Posted on 11/05/2008 8:55:31 AM PST by Keyes2000mt
A few readers have asked whether I think Sarah Palin will run for the Senate in the future. I think that would be a mistake, for several reasons, not the least of which is that, if successful, the decision would take an unique and popular outside-the-beltway executive and put her inside the Beltway as one of 100 legislators voting on every bill that comes down the pike.
For now, I hope Sarah Palin gets to take a vacation and spend some much-deserved time with that beautiful family. Her experience these past four months must have been simultaneously exhilarating, supremely frustrating, and thoroughly exhausting.
I hope Palin runs for a second term as governor and is reelected. This seems like a likely scenario.
Beyond that, her future is a blank slate. If she decided, after this rollercoaster experience, that she was no longer all that interested in national office, I could not blame her. But I suspect that she realizes the strengths she has and the opportunities that will await her.
The Republican base loves Sarah Palin. Many Democrats instantly loathed her, at least partially because they sensed an almost unparalleled threat; a few couldn’t help but like her even if they disagreed with her. Independents concluded she wasn't ready — not that she wasn't likeable, and not that she wasn't an impressive person, but that she wasn't ready. This flaw can be overcome with time and useful experience.
If Palin wants a future in national office, I hope she takes some time to deeply contemplate where she wants to take the country. I suspect she'll write a book about her experience on the campaign trail; I hope she writes a separate one, when she's ready, about her vision for the country.
She indeed could be the next Reagan; the challenge this time was that she was running as the Ronald Reagan of about 1969, after about two years as governor. It’s easy to forget how much time Reagan spent touring and speaking at General Electric plants, a thousand radio addresses, newspaper columns, etc. He familiarized himself with every major economic, social, and foreign policy topic under the sun, and figured out what he wanted American policy to do and how it should go about doing it. Very, very few political figures think through these key questions so thoroughly. A lot of the Palin criticism was unfair, but the Peggy Noonans of the world have something of a point when they say she has as-yet incomplete political philosophy. Until the end of August, Sarah Palin didn’t really need one; her natural instincts were sufficient to successfully navigate the treacherous world of Alaskan politics.
And there is really no deadline for her interest in national office. Palin is a strikingly young 44 years old. If she runs at Hillary's age, she will be running in 2024. You’re going to hear a lot of buzz about her as a 2012 candidate, but I don’t think that she needs to run in four years. (For now, life will keep her busy – she has an infant to take care of, a son in Iraq, a grandchild on the way and a day job.) I don’t think that love from the Republican base is going to dissipate in four years. She stepped up to the plate and hit the ball as far as she could this time around, and for about two weeks, she helped achieve the near-impossible: putting McCain ahead in a Democratic year.
Every once in a while I think about working on a political campaign, and almost always conclude that I like what I do on the outside too much to ever want to accept the inherent limits of working on the inside. But after the joy of offering a line that ended up in her convention speech, Governor, I’ll make clear the exception. I’ll answer that call anytime.
Sarah’s future holds my love, prayers and support.
She was basically the only reason I pulled the level for McCain.
now that i really think about it, Sarah would be better off not going to DC to spend time in congress. She should work hard to make Alaska a shining example of Republican rule. Senators are OVER RATED.
One of the few silver linings in this election loss is that the Palins get to spend the next four years in beautiful Alaska rather than the DC cesspool. I’m happy for them.
I’m also hoping to move back to Alaska asap. It will be the last bastion of freedom in a world gone mad.
Her political future might be in jeopardy..
She will always (NOW) be linked to the arch weasle John McLaim..
John Mclaim will have no future problems with the Socialist machine..
He has always been PART OF IT..
He can operate nicely with vicious malicious democrats..
Sara Plain may NOT be able to live this down..
Hopefully she was not injected with the socialist disease..
McLaim may have infected her and made HER a carrier..
She needs to BE WATCHED.. the girl might be contagious..
Gov Palin has time to blossom; many of us do forget that Ronald Reagan was considered a joke for many years but he began to travel and shape his core message about government. The parallels are uncanny.
She needs to win another term as governor. And I agree she needs to write her book, formulating her vision for the country. Its important for her to write it even if it isn’t published. She’s been able to run on sheer instinct up to now, but for the next step she needs to distill her thinking.
I’m convinced God has his hand on her.
And this race has been a tremendous experience for her. She did very well, better than almost anyone expected, better almost than anyone else in the race. She was able to project calm and cheer in the midst of all the normal campaign chaos. She always gave the impression that she was enjoying herself, but also you always have the sense that she has a life beyond politics, which she does.
Most politicians give the impression that when the cameras and reporters and toadies leave they are little more than a cardboard cutout, 2-dimensional almost. Not her. Its funny that few if any pundits and reporters picked up on that. The people notice it, though.
You and me both. I just pray she isn’t irrevocably tainted by yoking herself to “the maverick”.
Hopefully she’ll realize just how much we need her and not return to Alaska and a national low profile.
“She was basically the only reason I pulled the level for McCain.”
I agree completely. Sarah was the only spark of hope we had in this campaign. I will not tolerate McCain’s staff (if that happened) denigrating her now. I expect to see Palin backed by the GOP and run for high office in the future, or I will truly consider resigning from the Republican party. Seriously!
I agree with you.
Alaska is the size of Western Europe; Germany, France, Spain, and all of Great Britain combined. She could do very well just to rule her kingdom and leave the cesspool for lesser souls.
The senate is a place for people who like to posture but don't have to step forward and govern. She's a governor.
Just stay up in beautiful Alaska, Gov. Palin. The rest of the country will become a larger version of any major city that is mayored by a liberal.
The O man campaigned on “change”. She gotta write down ALL the benchmarks as of today. Then hit him over the head with them in 2012. I’m pretty sure by the time 2012 comes around there will be no change and very little hope left.
Carter ran against Ford on the Misery Index. Stating no man with a misery index that high (13-14) should have the right to be President.
In 1980 when it was over 20! Reagan beat Carter silly with it.
Let’s see. She was dragged thru the mud by the MSN. Now,
she’s being blamed by some staffers of McCain for losing the election. That’ll make you want to jump into the fray,again.
Ditto.
The article is spot on. Sarah is our Thatcher, our next Reagan. She needs some time to really work on the foreign policy issues, and by, say, 2016, she'll be ready to knock it out of the park.
Maybe after she completes her term as Governor, it'll be time for her to get a Master's in foreign policy, or a MBA. Either way, she's the hope of the new GOP -- the CONSERVATIVE GOP.
Sarah needs to formulate a clear set of her own ideas for moving the nation forward. I can give her a pass for playing the part of a loyal VP this time around but she has to come up with a coherent agenda for 2012 or 2016.
I’ve got to disagree.
She SHOULD run for the Senate, and go to DC and stick their conceit up their .....
After all, you only need 143 days in the Senate to become totally qualified for the presidency.
Sarah needs to stay governor. Senators do not do well in Presidential contests.
She and Bobby Jindal are the future of the Repub party and we need to see her all the time for the next four years. I hope she will pound the pavement for Repubs who are running for office.
I would like to see her get a really good PR operation going.
And please, no more Northeastern Repubs...they don’t get it.
Very insular and liberal.
She should...
- STAY AWAY from the SENATE as FAR AS POSSIBLE!
- Fisnish Governor term and get re-elected to Governor.
- Do speaking engagements
- Campaign for “conservative” candidates running in 2010
- Build support and ‘conservative coalition’ for 2012
- Develop a campaign team for 2012
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