Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

George Will: Sarah Palin and the mutual loathing society
The Washington Post ^ | February 18, 2010 | George F. Will

Posted on 02/17/2010 8:27:21 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet

The Republican presidential nominee, an Arizona senator, was a maverick, which was part of his charm. He spoke and acted impulsively, which was part of his problem. Voters thought his entertaining dimensions might be incompatible with presidential responsibilities. For example, he selected a running mate most Americans had never heard of and who had negligible experience pertinent to the presidency. This was 1964.

Barry Goldwater, whose seat John McCain occupies, chose to run with Bill Miller, a congressman from Lockport, N.Y., near Buffalo. Miller, Goldwater cheerfully explained, annoyed Lyndon Johnson. After the Goldwater-Miller ticket lost 44 states, Miller retired to Lockport, where he practiced law and lived in dignified anonymity until his death in 1983. Although he had served as an assistant prosecutor of Nazi war criminals at Nuremberg and spent seven terms in Congress, no one suggested he should be considered for the 1968 Republican presidential nomination.

Yet Sarah Palin, who with 17 months remaining in her single term as Alaska's governor quit the only serious office she has ever held, is obsessively discussed as a possible candidate in 2012. Why? She is not going to be president and will not be the Republican nominee unless the party wants to lose at least 44 states.

Conservatives, who rightly respect markets as generally reliable gauges of consumer preferences, should notice that the political market is speaking clearly: The more attention Palin receives, the fewer Americans consider her presidential timber. The latest Post-ABC News poll shows that 71 percent of Americans -- including 52 percent of Republicans -- think she is not qualified to be president.(continued)

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2010polls; 2012; adiosjuan; adiosmcdemocrat; adiosrinolovers; elististmeltdown; georgewill; huckabee2012; jdgoodman; jdhaworthgojd; mccain2012; mexicanbarbie; moneygrubber; nomorerinos; nonccain; obama; overexposure; palin; pds; rino; romney2012; sarahpalin; sarahtwoface; secondcoming; senorapalinrino; senoritakewpie; votehaworth
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100 ... 321-332 next last
To: ellery
"I’m not sold on Palin either (although I like her moxie)—but it makes me laugh when anyone declares with certainty who will and will not be president. No one knows what will or won’t happen next week, much less two years from now."

Agreed on all of that. But my guess is that after our country is rebuilt from the fallen, global, effeminate, effete house of cards, the liberal, bipartisan special interests (plutocrats) will be out of useful currency and out of power. There will be a man for president--a man like Duncan Hunter.


61 posted on 02/17/2010 9:39:10 PM PST by familyop (cbt. engr. (cbt), NG, '89-' 96, Duncan Hunter or no-vote.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]

To: jimbo123

Why do modern journalists think it is so important to put the value of someone’s home in the story? I see it done more and more and it’s obnoxious.


62 posted on 02/17/2010 9:39:43 PM PST by Hildy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: skully

George Will and those like him are part of the reason why Washington does not work. Its time for him to go.


63 posted on 02/17/2010 9:41:25 PM PST by Destroyer Sailor
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Bryan24

bravo


64 posted on 02/17/2010 9:41:31 PM PST by Hildy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 60 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

Ya forgot yer barf alert.


65 posted on 02/17/2010 9:46:27 PM PST by Windflier (To anger a conservative, tell him a lie. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: boop

The man comes from money. That is how he can afford a house like what he owns.


66 posted on 02/17/2010 9:46:37 PM PST by Destroyer Sailor
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: editor-surveyor

Yeah, some are easily led - so, it’s not that his voters thought he was qualified for the job, that didn’t even come on their radar screen - nor the propagandists’ talking heads.


67 posted on 02/17/2010 9:47:16 PM PST by presently no screen name
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: editor-surveyor

Yeah, some are easily led - so, it’s not that his voters thought he was qualified for the job, that didn’t even come on their radar screen - nor the propagandists’ talking heads.


