Charles Krauthammer Tells Bill O’Reilly Sarah Palin Must Expand Policy Knowledge

Mediaite ^ | 12/14/10 | Glen Davis

[pissant]

Bill O’Reilly recently talked with frequent Fox News guest Charles Krauthammer to handicap potential GOP candidates’ chances in the 2012 presidential election. Krauthammer called Mitt Romney the front-runner” and said Mike Huckabee has established himself as a “major player”…but his most dissected comments will probably be his remarks on one Sarah Palin.

Krauthammer compared Palin’s problem to Hillary Clinton’s in the late 1990s – strong support from her core base, virulent opposition from most others. O’Reilly asked if the level of opposition to Palin is the media’s fault, and while Krauthammer said they’ve “contributed enormously” and that “the animus to her is unprecedented,” he also allowed that “she is not practiced in policy” and that the infamous Katie Couric interview was “not a ‘gotcha’ interview.” According to Krauthammer, Palin’s growth in mastering policy issues will shape her fate:

“I think if you want to expand your base, you have to get into policy even though it sounds dull.”

[BigGaloot]

Than explain her bidding war to drive up how much she would be making per episode for her reality show?

Was shopping around a show to push prices from one to over two million per episode for love of our country?

If it was purely for love of country, or greater good, wouldn’t she have settled on the lowly sum of one million an episode?

[jimjohn]

Then you haven’t been listening.

[SoConPubbie]

Every other potential candidate has a Facebook page as well as having presented policy. Palin has not done the serious grown-up work. If you think that she will be elected to the presidency with clever tweets and reality shows, I fear you are in for disappointment.

Another childish, un-substantiated opinion, stated as fact.

Either put up the proof or YOUR OPINION has no value.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Can you source these assertions?

[JaguarXKE]

Of course she has room for growth - as does everyone. And in fact she has been doing just that as evidenced by her may articles on economics, monetary policy, health care and a slew of other topics. Every time she makes a comment on a major issue she is usually leading the discussion.

Newt is a typical policy wonk. He is brilliant in his depth and breadth of history and policy issues. But what he isn;t, is an inspiring conservative leader. Sarah is. Sure she has room to grow and learn and I think she has demonstrated that she is doing just that - staring with her economic speech in Asia.

But the Krauthammers of the world will never acknowledge her growth because they have an agenda and that agenda is to bring her down.

[buccaneer81]

I actually think she should take a trip around the world and do it on the down low. The lamestream media haters aren’t going to follow her around.

Are you kidding? After the AP Haiti "hairdresser" lie that turned out to be Bristol? The MSM have Sarah under constant surveillance.

[Billthedrill]

Krauthammer isn't quite right - what Palin needs is the public acknowledgment of policy positions she's already taken. It's that that the media who are relentlessly against her can continue to deny her. But Presidents who try to be policy wonks get mired in the details. Presidents hire policy wonks. They listen to them and then they decide.

What Palin needs is to assemble a strong team. That's the ultimate test of executive ability - 0bama has failed it miserably and it's costing him dearly - and it places the Chief Executive in the place of what Bush rightly described as "the decider" to the considerable derision of those who now are discovering to their dismay that he was correct. Bush had Cheney; 0bama has Biden. It speaks volumes.

[bwc2221]

Even her detractors - at least those grounded in reality - admit that Sarah Palin has revolutionized political communications via social networking.

If you are not able to understand that, so be it ....

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

She will continue to hint at running because it keeps her name in the spotlight. The minute she says for sure she isn’t going to run in 2012, her 15 minutes are over.

Wishful thinking, although I'm not sure why someone wouldn't want her to run. She's the only candidate with the guts to push through a Reaganesque agenda. She is the only candidate to withstand, and flourish, in the face of a full-frontal assault from the media.

She has already defeated the media by redefining herself through her books, TLC gig, and Facebook postings. She has given the media the finger by studiously avoiding them. This has forced Time and the Times to heel, as demonstrated in two recent pieces in both publications. They need her. She doesn't need them.

No. She is running. By hinting about running, she is sucking all of the oxygen out of the room. By the time she announces, her victory will be a fait accompli.

[mono]

....a very high approval rating as governor......

Which was down about 40 percent from its high mark when she quit in the middle of her first term. At this point her negatives are way too high to win POTUS. It could change.

[bwc2221]

“If it was purely for love of country, or greater good, wouldn’t she have settled on the lowly sum of one million an episode?”

