Barbara Bush: I hope Palin Stays in Alaska

Barbara Bush recently told Larry King that she thinks Sarah Palin seems "very happy in Alaska" and "I hope she'll stay there."

The interview aired on Monday on CNN.

Mrs. Bush also said she "thought (Palin) was beautiful."

Obama Leads Palin in Latest 2012 Poll; Romney Tops Obama

The latest Quinnipiac poll showed President Obama with a large lead over Palin in a 2012 showdown, but the poll also supplied some hope to the GOP with Romney holding a 45%-44% lead over Obama.  The survey of registered voters has a margin of error of +/- 2%.

The poll results for national matchups:
Obama leads Palin - 48% - 40%
Romney leads Obama - 45% - 44%
Obama leads Huckabee - 46% - 44%

Palin With Slight GOP Lead in Latest Quinnipiac Poll

The latest Quinnipiac national poll has been released and it shows Sarah Palin holding a very slight lead among Republicans for the party's 2012 presidential nomination.

Among Republican and GOP-leaners the poll results (with a magin of error of +/- 3.1%):
Palin - 19%
Romney - 18%
Huckabee - 17%
Gingrich - 15%
Tim Pawlenty - 6%
Haley Barbour - 2%
Mitch Daniels - 2%
John Thume - 2%

Huckabee: Palin May Run Away with 2012 Nomination

Mike Huckabee was in Iowa on Sunday and let loose with this quote regarding the 2012 GOP Nomination:


"No question, she will be a very, very strong presence and force, if she gets in.  You know, she may run away with it. And that's one of those things everyone needs to be prepared for."


He later joked, "If I get in, I prefer she not and that she endorse me."  Or maybe he wasn't joking.

From the UK: Cheer up. She's not electable.

Interesting column in the Guardian (United Kingdom) regarding Sarah Palin - and looking ahead to 2012, whether or not she is electable.  


The conclusion:
"Cheer up. She's not electable."


Michael White, the author of the column, cites Murkowski's victory in Alaska that Palin may not even have enough pull to win Alaska.


"The point is, whether you're Al Gore (who failed to take his home state of Tennessee in 2000) or Sarah Palin, if you can't call the shots in your own political backyard you're not a candidate with serious prospects in the big world beyond it."


Read the entire column here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/blog/2010/nov/18/michael-white-sarah-palin-she-cannot-win

Palins Thinks She Can Beat Obama in 2012

Sarah Palin taped an interview with Barbara Walters in which she speaks further about her thoughts on a possible Presidential run in 2012 - including her belief that she could beat President Barack Obama.  

"I'm looking at the lay of the land now, and trying to figure that out -- if it's a good thing for the country, for the discourse, for my family --- if it's a Good Thing," Palin said.

Palin's interview will be aired on ABC on December 9 as part of the annual "10 Most Fascinating People" special.

Palin The Comic Book Hero?

Bluewater Comics has produced a 32-page comic due out next month, "Female Force: Sarah Palin, Take 2".   

"You just can't ignore Sarah Palin," Bluewater boss Darren G. Davis said in a released statement. "Even those who'd never vote for her can't deny that the woman has an amazing charisma. She can get away with missteps that other politicians can't afford to make."

The issue was written by Dan Rafter and the interior art is by Nathan Carson.

NY Times Mag Article: Inside Palin's Inner Circle

Fantastic read from the NY Times Magazine - a couple of highlights:

“I am,” Sarah Palin told me the next day when I asked her if she was already weighing a run for president. “I’m engaged in the internal deliberations candidly, and having that discussion with my family, because my family is the most important consideration here.” 

...
(On running as McCain's VP in 2008)
“What Todd and I learned was that the view inside the bus was much better than underneath it, and we knew we got thrown under it by certain aides who weren’t principled”

...
In a sense, Palin views Beltway Republicans as she does the Obama administration: aloof, self-interested and vulnerable to the populist power that she believes she wields. “They’re in an isolated bubble — Barack Obama mentioned that in his press conference, and I agree with him, he is isolated from what average Americans are talking about,” she said.


You can read the entire article here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/magazine/21palin-t.html

More Murkowski on Palin quotes ...

