There is NO
indication that Palin is "seriously" doing anything that would
indicate any real interest in the race aside, of course, from doing that
easiest thing of all: Just saying it. This has been
Palin's M.O. since she was the Republican vice presidential nominee in 2008.
She hints at the possibility that she might run, a hint that sends all of those
who love and hate her -- there are tons of both -- into a tizzy. But,
there's never any "there" there. And, it's worth calling it
out.
Running for
president, particularly in a field as deep and talented as the 2016 field looks
to be, is very hard work. It's a labor-intensive effort to reach out to the
thousands of activists in early primary states, court major donors -- often in
a series of one on one conversations -- and develop a deep policy knowledge
that allows you to speak from expertise (or at least significant knowledge) on
matters both domestic and international.
In short: Running
for president is not something done on a lark. It can't be. There's too much
legwork involved. (I always say that running for president is like an iceberg.
The part regular people see is the tiny bit above the surface; the massive
amount of work to get to that point is the bulk of its mass below the
waterline.)
The reality is
that Palin, based on any number of conversations I have had with political
people -- both those friendly to her and those not -- over the past few years
has not done any of the laying of the groundwork necessary to
"seriously" consider running for president.
Yes, by dint of her
name recognition and the vaunted place she occupies for some part of the
conservative movement, if she announced her candidacy tomorrow there would be a
constituency for her. But, her ability to build and grow that constituency in a
way that would allow her to, you know, actually have a chance at winning would
be entirely dependent on her having built a political apparatus that she has
never shown an interest in doing.
Days until Election Day: 651
Original post:
Incoherent. Gibberish. Coarse. Petty. Just some of the words observers are using to describe Sarah Palin's speech at yesterday's GOP beauty pageant in Iowa. Here's Roger Simon at politco.com:
Sarah
Palin, who has been teasing the press with hints she might actually run for
president, appeared to end much hope of that Saturday by delivering a 33-minute
speech of such incoherence that even veteran Palin-watchers were puzzled.
Some
sample lines from Palin:
“Screw
the left and Hollywood!”
“Coronation,
rinse, repeat.”
Obama
“is so over it. America, he’s just not that into you.”
“The
man can only ride you when your back is bent.”
I
would provide some context, but there wasn’t any. It is possible she was
improperly inflated.
Republicans might have been embarrassed by Sarah, or for Sarah, but Democrats were delighted, expressing their joy with two words: Thank You.
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