Woman to Woman: Advice to Gov. Sarah Palin on Running for the Presidency in 2012
Well, I guess it is all but official now: Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has just announced that she will resign from office in late July 2009 to "affect positive change from outside government." Sounds like a noble thing to do, but as someone who has followed politics for the past 20 years or so I can tell you it is a "bogus" statement which is simply code for "I'm running for president."
As a lifelong moderate-centrist Republican woman I want to offer the soon-to-be former governor and presumed GOP nominee hopeful in 2012 some unsolicited, but hopefully useful political counsel:
1. Surround yourself with political advisors who have real life experience and who get that the GOP has to "broaden" its base, not shrink it to be successful in 2010 and 2012. Do not recycle the same old hacks that have run our political party into the ground over the last 8-12 years. It will be your undoing.
2. Reach out to the bigger GOP tent -- you have the love and support of the GOP Conservative base. I was there in Leesburg, Virginia a few days before the 2008 election covering your speech to about 7,000 Virginians for XM's POTUS08 and you did a great job. You are at your best when you are being yourself -- get out and mix it up with the people and you will do well. Your 2008 GOP Convention Speech was fabulous -- you need to sound like that woman every time you speak, give an interview, etc.
3. Build coalitions -- Governor, respectfully you cannot win the nomination in 2012 if you try to do it as the "old boys" do it. My money is on Mitt Romney in 2012. The GOP loves to give the nomination to people that they feel are "owed" their chance -- Bush '41, Dole, McCain. The "boys" will start to tear you apart now that you have stepped into the arena -- so get ready. You had better have some smart women, and people of color around you who can build real inroads for you nationally in diverse communities. This is the only shot you have of winning the nomination in 2012. Period.
4. Take time to learn and educate yourself about world affairs -- go get a degree from the Kennedy School of Government, Lecture at some universities in Europe, take some courses in foreign affairs from Heritage or Cato. You must do better when you speak to the American people about serious issues of national importance. President Obama's charisma covers for his shortcomings as a serious student of foreign affairs, etc. You have this possibility also, but you are not quite there yet. Work on this seriously over the next 12 months or so.
5. Be a woman of conviction. I admire your spunk, passion, and grit in running for office in Alaska and ascending to the Governorship of Alaska in such a short time -- but you are in the arena now -- be a woman of your word. Fight for change, reform, inspire people, speak truth, be a consensus builder not a divider, refocus Americans on our founding documents and principles -- we need that now. If you prove that you can do this, it will serve you well in 2010 for a Senate run or in 2012 for the presidential nomination.
This is my immediate reaction to what Gov. Palin needs to do in order to be taken seriously as a candidate for federal office in either 2010 or 2012. If she can hunker down, stay out of trouble, write a serious best-selling memoir and show herself able to speak to serious national issues she will be as they say " a real contender."
Follow Sophia A. Nelson on Twitter: www.twitter.com/http://twitter.
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While, on the surface, this is good advice, it says nothing about the main problem Ms. Palin will have if she is a candidate in 2012.
This biggest problem she will face is that she, like her party, hold views which have become increasingly held by fewer and fewer Americans. Does anyone seriously doubt that Palin will be able to change her stripes, so to speak?
The more people get to know Sarah Palin, the more they are turned off.
Politically speaking, her goose has been shot from a helicopter, boiled, baked, pan-fried and microwaved.
Agree. Stick a fork in it.
I think Palin is smart enough to know that politics is not her arena -- she can't take the heat, for starters -- so she'll be doing a TV show, where she'll shine and be able to "influence" things from the outside, like Limbaugh. If her advisers are any good, they've analyzed her talent and gotten her to accept what a good gig she can have. Therefore it doesn't matter one whit that she quit her job as governor. She's not going to continue in politics.
what is a moderate-centrist Republican woman---do they only want to use small stones to throw at those who don't agree with them?
The day America elects this joke of a human being is the day that I renounce my citizenship and move.