Lisa Murkowski lets loose ...

“She has been very good and engaged in motivating people. She has an ability to connect with people that is really quite remarkable. But she would not be my choice for president….

“I just do not think that she has those leadership qualities, that intellectual curiosity that allows for building good and great policies."

American Thinker Article: Sarah Palin, the Biggest Loser?

An interesting take on the current landscape and political/media backlash against Sarah Palin ...

Sarah Palin, the Biggest Loser?

By Stuart Schwartz

November 16, 2010

Highlights:

Media and political elites may disagree on the many consequences of what the president called a "shellacking" by the voters, but they largely agree that the biggest loser was Sarah Palin. Sarah Palin has once again been flagged for her unwillingness to play the game according to how the media and political professionals want it played. For them, it is a game, with taxpayer dollars as Monopoly money. But for Sarah Palin, it's about beliefs and values and service -- which disqualifies her, in their view, from life between the political lines. Sure, she won -- having helped more than sixty candidates to victory -- but, as Rush Limbaugh pointed out, the political and media elites are "a little miffed" at how the Tea Party and Palin put principle ahead of politics. C'mon, lady -- professionals don't do core beliefs!

...

And so Parker and Spitzer join with Noonan and Rove and others of the political establishment to stop the greatest threat to come out of the midterm Republican victories: Sarah Palin. By winning, she has lost, for they all understand that there's no hope of her joining them, of compromising her principles.

Read the Whole Article Here:
http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/11/sarah_palin_the_biggest_loser.html

Palin's Open Letter to GOP Freshmen Members of Congress

An Open Letter to Republican Freshmen Members of Congressby Sarah Palin

Congratulations to all of you for your contribution to this historic election, and for the contributions I am certain you will make to our country in the next two years. Your victory was hard fought, and the success belongs entirely to you and the staff and volunteers who spent countless hours working for this chance to put government back on the side of the people. Now you will come to Washington to serve your nation and leave your mark on history by reining in government spending, preserving our freedoms at home, and restoring America’s leadership abroad.

Some of you have asked for my thoughts on how best to proceed in the weeks and months ahead and how best to advance an agenda that can move our country forward. I have a simple answer: stick to the principles that propelled your campaigns.

When you take your oath to support and defend our Constitution and to faithfully discharge the duties of your office, remember that present and future generations of “We the People” are counting on you to stand by that oath. Never forget the people who sent you to Washington. Never forget the trust they placed in you to do the right thing.

The task before you is daunting because so much damage has been done in the last two years, but I believe you have the chance to achieve great things.

Republicans campaigned on a promise to rein in out-of-control government spending and to repeal and replace the massive, burdensome, and unwanted health care law President Obama and the Democratic Congress passed earlier this year in defiance of the will of the majority of the American people. These are promises that you must keep.

Obamacare is a job-killer, a regulatory nightmare, and an enormous unfunded mandate. The American people don’t want it and we can’t afford it. We ask, with all due respect, that you remember your job will be to work to replace this legislation with real reform that relies on free market principles and patient-centered policies. The first step is, of course, to defund Obamacare.

You’ve also got to be deadly serious about cutting the deficit. Despite what some would like us to believe, tax cuts didn’t get us into the mess we’re in. Government spending did.

Tough decisions need to be made about reducing government spending. The longer we put them off, the worse it will get. We need to start by cutting non-essential spending. That includes stopping earmarks (because abuse of the earmark process created the “gateway-drug” that allowed backroom deals and bloated budgets), canceling all further spending on the failed stimulus program, and rolling back non-discretionary spending to 2008 levels. You can do more, but this would be a good start.

In order to avert a fiscal disaster, we will also need to check the growth of spending on our entitlement programs. That will be a huge challenge, but it must be confronted head on. We must do it in a humane way that honors the government’s current commitments to our fellow Americans while also keeping faith with future generations. We cannot rob from our children and grandchildren’s tomorrow to pay for our unchecked spending today.

Beyond that, we need to reform the way Congress conducts business in order to make it procedurally easier to cut spending than to increase it. We need to encourage zero-based budgeting practices in D.C. like the kind fiscally conservative mayors and governors utilize to balance their budgets and reduce unnecessary spending.

