I don’t think anyone needs to be ‘behind’ the speculation that Sarah Palin is of shaky intelligence since she’s provided enough of that evidence herself; the last thing Republicans need now is a party leader whose intellect is questionable.

Now, while I don’t believe anyone is behind ‘rumors’ of her inadequacy, I would think the most likely person to be so would not be Mitt Romney, but Mike Huckabee. Team Huck has proven twice that they personally go after opponents who are in their way. Exhibit A is his extended stay in the primary even though he was mathematically eliminated before Romney got out–only staying on to continue to syphon ‘conservative’ votes from Mitt, foiling a mormon’s odds. Exhibit B was his team continuing the same effort to deny Romney the VP nod by virtue of that mysterious anti-Romney for VP group that just so happened to consist of overwhelmingly ‘former’ Huckabee folks. Now, Sarah Palin’s appeal doesn’t threaten to elbow in on people who are attracted to Mitt Romney. However, she’s a huge, destructive, checkmate threat to Mike Huckabee since they each speak to the social conservative and religious right factions of the base who aren’t so much conservative in politics than they are pro-Life crusaders and down-home culturalists. Palin is far more viable, nationally, than Mike Huckabee ever could be because her appeal to the same segment is of national relevance whereas the Huck was merely a regional name. Huckabee probably believes he has a chance in 4 years even though his choice to hire a Hollywood agent and do a Fox show isn’t exactly a smart way to keep your hat ringside, but sure as he would love to run again if for no other reason to thwart Mitt Romney again, he will have to eliminate Palin since the two of them would potentially water down the culturalist vote, yielding Mitt Romney the nomination, ironically.

So, if there’s a political personal destruction crime, I’d look to the one who has committed it twice already before looking to anyone else, especially when the victim is a threat to the criminal.

Thank you Kathy, Someone else is finally saying something about Mitt Romney’s vastly greater appeal across the spectrum of GOP voters. i worked on Mitt Romney’s campaign before and up to the NH primary and we had hundereds of people and give their time to help Mitt win the primary. most candidates either do well in NH or Iowa not both but he came in second in both primaries and was competitive in the North East, the west, The mid west and the south. he is the one to lead the party for the next four to eight years not Gov.Palin, as much as i respect and admire her.

I find it difficult to imagine Mitt Romney behind the personal attack agenda. Frankly, though I’m a lifelong Democrat, I might have voted for McCain had he chosen Romney. I believe that Romney represents the future of the Republican Party, not the hate-mongering, narrow-minded, intellectually challenged Palin.

I would suspect Huckabee, rather than Romney, is trying to do in Palin. I think he ran the most mean spirited campaign of all of the Republicans and although I consider myself to be conservative, I just don’t like Huckabee. I sure know that we need better choices than we had in the past primary.

Personally, I’d like to see David Petreaus run for the office in 2012 paired with a governor. I still can’t believe we had to chose between two Senators in 2008.

And I hope Team McCain is bagging groceries. I can’t imagine who would want to hire them.

It would not surprise me that Republicans would want her to run in 2012.
Unless a major earth shattering catastrophe were to arise in the next 4 years I find it hard to believe that a President Obama up for re-election would be hard to stop from being re-elected. People in general would rather let a person serve the 8 years than make a switch after 4 years. Obama would basically have to be in a Jimmy Carter situation to not get re-elected. So the Republicans will probably throw Palin under the 2012 bus because the only people she appeals to is the party base and Evangelical right. She would have a hard time winning but it would allow the GOP 8 years to regroup and regain strength. I think the next 4 years will be partly spent with a Republican civil war with all the factions at odds with one another. They’ll need more than 4 years to regroup.

Ron, interesting comments but I disagree strongly on one point. Sarah does NOT seem to be like Reagan. He traveled the country for many years speaking to growing crowds on the philosophies of the founding fathers and the inspired form of government that they gave us. He was not the simpleton that the media portrayed. Yes, the media portrays Sarah that way, but the American people had many years of knowing Reagan so they knew otherwise. In his prime he never faltered even in the most demanding interviews. Reagan knew the world and the struggle that dominated it. He knew about freedom and how it was won. He could explain in detail how it is surrendered by pandering to the masses. Yet he could still inspire and call the masses to be a better nation. He could give a reason for everything he believed. Sarah? Sarah is NOT Reagan.

