By telling Barbara Walters that she thinks she can defeat President Obama, Sarah Palin has dimmed hopes cherished by sensible Republicans that she might decide against a run for the White House in 2012. Here are just some of the reasons she should not run.
The Republican nominee should be someone with a vast and impressive record in government and the private sector. Voters chose a novice with plenty of star power in 2008 and will be inclined to swing strongly in the other direction in 2012. Americans will be looking for sober competence, managerial skill, and maturity — not sizzle and flash.
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After the 2008 campaign revealed her substantive weaknesses, Palin was advised by those who admired her natural gifts to bone up on policy and devote herself to governing Alaska successfully. Instead, she quit her job as governor after two and a half years, published a book (another is due next week), and seemed to chase money and empty celebrity. Now, rather than being able to highlight the accomplishments of Sarah Palin’s Alaska, we get Sarah Palin’s Alaska, another cheesy entrant in the reality-show genre. She’d so much rather be out dog sledding than in some “dull political office,” she tells the audience. File that.
It’s true. She is wildly popular with a swath of the Republican electorate. And, as a conservative woman politician told me, political consultants (who get paid the big bucks, win or lose) will doubtless descend upon her with game plans showing how she can win in Iowa and then cruise to the nomination. Maybe. But the general election would be a problem, since 53 percent of independent voters view Palin unfavorably along with 81 percent of Democrats, according to a recent Gallup poll.
There is no denying that Sarah Palin has been harshly, sometimes even brutally, treated by the press and the entertainment gaggle. But any prominent Republican must expect and be able to transcend that. Palin compares herself to Reagan. But Reagan didn’t mud-wrestle with the press. Palin seems consumed and obsessed by it, as her rapid Twitter finger attests, and thus she encourages the sniping. She should be presiding over meetings on oil and gas leases in the North Slope, or devising alternatives to Obamacare. Every public spat with Dave Letterman or Politico, or the “lamestream media,” or (God help us) Levi Johnston, diminishes her.
Speaking of television, have you watched “Dancing with the Stars”? Calling the show cheesy would be too generous. Perhaps the former governor should not be blamed for the decisions of her adult daughter. Yet there in the audience we see Sarah and Todd Palin, mugging for the camera and cheering on their unwed-mother daughter as she bumps and grinds to the tune of “Mamma Told Me Not To Come.” Her parents had advised her, the 20-year-old Bristol told an interviewer, that she had to stay “in character” if she expected to win. Being “in character” evidently meant descending to the vulgarity that DWTS peddles on a weekly basis. The mama grizzly was apparently unfazed by, or — equally disturbingly — unaware of, the indignity. And she is supposed to be a conservative culture warrior?
Voters prize judgment, above all, in a presidential candidate. Some of Sarah Palin’s 2010 endorsements were sound and arguably helpful. Others betrayed flightiness and recklessness. Tom Tancredo, Palin’s choice for governor of Colorado, has ridden his anti-immigration hobby-horse in a style perfectly suited to alienate Hispanic voters (describing Miami, for example, as a “Third World city”). Her endorsement of Christine O’Donnell was irresponsible and damaging, losing a seat that would otherwise have been a Republican pick-up. Of course, O’Donnell received an absurdly disproportionate amount of ink and attention during the race (the liberal press naturally seizes upon any opportunity to make conservatives look kooky), but Palin should have anticipated that. Besides, this one cannot be laid at the feet of the biased media. O’Donnell was a thoroughly unqualified candidate.
Palin has many strengths. I admire her fortitude and her principles. Her ability to connect with a crowd is something most politicians can only dream of. I will always remember her 2008 convention speech as a rollicking star turn. She would be terrific as a talk-show host — the new Oprah.
But a presidential candidate? Someone to convince critical independent voters that Republicans can govern successfully? Absolutely not.
It looks like Ms. Charen has jumped aboard the Stop Palin Express. Ms. Charen seems to lack intellectual curiosity when it comes to Palin.
Because of her treatment by the media, Palin has figured out how to go around them. Apparently, Charen has a problem with that.
It seems to me that now is a little early for anyone to be deemed unfit to lead this country. That's what the primary season is for. If Palin isn't ready for prime time, it will show during the numerous debates, interviews, and public appearances.
I'll wait for Charen to tell us about a candidate who supported government-run healthcare that has proven to be very expensive and who pretty much abandoned his state the last two years of his term. Or maybe she'll tell us about a candidate who has a weekly talk show, who pardoned dangerous criminals. and who supported big government programs. Or perhaps she'll tell us about a candidate who resigned from Congress and who left two wives for younger women.
Interesting.
Seems just about any candidate with a "vast and impressive record" is also tainted with the poison of having played some role in creating our current 'in the toilet' situation.
As for "chasing money and celebrity", Can you name any other potential candidate who's been out there in any nationally visible way advocating for the conservative position and calling out the leftist drivel for what it is? Me neither.
If my teenage daughter were presented with an opportunity to make a lot of bread for herself and her daughter, I'd say make hay while the sun's shining. You never know when it's gonna rain.
And as to her endorsements? She gave some principled candidates opportunities. The candidates themselves own their victories or losses. Just because one wears the Republican label doesn't mean he's not gonna take my tax money and give it to his cronies in his big government big business big lobby who cares about the actual voting base loop. (Castle, anyone?)
To this restaurant chef, you seem out of touch with the reality of the situation.
Charen is dead on: At this point, the 2012 election is the GOP's to lose. And Palin is in a unique to position to greatly hurt, not help, the conservative cause.
I agree with many of Palin's positions and I'm angered at those who would attack her for her beliefs. I think that she has brought much-needed enthusiasm to the conservative cause.
Still, it's very clear that Palin would fail as a Presidential candidate, for all of the reasons Charen states.
My hope is that Palin will come to understand that reality early, rally behind the GOP nominee, and not do anything crazy like running as a third party (Tea Party) nominee in the general election.
Let's hope that Palin's own pride and ego don't lead her to do anything to ensure Obama's re-election -- like running third party or independent and effectively splitting the conservative vote.
Sarah, we're counting on you to do the right thing here. And the right thing means NOT running for president. Please don't let us down.
Sounds like you are worried that she will win the nomination. Sorry but we tried the "electability" thing in '08 and where did that get us...Obama landslide. No way that happens again. Independents are even more sour on Obama.
Palin has a track record of sensible governance. Try reading "Going Rogue" before opining on this topic again.
I agree. I also admire Palin a great deal, but I find it hard to forgive her for abandoning Alaska. We aren't going to defeat Obama by running our own Obama.
I reluctantly have to agree. I like Palin, and I am a fan. However, I recognize her electability (or non-electability) factor. She has a talent for raising money, and I think her talents in that area would do us all a world of good at the RNC. It would demonstrate a seriousness in public service, as well as rehab a damaged institution. That being said, she may have a tendency to seek the spotlight, which would tend to overshadow the electoral players. Overall, though the benefits of a stint at the RNC would outweigh the negatives.
Gee, I didn't realize there were so many qualifications for being President (or Senator, for that matter). Here I thought the only qualification for being President is being age 35 and a natural-born citizen of the United States.
But pundits want their say in the matter.
That being said, I am inclined to support John Bolton over the others. I prefer his foreign policy gravitas, which is going to be more important than ever after the current clown leaves office.
"Palin has many strengths. I admire her fortitude and her principles. Her ability to connect with a crowd is something most politicians can only dream of. I will always remember her 2008 convention speech as a rollicking star turn. She would be terrific as a talk-show host — the new Oprah."
...and yet still she embarrasses you enough to dismiss her as a credible candidate.
Be careful Ms. Charen. The reasons you provide against her running are available against any candidate if one actually dug deep enough. The difference with Ms. Palin is that the media has worked tirelessly to frame her every action as proof of yokel-dom - and they will most certainly continue to do so. Can you even imagine what a 21st Century press would do to "a divorced (and aged) Hollywood actor obsessed with commies" that chose to run? He would have withered under the TMZing of his life.
Perhaps you should examine your own fears of Ms. Palin a little more closely.
Palin is far too much of an egomaniac to do what is best and sit the 2012 election out. But even if she doesn't and decides to run, I doubt she can get the nomination.
Okay, first of all -- Delaware would have been a Republican pickup with Castle? Hardly. Exit polls decisively indicated otherwise.
Second of all -- this kind of attitude is why conservatives are so far behind in engaging the mainstream pop culture, where (let's face it) so many of our battles are now waged. We can keep raising our noses in the air and pretending we're high above it all, while secretly indulging in the latest trashy sitcom, as I've seen so many conservatives do. (Maybe Ms. Charen doesn't do this, but it's pretty widespread.) Or we can get in there and start having an actual, impactful presence. I'm not much of a reality show fan and I don't agree with everything Palin's done on the pop culture front -- I'd have focused her show a little more on Alaska and a little less on the trials of life with teenagers -- but she's trying to create a presence and reach a new audience, and with many people she's succeeding. That's more than you can say for almost anyone else. If we "culture warriors" -- and I'm one myself -- ever make any progress on that front, it'll be because of people like her.
