Sarah Palin Tour Begins in DC - Images: AP via Yahoo
Former Alaska Govenor and 2008 V.P. GOP Nominee Sarah Palin, rode into DC on a “hog” with the annual Rolling Thunder Memorial Day ride to the Capital. Palin, who has yet to announce a run, due to contractual restrictions from FOX (contract rumored to end in June, 2011), began the tour yesterday. One can find the tour information, and photographs of the first stop in Washington DC at Sarahpac.com, however, there are no future dates listed, where she is headed next will most likely be tweeted or posted to her Social Media accounts – she has 3 million plus “friends” on facebook.com and 500,000 plus following her “tweets” on Twitter, where the next stops on her tour just might be announced.
All pundits and analysts are split on the tour, some noting she is planning to announce a run for the 2012 GOP nomination others speculating that she is going to end the tour by announcing her intent not to run. Given the reception she received in D.C., her recent admission to Fox News Host, Greta Van Susteren , that she does ‘have the fire in her belly” to pursue the office of the Presidency and the recent Gallup polling showing her either tied, within points, and or ahead of also yet to announce, Mitt Romney it appears as though this tour may be more of a fact-finding mission, one in which Palin polls her way through the states.
Love her or Hate her
The split between those that love Sarah Palin (seriously, the woman, can fish, chop down trees, and ride a Harley, while making dinner and talking energy policy) and loath her (based on a skit on Saturday Night Live by Tina Fey), is basically drawn along two lines: Those that long for a Conservative Candidate who is not of the beltway, and is not Mitt Romney (the too perfect man), and those that rarely watch anything other than the evening news, or SLN, or the Colbert Report, or yes, Bill Maher, in order to get caught up on “current events”.
If She Runs, Barack Obama Will Be Re-Elected
The notion that if certain candidates, Palin specifically, run against Barack Obama, he will automatically win re-election is – fictional to say the least. The election is a year and a half away – as of Gallup’s 2010 state-by-state overview of Obama’s favorability rankings, one can project, if the economy and his handling of domestic and international affairs, remained basically the same, and did not worsen, the most he could pick up in a general election would be 10 states: Projected forward to 2012, Obama would, with those 10 states, (adjusted for redistricting) pick up a total of 191 electoral votes (which, even if it were a national popular vote – he would fare the same based on that data). It is simply, that as of now, he is not electable, meaning any Republican nominee can best Obama.
The Country is not Ready for A Woman to Be President
If one had a nickel for every time that old axiom is thrown out when Palin is mentioned, they might be able to retire. The fact is that, although sexism, racism, bigotry and the like do undoubtedly exist (especially Sexism, see ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, and the list goes on – vis a vis, Hillary Clinton forward), one must remember that as a whole entity the voters overwhelming overlooked the fact that Barack Obama was not the average white male, and elected him President. Palin not being the average white male either, stands as much of a chance, and this includes continual media barrage of unconcealed angst, as well as the same angst displayed by those whose focus is: Washington D.C.
Palin does not act like a typical GOP candidate, she does not play by their rules, and she was responsible for bringing down one of the most powerful GOP Senators in Alaska - she is original.
One caller to a local Massachustts radio’s “Howie Carr” show perhaps said it best: (paraphrasing): Would Sarah Palin be any worse than any of the last three who held the office? She’s got my vote and my money when she announces”. That’s coming out of New England, and this man, did not appear to be an over the top extreme right individual – just someone who had thought about what had take place in the past and what is taking place now.
Who Else is Waiting for Palin to Announce:
The Big GOP Donors
According to multiple “news” reports on the GOP Big Donors, it is noted that they are holding off committing to a particular candidate until the “dust settles”, and or the “herd thins”, which would lead one to speculate that they are waiting for someone to enter the race who can attract large crowds, bring in the big dollars, and has a shot at the nomination. Some reports speculate that Palin will make no difference, that those donors will give to the lower tier candidates first, however, one has to take that with a grain of salt – the reasoning – Today’s electorate operates off the “star-power” system.
The bigger the Star, the more likely the vote – Trump had that Star Power, had he stayed in the race, despite the stiff upper lipped GOP naysayers, he would have stood a better than average chance of besting Obama, even without the Gallup data. He was “a star” - Palin shares the same identification of “Star Power”, regardless of where she stands on policy, no matter how much the News outlets may think up new ways to put a crimp in the Alaskan’s style. (Also see Suffolk University poll on trust in news sources – the results of which show that most news organizations are not trusted by more than 17% of the populace (a high score) and that more do not trust any outlet)
Whatever the case, to run or not to run, the Palin Road Tour is certainly causing a bit of a stir, and should she enter the race, she would do much the same, and yes, it is this opinion (based on polling data) that Sarah Palin could certainly be the next President of the United States if she chooses to run.
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