Don't Count Saint Sarah Palin Out for President in 2012!

Don't write off Saint Sarah all you political pundits, press smartypants, and Washington insiders. You're out of touch with the men and women who love Sarah Palin--always have been and clearly will be. In your mind--Mr. Rove, Mr. Steele, and Mr. Huckabee--Sarah Palin has thrown away her chance to take the White House by handing in her resignation as governor. That's not what presidential candidates are supposed to do. They're supposed to toil away for years--decades, even--as senators or governors--before announcing their candidacy on the long haul to The Big White House.

Well guess what, boys--election rules are now made to be broken. Didn't you all just watch Barack Obama steal the White House right out from under the feet of the establishment-anointed Hillary Clinton? And he did it by forging a new path to the presidency based on an enormous grass roots movement that got its momentum from regular folks.

Oh yeah. Sounds familiar. Well Sarah Palin, despite her Katie Couric missteps, is no dumb bunny. The lady from Wasilla didn't leapfrog from nowheresville to Alaska governor by accident. She is a canny operator in her own right, with the ability to understand and embody the opinions of her audience. And they already like her better than before!

A new nationwide USA TODAY/Gallup Poll has found that two-thirds of Republicans want Palin to be "a major national political figure" in the future. In fact a whopping 71% of Republicans say they'd likely vote for her if she ran for president in 2012. And this poll was done after her resignation!

In fact, announcing her resignation on the eve of Independence Day wasn't done so the deed could slide under the radar of a long holiday weekend.

No way. She did it BECAUSE it WAS Independence Day and she wasn't really announcing a resignation. No, she was actually proclaiming "my independence...no more politics as usual."

When Sarah Palin shared the presidential campaign trail with Mr. Maverick himself, John McCain, she quickly learned that The Maverick is still a path with enormous appeal to the conservative small government crowd. That crowd still gets teary-eyed over the belief that every man or woman can make it for him or herself with just spit, vinegar and hard work. No need for government intervention. And don't forget, Obama won the presidency because he was the Maverick Democrat.

Now, the Lipstick Pitbull is banking on the fact that over the next 3.5 years there will be a behemoth of a backlash against Big Government, Big Spending, and Big Big Deficits--all the things that she and her supporters abhor.

And you know what--she's probably right. No matter how successful Obama's policies for routing a recession, there will be a swing back to the ideal that less government is more. America is just like that--cycles happen.

In the meantime, Saint Sarah can spend her time advancing her "higher calling" out of office. She made it very clear in her resignation speech that she has a mission and a missionary's fervor.

In her own words, she is done with conventional "politics as usual." Big Government spending is "amoral." She needs to "BUILD UP" and "FIGHT" for our country. She will support others who "seek to serve for the RIGHT reasons."

Sarah sees herself as the Joan of Arc for hardworking "average Americans." And like saints and missionaries of the past, when you have a calling that necessitates taking a bigger, more important road than regular roads, then you can't be bothered by accusations of "frivolous ethics violations," or by the typical "blood sport of the national political process."

I don't agree with critics that claim Sarah was speaking gobeldy gook when she was announcing her resignation. No, she was saying exactly what she wants to do. And it's clever.

No more time wasted on unproductive opposition that she would face in office. Instead, she'll take her message successfully on the road. And whether she's a new fox at Fox or reads speeches in front of sold-out auditoriums, Sarah Palin does know how to speak in a way that emotionally connects with her audience.

So beware to all Republicans and Democrats who count her out of the 2012 presidential race. These are unprecedented times, and unprecedented approaches that are not politics as usual will work. Saint Sarah has years now to go grassroots and spread her gospel. And guess what? It could work!

Photos: AP

For more on Sarah Palin, follow Bonnie on Twitter at www.twitter.com/bonniefuller.

 

Follow Bonnie Fuller on Twitter: www.twitter.com/bonniefuller

Comments

[reasonshouldrule]

This piece was not persuasive. First of all, yes, there are political cycles, but they usually run more than 3-5 years. Second, Palin does not appear to be very intelligent, is certainly inarticulate, and has deficits of knowledge in many areas necessary to be a major political player, such as civics, history, the constitution,.....need I go on? The poll cited is not believable because it doesn't at all correspond with all the other polls and information currently being reported on Palin's popularity. The only positives I can think of for Palin is that she is attractive, has energy, and some degree of charisma. That's not enough for most Americans, however, when they choose a president.

[freemarie]

Dream on, it's not going to happen.

[demomntgirl]

Sarah Surrender...
would walk away from the Presidency....
b/c China was looking for a supreme ruler...
and she would believe...
THAT IS ME!

She might stir up a fire...
but there is no WAY she will ever be President Sarah Palin!!
She is uneducated, inarticulate, has no poltical savvy, no foreign knowledge,
doesn't understand the constitution, the supreme court,
OR the newly formed
DEPARTMENT OF LAW .....there in the White House!
Please! She might rev up the fringe nutjobs...but when it comes time to vote...
no way...
no how would American voters give HER the nod!!

