“Of the four you gave, Palin. Who else is out there? I don’t know. Christie isn’t interested anyway.”
Christie has already said he isn’t interested in running for president in 2012. I take him at his word on that. And his “words” are refreshingly frank for someone in a position as high as his — he’s proving that in Jersey right now!
However, I sense that Christie _might_ agree to running as the VICE-presidential candidate in 2012, particulary with Sarah Palin. Campaigning beside her, he would make the perfect “attack dog” for the #2 spot. He would become as bold a choice for Palin as Palin was for McCain in ‘08.
As for “who else is out there?”, well, that’s a good question.
I was initially opposed to the idea of Palin back in 2008 when McCain picked her. But then, like most folks, I didn’t know all that much about her.
Some might think that Obama will be easy to beat in 2012 — I’m not so sure. After all, wasn’t he regarded to be “the easiest to beat” in ‘08? The fact is that the country is continuing to “divide” (think 1856), and the 2012 election will be as much about issues that [at least up to this point] no one dares speak about, as well as the issues that are bantered about above water.
I see senators such as DeMint and Thune as good men, worthy of the presidential spot, but [at least now] hesitant and unwilling to step forward — political McClellans. There is also “the personality factor” that we saw work so well for Obama. Like him or hate him, one cannot deny the pied-piper-like trance he cast over his followers in 2008. Many, if not most of them are still UNDER that drug-like trance, and I see little chance that that will change. If anything, his supporters on the left will grow more virulent as the coming election approaches.
I don’t see ANYone out there as [searching for the right word here] “appropriate” to fill the Republican vacancy besides Palin. Her credentials are clear, both to her supporters and her opponents — this is EXACTLY why the left so hates her, and why they FEAR her even more than they hate her.
There are those on the right who may argue that she is too “divisive” to be chosen to run for president in 2012. I counter that this is precisely WHY she should be nominated. For the ‘12 election will be about “division” — how the nation is already “dividing”, culturally, ethnically, philosophically. And how such rifts should be healed, IF they CAN be healed at all.
The only problem I have with Palin is that she doesn’t seem very interested in learning about the details of policy questions, despite having basically sound instincts. I’m not very interested either, but I think a president should be. Reagan definitely was; I’ve read that his friends despaired at his tendency to ramble on about arcane economic issues when they talked to him at parties.
Unfortunately, that could be problematic. Even though they might complement each other, they leave a gap in the experience dept. I'm not saying that they don't have any, but they wouldn't have as much as they could use. Yes, Palin has more experience than Obama (other than he'll have 4 years experience as Prez), but if he steps aside or is subject to a primary challenge, then there could be a problem.