There in the insulated and isolated Beltway you will be far removed from the economic pain felt by so many Americans who are out of work. Please remember that if we want real job growth, we must create a stable investment climate by ending the tidal wave of overly burdensome regulations coming out of Washington. Businesses need certainty – and freedom that incentivizes competition – to grow and expand our workforce.

The last thing our small businesses need is tax hikes. It falls to the current Democrat-controlled Congress to decide on the future of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts. If it does not permanently renew all of them, you should move quickly to do so in the new Congress. It would remove from households and businesses the threat of a possible $3.8 trillion tax hike hitting all Americans at the worst possible moment, with our economy struggling to recover from a deep recession! You must continue to remind Democrats that the people they are dismissing as “rich” are the small business owners who create up to 70% of all jobs in this country!

Another issue of vital importance is border security. Americans expect our leadership in Washington to act now to secure our borders. Don’t fall for the claims of those who suggest that we can’t secure our borders until we simultaneously deal with the illegal immigrants already here. Let’s deal with securing the border first. That alone is a huge challenge that has been ignored for far too long.

On foreign policy and national security, I urge you to stick to our principles: strong defense, free trade, nurturing allies, and steadfast opposition to America’s enemies. We are the most powerful country on earth and the world is better off because of it.

Our president does not seem to understand this. If we withdraw from the world, the world will become a much more dangerous place. You must push President Obama to finish the job right in Iraq and get the job done in Afghanistan, otherwise we who are war-weary will forever question why America’s finest are sent overseas to make the ultimate sacrifice with no clear commitment to victory from those who send them.

You should be prepared to stand with the president against Iran’s nuclear aspirations using whatever means necessary to ensure the mullahs in Tehran do not get their hands on nuclear weapons. And you can stand with the Iranian people who oppose the tyrannical rule of the clerics and concretely support their efforts to win their freedom – even if the president does not.

You need to say no to cutting the necessities in our defense budget when we are engaged in two wars and face so many threats – from Islamic extremists to a nuclear Iran to a rising China. As Ronald Reagan said, “We will always be prepared, so we may always be free.”

You will also have the opportunity to push job-creating free trade agreements with allies like Colombia and South Korea. You can stand with allies like Israel, not criticize them. You can let the President know what you believe – Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, not a settlement. And for those of you joining the United States Senate, don’t listen to desperate politically-motivated arguments about the need for hasty consideration of the “New START” treaty. Insist on your right to patient and careful deliberation of New START to address very real concerns about verification, missile defense, and modernization of our nuclear infrastructure. No New START in the lame duck!

You can stand against misguided proposals to try dangerous, evil terrorists in the US; precipitously close the Guantanamo prison; and a return to the failed policies of the past in treating the war on terror as a law enforcement problem.

Finally, you have a platform to express the support of the American people for all those around the world seeking their freedom that God has bestowed within all mankind’s being – from Burma and Egypt to Russia and Venezuela – because the spread of liberty increases our own security.

You, freshmen lawmakers, can and will be powerful voices in support of foreign policies that protect our interests and promote our values! Thank you for being willing to fight for our values and our freedom!

In all this, you should extend a hand to President Obama and Democrats in Congress. After this election, they may finally be prepared to work with Republicans on some of these issues for the good of the country. And if not, we will all be looking forward to 2012.

Remember that some in the media will love you when you stray from the time-tested truths that built America into the most exceptional nation on earth. When the left in the media pat you on the back, quickly reassess where you are and readjust, for the liberals’ praise is a warning bell you must heed. Trust me on that.

I, and most Americans, are so excited for you. Working together, we have every right to be optimistic about our future. We can be hopeful because real hope lies in the ingenuity, generosity, and boundless courage of the everyday Americans who make our country exceptional. These are the men and women who sent you to Washington. May your work and leadership honor their faith in you.

With sincere congratulations and a big Alaskan heart,

Sarah Palin

Bristol's Success on Dancing Impacts Palin's Presidency?

We've all read and heard a lot of conjecture regarding Plain 2012, but this is a new one ...


