Sarah Palin sparks 2012 elections speculation

POLITICO ^ | 05/25/11 | ANDY BARR

[reformjoy]

Palin moves spark 2012 speculation By: Andy Barr May 25, 2011 07:41 PM EDT

Sarah Palin is fond of saying she’ll feel compelled to run for president “if nobody else were to step up.” It just might come to that. The recent departures of Mitch Daniels and Mike Huckabee from the 2012 GOP field, combined with a flurry of recent moves by Palin—staff changes, the purchase of a home in Arizona, the Iowa premiere of a new feature-length film extolling the former Alaska governor—is rekindling speculation that she sees an opportunity in 2012 and may be thinking more seriously than ever about a presidential run. John Ziegler, a conservative filmmaker and activist close to Palin, said he believes the ex-governor is closer to a run now than she’s ever been. “I have felt for a while that she is probably running and its seems more clear than ever that she is,” said Ziegler, who interviewed Palin for a different film, “Media Malpractice: How Obama Got Elected and Palin Was Targeted.” “The movie is a great idea. I suggested a similar concept to her a long time ago and I am sure it will be fantastic viewing. I am concerned though that it seems there are at least some people involved in it who are not actual Palin loyalists and that its hoped for impact may be based on an overly optimistic view of the nature of the electorate,” he said. Palin herself has stoked the fires with her comments, including telling Fox News’s Greta Van Susteren that she indeed has “the fire in the belly” to make a bid for the White House. The launch of a new SarahPAC website last month also fanned speculation since it provided a vehicle to collect email addresses of her supporters and start interacting more directly with her potential donors and activists. Palin recently used the growing list to send a fund-raising mailer to supporters in South Carolina, a common strategy that those close to Palin say will continue to bring money into her organization. “No ands, ifs or buts about it, Sarah Palin is going to run for president,” asserted Alaska pollster Ivan Moore in a column last week, pointing to a convergence of conditions that make the timing for a Palin campaign perfect. The former governor’s aides declined to speak to POLITICO about her thinking, but have acknowledged in discussions about the 2012 race that there is an opening for her and have said repeatedly that no other candidate’s decision would affect her own. Palin’s camp has ignored outside pressure to commit to running and is privately eying July as the last month they could enter the race, if the former governor wanted to throw the switch. For months, Palin’s camp has been talking about hiring additional staff and planning high profile travel — though much of it has yet to come to pass. Still, her staff is keenly aware of filing deadlines and is preparing as if she is running, even if they don’t know the final decision. Palin’s team also closely monitors the actions of her potential 2012 GOP rivals, particularly what the other perspective candidates say about her. The purchase of a home in Scottsdale, Arizona — confirmed by a source close to Palin — may have solved one of the major logistical impediments to a campaign by providing her with a perch near a major airline hub in the lower 48 states that would allow her to travel more freely. Her staff has repeatedly declined to answer questions that Palin would run a potential campaign from Scottsdale—and there is scant evidence that discussions have yet gone that far. The former governor’s team expects to have one advantage that other prospective 2012 candidates do not—due to her stature in the party, they don’t believe they have to operate by the same rules as the other campaigns. Those who would make up team Palin are counting on a flood of small dollar donations if she enters the race and believe her strong core of support and near-universal name identification keeps them from having to take part in the early stages of the long slog toward Iowa. Ed Morrissey, an influential conservative blogger for the site Hot Air agreed that traditional campaign rules don’t apply to the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee. “Palin’s got a longer window to make this decision than most of the other candidates do,” said Morrissey. “She has almost universal name organization and I’d imagine her organization would come together rather quickly…She could probably wait until at least Labor Day.” A Gallup poll conducted after Huckabee’s exit from the presidential race confirmed that Palin remains well-entrenched near the top of the field, taking 18 percent and finishing second only to former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. Palin has been quiet since her trip to Washington a few weeks ago to rub elbows with the city’s elite ahead of the White House Corespondents Dinner and speech to an anti-abortion rights group in Bethesda. In the absence of any hard evidence that Palin is building the infrastructure for a presidential bid—and a number of incentives to stay out of the race—many Republicans continue to doubt she’ll plunge in. “She has a fulfilling array of activities with a solid income, adoring fans at her speaking engagements, and time for a wonderful family life,” said Fred Malek, a major Republican fundraiser in Washington and one of the former governor’s few friends among the Republican establishment. “I haven’t talked to her in four months but seriously doubt it’d be in her interests to change that.” Republican strategist Mary Matalin pointed out that Palin is one of the few politicians who can “pull rabbits out of hats,” but expressed little expectation that she will. Matalin suggested Huckabee’s decision to stay away from the campaign could prove to be key to Palin’s decision-making process. “Huckabee’s departure would be a greater factor in her strategic thinking than the departing (that is, never entering) candidates who were not playing to her strength,” Matalin said of Palin. Jonathan Martin contributed reporting to this story.

[humblegunner]

Ed Morrissey, an influential conservative blogger

Yeah.