And finally, "their unwed-mother daughter." Charming. No doubt Sarah and Todd should have thrown her out into the snow and never spoken to her again instead of trying to support her.
Look, the entire world knows that the girl made a bad mistake. Are we supposed to keep pushing her nose in it like a puppy who had an accident? Do we keep pretending that all kids raised by Christian parents turn out to be perfect little angels, or do we acknowledge that they do stupid things and support them when they take responsibility for what they did wrong?
As for DWTS, it's not meant to be "Firing Line with Bill Buckley." And a cha cha is "bumping and grinding"? It's ballroom dance, and it's mild compared to most dance that's on TV. Plus Bristol deserves credit for asking for, and wearing, costumes more modest than most of the others are wearing.
I apologize if my tone has gotten overheated. But look at all Palin has accomplished lately, just with the freshman Congress alone. Republicans have got to quit eating their own. We can keep biting the hand that feeds us, and snipe at her children into the bargain, or we can start giving credit where credit is due, and actually start to bring this party together and make a little progress.
Charen is almost exactly right here. I probably would have left out the DWTS criticism. There was no easy way could have rebuked her own adult daughter, and she would have come away looking not so good if she had done so. Other than that, the column voices my complaints about Palin perfectly. I like Mona Charen's writing, and she is one of the people who drew me towards the right early on. She has just made the admirable decision to step out into what is sure to be a veritable hurricane of vile commentary and stupidity directed at her. There will be all the usual ridiculous complaints about how elites like her set the boundaries of our politics and how out of touch she is with the average Joe. She'll take fire from the AM dial. She'll be treated as though she's never done a thing for conservatism.
The truth is, Charen would be more than happy to have Palin in the White House. But there absolutely is no way she can win the general. There seems to be two kinds of conservatives: those who can look squarely at that simple reality and see it for what it is and those who can not. Charen is a patriot who loves her country too much to take any chance with having four more years of Obama
I think Mona's right on the big question: Palin shouldn't run but should use her gift for connecting with people to present the conservative viewpoint in a way that counters pop culture's vapid embrace of progressive politics.
Unfortunately, Mona has couched her suggestion in some pretty poltically tone-deaf language of her own. At the very time a cheif criticism of the current Oval Office holder is his aloof elitism, Mona is characterizing Palin's popular new show as "cheesy" and condemning DWTS - th emost heavily watched show on television - as a bastion of vulgarity. I can't imagine she watches much else on television, or she'd see the weaknessness in that claim, relative to most other programming these days.
I'm not much of a DWTS fan, myself. It's celebrity and popularity-driven, but it is impressive to see people find their inner talent, and it's not any more vulgar than much of our contemproary political scene.
Sure, it'd be great if Sarah's pasttimes were the symphony, perusing treatises on economic and political philosophy, and her DVD collection of Firing Line. However, the real reasons she shouldn't run are the ones Mona starts with: She ought to be in government awhile longer, if she wants the top job, to show she's serious and to combat notions of her as intellectually shallow.
Charen is dead wrong. The 2012 election is NOT the GOP's to lose, it is the GOP's to WIN. No one voted FOR the GOP in these recent elections, they voted AGAINST the Democrats. The GOP, and its "next-guy-in-line" mentality has brought us such sterling candidates as John McCain and Bob Dole. Now the GOP (and NRO), want to shove Mitt Romney and his "Conservative-when-I-need-to-be" rhetoric.
Enough of the safe choice. We need someone who can INSPIRE. The GOP needs to back away from the cocktail parties long enough to take notice of what is actually happening in America. Never has the phrase "born on third base and though they hit a triple" been more apt of the current GOP. Patricians and more patricians.
From John Cornyn wanting to choose our candidates himself, to Lindsey Graham's "please notice me, Media" campaigning, its enough to make one ill.
I want Sarah Palin in the race, if only to FORCE the rest of the pack to at the very least, pretend to stick to conservative principles, and make conservative promises. What they all fear (her competitors) is that they appear inauthentic standing next to her. Like her or not, she is a TRUE conservative, and unafraid of the media elites, and of taking the fight to the opposition.
Enough go-along-to-get-along Republican cowardice. Run Palin Run! Rough edges and all. If she loses, fine. Palin has done much more than Mona's admission of "bringing enthusiasm to the Conservative Cause"; Palin IS the enthusiasm of the Conservative cause. While Marco Rubio is a star, even he pales in comparison to Palin's defense of core Conservative principles.
I hope in the end, Palin refuses to get in line and wait her turn, while Obama runs roughshod over the country. In America, everyone gets a chance, even if the Patricians among us are embarrassed by the accents and phrasing from the folks in flyover country.
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