Is Palin causing a schism in the GOP?

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Scandia

She is VERY qualified to be VP.

No, she's not. Not. At. All.

And yes, it's looking like she's trying to make sure her own future doesn't go down with the McCain campaign. Can't say I blame her on that.

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

No, she's not. Not. At. All.

And yes, it's looking like she's trying to make sure her own future doesn't go down with the McCain campaign. Can't say I blame her on that.

Agreed...hell...I am as qualified as she is...heh...but...what's even scarier is the thought that there are GOPers who will get on her side....not because they don't have any one experienced (there are at least 4 women better qualified than Palin)enough to lead the party but they need a fresh face to mold and corrupt.

But, I too agree, it's time for her to save her own skin and for her to hope that she can salvage something of a political career out of this.


....altho something tells me that the road back home should she lose will be a rough one...I think her constituents on both sides of the aisle may tell her to take a long hike off of a short Bridge to Nowhere

[epchick]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

In one corner are some conservatives who believe the Alaska governor has been a detriment to John McCain's presidential bid and threatens to lead the party astray for the foreseeable future.

I'm not even a big conservative and I believe she has been a detriment. I DO NOT see Palin winning a 2012 presidential election, shoot I don't see her winning any presidential election. She'd have to make drastice changes to get people to forget all the goof-ups she's had this election.

Originally Posted by Scandia

She is VERY qualified to be VP.

If you're saying she's qualified because she's a U.S. citizen and "of age" to be VP, then fine she's qualified. Otherwise, no she's definitely not.

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by epchick

I'm not even a big conservative and I believe she has been a detriment. I DO NOT see Palin winning a 2012 presidential election, shoot I don't see her winning any presidential election. She'd have to make drastice changes to get people to forget all the goof-ups she's had this election.



If your saying she's qualified because she's a U.S. citizen and "of age" to be VP, then fine she's qualified. Otherwise, no she's definitely not.

yeah...like at least naming one newspaper she can read or stop lying about seeing Moscow from her house...LOL

[TonyB06]

I wouldn't say she's causing a schism, but Palin is fighting back in the perception war regarding her role in the campaign.

Going forward, Palin's political relevance will likely be determined by what she does with the intervening 4 years. To many, including a raft of conservative columnists, she comes off as intellectually incurious. Does she build a coalition (on energy? or some other issue). Does she develop intellectual/policy depth on a range of issues? Does she join a think tank and lead opposition and present viable policy alternatives? Does she run for Senate, building a visible national platform?

I don't expect Palin to take an master's degree Harvard, but given her introduction to the American public (i.e. the Gibson, Couric interviews, et al.), I think all but her most partisan supporters would agree she has some image rehabilitation work to do if she wants a national future in politics.

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by TonyB06

I wouldn't say she's causing a schism, but Palin is fighting back in the perception war regarding her role in the campaign.

Going forward, Palin's political relevance will likely be determined by what she does with the intervening 4 years. To many, including a raft of conservative columnists, she comes off as intellectually incurious. Does she build a coalition (on energy? or some other issue). Does she develop intellectual/policy depth on a range of issues? Does she join a think tank and lead opposition and present viable policy alternatives? Does she run for Senate, building a visible national platform?

I don't expect Palin to take an master's degree Harvard, but given her introduction to the American public (i.e. the Gibson, Couric interviews, et al.), I think all but her most partisan supporters would agree she has some image rehabilitation work to do if she wants a national future in politics.

Speaking of rehab...she is going to have a lot of rehabbing of her image in Alaska before she goes national again...if this campaign fails I would say watch her approval numbers in Alaska for the remainder of her term before this convo pops back up

[TonyB06]

I have to admit I don't know enough about the climate of Alaska politics to assess the longterm damage this national run may have made. I did see a story about a week or so ago that suggested her state numbers had dipped a bit.

But what is the state of Democratic party strength there? Palin's the leader but is she even the dominant party leader in statehouse politics? Is she term limited?

I'd also guess that Alaskans, like other Americans, tend to rally around their own when they're up on a national stage. Depending how the McCain effort ends (high note, or more intra-campaign acrimony) she might recover some of the "dip" the earlier story says she suffered. ...she might come home "conquering barracuda." who really knows?


...I still can not figure out why "barracuda" was supposed to be an enduring term?

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by TonyB06

I have to admit I don't know enough about the climate of Alaska politics to assess the longterm damage this national run may have made. I did see a story about a week or so ago that suggested her state numbers had dipped a bit.

But what is the state of Democratic party strength there? Palin's the titular leader but is she even the dominant party leader in statehouse politics? Is she term limited?

I'd also guess that Alaskans, like other Americans, tend to rally around their own when they're up on a national stage. Depending how the McCain effort ends (high note, or more intra-campaign acrimony) she might recover some of the "dip" the earlier story says she suffered. ...she might come home "conquering barracuda." who really knows?


...I still can not figure out why "barracuda" was supposed to be an enduring term?

