There's been some chit-chat lately on the internets suggesting that Sarah Palin's endorsement of moderate Republican gubernatorial candidate Terry Branstad -- who's seeking a return to the Iowa statehouse after serving as the state's 39th governor -- as a sign that she intends to run for President. I don't see it that way.
Why she'd give up a relatively easy life of lucrative speaking engagements and punditry to take on a difficult job that would naturally bring about the intense media scrutiny she studiously avoids does not exactly compute. This looks more like Palin is just looking to get behind a sure-winner: Branstad is really well-liked in Iowa, has been the front-runner in his primary and the favorite to unseat Democrat Chet Culver.
Still, Palin dropping the cush life to run America? Unusual things can happen! And hey, "Unusual things can happen" are the exact words that Branstad used to describe the news that Palin had endorsed him, to the mirth of his supporters:
[WATCH]
Asked if he'd return an endorsement, Branstad laughed and said, "I'm not taking sides in that. I've got an election ahead of me and I'm working on that. We'll welcome them all to Iowa. We want them all to come to Iowa and spend money."
Palin's Facebook fans offered some mixed reactions to the news, who, as you might expect, prefer the insurgent candidacy of Bob Vander Plaats. A representative sample:
NOT HAPPY WITH THIS ENDORSEMENT! Just shows that Sarah has become just another party hack! Brandstad IS NOT CONSERVATIVE, He raised taxes and appointed a pro-choice lt. gov., Joy Corning! He also appointed 3 of the Iowa Not-So-Supreme Court Judges that unleashed homosexual marriage on our state! BAD ENDORSEMENT! Vote Bob Vander Plaats!
WOW! This is a stab in the back for conservatives (not republicans) in Iowa! It is a political maneuver designed to shore up the "Big Tent" Republican party. Profoundly dissappointed. Unfortunately, Sarah, I am afraid your true colors (politics as usual) are beginning to show!
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