Trailman, Ronald Reagan was not a policy wonk. He faltered in the first debate with Mondale in 84 looking like a dummy, although he recovered. Patt Schroeder who was powerful congresswoman compared Reagan to an amiable dunce. The problem was Reagan was a great communicator and was a man who was feared but liked. Sarah is well on the way to reaching Reagan’s stature. Sarah is not dumb, she was not ready to be President. Sarah was running as a moderate. She was hamstrung by the McCain operatives. She was repeating ideas that she did’t believe. Sarah doesn’t believe in embryonic stem cell research or the economic bailout. She believes in what Ronald Reagan believed in. She was not allowed to be herself and express her own viewpoints and philosophy. I do admit that she can never again allow a reporter to control an interview like Katie Couric even if it is a woman. This is a woman who pulled herself up by the bootsraps from a poor family. Katie Couric’s goal in her interview was to destroy Sarah. Sarah I admit was stumped on the Sumpreme Court decision question. Even if she had gave an answer I expected Katie to force her to explain the decision in detail to try an embarras her. Sarah will come back nastier, smarter, and better prepared. They question will be during the 2012 election is that is Sarah ready to be President. America will have already disqualified Obama. The answer will be yes. I expect Sarah to stay as Governor of Alaska and surround herself with heavy hitters in the political arena. Dick Morris loves her and despises Obama and she should hire him. Ed Rollins who ran Reagan’s 1984 re-election campaign is gushing and wetting his pants to be her 2012 campaign manager. He knows Ronald Reagan re-incarnated when he sees it. Sarah needs to become an expert on foreign policy over the next 2 and half years. She can formulate her socio-economic policies in 2011. The 2012 election will be won on national security which Obama will fail miserably at.

Ron, read “Reagan, In His Own Hand” by Free Press. You can see in his own writings who he was and what he understood. No, he was never a “wonk” but he had a masterful and in-depth vision of what America should be. You are definitely wrong in your understanding of him. Again, Palin is not even close. Maybe she can get MUCH closer but it won’t happen as fast as you wish. By all means, let her prepare and stretch herself. We certainly need more than sound bites.

What people and the MSM keep failing to understand about Sarah Palin is that although in her personal life she appears to be a champion of social issues, she does not have a history of pushing these social issues as governor.

The real Sarah is a bipartisan, get the problem solved, government reform, take down the old boy’s network, energy independence, fiscal conservative. Dems like her too in Alaska, although because she had to be Mac’s attack dog, there has been a temporary decrease in that popularity.

If the country club Repubs. understood this, they would embrace her. They don’t because they tend to be elitist, intellectual, lazy in getting the truth about Sarah. Articulateness and intellectualism are what are important to them.

Both sides need to get away from both extremes and get the true story on Palin. Analyze her work in Alaska to get an idea about what her philosophy is. She is NO knee-jerk paleocon. although she is a down to earth PTA/hockey mom. That may make you less intellectual, but don’t make you a knuckledragger either.

The real Sarah is actually a pretty charismatic person and nowhere near the right-winger the MSM and the GOP establishment portrays her.

Trailman wrote:
“Dick Morris loves her and despises Obama and she should hire him. Ed Rollins who ran Reagan’s 1984 re-election campaign is gushing and wetting his pants to be her 2012 campaign manager.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Interesting…both of these people you recommend have ties to Huckabee. Morris with Huckabee during the Clinton years, and Rollins ran Huckabee’s presidential campaign. How’d that work our for Huckabee? After Rollin’s left the Huckabee campaign he stated that, indeed, Huckabee’s infamous cross commercial was done intentionally, despite Huckabee’s claims otherwise. I would never trust Huckabee, Rollins, nor Morris in a hundred years!

