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Posted on 02/17/2012 5:15:14 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
The prospect of a brokered Republican convention has reared its head — with the re-emergence of conservative lightning rod Sarah Palin as a GOP savior — as the controversial Alaskan said she’d be willing to “help” if her party can’t choose a nominee ahead of the August rubber- stamp event.
But even with the rollicking Republican primary roller coaster looking more like a trainwreck, political experts and players are split over the likelihood of a late-summer nailbiter.
Sean Trende of RealClearPolitics.com said that if the current trend of stark regional divides continues — with Mitt Romney taking more moderate states, Newt Gingrich taking southern states and Rick Santorum taking the conservative heartland — it could go all the way to the convention without a clear winner, as the Democrats narrowly avoided doing in 2008. And disgruntled delegates rebeling against a Romney candidacy could tip the balance for a right-leaning star. Enter Palin.
Who are those people going to gravitate towards if they can’t get Newt Gingrich or Rick Santorum? Will they pick Sarah Palin? It’s very possible,” Trende said.
Palin, the 2008 GOP vice presidential pick, told Fox News that if the primary turmoil drags on, “all bets are off as to who will be willing to offer themselves up in the name of service to their country. I would do whatever I could to help.”
But a brokered convention is as likely as a “space alien attack,” the Republican National Committee’s Sean Spicer told The Washington Times.
But Trende estimates the likelihood at 10 to 15 percent, “which is not nothing,” he said. Brokered conventions were last widely used in the first half of the 20th century, before the 24-hour news cycle, Trende said. Spicer noted that the last candidate chosen that way was Thomas Dewey in 1948 — 64 years ago.
“No one really knows what a brokered convention looks like in modern times,” Trende said. “If no one has enough delegates, you’ll probably see Sarah Palin walking around the floor of the convention trying to get support. And you’ll have party brokers who want it to go to Mitch Daniels or Paul Ryan. My personal opinion is it will be a mess.”
“A ticket made up of Romney and Santorum, no matter who is at the top, is a sure loser.”
True. It would be like having an entree of nothing but carrots and lettuce, and finishing it off with a dessert of plain old whipped cream.
When I heard those words “servant’s heart” come from Sarah in her convention speech, I wondered if this country would ever be worthy again of such a leader. She brought tears to my eyes and a longing cry to my heart, of what we could and should be as a nation.
I hear ya, she’s the real deal, all the way.
You are correct. It is coming and I can’t wait to hear the spin on the romney/santorum ticket. The dastardly duo got worried after SC. Romney threw in his big bucks and filthy advertising. Santorum really didn’t have anything to give except his alliance with Romney and a white flag.
So many folks in PA are buzzing with this. My friends there say that it didn’t surprise anyone because the concensus is that Rick wants this badly enough to make a deal with the devil himself. When someone is always blowing their own horn about how righteous they are, look out.
The “Pros” are who gave the Democrats back control of both Houses of Congress in 2006 and 2008. The “Pros” are who made it possible for obama to get in the White House in 2008. The “Pros” are who probably make it possible for obama to remain in the White House in 2012.
The VP is President of the Senate. His (or her) vote could break a tie. I don’t see Newt in that role. His experience would be wasted there, but Sarah could sure get her credentials honed in a VP spot. She’s young enough that she may yet be our Margaret Thatcher! God definitely has something for Sarah and she will be ready, willing and able.
Well heck yes, a tie breaker if nothing else. I believe Newt or Sarah Palin would have tons of influence in the Senate.
I guess to refine my question, does the VP have the same influence, persuasion, and strongarm like the Speaker of the House? We always make fun of the VP, but have never thought about the overreaching influence in the Senate. It is a body where all 100 think they are President.
‘She’s young enough that she may yet be our Margaret Thatcher! God definitely has something for Sarah and she will be ready, willing and able.’
Remember Reagan was not even elected until he was 70. It was a different era and fame and relevance did not come and go as fast as today, but I do hope God has something for Sarah for the long long haul. I also hope and trust she stays grounded in Him and is able to be used by Him for the long haul. That is, if we have a long haul anymore.
FYI
quote from conservativejoy:
If some of the GOP insiders in PA know what they are talking about, a brokered convention is not going to happen.
Word around Pittsburg is that the GOP E has already brokered a deal between Santorum and Romney.
As far as the GOP is concerned, the only thing the primaries are deciding is who is going to take the top of the ticket.
Sickening.
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Heads up. Rumor of a deal between Romney and Santorum camps. This person claims to have knowledge of this deal through an old established PA family who are pro-Romney but despise Santorum (for unstated reasons).
If this is true it throws the whole primary into turmoil.
the Vice President of the United States is the president of the Senate. It is his only constitutional duty.
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Talk about a hole card!!!! Going to be an interesting summer.
BTTT. And thanks for posting in the other thread. Eyes and ears open here in Pa.
Any VP’s only clout in today’s Senate is only as powerful as his tie breaker vote. Nobody from outside the establishment is going to have any sway over either house unless the administration can take the argument directly to the people. At present, only two people have that ability and one is not running, yet.
The VP’s only real day to day power is to be the attack dog for the administration. Put the true administrator and person with the Git-er-dun attitude on the top of the ticket and let the ankle biter be there to nip at the heels of the press and opposition with the wind in their sails being the support of the people and the only way to get that wind is to get above the press and the establishment.
How would one provide a link to backroom conversations? There is precedent for such a scenario though.
No, they pretty much just hang around in case the Pres. drops dead. Or, if they are Joe Biden, they are sent places the Pres. doesn’t want to go where they can screw up as little as possible. I think we can all see why they might want to keep Joe on a tight leash. LOL!
Substantivley, I think Dick Cheney played a pretty big role as an advisor while he was VP, but it varies from one adminstration to the next. Doesn’t seem to be any set agenda for V.P., but I would bet Palin would be one of the more involved and active ones ever. She would, for sure get her foreign policy creds.
I have heard that Newt definitely would have her, at the very least, heading up the Dept. of Energy.
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