The Top 40

Palin is qualified. She was a very popular governor and is quickly becoming a celebrity in her own right. The big difference is not between Palin and Reagan, and certainly not between Obama and Carter. Palin's handicap is the same handicap Reagan would have were he running in 2012. The difference is the white-guilt vote.

I don't think she's running, so a lot of this feels like "sound and fury" to me. And I actually can see why someone like Krauthammer wouldn't be able to stomach a Palin candidacy.

But at this point a lot of people on the right that I've sworn never to vote for in the past are looking really, really good. So I'm wondering why there's this huge stampede among righty intellectuals to distance themselves from her. And aren't they going to feel really silly if it turns out she doesn't intend to run for President, and has instead pulled off a big head-fake for the benefit of the MSM?

Remember how the party intellectuals treated RR? It was the common folk who chose him, not the elitists.

VDH writes about the war against Palin at: http://www.victorhanson.com/articles/hanson012011.html

I have heard Krauhtammer speak positively about Palin, but I agreed with him then that she is very young and has plenty of time. I think recently he disagreed with her response to the Tucson shooting flap as unecessary, but I disgree with him. Furthermore, I think she is being wildly affective just where she is. I see her as presidential material, but I don't need her to become president. The office of POTUS ain't what is used to be anyway. Having said that, we need an anti-Obama candidate and if ever there was one, it's Sarah Palin.

*Krauthammer

And she was as effective governor. But she is a wild card in the conservative mix, especially among establishment Repubs and yes, intellectuals. She's not for everyone. Look, I just celebrated the inauguration of Nikki Haley in South Carolina. Palin doesn't need to be president. But she certainly deserves credit in campaigning her butt off for the conservative candidates like Madam Governor Haley. She's affective and effective. She is the anti-Obama conservative because she can beat him at his own game. Still, she is lacking the white-guilt vote. Intellectuals like Krauthammer forget how gullible the American voters can be, how easily swayed they can be with some solidarity among the team. Besides, he's only trying to save face among his peers. Leftist intellectuals DO know how gullible the American voters are and play that to their advantage. I have tremendous respect for Krauthammer, but he has been wrong before.

You know who can't be President? Mike Huckabee can't be President. Newt Gingrich? That was settled years ago. Ron freakin'Paul? Now that's ridiculous. Pawlenty? Romney? I really doubt it. And I voted for Romney. I won't do it again.

The recent Carville poll shows her in striking distance. She should go for it and let the people decide.

Dear RedCarolina: You say SP "was an effective governor." What actions of hers make you think this? She was ineffective in a matter that was crucial to her: she was not able to get the nominally GOP-controlled Alaska Legislature to change the law that allowed the bad faith ethics complaints against her. Nor could she get rid of Lisa Murkowski. This is especially telling given that SP did get rid of Murkowski's old man. Yet again: SP quit the Governor's mansion just as being a governor of any state got a lot tougher. It hasn't been easy to be a guv these days, what with that pesky requirement that state budgets be balanced. Had SP continued to be guv, she had an excellent opportunity to continue seasoinng herself, balancing the budget in hard times, and showing her mettle as say, Mitch Daniels in Indiana and Tim Pawlenty in Minnesota have done. As for the white-guilt vote, The One has greatly diminished it. Let the liberal bigots howl "Raaaaaacist!" in 2012, and they will find that 9+% unemployment, monstrous deficits, and intrusive government is an effective callus over that scar.

It's worth noting that of the last four governors who became Prez, two, Reagan and Jimmy Bumpkin, waited until their terms were done before running (Reagan had to run twice to be nominated.) The other two, Billyboy and Geo. W., managed to run for Prez and remain guv. SP's approach is a new one, with little successful precedent behind it.

The GOP elites and intellectuals are in a pickle, viz: none of them have a candidate with SP's phenomenal ability to connect with voters. So they are in the odious position of implying SP isn't qualified to be Prez, but is good enough to harvest votes. This is a formula for trouble down the road. Yet what's to be done? If you have doubts about SP, should you keep quiet? A lot of Dems did that for The One in 2008. You can identify them by the sour looks as the fool blunders again and again.

In her favor, SP has the "it's time for a woman" meme running with her. The best qualification SP has for being nominated in my view is the comedy of watching Steinem & Co. harridans all, shriek that SP is NOT NOT NOT a woman how can we think of voting for it etc etc etc.

Sincerely yours,
Gregory Koster

"P.S. John, Please note. Real Men enable comments."

Heh. Looks like John had a Dave Caruso moment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glvGfQnx3DI

(John): Palin for President? (Puts on Sunglasses) Forget It. (*Yeeeeeeeeeeeah!!!!!!!*)

Until a person has told Exxon-Mobil to sh** or get of the pot, and made it stick, as Sarah Palin has, they should be very modest in any criticism of her capabilities.

White guilt.. and then just cheating the system. I just found this re: "voter suppression files"

http://pajamasmedia.com/tatler/2011/01/21/voter-suppression-files-found-outside-dems-judiciary-office/

Murkowski barely won. I think Palin would be fine with a strong cabinet. Like I said, the office ain't what is used to be. I think we have a lot of great people: DeMind, Ryan, Jindal, Haley, Chistie.. too many to name (and please don't bring up Huck or Newt.. just spare me).

I don't exactly have a firm answer. I just see Palin as the anti-Obama. I like to see a more viable candidate, yes. By all means. Where is "he"?

*DeMint

Gregory Koster:
If you have doubts about SP, should you keep quiet? A lot of Dems did that for The One in 2008. You can identify them by the sour looks as the fool blunders again and again.

The crucial difference is that Palin is unquestionably a patriot, while Obama unquestionably is not.

I'm pretty certain that Palin won't appoint a collection of Marxist revolutionaries to head government agencies and as advisors and Federal judges.

Koster,

You've been a defendent in civil court how often?

I like Pence. But I'm just as skeptical that any white dude can overcome the white guilt vote as I am Palin can overcome the white-trash label. What I find amazing is how she takes every insult and attack and makes lemonade.. it's definitely part of her charm (and very Reaganesque, I think).

RedCarolina: She just keeps coming. No matter what they shoot at her, she just keeps coming. She is the Terminator. And so long as she stays away from foundries and metal-presses, she's unstoppable.

Personally, I am liking this a lot.