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

[PapaRocks]

Sarah Palin speaks honestly. You may dislike her opinion but as an American you are NOT allowed to dislike that it IS her opinion and not written for her to sell you into believing she actually feels that way.
Politics is what is evil, doing what gets votes. Honesty is what made America. The reason she is loved is Sarah, should not could not, be the politician. How many times does she need to say that to be heard ?

Thats why "they" hate her and want YOU to hate her. She is the symbol of the end of polotics and politicians.
So stop being a mindless lemur and support honest PEOPLE, not politicians, WHATEVER their opinion.
Sarah is just the first. GOD BLESS 'ER !!

[FabulousAt52]

One does not run public office (ANY public office) based on one's OPINIONS.
You run a public office based on government protocol, LAWS, and your knowledge of that protocol and the laws.
One needs to completely understand HOW the system works, whether one wishes to keep it running status quo, or one wishes to change it.

Sarah's OPINION is that fundamental Christianity is "the best" religion around (it's her religion) so should she govern us all believing that Opinion is as good as "law" in an elected government office?
Sorry, don't think so.

Sarah is of the OPINION that "abstinence only" is the best method of teaching young people about sex. That is not MY opinion, nor the opinion of a vast majority of voters in this country....
so should she govern us all by believing that opinion is right, and our personal freedom and civil rights come second?
Sorry, don't think so...

Sarah needs to take her silly, uneducated, religiously indoctrinated OPINIONS to a private sector job where they may be appreciated, (like Sunday School in her church) and stay out of politics.

[koppenberg]

> Sarah Palin speaks honestly.

Read her RNC acceptance speech, do basic fact checking and get tell me you still believe that.

[anghiari]

SARAH PALIN THE HONEST

"A bipartisan committee of Alaska legislators voted 12-0 on Friday to release a report stating that Gov. Sarah Palin violated state ethics law "by trying to have her former brother-in-law fired as a state trooper."

NOW READ SARAH PALIN'S LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION TO THE ALASKA STATE POLICEFOR THIS SAME BROTHER IN LAW WHEN HE WAS STILL MARRIED TO HER SISTER. MY GOSH SHE ALSO WROTE IT ON WASILLA MAYORAL LETTERHEAD.

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site163/2008/0721/20080721_111415_PalinLetterofRecomend.pdf

[PAMomma]

First let me make it perfectly clear that I am a staunch Democrat and voted for Obama. I also was appalled at some of the things (on both sides) that went on during the last election. I also am appalled at some of the hate (from both sides) spewed in these posts. I would never vote for Sarah Palin. That being said, I can see where people do like her. She is personable, she looks like she would be fun and I believe she is basically capable...capable as a governor of a state with a population less than that of most major cities. I could see me sitting around a kitchen table with her debating issues, having a glass of wine, whatever. Sound familiar? That's what people liked about George Bush. Do we really want that again? Did we not learn anything from the last 8 years? What in heaven's name is wrong with expecting the president of the greatest nation on earth being more qualified, better educated, lessy hometown and more elite than the majority of the electorate? Don't we want the best and brightest? Frankly I want more from my president than someone I could see as a friend. I want my president, should he or she ever sit across from me at the kitchen table, to make me feel a little inferior and undereducated.

[sditt]

71% would vote for her. That's 71% of 21% who consider themselves Republicans... that means 15% would vote for her.

Or another way of saying it... 85% would NOT vote for her.

Don't get so excited.

[3reddogs]

I refuse to believe a majority of voters will be duped into voting for someone with the IQ of an ash tray who thinks the "department of law" will protect her from ethics complaints once she's in the White House.

[SingerAtHeart]

The media keep insisting that this woman is a potential President of the United States because it makes good 'copy' as they say. If journalists keep this up we will never be rid of the sight and sound of her. Please stop, if you keep insisting— like the story of the Emperor's new clothes, more and more people will think that they see something there.

[snuffy222]

The thing is, the polls aren't lying--she appeals to a whole lot of americans. Journalists aren't making that fact up.

[FabulousAt52]

Polls are misleading. Polls are often skewed. Polls are most of the time meaningless... *especially* 2.5 full YEARS before (the next) presidential campaigning has even begun!