She is BUSHIE in a SKIRT, with HALF HIS BRAIN!!

[KillgoreTrout43]

Republican frontrunners would never give her the nomination. She won't make it past the primaries. If John McCain's mavericky side was so adored by the repubs, how come he lost the election? Having Palin on the ticket helped McCain lose the election.

[tomasedison]

Does anybody seriously think Palin would be able to govern the entire country in any type of fair manner ?

[JessWonderin]

The loony Right doesn't THINK about EFFECTIVE governing - they only likes to listen to Bumper Stickers .

[ECBA88]

It's more that they believe that, except in the case of enforcing morality, "effective governing" in an oxymoron.

[termgirl]

THREE WORDS: GEORGE WALKER BUSH

[AmericanDreamWarrior]

With all due respect Ms Fuller, you've got to lay off the PalinAide! Seriously? Palin? President? If "no more politics as usual" means not finishing anything of substance in your adult life, practicing the now familiar hypocricy of "The Right" will pave the road to the most demanding job on the planet, then sure, she's got a slurpees chance in the Sahara.

During the mid-20th century we had a larger-than-life sense of ourselves. Being "American" equated with the best and the brightest. 50yrs later and the heartland applaudes something ugly, mean-spirited, petty, thin-skinned and proud of their ignorance, synonymous to "Real" Americans. I agree with you that politics is cyclical but I don't believe that we're ready to swing back after 30 years of voting against our economic best interest or our moral center. Public perception is powerful and Republican gifts to the democrats, (Craig, Ensign,Sanford, Palin, ect), 3.5yrs just isn't going to be enough to absorb the ramifications of all these gifts. Americans are simply exhausted from all the hate that oozes out of most Republicans.

So excuse me if I disagree at the potential success of Mrs Palins 2012 dreams of redecorating the Lincoln bedroom. How many ads will start with... "On July 3rd, 2009 the former Governor of Alaska..." before she can't take the critisicm and quits the race?

Nice try though, I'll give you that much. Too bad you didn't have better raw material to work with!

[exoevolution]

"Saint Sarah" - "Joan of Arc" - Yeah right!

You are a comedy writer - right?

[grdavis1019]

Have you lost your mind? The ONLY faction she appeals to is the extreme far right. Anyone with 1/2 a brain sees right through her.

[o4tuna]

What she will become is a major player, if nothing else. I believe her (Sarah) to be the biggest opportunist since, I don't know. She might not win an election, but she could develop a large following, larger than what she has. She is a triumph for feminism. Watch her show up on Fox opposite Letterman or The View. She will have to get the gig down, but that wouldn't be hard for a showoff like her. People have short memories. the people of Alaska will no doubt love her again when she starts selling Alaska on her show. And she will have the chance to be trained on the issues and speak with some seeming authority on them. All of those republican pundits who are baking her now will be all giddy about her. And those men who are looking to be president are going to have to court her for her support. But, she may already be in bed with a presidential hopeful, and have a deal as a team player, with a clearly defined comp package.

[KillgoreTrout43]

I seriously doubt it.

[Rothgar]

It shouldn't surprise anyone that the GOP is moving away from the desires that our founding fathers died for. They've missed 2/3rd of the message of the key document of July 4th.
The declaration of Independence has theme philosphical themes:
1. All people have inalienable rights.
2. People form Governments TO PROTECT these rights.
3. Governments operating with the consent of the majority are the only legitimate ones.
Right Wingers/Libertarians usually stop with point 1. If they address it, they get point 2 backward and seem to have wedge issued their way out of point 3.
We FORM Governments TO PROTECT our rights which is exactly the opposite of the theory espoused by Rush, FOX NOISE, et al. They seem to see the inalienable rights are needing protection from Government. Without Government the strongest rule so most people end up WITHOUT ANY RIGHTS!
The voters rewarded the GOP neglect of obtaining consent with the elections of 2006, and 2008.

[ECBA88]

Thanks for the post, I hadn't thought to put it that way.

[Dengold]

Somebody else "missed" some of the message. Those unalienable rights DO NOT come from any government. The people are, in the immortal words of that document, "endowed by their Creator" with these rights. The Declaration, in reference to those rights, uses the word "secure" rather than protect as the reason governments are formed. The difference is perhaps partly a semantic one, but, regardless of how you interpret that word, it can hardly be stretched to include telling us what light bulbs we can use in our houses, what kind of cars we can drive, or forcing us to pay for someone else's life choices. As for the consent clause, I, as a Libertarian, sing hosannas about it. Anyone, including Rush, O'Reilly, etc., who sees the need to protect our God-given rights to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness FROM government hasn't gotten it backwards at all. They are dead on target. As Big as Rush is, he isn't big enough or powerful enough to take any of those rights away from you or me. But government is big enough and powerful enough. And government is always working to increase its power.

[carygranite]

You are wrong. If government can not tell us light bulb to use then government cannot tell us what kind of paint to use.