[Diogenesis]

“And The Most Irresponsible Journalist Award Goes to The Politico’s Jonathan Martin!
So tell me, how do you write a “news” story about an organization paying for a speaker when you don’t even know if the organization is paying for the speaker?
Ask “journalist” Jonathan Martin. He knows all about it.
You see, Jonny wrote a piss poor story the other day about how the Iowa Family Policy Center will be paying a large speaker fee if Sarah Palin comes to Iowa to keynote the IFPC’s fall funderaiser.
The only problem is that Jonny has no sources confirming that any exorbitant fee is being charged or paid.
Jonny also got some inside info from David Kochel, who was a top aide to former (and future) presidential candidate, Mitt Romney.
Hey Dave, didn’t I just read a story about how Mitt Romney tried to buy off the Iowa Christian Alliance?
I heard you helped facilitate that little scheme. And somehow you are shocked at the thought of a well-known political figure (who very likely isn’t running for president) getting paid a speaker’s fee for (gasp) a public speaking appearance? ..
and then we’ve got Tim Albrecht quoted. He was the Iowa spokesman for Romney’s 2008 caucus campaign.”
And it always seemed like, whenever the Romney people had rumors they wanted to start about other candidates,
Jonny was their go-to guy to get those rumors in writing in front of a national audience.

---

[ALASKA]

Run Sarah, RUN!!!!!!!!!!

[reformjoy]

(Where are all the GOOD Men??)

2011 *AGE of the GOOD WOMEN!*

Go get ‘em, Sarah!!

[truthguy]

Perry/Palin

Best chance to knock off Obama. You heard it here first.

[Diogenesis]

“What if they find I am ineligible?
I'll tell them I was brainwashed.”

[humblegunner]

Run Sarah, RUN!!!!!!!!!!

Contrary to popular belief, I'm NOT Sarah Palin.

[don-o]

Contrary to popular belief, I'm NOT Sarah Palin.

Can you prove that?

[humblegunner]

Can you prove that?

Don't make me ask Todd to go kick your butt.

[reformjoy]

http://www.mediamalpracticemovie.com/

See this to see how the media is soooo
against Palin!

What is “it” they are SCARED of?

Oh yeah.

A Political Tiger ....

who happens to be WAY HOTTER than Hillary....

[trisham]

Sarah Is Indomitable

[humblegunner]

Do you like Lima beans? How about Brussels sprouts?

If you dislike either of them, does that mean you are afraid of them?

Or does it just mean that you dislike them?

[reformjoy]

Sarah Palin: Hot Chick in a Short Skirt

Hillary: Dumpy Senior in a Pant Suit

*****************************

Smart and Sexy TRUMPS Short and Socialist

everytime...

[ASA Vet]

Sarah Louise Palin

Born February 11, 1964 in Sandpoint, ID (Meets the Jus Soli Requirement)

Parents were
Charles R Heath, born in ID
Sarah Sheeran, born in WI

Both parents were US Citizens at the time of her birth (Meets the Jus Sanguinis Requirement)

Sarah Palin is a NATURAL BORN CITIZEN unlike Barry Soetoro aka Barack Hussein Obama.

[reformjoy]

Yeah, it’s amazing that this was even an issue!

Of Course, all Presidential Candidates should
supply proof of being born in the USA.

And the proof should be open information,
not just “supplied” to someone like the Sec. of State.

Oh Yeah, our Sec. of State is Hillary Rodham Clinton
and she’s a possible candidate in an upcoming bid...

Who is going to CHECK OUT Hillary on this issue?

herself??

[Sen Jack S. Fogbound]

I remember one comment Sarah made sometime way back.

She indicated that she would run if the people wants her to be their leader. They have to want her! That’s the key to her thinking!

That is why the Bus Tour! An excellent way to find out if the people want her firsthand!

I would say sometime by July 4 or Labor Day!

[ASA Vet]

Of Course, all Presidential Candidates should supply proof of being born in the USA.

It would be better if they proved they are NATURAL BORN CITIZENS, ra^ther than just born here.

[lentulusgracchus]

Smart and Sexy TRUMPS Short and Socialist everytime...

Well, if Sarah is going to end up debating either TOTUS or Beastwoman for all the marbles (assuming Beastie challenges and succeeds, which is doubtful), Sarah had better start using her good-grades machine to start wonking up some likely issues.

When Beastwoman sails a question at Sarah's head along the lines of, would Sarah nominate to the Fed someone who'd expressed enthusiasm for QEⁿ, Sarah had better be ready to discuss quantitative easing and Fed policy. She might even think about whether she wants the Fed to continue! (That'd get all the Paulbots warm and mooshy, lol. OTOH, it could be worse than to have a swarm of Paultards catch fire for some Sarah campaign legwork -- God knows they're dedicated.)

When Katie Needle-in-the-Eye Couric came after Sarah in that interview, it was not generally known that Katie had spent something like 36 hours closeted with former Sen. Sam Nunn (ex-chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee) and a couple of heavyweights from the CFR (including Mr. Haas, who is CFR Numero Uno these days). All that for one or two questions -- I'd like to see Katie handle a spitball someone else had been greasing up like that for a couple of days, but there you are.

[Forty-Niner]

“Do you like Lima beans? How about Brussels sprouts?

If you dislike either of them, does that mean you are afraid of them?

Or does it just mean that you dislike them?”

lolololol I don’t like either Lima’s or Brussels, don’t fear them either: therefore I don’t spend all my waking hours trying to destroy them in the minds of others.... like the Dems/MSM/etc. do with Sarah! Do they fear her? You bet they do gauged upon their obcession with her.

Missed again ‘gunner?