It’s a good question, and ABC News’ Rick Klein posits that yes, she is wearing out the GOP’s welcome mat
If it’s possible to wear out your welcome in politics, you can wear out your welcome mat, too.
Sarah Palin’s protracted flirtations with a presidential run took her to Iowa this weekend. She attacked President Obama, took at shot at what she called the “permanent political class,” and even outlined a tax plan she said was designed to revive American hiring.
She even did what every politician does — profess not to care about what polls say — with a Palin twist:
“Polls — nah. They’re for strippers and cross-country skiers,” she said.
But Palin did not declare a candidacy, of course. She didn’t rule it out, either — but that part has less potential relevance as the Republican field evolves without her.
In a Fox News poll taken last week, a startling 72 percent of Republicans said they don’t want Palin to run for president. Among self-described conservatives, 71 percent say they don’t want a Palin candidacy in 2012; that figure is 62 percent among those who consider themselves tea partiers.
Has she worn out the welcome mat? When she resigned as Governor of Alaska, most of her supporters, including me, thought that this would be a setup to repair her media trashed reputation in advance of a presidential run. But, here we are, a little over one year from the general election, and near to when one must declare for the South Carolina primary, and no announcement. As I’ve tweeted multiple times, it’s well past time for her to sh*t or get off the pot. She’s spent so much time attempting to tweak the media’s noses, playing with them as a cat plays with a mouse, playing the “will she or won’t she game”, that she has seemingly forgotten that there are people who support her and just Want To Know.
Her time for jumping in was back during the Spring. We’re now in September, and Palin is still playing the game, leaving her supporters hung out to dry, hence the Fox News poll mentioned above. It was fun watching her play the media like a violin, but, alas, it has ended up hurting her chances. Consider Mitt Romney: you knew from the moment the 2008 elections were over that Mitt was planning to run in 2012. What’s Palin doing? Anybody? In politics, timing is everything. Personally, I think she’s waited too damned long.
What do you think? Has her time to announce come and pass?
Crossed at Right Wing News and Stop The ACLU.
Not in my opinion, but I’m no political expert. Certainly there’s a closing window, and she herself has said end-of-September is a drop-dead date. I’m more concerned by what looks to be (to me, at a distance) a lack of any real organizing in later primary/caucus states, such as South Carolina.
What I don’t get is people getting so worked up because she hasn’t announced yet. While I count myself a strong Palin supporter (if she gets in, she has my vote), her timing is her affair, and there are plenty of other candidates to consider. If she declares, great. If not, I’ll move on to someone else. (FTR, Perry is my choice among the declared candidates.) But becoming upset because she hasn’t yet said yea or nay is a waste of time and energy, and a focusing on minutiae rather than the big picture: getting Obama out.
BTW, John Fund had a very interesting article arguing that Palin won’t run this year. It’s the first one I’ve found even somewhat persuasive.
My sense is that she could declare the day before the LAST Republican debate and with her straightforward common sense main street values make the other candidates look like small town mayors. Sarah Palin is the only person on the Republican national scene with the right positions on just about everything. And that’s what it will take to rescue this nation from the destructive behavior and policies of the Progressive Nanny State/Big Government agenda so willingly supported now by the peace, love and freedom 60’s movement. Some of us from the 60’s movement have realized of late that there is only one party interested in smaller government. The Democrat Party died the day Scoop Jackson died!
I would think that she would lose power by running or even becoming president.
Wow Greg. Don’t hold back. Tell us exactly how you feel about her.
She’s worn me out. I was way in favor of her from her time running as VP, to learning how she doesn’t take crap from the media….
.. but the continuous tweaking of the media is getting old, her constant mentions that she will do something big soon… soon.. soon… soon…
soon….
She will do nothing but divide everyone now. Especially women. And I find that utterly amazing (even among R women).
Now we hear Jeb Bush and Perry are RINOS ala McCain and Snowe. We have already gotten rid of several RINOS from the ticket. Are there true conservatives left? Are we going to have to continue to compromise while the Overton Window continues to slide to the left?
Don’t get me wrong, I think Palin is great, but, her tweaking the media with the will she/won’t she stuff got old for me months ago. Would I support her? Sure. A lot more than Rick Perry. But, her negatives have just gotten too great, and I think too many people are tired of the game she plays with the media
I believe she needed to get in early, or say no. Also, she would have been much better served if she had run for Senator.
I am not tired of her tweaking the media. I think the tweak is self inflicted by the first estate who believe they have the right to know everything.
I am simply tired of her.
There. I said it.
I am tired of the tours, the book signings, the reality shows, the appearances on talk shows and the whole nine yards of style over substance.
Palin is a great cheerleader and a decent pundit.
But I have moved on from her. I like her as a person. I don’t like her as a candidate anymore than I like O’Reilly as a candidate.
She has a niche and should stick to that niche and pledge her efforts to support conservative candidates across the country. That is where she can have the most impact and benefit.
I’ve not been able to understand what the rush is about to announce and start the ‘official’ campaigning.
Sarah Palin has always said she would be unconventional. What part of that word is not sinking in?
Let the Romney’s and Perry’s and the rest do it the way it’s “supposed” to be done.
Unless she’s somehow primaried out by the rest of the GOP yahoos, she’s got my vote to the end…. along with millions of my closest friends.
Just sayin’.
The part that means “presidential.”