…if Palin muddled through New Hampshire, it’s entirely possible that her strengths in Iowa and South Carolina — where social conservatives carry far more voting influence — would insulate her from a less-than-stellar performance in the Granite State.
Sarah Palin’s semiliterate yet somehow Shakespearian tweet protesting the “Ground Zero mosque” has drawn fresh attention to a cause that excites bigots across the country. Her friend Mark Williams, the racist loudmouth expelled from the Tea Party movement over the weekend, is already leading a national campaign of agitation against the “mosque” and the worshippers of Islam’s “monkey god.” Florida evangelist William Keller wants a piece of the fame and fortune, too. New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Lazio even seems to believe that opposing the mosque — and perhaps all mosques — will revive his stagnating candidacy.
Ms. Handel became at least the 50th candidate to win the Palin seal of approval. Through a breezy 194 words posted on Ms. Palin’s Facebook page — calling Ms. Handel a “pro-life, pro-Constitutionalist with a can-do attitude” — a four-way Republican primary came alive, the latest in a number of races across the country that have been influenced by Ms. Palin.
As Patrick Appell noted at Andrew Sullivan’s blog, two polls are now out showing wildly different results in a potential Sarah Palin-Barack Obama 2012 race. One, from Time, has Obama up by 21 points. The other, from PPP, shows a tie. So what gives?
The 2012 election season, while allegedly two years out, is underway! (Ugh.) So get used to more of the silliness we witnessed today: some anonymous Palin and Romney aides “sparred” and Romney himself had to cool things down, on Twitter.
Newly published election spending figures show Sarah Palin ended the last quarter with a war chest of more than $1m, suggesting gathering momentum for a run at the White House in 2012.
Her political action committee, a body for raising and distributing election cash, raised $866,000 in the three months from April 1, the most since it was formed in January 2009. She spent about $742,000 over the quarter, most of it on building up her political profile and base support.
Kornacki’s jump from there to Walter Mondale in 1984, however, doesn’t really work. Yes, Mondale got clobbered — but he was clobbered by a popular incumbent president boosted by a strong economy. Under those circumstances, it didn’t really matter who the Dems ran; when the electorate is happy with the incumbent, there’s not very much the out-party can do about it.
(the reporter) absolutely agree(s) with this assessment of Sarah Palin’s 2012 general election prospects from Daniel Larison:
If she did somehow [win the nomination], Democrats would spend most of the summer and fall of 2012 rubbing their eyes in disbelief at their good fortune… [A] ticket headed by Palin would be hard-pressed to break 40%. Palin as the nominee would probably make 2012 the most lopsided election victory for the incumbent President since 1984.
…In choosing Branstad, Palin skipped over businessman Bob Vander Plaats, a tea party favorite, in favor of a former governor with a strong chance of returning to office – and wielding political power when the Iowa presidential caucuses roll around.
“She’s playing her cards, and trying to set herself up” for making a push, should she run, said Dante Scala, an associate professor of political science at the University of New Hampshire who is watching to see who, or whether, Palin endorses in his state.
Sarah Palin-endorsed candidates went three-for-four Tuesday night. But Bill Clinton helped Sen. Blanche Lincoln pull off a stunner. Just how much of an impact do their endorsements have?
