A good read, if not an outright warm fuzzy for the faithful. Fund believes it was the ethics complaints that did her in and that she isn't consumed by presidential ambition. It's a balanced read but doesn't do anything more than the usual speculation about her future. And I doubt it's positive for a formal career in politics going forward.
No, maybe she's not a quitter and simply marches to a different drummer. I can buy that. But such people are rarely successful in mounting a presidential bid. Will she think about a Senate run, or maybe opt for a role in some future cabinet in exchange for supporting another candidate? Or, will she take an entire different route and become more an activist, than an elected official? Reading the Fund item suggests the best alternatives for now might be one of the last two options, while keeping the door open for a run for higher office some time down the road.
Those truly might be the best options for her, especially given her family situation and desire for some elbow room. That's unfortunate for what it says about our politics. However, it could be the reality, nonetheless. In any event, she's young enough to have many options. I'm just not sure they'll do much to excite the truly faithful as they might want to be in the near term.
All good points, and they lead me to conclude that Ms. Palin mostly likely will not run for president -- in 2012, at least. She made many mistakes after suddenly being thrust into the national spotlight last year, but hasn't merited the sneering contempt visited upon her by national reporters. She simply was not their kind of feminist -- and they disdained the politically incorrect life choices she had made.
In helping to convince Sarah Palin that her road forward in national politics would demand even more sacrifices and pain than exacted from most politicians, the media did nothing to encourage women or people of modest means to participate in politics. By sidestepping her critics, Sarah Palin is now moving to another playing field where she has more control over the rules of the game. Her friends say her critics may call her a "quitter" now, but they should wait and see what new role she decides to fill. She may wind up having the last laugh.
How much has Palin helped the GOP in 2010 by removing herself from the scene? Not saying that was her intention, but if the nation is tired of the continuous Obama campaign against GWB, they will be very tired of the continuous smears of Palin. And Fund did his share.
Posted by: Scott | Tuesday, July 07, 2009 at 07:07 PM
give fund some credit.
if the argument, as fund frames it, of staying or going was mine, I'd choose to leave as well.
It's funny because john zeigler had it right, but I just kinda zoned him out. Fund's article, vindicates zeigler as much as it does palin.
she's not in my top 5 choices, but her chances are probably better than the culmulative chances of my top 5 combined.
her path to the presidency is still in front of her...she's the most popular conservative, she wins the primary, and if the economy is in shambles, as is more likely than not, she beats an incumbent just by running against his most unpopular policies. The odds of beating an imcumbent are nearly impossible, and I would almost rather she ran a token campaign, ala bob dole, and get it out of her system before 2016-the year of jindal.
if obama wants to look credible, he very well cannot claim his 4 years in office qualify him, if we are living a disaster. IF his record gets better, he wins, if he struggles, he wins. If he fails miserably it will be a wider margin than reagan in 80, and the press will be even more stunned.
note to michael steele: if she choses not to run, she remains the kingmaker, not you. her endorsement and support seals the deal before 20 primaries have gone by.
I did catch jim demint on kudlow, pretty solid, but the caveat remains-
nearly impossible to beat an incumbent president. If palin wants a crack at it, and she wins the nomination, I'll vote for her.
I want the gop to win in 2012, but the outcome is completely independent of the gop nominee, unless it is david duke.
Posted by: mark l. | Tuesday, July 07, 2009 at 10:32 PM