast my vote for such and such, even if he wins the GOP nomination."
Most of his posts are well worth reading.
Follow-up PING!!!
Palin supporters did not start this fire.
The Rino/DNC/MSM war room are working together to keep her from even entering the primary.
I would not be surprised if her supporters decided they wanted nothing to do with the weak and cowardly Republican Party.
LLS
Can you name anyone who can do those things better?
Problem is that Sarah Palin is not going to get elected if she cannot pull more people into her camp. I know the Kool Aid drinkers here tend to think that she is a shoo in but outside of their rabid base there are wide patches of the American voting base who outright will not vote for her or who do not consider her their second or even third choice.
I really like Sarah Palin, I love her politics. She is great.
That said, her running for President would be a bad move. What she is doing now is exactly what is needed, she is keeping the Republicans on the straight and narrow.
Why not ask this of supporters of all GOP candidates?
I've seen no evidence Palin supporters are any poorer sports than, say romney, huck or mccain supporters.
That aside, articulate your support for your choice, but stop with the schoolyard taunts to those with whom you disagree.
LLS
Or at least be original.
“...I will not cast my vote for such and such, even if he wins the GOP nomination.”
With the likes of McCain, this is not a totally irrational statement.
I think we do have a real problem as we are a movement without a leader. Not even Palin represents what needs to be done. She is very weak on Illegal Immigration and is for de facto amnesty. And you can forget about Huckabee.
Well I don’t believe that we will chose a RINO this time. Been there, done that. I think people have learned that it does not work. I agree that Sarah has the “it” factor to make the nomination. Once the nomination happens, folks are going to have to vote for her regardless of what they feel about her. The Sarah fans are going to have to calm down on their labeling folks a RINO just because they say something negative. This year we have added hundreds of people to the RINO group when before these folks were perfectly acceptable. I think we use the term RINO a little to liberally.
We’ll see you and the others running at the debates... they will tell us who and who is not viable. Some of us already know the answer but... time will tell.
LLS
I will step in line if the GOP nominee is Sarah Palin, Jim DeMint, or Mike Pence.
BUT if it is anybody else, especially a hack like Romney, Daniels, Pawlenty, Huck, Thune or even Barbour, then I stay home and the GOP can go to hell.
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