Palin In 2012? Pundits Speculate

Marc Ambinder suggests:

There's a suspicion in some McCain loyalist precincts that Gov. Sarah Palin is beginning to play the Republican base against John McCain -- McCain won't let her campaign in Michigan...McCain won't let her bring up Jeremiah Wright... McCain doesn't like her terrorist pal talks....

Think ahead to 2010...2011...2012.

Palin is ambitious. Very ambitious.

And if she wants the job, she's easily the frontrunner to become THE voice of the angry Right in the Wilderness. She is a favorite of talk radio and Fox News conservatives, and speaks their language as only a true member of the club can. (Her recent Limbaugh interview was full of dog whistles that any Dittohead would recognize. Including her actual use of the word ditto.)

New York Magazine has rounded up more speculation on a Palin presidential run. Johnathan Chait agrees with Ambinder that Palin is already distancing herself from McCain and boldly predicts that she will be the next nominee. Chris Cilizza says Palin has already "hinted ... that she is almost assured to be a presidential candidate if the GOP ticket comes up short."

A skeptical Noam Scheiber says there's no chance: Palins's got no organization and she doesn't wear well over time. Tom Edsall wrote for the Huffington Post recently that voters have already soured on Palin. But conservative blogger Ross Douthat argues that those numbers won't stop her:

Sarah Palin might well be a formidable contender for the GOP nomination in 2012 even if she's massively unpopular with the sixty-five percent of America that doesn't vote in Republican primaries. In an Obama-era GOP, where the various factions and candidates are competing for control of a increasingly purist rump, isn't hard to see a scenario in which Palin unites evangelical voters and talk-radio conservatives - constituencies that split between Huckabee and either Romney or Fred Thompson, respectively, in 2008 - and rides that bloc to victory against a field that's just as divided as it was in '08.

Comments

[mooses4obama]

She will have been prosecuted (and hopefully in prison)/ disgraced by 2012

[portwes]

Oh, yes PLEASE! Our wildest dreams come true, the gift that just keeps on giving!

Sarah Palin, Republican Presidential Candidate, 2016.

Us Dems could run Winnie the Pooh against her and win!

SNL would have scripts writing themselves, no, wait, just run excerpts from her speeches and give your writers a few months off!

Katie Couric comes out of retirement for more take-no-prisoner interviews!

[fanno]

Sarah Palin will never give up hope. that, and a few more children, will prepare her for the job.

[justafarmer]

ROTFLMAO!
Just what on earth has she got going for herself THIS time around?
I'm a Republican who had already put my money (literally) on Obama and then McCain unveiled her as his running mate? She's been a complete nightmare & embarrassment from the beginning.
Why on earth would I even consider her in 2012? That's stupid!

[peterhowitt]

You are clearly rational and would choose a candidate based on their worth and judgement as you have this time around, so it is possible that you could possibly vote for a reasoned skillful republican again as most open minded people could - and you clearly and correctly do not consider her to be that.

But she appeals to people a lot less stable than you are - and that is her base.

[pokemon]

IF she survives the issues in Alaska, and if she reads allot of history, political news, catches up on economic news, and works on a few things maybe she could run. But, and this is a big but, she better keep the looks up cause that is what got her here in the first place, not her brains.

I agree with the past comment, she has had the 15 minutes, unless she maintains some sort of political presence I doubt she will move from house wife to the highest political office.

[firewmn]

*******
She won't even get out of the primaries...!!

Bring it baby...

*********

[firewmn]

*******
She won't even get out of the primaries...!!

Bring it baby...
*********

[ikickss]

I want Palin to be Repub nominee for 1012 for the entertainment value :)

[Athena4000]

I am the mother of two autistic children and I listened to this woman speak about special needs children, research and her "plans". The ONLY thing she MAY be prepare to do is get ready to strap on her boots a little tighter and get ready for the ride she's going to be on with her own child. You have to do a LOT of fighting and advocacy for your children ESPECIALLY if they're special needs. If there is anyone who still thinks that this woman should be in line, in any way shape of form for the highest office in our country, then they ARE special needs and need advocacy.

[ILibertine]

If I were a pundit I would be betting on Romney in 2012, right now. Palin may excite a certain base, or somehow manage to stay visible and audible in the upcoming years. However, were I a Romney supporter I would be thinking hard about what his chances might have been had he been the candidate in 2008 with an economic resume. Then I would be thinking that Obama will have an almost impossible task with huge debt left from Bush and a level of hope that may be difficult to sustain, given how much has been broken. It may be quite awhile before there is appreciable economic improvement or change in everyone's buying power. I'll think, "that's a perfect scenario" - Obama assumes the blame for Bush and, come 2012, Mitt rides in with the resume to win all of the vexing challenges the Democrats could not. Romney/Bachmann (better believe she has seen Palin's rise and has eyes) .

It took FDR more than one term to repair Hoover and I wonder whether we have the equivalent patience in this generation. For anyone to believe that Palin represents a constructive, rather than self-defeating, direction for the country is, well, almost un-American; and I don't think there will be sufficient numbers in the future for her to gain any more support than Huckabee got.

[nextpres08]

That's fine...and once again I will not vote for her.

[lunchlady]

Ahhhhhhh! Please no more Palin! I might have to stop looking at all sources of media and entertainment.

[ChunkyMunky]

I hope she runs in 2012. She will be disgraced and all these people spouting her greatness will be forced to admit what they cannot say right now. She is a disaster.

[hotwire]

Disaster? The way I see it if not for Palin, McCain would be 20 points behind by now. Face it,she is keeping him in this race. If McCain wins this thing it will be because of her. I do believe she will be the next GOP nominee. She definitly appeals to the Conservitive base. Liberals see Sarah Palin as a threat. That's why we see all the continuous attacks against her. God knows Obamas campaign has done everything they can to discredit her but, she just won't go away.

By the way, has anybody seen Joe?

[MadJeffersonian]

The Obama campaign has pretty much ignored her. It is the press that won't let it go.

As far as 2012, if her narrow view and blind ambition (without knowledge and intelligence on any issue) are the best the GOP can do in 4 years, they are in trouble. Where are the centrists and moderates? Every Republican to the left of her, and that appears to be quite a few, would do well to take back their party.

With either party being dominant, this country will be in trouble. We need a strong opposition party to 'check and balance' the party in power. Otherwise you get a corrupt party with corrupt people, a corrupt system, and a big mess with the rest of US paying the price.

[ChunkyMunky]

Do you believe that in four years if Palin is running against the likes of Bobby Jindal that she will even come close to getting the nomination on her own?

[BigSurf]

They can give her a reality show, the whole family sits on the front porch and sees who can spot the most Russians.

[repubsrbad]

or have the most babies...oh, sorry, I wrote that out loud....

[95flhtcu]

She's a joke now and all you'll remember next year is the SNL skits. That, and how utterly stupid she is.