68 posted on 02/17/2010 9:47:17 PM PST by presently no screen name
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: editor-surveyor

Were they this hard on Reagan? I mean, he was supposed to be a real dumbass, wasn’t he?


69 posted on 02/17/2010 9:51:05 PM PST by budwiesest (It's that girl from Alaska, again.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

George...be my bitch.


70 posted on 02/17/2010 9:51:50 PM PST by wardaddy (I have been in a serious RHCPers mood lately......)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: familyop

or Jim DeMint! :)


71 posted on 02/17/2010 9:56:32 PM PST by ellery (It's a free country.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 61 | View Replies]

To: RogerQ

Newt?

You mean Mr.”Reagan Era is Over” “IloveDede” Gingrich?


72 posted on 02/17/2010 9:57:03 PM PST by presently no screen name
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]

To: onyx
SHE ONLY HAS TO CONVINCE A MAJORITY OF VOTERS THAT SHE CAN DO A BETTER JOB THAN OBAMA.

Not enough. Mickey Mouse can do that. Besides, she's not going to run. :)

73 posted on 02/17/2010 9:58:13 PM PST by EveningStar (Karl Marx is not one of our Founding Fathers.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: ellery
"or Jim DeMint! :)"

I've seen him mentioned a time or two. I'm going to look up the info about him now, before finishing a fastener schedule for a house here (digging through code and construction manual). Thanks for the tip!


74 posted on 02/17/2010 9:59:36 PM PST by familyop (cbt. engr. (cbt), NG, '89-' 96, Duncan Hunter or no-vote.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 71 | View Replies]

To: Reagan Man

I DON’T THINK PALIN WILL RUN IN 2012, 2016 IS MOST LIKELY. BUT I HOPE SHE DOES JUMP IN

There lies the “torn between two alternatives” that reflect the Palin phenomenon. On one hand you have a faction that feels she needs more seasoning or throwing away her future if she does run in 2012 either because Obama is assured of being reelected or some ‘white knight’ will appear to carry the Republicans to a huge victory in 2012.

And if you think Obama is assured of reelection in 2012, then 2016 appears an opportune time for Palin to run.

But with if Obama is dethroned in 2012, then Palin would have to wait till 2020 to run. Now it is easy to say that in 2020 Palin will be more experienced and only 56, but what about her ‘rock star popularity’ 8 years from now. Simply, I don’t think Palin will be as “hot” physically or politically in 2020. Meanwhile 10 years is plenty of time for another rising ‘rock’ star to come along and supplant Palin as ‘the one’.

In addition Palin will never be as popular with the base and never be this young and energetic again. She is close to approaching 1.4m on her Facebook. Do you think these folks will stay with her if she stays on the sidelines in 2012?

And in 2012 it does not appear she will have to run against a person of immense stature.

All the variables are in place to fun in 2012. This is her time. I know it and I think Palin knows it. I do believe that Palin has a rendezvous with destiny.


75 posted on 02/17/2010 9:59:59 PM PST by techno
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: EveningStar

Hate to tell you this, but Mickey Mouse is not a person.
You could be right that Sarah might not run.


76 posted on 02/17/2010 10:00:02 PM PST by onyx (BE A MONTHLY DONOR - I AM)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 73 | View Replies]

To: Bryan24

Great letter! Did you send it yet?


77 posted on 02/17/2010 10:00:13 PM PST by presently no screen name
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 60 | View Replies]

To: presently no screen name

Yes, right before I posted it on FR.


78 posted on 02/17/2010 10:01:37 PM PST by Bryan24 (When in doubt, move to the right..........)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 77 | View Replies]

To: familyop

I actually have some research to do on DeMint, too, before I support him wholeheartedly for 2012...but from what I’ve seen, he’s doing a great job leading the charge against leftists in both parties.

Good luck with the code/manual!


79 posted on 02/17/2010 10:02:18 PM PST by ellery (It's a free country.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 74 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

Man I hate these twits. These guys hate conservative women.


80 posted on 02/17/2010 10:02:36 PM PST by Brimack34
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100 ... 321-332 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson