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

[sendmejackson]

Sarah sees herself as Joan of Arc? That's a very dangerous delusion in any person, much less one who aspires to be leader of the most powerful nation on earth.

It's not going to matter though. Palin may be popular with the Republican party's so-called "base", but she's very polarizing otherwise. Independent voters weren't convinced last time, and are not likely to forget this little resignation stunt - especially after the Dem attack machine goes to work. "Sarah Palin quit on Alaska. How long before she quits on YOU?" Nice try, Bonnie Fuller.

[Tommygun264]

Oh please, Please, PLEASE run in 2012, Sarah. We need a good laugh.

[dickmarg]

Well written column. My sentiments exactly. The worst thing that could be done is underestimate this woman. It frightens me.

[dmann32]

Nope and I hope the DNC is taking notes! She has F@#$% up so many times! Just replay life during and after the Campaign and ding!: She's done!

[IcedTee63]

Once and for all, Palin is too polarizing to become President! Sure some people love her, but many more find her to be totally wrong for the position of Top Executive. Her resignation has not done her any favors with those that once supported her (Rove, Steele, Buchanan) and certainly does not make those that disliked her before seem likely to change their opinion.

[JHawkKC]

If she wasn't causing fear on the Democratic side you would hear nothing about her since she ran for Vice president. She would not be a lead story on huffington post every single day if they were not terrified of her and her ability to stir peoples beliefs in a true Amerca similar to what Reagan did when he pulled in 49 of 50 states.

I hope the democrats underestimate her but looking at the huffpo and its constant attacks I think they are afraid of what the republicans see in her and that she has the possibility of taking the nation by storm. Especially with the failed economic policies of Obama.. Stimulus 1, Cap and tax to follow and a Health Care Nightmare that will end up like medicaide and social security in which we are modeling them after when everyone knows that social security will not be around for the majority of those paying in today but still keep paying. Well we will find health care will not be around for everyone and some will have to just do without but that will be done sneakily as in the UK where the time spent actually in the ER is still under a half hour wait. Yet the reason that is possible is because the ambulance outside holds them for hours upon hours and prevents others from being picked up. Can't wait for that kind of service.

[funkquan]

I think Sarah Palin will get her chance to be in the White House and then get back on the tour bus like everybody else.

[ThanksMatt]

Hihi!

[callmemara]

hahahahaha.....i love it!

[DrJohnnySkeptic]

Cheers!

[Muttonchops]

What’s important here is that, unconstrained by any meaningful connections to the Republican Party, Sarah Palin will now become the perfect spokesperson for an entire subculture of white, angry, fully armed, hyper-religious, militaristic bigots.

Sarah’s genuinely one of them, and always has been. Her supporters sense this, and that’s why they love her. She and they all express themselves primarily in sound-bites, familiar phrases and formulas that provide a simple, confirming, and therefore wholly satisfactory means to explain and “understand” their world.

Now that Sarah has gotten a taste of the adulation and money she is showered with during her appearances, all she wants is more of it. As the economy worsens and international tensions increase, the mutual feedback between her and her audience will cause them all to become more and more radicalized. She will thus pull together a sizable chunk of the Republican base and march them off the (right) edge of the map; while simultaneously scaring the hell out of of many moderates, thereby driving them into the arms of the Democrats.

The Republicans should never have dragged Sarah Palin out of the north woods to use as a weapon in their war on democracy. Now, as if playing the lead in some monster movie, she’s outgrown their control and is certain to destroy them.

This is going be fun to watch.

[Lilly-G]

Well said. She is a total joke.

[jeanrenoir]

Absolutely everything depends on whether the middle of the political spectrum in America believes that Obama's economic programs have "worked" by 2012. If they feel they have worked, Obama will crush anyone who runs against him. But if his economic policies are perceived to have failed, then the Obama administration may be America's Weimar Republica before the election of fascism with a hot face in 2012. As in '33, the rage of the mob, in the face of economic chaos, may well overwhelm sanity in 2012, if the mob is scared enough. Let's "pray" Obama gets the economy right, or else. . . .

[Muttonchops]

We stand where we always have, at the edge of an abyss. Civilization is but a thin veneer over the chaos surging just beneath the surface. It can all be lost in a flash.

[JHawkKC]

We all want Obama to get it right with the economy because if he gets it wrong millions suffer not only in the US but globally. The problem is that his(Pelosi/Reids) policies are destined to fail because of the Keynsian theory the believe in. That a dollar spent by government yields 2 dollars of growth in the economy. That cannot work because when government spends money it takes it out of the free market and disperses it where it feels its best. Decisions of a few increases the risk of bad decisions. Also it is redistribution of money and not creation of wealth.

When government lowers taxes on business and consumers(70% of economy) and makes a commitment to keep taxes lower, then people are more willing to spend and not conserve for times when the government takes more. Right now people fear tax increase and are saving money and trying to get out of debt so they can keep a reasonable standard of living when the new taxes come to pay for all this spending. Thus the economy shrinks as we are seeing now.

[mom of three]

You're right -- 7 in 10 Republicans want her to be the nominee in 2012. But wait....Gallup also shows that those identifying themselves as Republicans has shrank to the lowest level since POLLING BEGAN.

Oh.....

and there's also the noticeable fact that vulnerable Republicans DON"T WANT Palin to campaign with them for their 2010 runs -- as cited in a Huff Post article earlier today. Hmmm....wonder why?

[Whinger]

Yeah! And you can take that to the bank, if you can find one that hasn't gone belly up!

[the964kid]

I hope Palin does run, she's the best comedian since Dave Chappelle retired.

[PWM]

She was a hoot in the last election.

[marko77]

I'm not counting her out because there are a sizable minority of fringe voters in America, but the majority won't vote for a right wing fundamentalist extremist. She also can't string 3 words together and really good tin-horn dictators are usually pretty good at that.

[karinova]

Honestly, the negative attack ads for a S.Palin presidential run practically write themselves.

So... much... ammunition.
Don't know... where... to begin!

[wagthedog1001]

Palin clever? Hogwash.

[eatmorchikn 2000]

Everyone here seems to forget that the POTUS Barrak Obama took the Dem nomination away from Hillary during the debates, he had ideas and solutions to many of the concerns of the people watching. he looked presidential and carried himself as such but he also had ideas, much like Kennedy was a newly minted Senator when he wom against Nixon in 60. People were tired of the Bush/Clinton/Bush years and did not want another Clinton for 4 years which worked against Hillary, Obama then went on to trounce McCain/Palin because all they had was the same ideas as Bush.

Palin has too much baggage now and a big quitter label that the Dems and Repub primary candidates will nail her with next election. There will always be a small minority that will love her for some unkown reason, christian rightwing nuts and racists that you saw at her political rallies. There will alwasy be people that rise to the top fast but they are not quitters.

My guess is that she goes for the money in whatever form that takes place, book, TV, ect

[123dee]

Palin is done, I'd be surprised if she ever writes a book.

[Emmy2]

Her publisher will hire someone to write the book for her, and it will be NYT best seller. It will be crap, but it will be a best seller.

[BlueFloyd]

bingo......and bingo