"Sarah ultimately wants to win if she runs again; she's not interested in running to increase her popularity or visibility. She will only run if she thinks she can win," a friend of Bristol's tells me. "And the best barometer at the moment is Bristol's success on 'Dancing With the Stars.' If Bristol can get enough votes to win the mirror ball trophy, Sarah is convinced she can get enough votes to send her to the White House."


From Naughty By Nice column by Rob Shuter - the entire column can be read here:
http://www.popeater.com/2010/11/16/bristol-palin-dancing-with-the-stars-results/

Lisa Murkowski Comments on Palin's TLC Show

""I know what my Alaska looks like," Senator Lisa Murkowski said after being asked if she would watch "Sarah Palin's Alaska" on TLC.

Palin's "Alaska" Sets TLC Record

"Sarah Palin's Alaska" drew 4.96 million viewers on Sunday - a new record for a TLC (The Learning Channel) debut show.

Palin's previous TV special - "Real American Stories", which aired on Fox News in April - drew two million viewers.

Palin's Book Tour to Include Stops in Key 2012 States

Sarah Palin has announced a nine-day, 16-stop book tour for her new book, America by Heart:  Reflections on Family, Faith and Flag.  The book is scheduled to come out on Nov. 23.

Her schedule, which will certainly be dissected by the political media, includes stops in Iowa, home of the nation's first presidential caucuses, and South Carolina, home of one of the most important early GOP primaries.

Many pundits are already weighing in that this schedule gives more hints that Palin is leaning toward a 2012 Presidential run.

CNN's Kathleen Parker: I led the media assassination of Palin in 2008

CNN host Kathleen Parker and conservative filmmaker John Zeigler had a lively debate on Thursday Night on CNN's "Parker Spitzer" that included a curious conclusion regarding the "media assassination" of Sarah Palin in 2008.  

During a discussion about the coverage of the 2008 election, Zeigler said that Parker, a conservative columnist for the Washington Post, fell hard for Obama in 2008 and "took part in the asassination of Sarah Palin."

"Actually, I did not take part in it. I led it. OK?" Parker responded.

In a September 26, 2008 column in the Washington Post, Parker wrote that Palin was not ready to be Vice President of the United States. 

"On September 26, 2008, I said that she was out of her league and I have rested my case so many times, I don't need to bring that up again," Parker said during Thursday's show. "I will agree with you that some people in the media came after her in a vicious, cruel and unfair way. I was not one of them."

Palin's Email Hacker Sentenced to 1 Year, 1 Day

The University of Tennessee student who hacked into Sarah Palin's email account in 2008 has been ordered to serve a year and a day for his crime.

David Kernell, the convicted student, is now 22 years old.  The judge recommended that he serve his time at a halfway house.

New Poll, Old News: Palin Most Polarizing 2012 GOP Candidate

This likely won't come as a surprise to anyone reading this blog, but Sarah Palin is by far the most recognized and also the most polarizing of the possible 2012 GOP Presidential candidates, according to a recent Associated Press-Gfk survey.


In the survey 49% of respondents said they had an unfavorable view of Palin, while 46% said they had a favorable view of the former Alaska governor.  Only 5% said they didn't have enough information about Palin to register an opinion.  


Huckabee -- 49% favorable - 27% unfavorable - 24% no opinion
Romney -- 46% favorable - 31% unfavorable - 23% no opinion
Gingrich -- 41% favorable - 41% unfavorable - 18% no opinion


Those with 'no opinion' responses greater than 50% included:
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (57 percent)
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (58 percent) 
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (62 percent) 
Sen. John Thune of South Dakota (64 percent)

Palin calls Obama "The most pro-abortion president to occupy the White House"

Both sides of the political spectrum will have a field day with this one ... at a Dallas event, which was sponsored by a nonprofit organization that promotes an anti-abortion message, Sarah Palin described President Obama as "the most pro-abortion president to occupy the White House."


Let the online mud-slinging commence.

Daily Beast: Palin's Reality TV Show = Political Ad

The Mark Burnett-produced Sarah Palin's Alaska debuts on TLC this weekend, but according to some it's not just a reality TV show from the producer of Survivor.  No, this is a political ad.