Trailman, get over it Romney is finished. Obama would destroy him. Romney flip flopped on gay rights as Governor of Massuchusetts, he increased taxes on the wealthy. He was a horrible campaigner in 2008. McCain and Huckabee hated his guts because he acted like a spoiled rich guy. His speech at the convention was horrible. He looked like a spoiled brat who wasn’t given his allowance after Palin was anointed the chosen one. I do believe he is smart but he is a country club Republican. McCain wanted to pick Jindal but he was too scared to enter the arena and thought about his political future. The next alternative was Palin. McCain was being pressured by Rove and Bush to pick Romney. McCain is no fool and decided that Romney can’t be trusted. Also, his Mormonism is a turn off to Bible Belt conservatives as well as Hispanics. A majority of conservatives would stay home and Hispanics would vote 80% for Democrats. The 2012 race will be between Palin and Jindal. Palin is not going to do hostile interviews with Meet the Press/MSNBC/or ABC until she is comfortable talking about foreign policy which will probably be 2010. I am sorry if this dissapoints you. She will not asked tough policy questions by the MSM until she is ready. She will be handled correctly in order to rebuild her image. Her interviews will probably be with Greta van susteren, Sean Hannity, and CNBC. Ronald Reagan graduated from Euereka college with a degree in journalism or liberal arts I believe. George W Bush has a MBA from Yale but is as dumb as a tree. Mike Huckabee will enter the race only if Romney enters just to kick his behind along with Palin. Any woman brave enough to tell the American people the truth about Obama when she hinted Obama is unpatriotic is my kind of woman. Also, are you anti-woman?

Trailman, all I am saying is lets show the lady some courage and gratitude. Jindal was afraid to take McCain’s offer. Lieberman and Ridge were non-starters with the GOP base. Sarah gave the GOP hope. This is a tough lady and I believe she knows she let McCain down by costing him a couple of states like Ohio and Florida. But this lady is tough and she will come back with a vegeance. We must not destroy our own like the Dems and media did to Hillary Clinton. She is a sad sight right now. The Dems threatened her with her career if she didn’t support Obama after the primaries.

Sarah Palin is the greatest hope that the REAL
Republican party has in 2012. The country club, good old boys know that she is a mighty force and that’s why they are trying to destroy her. The Republican party has to evolve and unfortunately those past corrupt, porkers, spend-like-no-tomorrow, center left, guys have got to go. The only reason I voted for McCain was because of Palin. The party machine has broken down. It needs a new engine.

Duncan Stewart you are an idiot. You act like Sarah cannot learn foreign policy and develop as well as master a domestic or foreign policy agenda in four years. Her image can be redeemed if she breaks the myth that she is not competent. Obama was so bad as President that if will not be that hard to beat him. Ask yourself this, is Sarah Palin smarter than W. The answer is yes. Bush is as dumb as they come. I remember when Bush was campaigning against McCain in New Hampshire. The guy got on stage to give a speech and was so nervous that he was visibly shaking uncontrollably. No wonder McCain beat his butt in New Hamsphire. One thing Palin has is self confidence in her speaking skills. Bush was groomed to be the nominee for 4 to 6 years prior before running by Pappy Bush. Sarah will need only four years.

I just got my Palin eyewear from Kmart. It looks great. I also have snowmobile sunglasses in a Todd version. Now what was that about some female idiot trying to wrestle National Control of the Party.

I plan to vote Joe Plumber once he finally registers to vote and gets his plumber license. Sometime in 2024 I suppose.

The ongoing destruction of Sarah Palin can be traced to a number of McCain’s operatives whose loyalties clearly lie with George W and Jeb Bush.

Nicole Wallace and her husband owe their careers to Jeb Bush and George Bush. Tracey Schmitt is also a product of Bush political patronage. Steve Schmidt was a lackey for Karl Rove, who destroyed McCain in 2000. Rick Davis was manager of Bush’s 2000 campaign, and his management of McCain’s campaign can best be described as sabotage.

Nobody hates John McCain more than George W Bush, and Jeb Bush is the invisible 800 pound gorilla in the room for 2012.

The “mismanagement” of Sarah Palin by Wallace and Schmitt is so complete that it cannot be assumed to be pure incompetence. Wallace set up the “hide Sarah” strategy, the wardrobe disaster, the Katie Couric debacle, the “diva” leaks, the “rogue” leaks, and now the “Africa-is-a-country” and “What is NAFTA?” leaks.

The blame of Romney on all of this seems like a red herring to me, a theory based on his supposed consuming desire to be nominated in four years. But Romney operatives are NOT in control of Palin. Bush operatives are. Wallace and Davis are likely the guilty parties because they are out mildly defending her, probably on orders from McCain.

Maybe blaming Romney is a smokescreen put up by the Bush brothers. Publicly smearing Romney with that tar will weaken another potential rival to Jeb Bush. George W Bush certainly prefers leaving a path to the Presidency open for Jeb in four years than to elect the hated McCain now and to set up a complete stranger as VP.

Sarah now will have filth and abuse rain down upon her from the liberal MSM, the Romney crowd, and, most importantly, the Bush family.

God Save Sarah Palin!