If my religion tells me to not treat my child for a simple bowel obstruction why should government intervene? Is that not what you are espousing? That we should not "change a light bulb" if it is harming a child because of "my religion" which is nothing more that an injurious nonsensical personal philosophy. Why then have a constitution at all? Any of it?

We live in a society therefore we must be prepared to give up some individual freedoms - often construed as rights - for the wellbeing of society and our selves.

The words you refer to are not immortal - the constitution IS NOT scripture. That is hyperbole. And whether these rights come from a creator a claim based merely on faith!) they are enforced by government not gOD.

Also, you're claim that "Rush" isn't big enough to take rights away absurdly ignores world history. What a stunningly ignorant statement.

Life isn't perfect. Neither is any government. The effect, in part, of government increasing it's power is government increasing it's effectiveness. Or perhaps to believe that government should have ignored asbestos. Power run amuck?

[dollyfedup]

It's amazing how people think she has the intelligence of Obama to run an effective campaign to the presidency. She can't just get republican votes to win the presidency!

[ECBA88]

That is the rub, dolly. Even with the best campaign team money can buy, Ms. Palin could possibly win the nomination, but I can't imagine what she'd have to do (or what Obama would have to screw up and then be suddenly and miraculously unable to talk his way out of) to get the Independent support needed to win the Presidency.

[BigSlick674]

She will be as successful at getting into the Oval Office as she was in getting Letterman taken down.

Bwahaha. Tweet!

[Ivar]

Big slick: so so true. Bonnie Fuller..."Vault her into the oval office"??? You obviouslly have as much moxy as Sarah Palin. I doubt that she can find the oval office.

[AlaninElkGrove]

unfortunately, she can see it from her house...

[TRYKER]

Sounds like Ms Fuller is on assignment, writing "for" the wonderfulation of Sarah Palin again.
If Sarah's first few "paid appearances" raise a notable amount of cash, she might attract more requests. Its all about how much money she can raise...the big dogs are going to have to pay up though, because the guns and religion adorers aren't rolling in greenbacks. All Bible with no thump.
They could all be Joe The Plumber, who wasn't a Joe or a plumber, or employed, but who loved the camera and microphone and cheerleading for...whatever Rush said. Put a flashy sexy Grandma in front of them and they gun their engines, gearing up to vote. They're loud, they're proud, but will they really matter?
Isn't there some sort of history of a hex once you make the cover of TIME Mag? Once that height has been reached, the downturn is on the way? Wasn't it Jeff from Amazon that made the cover just before the great crash where AMZN tanked? Well, we'll see.

[DeeW]

That is one scary hypothisis. Not sure I'll be able to sleep tonight.

[flurryup]

Anybody can run. Winning has always been the key. H ell no, and look fuller, stop teasing the moro nic right.

[carygranite]

Right. They like to say that the left is afraid of her. Afraid if her ideas, yes. It is the gob establishment that is afraid if her. Because they fear she could win the nomination and they know she cannot win the general election.

[Richrdh]

The article was obviously written about another republican and not SP. Or else it was written by SP. Who could even make up a story about SP like that unless it was SP. I found myself laughing at the irony and the satire in this story. A fairy tale. Paid for by the ex beauty queens seeking higher offices and higher callings. Did you hear that, did they call my name?

[jazzman]

Bonnie Fuller is correct.

In this day of celebrity, Sarah Palin is tailored made for our political culture. She has that unique combination of charsima, sexuality, home spun folksiness, religion and presence that can tap into the resentment and hostility that lies just below the surface of conservative people who feel that they are being ignored or are under attack by the government. Issues abound like layoffs, cut back in services, fees and taxes, government bailout of Wall Street or government take over of GM that feed the paranoia of people who see a socialist government choking off their freedom.

Many of these same people think immigrants and people of color are getting an advantage at their expense. They see their precious pro-life and pro-family agenda being destroyed through abortion rights and gay marriage. They fear that the black man will take away their guns. They believe that the President might be a secret Arab or a terrorist or he’s a front man for the Jews who are controlling the world through the banking system.

Palin has the charisma to channel all that anger and resentment. She becomes them. When she attacks she vents their frustration for them. When she is attacked she vicariously carries the humiliation that all the under-educated conservatives or fundamentalist Christians feel in regards to how the ‘elite’ look down on them. She is a fighter and victim all in one.

Don't underestimate this woman.

[KillgoreTrout43]

Please let her be the republican nominee. She would insure a dem victory. The republican party has diminished greatly in the last few years. Palin appeals to the lunatic fringe of the party. The ones who are easily lied to. That's not near enough to get her elected.

[Virginia Plain]

I agree. This woman (and her husband) are canny operators.

If Reagan and Bush could get elected, anything is possible.

[grdavis1019]

She won't even get the rep. nomination. Get a grip

[S22]

And that is EXACTLY what we DON'T need: more divisiveness.

[IndyGirl19]

I agree with what you say and I don't underestimate that Palin will be a very powerful candidate within her target audience. However, her audience is a minority and growing smaller every year. She'll never appeal to the rest of us normal people. We can spot a phoney.