Posted on 07/03/2011 7:57:06 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Rick Perry and Sarah Palin aren't stupid, no matter what you might think of them. They are riding a comet, and they are in no hurry to get off.
I'm talking about the possibility of running for president.
Neither one will probably take the plunge. Given the realities of modern campaigning and fund-raising, they'd already be in this thing if they were serious about it. Both are content in their real jobs - Perry as governor of a huge state, Palin as a money-making-machine and voice of the hard Right.
But why stop the fun?
As long as they are referred to as "possible" candidates, they have an influence that just can't be beat.
Every speech and political move they make is followed with enthusiasm by the 24-hour news cycle. Witness Palin's earlier bus tour of the East Coast. If she were officially a non-candidate, she'd attract little or no coverage for a stunt like that. But her bus was eagerly followed by packs of reporters who hung around her just in case something happened, like an announcement that she was running.
Turns out nothing happened, except she muffed the reason for Paul Revere's ride. ("Hey, you British! The British are coming!")
It's possible that a wavering candidate can attempt a what-the-heck late fling that defies all the conventional wisdom about how to run for president, but that's risky. It probably won't succeed, and you will probably look like an idiot when your candidacy inevitably craters.
That undoes everything that the earlier tease built up - that you are a serious person who deserves to be considered for the most important job on earth. In the case of Palin, who is wavering on the edge of respectability, that's a mistake you don't want to make.
No, this is something you want to stretch out as long as possible. You give major speeches on important issues. You go to meetings and conventions you'd otherwise blow off. If national interest is waning, you hint that you might be jumping in after all.
And it's always possible, of course, that lightning will strike and party elders will beg you to ride to the rescue if no strong contender emerges. In Perry's case, this raises his stock for a VP selection, though he probably doesn't want that either.
Eventually, the game will end. A front-runner will emerge, or the primary season will be so close that the Hamlet act runs out of steam.
But for a few weeks, or a few months, you are one of only a handful of people who might someday be ... the president of the United States. That's a heady feeling, and in fact you'd almost be a fool not to flirt with the idea.
Besides, if nothing else, you can always tell the grandkids about it some day.
His back surgery has been done so he should be feeling better when he gets in.
All our Texas “conservative” newspapers are doing their part.... Can we all say “yeller dog journalism”?
Stopped reading right there. This makes the article nearly worthless imo.
Cynical people, think cynically, that’s why they keep saying (and wishing) Palin won’t run. All the while, they know and believe otherwise.
Perry understands the gravity of this particular race. Those who dally around will wind up stuck on the outside.
“Perry does look like he is getting ready to take the plunge.”
Won’t hurt to have this image out there, in case Palin chooses him for vp.
This guy’s boss told him to write something on the Repub. candidates.
Truly, I had no idea how many clairvoyants are out there.
Right?
Palin wasn't asked "the purpose" of Paul's ride.
“Palin as a money-making-machine and voice of the hard Right.” I stopped right here.
That is exactly where I stopped reading. The media with their known propaganda to persuade - and no matter how long they have done this - idiots eat their crapola.
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