"It's definitely one big cable buy," said Terry Sullivan, a GOP strategist. "When Governor Romney was talking about running for president, he had sent out a DVD where he was sledding in Utah with the family, talking about whether he would run or not, and everybody was baking cookies and hanging out. The difference is she has a production company willing to foot the bill for it."


My take - this isn't a political ad.  This is a 'brand' ad.  This is about the Sarah Palin brand.


You can read the entire post here:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-11-10/sarah-palins-alaska-on-tlc-a-multi-million-dollar-campaign-ad/

Palin Ties For Fourth in NH 2012 poll; Romney With Large Lead

A new poll by Public Policy Polling shows Mitt Romney with a substantial lead in New Hampshire - the GOP’s first presidential primary state.

Poll Results:

Romney - 40%

Huckabee - 13%

Palin - 10%

Gingrich - 10%

Of course many media outlets will somehow spin this that Palin is still driving the GOP boat.

Palin Sitting Second for GOP Nod on Intrade.com

Sarah Palin is currently priced as the second favorite on intrade.com for the GOP nomination in 2012 - narrowly trailing Mitt Romney, who had a substantial lead in the recent New Hampshire poll.

Intrade.com is the popular prediction market website where members speculate on future events - in short, the price of contracts correlate to the probability of an event occurring (if the event does occur, those contracts settle at 100 and are worth $100; if the event does not occur the contracts settle at 0 and are worth $0.)

The most recent price for a Romney 2012 contract was 22.0 and Palin was 18.5.

It is worth noting that the volume on Palin is five times the volume of Romney.

Tina Fey In the News - Must Include Palin

Tina Fey, who made news when she recently broke out her Sarah Palin impression on Letterman's couch, was at it again on Tuesday.

Ms. Fey was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor - the most prestigious comedy award in the US - at the Kennedy Center on Tuesday.  And, naturally, she thanked Sarah Palin.

Should Palin now thank Fey?

Pataki Takes a Cheap-ish Shot

Former NY Governor George Pataki, who these days may need to invoke Palin to make national news, went out of his way to poke Palin today.  

"It was a challenging job, mayor of Peekskill (in Westchester County, NY), let me assure you.  Twice the size of Wasilla."

Many seem to believe that may be a sign of his intentions in 2012.  And doctors think it's a sign of insecurity.  

HuffPo: Why Palin (Probably) Won't Run for Prez in 2012

Interesting, if not entirely new, take from Jonathan Weiler below.

Is the revisionist history now going to be that she pulled one over on the nation - was she using the constituents and using politics?  Or will she soon realize she can't win a national election and she wields more power and enjoys more freedom in her current role?

From Weiler:


"We've spent a lot of time and energy focusing on her influence as a political king and queen-maker, which seems obviously related to her desire to further her own political ambitions. But what if Sarah Palin is interested only in further promoting her brand for the purposes of doing that which everyone involved in brand promotion wants to do -- make more money? What if Sarah Palin is using politics largely as a means of amassing a personal fortune? And what if her means of achieving superstardom -- the theater of politics -- is being confused with an interest in actually achieving high elected office and, indeed, politics per se?"


You can read the whole post here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-weiler/why-sarah-palin-wont-run-_b_780215.html

Many in South Carolina love her, just not as the nominee

From AP exit polls in South Carolina (although it seems this is a view shared by many) ...


More than 80 percent of those identifying themselves as Republicans on Election Day say they have a favorable opinion of the former Alaska governor. But only 25 percent say they would like to see her win the nomination.

"Even Republicans Are Fed Up With Sarah Palin"

Or so writes Doug Thompson.

And I'm sure we'll see this theme recycled a lot during the next 12-18 months.

http://www.capitolhillblue.com/node/34919

Trailer for Palin's TLC Special - "Sarah Palin's Alaska"

While it may cause the Internet to combust with mock commercials on youtube and on the late night TV shows, here is an official trailer for the TLC Special that debuts on Sunday, November 14

It includes this oft-quoted remark from Palin, "I'd rather be doing this than in some dumpy old political office."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZbKeNJqYTA

NPR - Obama Supporters Should 'Pray' Palin Wins GOP 2012 Nod

No, Juan Williams didn't write this.