Look at it like this...remember she pissed off a lot of GOPers there when she 'cleaned house' of the corruption and then she pissed off the Dems with what she is doing during this run, so no matter how you cut it, there will be some axes ready to grind should she lose and have to return home.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

yeah...like at . . . stop lying about seeing Moscow from her house...LOL

LOL. To be fair, though, that was Tina Fey, not Sarah Palin.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

LOL. To be fair, though, that was Tina Fey, not Sarah Palin.

Thank you for this.

[KSigkid]

This has been something I've thought about quite a bit, and I briefly posted on it in another thread. As most people on the board know, I'm a Republican with many conservative beliefs (mostly economics) and some liberal leanings (pro-choice, anti-death penalty).

My biggest fear coming out of this election, besides the issues I have with Obama's platform, is that Palin will somehow take center stage within the party. I've had an inkling that the anti-intellectual wing of the party has grown; it hasn't just been Palin, but if you listen to commentators like Hannity, it's suddenly become a bad thing to be intelligent. There seems to be a feeling among many within the party that education does not equal conservatism. Never mind people like Romney, Jindal, Scalia, etc...

I'll make no bones about it - my ideal ticket in 2012 would be Romney-Jindal, as I'm a big fan of both. While my interest in Jindal may fade in 4 years, whatever happens, I want Romney to be the 2012 nominee. I'm afraid, though, that there will be enough support among the far right and the "base," so to speak for Palin, and that she will gain so much steam in that time, that she could be the presumptive nominee. Again, it's 4 years, and 4 years is a long time, but I still am afraid of that possibility.

I think there is a place for intellectuals within the Republican party. I think it is possible to have boatloads of education and still be a tried and true Conservative. I believe the party can overcome this loss and come back stronger than ever. But, I have a fear that Palin and others will lead the party down the wrong road.

[TonyB06]

Originally Posted by KSigkid

This has been something I've thought about quite a bit, and I briefly posted on it in another thread. As most people on the board know, I'm a Republican with many conservative beliefs (mostly economics) and some liberal leanings (pro-choice, anti-death penalty).

My biggest fear coming out of this election, besides the issues I have with Obama's platform, is that Palin will somehow take center stage within the party. I've had an inkling that the anti-intellectual wing of the party has grown; it hasn't just been Palin, but if you listen to commentators like Hannity, it's suddenly become a bad thing to be intelligent. There seems to be a feeling among many within the party that education does not equal conservatism. Never mind people like Romney, Jindal, Scalia, etc...

I'll make no bones about it - my ideal ticket in 2012 would be Romney-Jindal, as I'm a big fan of both. While my interest in Jindal may fade in 4 years, whatever happens, I want Romney to be the 2012 nominee. I'm afraid, though, that there will be enough support among the far right and the "base," so to speak for Palin, and that she will gain so much steam in that time, that she could be the presumptive nominee. Again, it's 4 years, and 4 years is a long time, but I still am afraid of that possibility.

I think there is a place for intellectuals within the Republican party. I think it is possible to have boatloads of education and still be a tried and true Conservative. I believe the party can overcome this loss and come back stronger than ever. But, I have a fear that Palin and others will lead the party down the wrong road.

While Republican orthodoxy/strategy may be shaped out of whatever new convictions emerge, some weight has to be given to what happens in the initial 18-month window of an Obama Administration (being presumptious for a monent.)

(I say 18 months because the partisan posturing leading up to the 2010 midterms will probably render any serious policy advancement moot after that.) An effective 18 months (health care reform, or signals of an economic recovery) will likely point to which Republican faction takes charge of the party.


Right now, Palin is clearly a stalking horse for the social conservatives, even ahead of Huckabee. Whether she wants to be anything more than that will be shown by her actions and what steps she takes to "emerge" as it were. I agree, Romney, et. al. won't just let her have the stage to herself, either.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by KSigkid

My biggest fear coming out of this election, besides the issues I have with Obama's platform, is that Palin will somehow take center stage within the party. I've had an inkling that the anti-intellectual wing of the party has grown; it hasn't just been Palin, but if you listen to commentators like Hannity, it's suddenly become a bad thing to be intelligent. There seems to be a feeling among many within the party that education does not equal conservatism. Never mind people like Romney, Jindal, Scalia, etc...

I think there is a place for intellectuals within the Republican party. I think it is possible to have boatloads of education and still be a tried and true Conservative. I believe the party can overcome this loss and come back stronger than ever. But, I have a fear that Palin and others will lead the party down the wrong road.

I think you have good company in David Brooks, George Will and David Frum.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by KSigkid

I've had an inkling that the anti-intellectual wing of the party has grown; it hasn't just been Palin, but if you listen to commentators like Hannity, it's suddenly become a bad thing to be intelligent. There seems to be a feeling among many within the party that education does not equal conservatism. Never mind people like Romney, Jindal, Scalia, etc...

Thanks for this post. I've been trying to put my finger on this for awhile, but had trouble articulating it.

I don't know, I feel like if they really wanted a woman, there were so many better choices (I can think of Kay Hutchison off the top of my head).

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

I don't know, I feel like if they really wanted a woman, there were so many better choices (I can think of Kay Hutchison off the top of my head).

Damn, that sounds familiar....