You're beginning to sound like a socialist. Palin always has been a good negotiator. Ask the oil companies.

[Hildy]

That is not fair.

[EDINVA]

Hopefully, Gov Palin is using Bolton as an advisor/resource. Her strength is her sincerity, her absolute love of this country, her enthusiasm and charm. But as a pretty woman, it’s not good enough to be just smart, she has to be able to also sound like a wonk.

It was one thing for Reagan to be the principled big picture guy .. I don’t think with the coverage Gov Palin has received since her appearance on the world stage, she can get to the presidency without being a whole lot wonkier than she’s been. And I would like to see her get to the presidency.

[pissant]

LOL. You are quite the optimist.

[MyIndianNameIsSwimsWithSharks]

Present, but...no comment.

[ReneeLynn]

I see that pissy’s got things riled up again. I don’t give a flying monkey what Krauthammer thihks. Why does anyone else. Oh, noes!!!

[SoConPubbie]

....a very high approval rating as governor......

Which was down about 40 percent from its high mark when she quit in the middle of her first term. At this point her negatives are way too high to win POTUS. It could change.

Well, if the history of President Ronald Reagan is any indication, you're all wet in your assessment.

11/05/2010 11:26:39 AM PDT · 24 of 36
Al B. to onyx; SoConPubbie

Harris Poll January 29, 1980:

CARTER NOW FAR AHEAD OF BOTH REAGAN AND BUSH

"President Carter so dominates the American political scene now that his margin over Ronald Reagan in a post-Iowa trial heat has risen to an overwhelming 65-31 percent."

Also, Time magazine ran a big story in March of that year basically saying Reagan was unelectable. Gallup had a poll in that time frame with Reagan down 25 points.

Here's another blast from the past, March 10, 1980. The GOP establishment had decided they needed another candidate besides Bush to stop Reagan and started recruiting Gerald Ford:

ABC News - Harris poll: FORD LEADS BOTH CARTER AND REAGAN, ALTHOUGH STILL UNDECLARED CANDIDATE

"Former President Gerald Ford is the first choice of Republican and independent voters to head the GOP ticket, even though he has not yet declared himself a candidate for the Republican nomination.

Ford also leads President Carter among the general electorate."

Here's another one for your collection:

Historic Whispers: Ronald Reagan Had Little Chance of Winning the Primary

White House political strategists have concluded—regretfully—that Ronald Reagan is fading and will have little chance of winning the Republican presidential nomination in 1980. Why the regrets? Because Carter's aides are convinced that the conservative, 68-year-old former California governor is an easy target. (April 2, 1979)

Seems in the real-world, polls don't mean much, even a few months before the General Election.

So much for your re-cyled left-wing/RINO elitest charge.

Here's another one for your collection:

Historic Whispers: Ronald Reagan Had Little Chance of Winning the Primary

White House political strategists have concluded—regretfully—that Ronald Reagan is fading and will have little chance of winning the Republican presidential nomination in 1980. Why the regrets? Because Carter's aides are convinced that the conservative, 68-year-old former California governor is an easy target. (April 2, 1979)

[Hildy]

Thank you. I’ve been trying to say what you said for quite some time, but as soon as I do I’m labeled a liberal troll Romney loving Palin hater. You have to be able to take criticism in politics. I don’t know who I will vote for, but I believe Palin needs some work and this media blitz does not help her, IN MY OPINION.

[Hildy]

Thank you. I’ve been trying to say what you said for quite some time, but as soon as I do I’m labeled a liberal troll Romney loving Palin hater. You have to be able to take criticism in politics. I don’t know who I will vote for, but I believe Palin needs some work and this media blitz does not help her, IN MY OPINION.

[Al B.]

Not sure what is considered to be a "Policy Speech" by you, but by my standards, this one was a great policy speech.

This is the entire Hong Kong transcript she posted at facebook. It was excerpted at WSJ, Time, National Review and a bunch of other places.

She gave a major energy policy speech during the '08 campaign that was ignored.

She gave a speech on state budget policies in San Jose, a speech on quantitative easing in Phoenix, right-to-life in Evansville, a major foreign policy speech in Norfolk, etc. etc. etc. etc.

She's written a bunch of op eds including cap & tax in the WaPo, endorsing the Ryan budget roadmap just recently in the WSJ, etc. etc. Major facebook posts on healthcare ('death panels').

Might be a good idea to summarize all this in linkable form with links to videos. Something to think about working on?