Rumblings of Discontent — on Palin

NRO Corner ^ | 12/3/2010 | Mike Potemra

[Uncledave]

When I see the fervor of Sarah Palin’s fans — and by no means just those who swell the adoring crowds who go to her public appearances — I am convinced that the question is not, “How can she win the GOP nomination?” but “How can she not win it?” When you have anywhere between five and fifteen GOP candidates, all expressing basically the same conservative views, how can anyone other than the only one with the passionate fan base possibly win? And yet: Reading between the lines of what conservative-movement people are saying and writing, there is a great deal of worry about the prospect of a Palin nomination. I would summarize the GOP political writers’ consensus as follows: She must never be criticized, and she must never be nominated.

The most basic underpinning for this view is the notion that she can’t beat Obama, and I think this is a profoundly mistaken assumption. It is based on a too-abstract understanding of the qualifications for the presidency: It holds Palin up against an ideal presidential résumé, and finds her inadequate — which is true enough, but neither fair nor quite relevant. It’s important to remember that in a 2012 general election, she would be confronting not an ideal presidential profile, but an all-too-human flesh-and-blood opponent. The choice between Palin and Obama, phrased in the least flattering (to Palin) possible way, is a choice between a woman who may turn out to be seriously inadequate to the job and, therefore, become a failed president; and a man who has already convincingly demonstrated that he is seriously inadequate to the job and, therefore, already is a failed president. This rather changes the “electability” issue, doesn’t it?

I talked to a savvy GOP politico early this evening, who told me that he believed the Palinmania of her backers — which, as I said above, I consider the gamebreaker for the primaries — will peter out once she goes to Iowa or New Hampshire for the umpteenth time. At that point, he said, she will be seen as just another candidate, and therefore judged on a more even playing field. This commentator knows politics much better than I do, but I remain unconvinced. So far, every gaffe Palin has made and every attack she has endured have only soldered her supporters more securely to her cause. At this point, I think the only way this bond could be broken is through something politically nuclear — the equivalent of Lonesome Rhodes’s famous meltdown at the end of the great 1957 movie, A Face in the Crowd. And anybody who is seriously hoping that, right before the New Hampshire primary, a tape will be released on which Palin is heard referring to Granite State voters as “idiots, morons, and guinea pigs” — well, let me just say that such a person would be letting his hatred of Palin eclipse his common sense.

No, I think the only way Palin will not be the GOP nominee is if she finds a safe, face-saving way to exit the race before the primaries. Some of her supporters may well be working on it: Here is an op-ed, non-ironically titled “Is Sarah Palin Too Good to Be President?” The author says:

Simply, the confines of the presidency may prove too narrow for a name that scales new heights (or, to some, plumbs new depths) in ubiquity and provocation. . . . The iconic images of Sarah the moose-hunter and fisher-woman (many courtesy of her hit TLC show Sarah Palin’s Alaska) and Sarah the tireless, principled and so gosh-darned unpolished campaigner and pundit do not mesh with the duties of the policy wonk in chief, navigating the political terrain, working within the constraints of a one-industry town and facing retirement and decline after a four or eight year apex of public service. Likewise, Teddy Roosevelt, a Republican president with progressive leanings, is as beloved today for his bluster, manliness and war record as he is for his presidential term from 1901-1909.

So she may decide to settle for being a beloved, world-historical figure like TR, and leave the presidency to lesser men (or women!). But there was another politician who faced a similar choice, four years ago: I could be content with the adoring crowds, the bestselling books, the ideological media applauding my every move — or I could go for the presidency. We all know the choice Barack Obama made; and I somehow don’t think — all “quitter” gibes to the contrary — that Sarah Palin has any less fight in her than her fellow basketball player in the Oval Office.

There’s going to be some more split lips before this one’s over.

[Uncledave]

ping a ling

[meadsjn]

When you have anywhere between five and fifteen GOP candidates, all expressing basically the same conservative views,

I wonder what planet this guy is from.

[frogjerk]

Way too much thinking going on regarding the GOP nomination and Palin.

"Palin is too dumb to be the nominee", "she's too polarizing", now "she's too smart to be president"...give me a break!

[silverleaf]

the RINO long knives are out in force

[frogjerk]

When you have anywhere between five and fifteen GOP candidates, all expressing basically the same conservative views, I wonder what planet this guy is from.

Exaclty, who are these people.

[Candor7]

Governor Palin has what it takes.

You can be sure of that.

Its up to her to decide whether she should alter her colloquial methods and go over to statesman speak.

You gotta remember , she is sittin' there in Beck's studio bein' just who she is, a self made American, born without a silver spoon in her mouth, just like we need.This is no time to have insecure penchants because of elitists who sound good and say only what everyone wants to hear. We are far too used to that.