You got that right. Was gonna say that. Will apply for canadian citizenship, just in case.
ditto
Why would a moderate-centrist Republican have anything positive to say about former Gov. Palin or the party in general?
I've been re-reading this again. Have you noticed the little thing inserted into it? :
She'd better have some......
There's a diss of President Obama's foreign policy chops. No rationale for it but there ya go. And she figures that Sarah needs to "work on this seriously over the next 12 months or so."
12 months. Okay. What? How would this woman get past her inability to talk in more than sound bites and discuss anything in any depth in 12 months? At least to make her not just appear to be - but to actually be - capable of having our foreign affairs in her hands? Is there a new set of Cliff Notes that I don't know about? We're talking about the job of Commander-in-Chief here. Obama off the top of his head has more working knowledge of world affairs, history, names and dates and places than she could get if she went back through all of those 5 colleges she drifted through because - she doesn't think. She doesn't care. As she said in the VF article "Does it really matter?"
What's up with this? Build a President kit?
"
Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Sorry, you said Palin should go "get a degree from the Kennedy School of Government
Sophia, you are missing (or overlooking) the fact that Sarah is an immature, adolescent, self-centered girl inhabiting the body of a 40-something woman.
None of the items you list matter - she is simply not a grown-up and can't change that no matter how much lipstick she puts on.
And the comparisons to Nixon & Regan - laughable! Although they were both defeated in elections, then recovered and went on to win, NEITHER of them QUIT in mid-term before going on to win. Granted, Nixon quit (in disgrace) - and he was finished as an elected official after that!
It's The End for Sarah as a political contender, it's all over except for the spin and Fantasy Matchups..
--
Ms. Palin had a chance to run in 2012. Unfortunately, she's just blown it.
The best thing she could have done after the election was to come home and throw herself headlong into being the best Governor Alaska has ever had.
Instead, she picked fights with the media, set up and cancelled appearances (then showed up anyhow), fought with her grandson's family in an ugly public manner, avoided her governor's duties--that's just for starters.
Next up is the book, speeches, maybe a gig on Fox or a reality show. Money money money. She will be rolling in it, and we will all breathe a sigh of relief to have her far from real power.
Just another day in America.
***Lecture at some universities in Europe***
LOL
On what?
"How To Skin A Ferret, By Sarah Palin"
LOL !
Agreed. Europe just doesn't have Pepperdines, Liberties and Chapmans
Or Bob Jones.
face it! Sarah Palin has a low IQ! She was a news anchor and can read i.e. the speech at the RNC but anything more would be a miracle.
my first reaction to your advice to sarah palin was to laugh so hard my coffee came out my nose. That was painful enough to bring me back to a certain calmness, the pain then went away completely. This is pretty much my usual reaction to mrs. palin an OMG!!!WTF??? BUt I have to say I don't see much to fear in mrs. palin's actually TAKING your sound advice, never mind implenting it. Her recent performances give me the impression that your advice is inimical to her character, abilities, style and beliefs. But, as they say about unlikely ventures, "Good luck with that."
Sarah Palin has shown no inclination to listen to competent advisors or apply herself for any length of time to learn what she needs. Instead, she seems completely sure of her own 'wisdom' and gets easily bored with any approach short of 'winging in.' This article convinced me that she will not make it to the 2012 Republican convention as any sort of a candidate.
"Affect positive change from outside government" is code for becoming a community organizer!
So she was pursuing negative change from inside the government?
You really thought that RNC speech was 'fabulous'?? It was a one-liner mix-up written by someone else which Palin did her best Tina Fey imitation of someone reading a speech they didn't write!!
You left out the most important tip:
Be for something bigger and more concrete than a slogan. What is 'small government, anyway?' What are those freedoms that you think are being challenged? Do you really, honestly and truly trust big business to take care of our country? At this point, Palin is just a sloganeer. She has proven nothing in terms of her knowledge or understanding of anything.
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