Huckabee: Palin May Not Be Able To Handle Pressure Of Presidential Run

WASHINGTON — One of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's potential presidential rivals said Sunday that her abrupt resignation won't help her dodge scrutiny. President George W. Bush's chief political adviser said her strategy is, at best, unclear.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said Palin's announcement that she would not seek a second term -- and leave office before finishing her first -- simply doesn't make sense in a conventional political setting.

Then again, the pair said, Palin has never been a conventional candidate and her stunning announcement on Friday is what they have come to expect from the Republicans' 2008 vice presidential candidate.

Huckabee, who ran for president in 2008 and could try again, said her announcement raised more questions than it answered. He said he remains a Palin fan and insisted she continues to be a viable candidate.

But her reason for resigning -- that she was dogged by critics who cost her state millions in legal fees 00 will be a liability for her if she seeks the White House, Huckabee said.

"If that had been the case for me, I would've quit in my first month," said Huckabee. If she's looking to be a national political figure, it's not going to get easier, he said.

"In a primary this is going to be an issue she'll have to face. Will she be able to withstand the pressure?" he asked.

Huckabee and Rove appeared on "Fox News Sunday."

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Comments

[BambooHarvester]

05:35 AM on 07/07/2009

Duh !
~

[clearlythinking]

11:58 PM on 07/06/2009

Sarah Palin won't run in 2012. She is going to be a female Rush. She is an ego maniac who needs to be loved. A radio program is the perfect venue for her. She has a thin skin and can't take any criticism. Huckabee is right, she cannot handle a run for president and her Republican competitor­s would bury her anyway. She is a quitter. The only thing she really completed was one term as mayor, she quit during her second term to run for Lt. Governor. She quit the commission she was on and now has quit governor. Look at all the colleges she quit before she got her degree. She is not ready for prime time and probably never will be.

[ogomezmontes]

05:34 PM on 07/06/2009

Sarah Palin thinks that she is better off going out and speaking and rally the conservati­ves and so make a national name for herself better now without the weight of a Governorsh­ip.In that she is right.The number of forums she can have and the people she can reach for her ultraconse­vative ideas are at the present unknown.Bu­t that they are there,they are there.The Christian Right,the Supremacy Race Nation and other groups that feel marginaliz­ed today will sign with her message.Sh­e has an auditien and her last engagement­s proves it.Their money to be made and people to convince outthere and she is ready and willing to go all hog to do it.

[BetterDeadthanRedState]

05:22 PM on 07/06/2009

Yeah, after all, it turned Hucklerber­ry loony.

[lydiajean]

03:20 PM on 07/06/2009

Rather have Palin than Huckabee

[daedelus]

04:59 PM on 07/06/2009

I'd rather have my fingers chopped off than my eyes gouged out.

[BetterDeadthanRedState]

05:23 PM on 07/06/2009

I'd rather be a hammer than a nail.

[zoboaspi]

02:33 PM on 07/06/2009

Gee Mike, there's a shocker. Way to point out the obvious.

[redsongia]

02:23 PM on 07/06/2009

Mike Huckabee is merely his mortal identity. By nights, he is none other than ... super hero Captain Obvious!

[the964kid]

01:57 PM on 07/06/2009

'Not sure'?? What would make Huckabee sure then??!

[BetterDeadthanRedState]

05:24 PM on 07/06/2009

No doubt reading it between the lines of the Bible.

[pixiepotpie]

01:20 PM on 07/06/2009

If Palin turned around and did an interview stating the Exact thing about Huckabee, it'd be the only words either of them have ever spoken i'd actually believe.

[redsongia]

02:24 PM on 07/06/2009

Being anti-abort­ion is certainly a legitimate personal choice, but it's really not enough to make either of these "folks" the commander in Chief of the United States.

[jabreal00]

12:53 PM on 07/06/2009

It's going to be interestin­g to see how the Palin apologist will spin this. This is irrefutabl­e proof that she is incapable of being POTUS. I do however hope she wins the r.ethu.gli­can primary. Obama would crush her.

[dennissinned]

12:31 PM on 07/06/2009

Aren't you glad you're not running against your idol, SP?

[DianeTreehugger]

12:20 PM on 07/06/2009

Life is hard when you can't kil_l the things you hate, isn't it, sarah? Too bad that your oppressors can't be gunned down from planes, eh?

[dennissinned]

12:16 PM on 07/06/2009

Be a Twitter, not a Quitter. :-)

[ladyearth]

11:29 AM on 07/06/2009

Poor Palin. Al she had to do was take lessons from President Obama. With everything that the Republican­s hve thrown at him, President Obama's response has been calmness, assertiven­ess, and gracefulne­ss.

[gs1432]

04:22 PM on 07/06/2009

Yes and don't forget socialism, putting us more in debt. larger government B.O. appointed czars so that these appointees didn't have to go through congress to be approved. Obama is doing things that are against our constituti­on. Its not looking good for the U S at this time.

[Bongborg]

08:15 PM on 07/06/2009

I'd bet money you have never even read the Constituti­on. If it's not looking good for the US, it's because of folks like you.

[everyman1973]

10:08 PM on 07/08/2009

The captain of the Titanic was also calm, assertive and graceful as he watched his ship sink!

[dmhack]

11:18 AM on 07/06/2009

I find it funny when anyone suggests that Sarah Palin is destined for a spot on FOX. Doing what? Did you hear her incoherent rambling on Friday?
If she got a job on FOX, she'd need writers and a complete script. On her own she is incapable of stringing together a simple logical sentence.