Could she stare down the North Koreans?

" You Betcha!"

Not only that, she would lay a hurtin' on 'em if they pushed like they just have. She would not call the UN. Thats good enough for me. " Stand with our Allies!"( But Obama , you see wants to redefine and revise history, milions will die as a result, Sarah will not allow it in her goodness.)

I think what she says is great, and I love the way she says it.I certainly won't become an apologist for her quality of speech.LOL. But then, I came up through an environment just like hers, with deer and moose hangin' in the wood shed every fall, pickin' fiddle heads , strawberries, blue berries, raspberries and cranberries, fishing for salmon.That's another world from what most Americans know. And it is a good world. That's what her speech quality reminds me about.Sophisticated America has lost touch with the strength of our land, that good earth beneath our feet.That's part of sophisticated America's burgeoning malaise. It is that strength that makes Sarah Palin almost invulnerable.

She is exactly what priggish, overly sophisticated America needs.And that is why the liberal fascists are scared to death of her. Sarah Palin is just not sophisticated enough for them to destroy her. Sophistication equals attack-ability. They can't get a handle on her and so resort to desperate measures of lying, misquoting, scurrilous attacks on her children. She just breezes right through them.Do you get that part? I think its a riot of mal-attempted defamation.No conservative should fall for it.

This attempted defamatory process is also highly entertaining and most Americans actually have evolved to really love her after being entertained.The more she is attacked, the more her support grows.

The enemies of America have a tremendously skilled and effective adversary in Sarah Palin. If she aces liberal fascists like she has shown us , can you imagine how she would handle bad boys like Kim Jong Un? I would pay to see that. As a matter of fact, I WILL PAY to see that, as much as I can afford to, right into Governor Palin's campaign fund.(I may work for her campaign directly, the resume is in.)

BTW, other rustic figures of America where denigrated in the same way as Sarah is today.. There were several, but Congressman David Crockett comes to mind. How many of us think he would NOT have made a good president? Its really laughable. He would have made a fine president.So will Governor Palin.

[frposty]

Palin sought and became Governor of Alaska, an executive job, and has said she will consider seeking the US presidency. I see no evidence that she might back away from seeking the presidency.

[SumProVita]

All of this is STILL in the speculative stages.

Wise people are PRAYING and observing as all of the various candidates begin to emerge.

[Rational Thought]

It's all about power and who the ruling class is.

They're deeply fearful of the Tea Party movement and it's unofficial leader, as this is a real threat to them. The next couple of years are likely to be very ugly as controlling bureaucracies never relinquish power quietly.

[yetidog]

“The choice between Palin and Obama, phrased in the least flattering (to Palin) possible way, is a choice between a woman who may turn out to be seriously inadequate to the job and, therefore, become a failed president; and a man who has already convincingly demonstrated that he is seriously inadequate to the job and, therefore, already is a failed president. This rather changes the “electability” issue, doesn’t it?”

Why would either party put forth an actual or potentially “seriously inadequate” candidate when that reality can be easily avoided by electing someone who doesn’t fit that description? There is something very wrong with the nomination and candidate selection process if either Palin or Obama are the presidential choices in 2012.

[SueRae]

Well said!!!

[freespirited]

Governor Palin has what it takes. You can be sure of that.

I'm not sure that she has what it takes to win. Her numbers with independents are not promising.

I like her a lot but am not jumping on the bandwagon until I see evidence that she can win independents. I have no interest in a nominee who cannot defeat the RAT candidate.

[Republic of Texas]

Consider the RINO source.

[glorgau]

Could she stare down the North Koreans?

And do you think she would be bowing to the misogynist Saudi rulers?

[blau993]

I am with you. I like her. She says the right things, and I don’t think it is an act. The “but” is that she is a polarizing figure, and I don’t know if greater exposure during the primaries is going to help her win over the independents or simply deepen the divide. Getting Obama out of office is the most important goal. Going down in idelogiocal flames isn’t going to get us there. So, I am in “wait and see” mode on Governor Palin. She was the only good thing to happen in 2008, but I am not ready yet to jump on the bandwagon for her.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

[thedudesatx]

“When you have anywhere between five and fifteen GOP candidates, all expressing basically the same conservative views”

LOL

[GeronL]

When you have anywhere between five and fifteen GOP candidates, all expressing basically the same conservative views

Hahahahhahahahahahaha

There are a bunch in there that support open borders and some who back RomneyCare, etc.

[dirtboy]

Exaclty, who are these people.

Four years from now, Mitt Romney will be president of the United States.