The Root: Democrats Should Hope For Palin's Run

"Sarah Palin has indicated that she's open to a presidential bid in 2012. Therefore, President Obama and every one of his supporters should pray nightly that she enters the race and wins the Republican nomination."


"Yes, Sarah. We need you. Please make the sacrifice. Do it for America."


"Palin's base marvels at her like the crowd in "The Emperor's New Clothes," oblivious to the fact that she's butt-naked. But everyone else sees right through her, folksy charm and all."


Read More ...
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=131158177

RNC Chair Steele Pays Partial Compliment and "Defends" Palin?

RNC Chair Michael Steele paid a partial compliment to Palin, when discussing her ability to galvanize voters, urged the Republican Party to "chill out".

“You know, in the words of Bill Clinton, I feel her pain, you know?” Steele said in an interview on “Political Capital with Al Hunt”. “My goal -- and I know Sarah’s goal has been -- let’s take the party and put it on the streets.”

He also added that Palin’s ability “in terms of galvanizing our ground game, galvanizing our troops, moving people to actions -- that’s a very powerful force in politics.”

Wall Street Journal - Noonan on Palin and Ronald

The Wall Street Journal's esteemed columnist Peggy Noonan takes Palin to task for the following quote on Ronald Reagan:

“Conservatives talked a lot about Ronald Reagan this year, but they have to take him more to heart, because his example here is a guide. All this seemed lost last week on Sarah Palin, who called him, on Fox, “an actor.” She was defending her form of political celebrity—reality show, “Dancing With the Stars,” etc. This is how she did it: “Wasn’t Ronald Reagan an actor? Wasn’t he in ‘Bedtime for Bonzo,’ Bozo, something? Ronald Reagan was an actor.”

Sarah's a little of on this one ... Reagan's list of accomplishments extended well beyond 'actor'.

WSJ reaction here:
http://blogs.wsj.com/iainmartin/2010/11/06/peggy-noonan-on-sarah-palin-and-ronald-reagan/

Tina Fey Breaks Out Her Palin Impression on Letterman

Tina Fey brought back her Sarah Palin impression while sitting on Letterman's couch this week - supposedly the first time she has used the impression since 2009.

Bush Chimes in on Sarah Palin's Presidential Qualifications

From Media Matters ...

Uh-oh! Sarah Palin's bid for President just received a pretty credible non-endorsement. According to New York's Daily News, former President George W. Bush "has told friends the ex-Alaska governor isn't qualified to be President and criticizes Arizona Sen. John McCain for putting Palin on the 2008 GOP ticket and handing her a national platform." And, if there's anyone who knows being unqualified to be President, it is George W. Bush.

What's Fox going to do now?

According to the Daily News, "'Naming Palin makes Bush think less of McCain as a man,' a Republican official familiar with Bush's thinking told the Daily News. 'He thinks McCain ran a lousy campaign with an unqualified running mate and destroyed any chance of winning by picking Palin.'"

http://mediamatters.org/blog/201011050005

Read the Tea Party leaves? A new low from hollywoodlife.com ...

Perhaps a new low from hollywoodlife.com ...
http://www.hollywoodlife.com/2010/11/04/sarah-palin-running-for-president-2012-presidential-candidate-wardrobe/

Forget reading the Tea Party tea leaves.

If you’re wondering if Sarah Palin is running for President in 2012 — look no further than her wardrobe.

The Mama Grizzly is amassing the perfect campaign – ready closet. Just take a look at her outfits in recent days — they are Presidential Perfection.

...

Despite five pregnancies, she’s a size six with a luscious head of hair to go along with that fine figure.

She shows it off in fitted trench coats, knee high black boots, 3/4 sleeve jackets and sheer hose or even bare legs beneath her skirts.

It’s a look that says — “I’m serious, but I can’t help it — I’m still sexy!”

Prepare Yourself for President Sarah Palin?

The latest 'Prepare Yourself' column about Sarah Palin for President in 2012

Richard Cohen - NY Daily News

Sarah Palin for President in 2012? Prepare yourself


There will certainly be many more articles echoing this theme

At least there is some creativity here ...

http://www.palinaspresident.us