Sarah Palin has won a major geopolitical economic war with Iran by establishing the building of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. Iran was in the process of creating a natural gas world cartel that would have crippled the USA. The Trans-Alaska Pipeline thwarted that economic danger to the USA.

That’s intellegence.

Romney created a failed socialist health care system.

That’s moronic!

I’ll take Sarah Palin any day of the week!

Ron, we may disagree, but neither of us are idiots. I just cannot believe that the GOP is best served by spearheading 2012 with a candidate who has managed to polarise not only America but the GOP itself. Go back to those exit polls – the voice of actual voters – and they tell us clearly that Palin was a significant drag on the ticket. At times like this the party might best be served by taking its time and looking around further than the candidates from 2008, (Palin, Romney, Huckabee etc) all of whom got variously rejected in open and free elections. Think forward.

Cheers.

For my fellow Republicans who want to hand this party over to Sarah Palin on a tarnished silver platter, allow me to count the ways and reasons she will never get my vote:

1. She is, in fact, of questionable intellect. She speaks like a 14 year old girl obsessed with cell phones, boys and American Idol. Even her response to criticisms of her knowledge she responds that they are “immature” and “jerks.” Is this the response of someone possessing great wisdom? I think not. One who is comfortable with their intellect would require that it be challenged immediately and on the spot in order to decimate such a charge.

2. Religion. She is not a firm believer in the separation of Church and State. She believes that the Iraq war is “of God” and that God will open some cracked door for her to plow through. She is, in my opinion, a religious extremist.

3. Pro-life. I am pro-life and one would think that I would vote for her because of this. However, I would not. For one, it is not reasonable to ban abortion at this time, it may never be reasonable. I am not in favor of desperate women going to back-alley abortionists. For two, it is cruel to force a woman to endure a pregnancy that is no fault of her own. I’m well aware of the counter-argument, but consider it in actual practice. Of actually looking into the eyes of a rape victim and stating that they have no choice. I can’t do it. Can you? And finally, Palin lacks the gravitas to realize that being pro-life also requires you to be anti-preemptive aggressive war and anti-death penalty.

4. Foreign policy. Does she even have the experience or knowledge to have a cohesive foreign policy?

5. Economics. What is her stance aside from “drill, baby drill?” Is she of the Keynesian school? Austrian? Does she know what the various schools of economic philosophy even are? I doubt it.

6. Her gender. I share her gender and would be mortified if she was viewed as representing the best of Republican/conservative women.

7. She is not truly conservative. Conservatives believe in keeping money in the hands of those who earned it, in free markets and in keeping the government out of the affairs of individuals. Do I really need to explain why she isn’t?

All that said, I do like her stance on the 2nd Amendment, though, like her shaky understanding of the 1st Amendment, I doubt she understands the philosophic reasoning of our forefathers behind it.

Even if she did nothing but spend the next 4 years studying history, economics and philosophy, I doubt she’d be prepared to be much more than a delegate. (No disrespect to delegates intended.)

psburton:
Your criticism is unfounded. My belief is that liberals like you would love to run against a candidate like Sarah Palin because she would never win. So, keep on trying to prop her up!

While 64% is enough to nominate a candidate, it is not enough to win an election. As a Republican, I won’t vote for Palin. She lacks significant experience working with Democrats, business experience, international experience, economic experience, etc.

Just finished reading all these posts. I’m afraid I agree with most views that Palin is not up to the job. She is a remarkable person. And, I think she should continue her political career. She just is not presidential caliber. I agree with another post that her shallow depth reminds me of Bush. I think he’s an honorable guy but was never up to the whole job. Palin’s ability to overturn the semi-corrupt good ole boys club of Alaska in no way prepares her for Washington or the World for that matter. Stevenson and his ilk are minor toads. Why can’t we have someone that has lived an honorable life, can speak intelligently, who has persuasive skills, who can inspire, who can demonstrate in their life story how they believe what they say they believe, and who has a reasoned depth of understanding of our heritage of freedom and the problems that face us today?

The allegation I am speaking well of Governor Palin because it serves the interest of the democratic party would I concede be credible criticisms.

Provided of course I had not posted similar observations prior to the election.

The fact is on this Website, DAILY KOS, WORDPRESS and SALON. I was slammed for doing just that. A couple days after she was nominated.

So Oops, like McCain’s brilliant campaign advisers, your slurs tend to bounce back and expose you as shills for establishment hack candidates.