It's been said by many that this particular poll was taken among the self-labeled "conservative" republicans -- which in itself is a small minority of people (something like 23-25%).
It is a percentage of THAT percentage who are claiming they would vote for SP --at this time. So it's even less than 25% of republicans (not the country!). SP doesn't stand a chance.

[NotesFromME]

Palin is supported by 70% if the 20% (more or less) who identify themselves are Republicans in this country. Add a few more points from a minority of Independents, and a couple of points from fundamentalist Democrats, and you have a "likely to vote" percentage of about 20% of the electorate. Not quite enough to get close to being elected, I might say.

[FALCON72]

Familiarity breeds contempt- - - what more needs to be said about the ignorant Sarah.

[MountainPenelope]

Is there someone out there who is better at math than me? (Probably everyone.)

So, 70 per cent of 21 per cent is what?

We need to keep an eye on her, but I'm not really worried.

I would like to see Alaska secede. Then, she can be Queen of the Yukon. That's what she really wants.

[nervousexpat]

the Yukon is in Canada... believe me, we don't want her!

[FabulousAt52]

LOL We so hear you!

[Freesia2]

I stink at math. And I'm just now having my coffee. It doesn't bode well.

But I believe that 70 percent would be 2/3 of 21. 7 goes into 21 3 times. So that means she has 14 percent of the 21%.

And it's okay if I'm dumb. I'm not thinking of running for President. :-)

[bedfordny]

Sounds right to me. (I'm no math whiz, either) lol Palin followers will just call that winning by a landslide!

[Romulus]

You're close. 70% of 21% equals 14%. But that's 14% of the total elecorate(100%), not 14% of 21%.

[bedfordny]

We all realize that Palin followers could care less if anything of substance comes out of her mouth, as long as she keeps repeating the same rhetoric they've come to love, they're
more than happy to listen. She's resigning because by 2012 her accountability for Alaska's problems will be a distant memory. Who will care if Alaska is the number 3 recipient of federal tax dollar handouts? Palin won't have anything to do with it, after all she's against big government, right?She can cherry pick her accomplishments as governor and discard the policies she is not proud of. It's a good strategic move, but it will probably not endear her to moderates and she can completely forget the democrats. She's scrappy and instinctive and she knows how to seize an opportunity, but she's also impulsive, reactionary and vindictive. Her campaign rallies replete with baiting rants against Obama were indeed scary, because they brought out the worst in her followers and she seemed more than delighted to be their ring leader. We ignore her at our peril, because someone who is as driven by presumed entitlement (after all, if she wasn't extraordinary McCain wouldn't have chosen her, right?), will fight to the bitter end for what they perceive as their rightful reward. She did warn us during the campaign when McCain's loss appeared inevitable "I'm not doing this for naught." If there's one thing we can all agree on is that she does not like to lose.

[Freesia2]

Sarah Palin doesn't give a flying rat's patoot about the "working people". But I've no doubt there are people who will sit breathless as Saint Sarah of Arc spits stupid into the air and smiles at them. And if she can pull it off, she will promptly forget them. She won't be able to wipe them off of her fast enough you see because she likes dinner parties at William Kristol's townhouse and wealthy, powerful Republicans.

And she is a "dumb bunny". They just don't care. They're the people that gave us Bush. So you see it is politics as usual.

[wanda665]

freesia2 you hit the nail on the head with that post

[donaldinks]

Amen.

[cgr]

"tt could work!"

No, it couldn't. Not today, not this time. We're smarter now, we've seen folksy ineptitude cloaked in ideology at work, and it nearly sunk our ship. There's a growing emergence of appreciation for decency, competency and intelligence. Yes, unfortunately there's still a segment of society that hates those of different color, gender, culture. but they're the shriven minority and are shrinking as we speak. Palin's hate-mongering rhetoric is forever branded in our minds, as well as her jawdropping lack of education and achievement. Most Americans drew a gasp of relief Election night; we knew we dodged the bullet.

She can run, she can position herself in the spotlight all she likes (which is a lot), but even her fellow Republicans are wary. They know what she's about, too.