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People and Politics by Patrick Roberts

Sarah Palin visit to Iowa a clear sign she'll run for president in 2012

Posted on Sunday, September 12, 2010 at 10:17 PM

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Some months back I wrote that Sarah Palin was likely to be the Republican candidate for president in 2012 and a number of disparaging comments were posted.

But now the Guardian newspaper in London is leading with the news that Irish American Palin will headline a dinner in Iowa on Friday.

They say it is clear that this is her opening salvo in the race for the 2012 nomination.

Can't say I'm surprised.

The Guardian quotes Kathie Obradovich, political columnist at the Des Moines Register, who says Palin's visit is highly significant.

"Palin is aware that there are flames of speculation over whether she will run for president and coming to Iowa fans that into a wildfire."says Obradovich.

Strangely I haven't seen much commentary on this Iowa visit in the American media.

Political commentators always fight the last war, not the next one and they have dismissed Palin because she did not deliver ultimately for John McCain.

Sure, they see her as a Tea Party darling and a Fox News star but they don't really take her seriously as a presidential contender.

I think they are making a huge mistake.

The Iowa diner will solidify her bond with grassroots Iowans, who remember, vote in a caucus system, not a primary.

I can very easily see her winning Iowa and heading for New Hampshire like a runaway train.

Who will stop her? Mitt Romney who has never appealed to the grassroots? Newt Gingrich with his three marriages and decades old shtick?

The Guardian interviewed Marilea David, a hard core Republican,who might well have been speaking for most conservatives.

"I think she is great. She is the only person I am excited about just now,"

"She is fiscally conservative. She married her husband for love, not money. She does not have perfect kids, which is big for me. She has been totally vetted by the liberal media and they did not come up with anything other than she is a 'hick'."

There's a bit of the Susan Boyle phenomenon for women especially in Palin.

The more the mainstream mocks Susan the more her base is bonded to her, seeing in her struggle for recognition their own.

Palin is in a similar narrative.

Larry Sabato, director of the political centre at the University of Virginia says Palin will win Iowa if she runs but thinks she will be a poor general election candidate.

" You are looking at a landslide to the Democrats. There is no one the Democrats want more. Obama would expect to win, even if the economy was bad. She is popular among Republicans but in the country as a whole she is unpopular."

I think Larry has it wrong. If Palin prevails she will be a very powerful contender. And many women will be drawn to her, for the historic nature of her run alone.

Who said after Hillary Clinton failed that we'd never see a woman president.

President Palin has a nice ring to it.

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seanomelbourne | Sep 18, 2010, 02:26 AM EDT

Their are about 30 recorded shark attacks world wide and if that silly christian sect in (Tennessee?) didn't throw around snakes at their religious services their would probably be about another 20000 republicans to bolster the teaparty membership. Lightening must strike many times in the U.S.A. It is easy to make light of a serious situation. Golfing the weekend? be careful of snakes and lightening you may even see the shark

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maloney | Sep 17, 2010, 08:54 AM EDT

We need to thin a little faster & Monsoon is on the money.

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Monsoonman | Sep 17, 2010, 12:34 AM EDT

Sean me boy, at first glance looking at the statistics you put up I was a bit alarmed, then did a bit of investigation meself...First of all 80K killed is within acceptable tolerances when you spread it out over 10 years, that's only 8k per year in a population of 330 million, it is nothing lad, lightning strikes, shark attacks & snake bites kill far more than that per year so there's no need for you to get excited. Furthermore, a vast majority of those taken out of the gene pool were the bad guys...So it's natures way of thinning the herd.

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seanomelbourne | Sep 16, 2010, 11:44 PM EDT

Monsoonman from 1965-1975 80,000 Americans died from gunshot wounds this doe's not include the 50,000 Americans who were killed in Vietnam. Even now the U.S. has more deaths per capita than any other western nation and in fact far more most than most other nations. The incarceration rate is higher than almost all other nations. What makes the U.S so different to other nations. There seems to deep seated problems in the American psyche in regards to these problems. I am not trying to be derisory Monsoonman only looking for answers. It's as if the psyche is stuck in the old west and you can't move on.

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Monsoonman | Sep 16, 2010, 08:59 PM EDT

I think every law abiding citizen should have the right to carry a firearm/firearms, concealed or not. It would raise the level of politeness in society several degrees immediately and would put an end to lone gunmen going on shooting rampages against unarmed citizens...the citizens will be firing back. Just think if the soldiers in ft. hood texas had been armed when the jihadi terrorist started executing them, he might have gotten a few, but not the 40 he executed.

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maloney | Sep 16, 2010, 10:05 AM EDT

I forgot the junk car on blocks in the yard we shoot daily with the 62 differant hand & long guns we own. Did you see Kansas is trying to pass a bill for right to bear arms against the corrupt government?

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Mairin67 | Sep 15, 2010, 11:28 PM EDT

yee ha!

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seanomelbourne | Sep 15, 2010, 09:27 PM EDT

I admire your aspirations Maloney

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maloney | Sep 15, 2010, 09:01 PM EDT

Back home down at the white trash trailer park we will be scatching fleas & picking our asses. Drinking OL Bullhockey beer & watching Dancing with the stars. Knowing we are safe in the arms of Pres. Palin & VP BECK. All warm & fuzzy!

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Mairin67 | Sep 15, 2010, 06:29 PM EDT

Palin's daughter is going to be on Dancing with the Stars. Can you imagine if Sarah were the leader of the free world (God forbid) and her family participating in trashy celebrity reality TV? This is what she brings to the table ......trash. How embarrassing for the United States of America. We lost so much respect after the Bush Jr. years and this is what people what to present to the world? Of course,I'm sure much of her devoted followers have never even left this country to experience other cultures or at least don't give a fig what the rest of the world thinks of us. Which is why we have some of the problems that we have because Bush was ignorant and arrogant about the rest of the world. Get a clue folks, we are NOT the center of the universe!

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maloney | Sep 15, 2010, 03:44 PM EDT

What did obummer not lie about to get elected is a much better question. You see it coming but your still in denial. Come Nov. you will still be in denial even though you will lose the majority of the races. Then 2 more years of this can't happen to me. Nov 2012 rolls around and tissue sales will rule the stock market.

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Monsoonman | Sep 15, 2010, 11:51 AM EDT

How about small state senator becomes vice president of the USA (Delaware is the size of one of my cities here in Cali...Or how about two bit community organizer becomes president of the USA?...Everything about him has been scrubbed clean. If he was a white conservative candidate, he would have been raked over the coals by the liberal media. I expect Niall, Patrick and Brendin would have had coronaries this far into the conservative(with a sealed past) presidential term.

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maireadinmelb | Sep 15, 2010, 06:30 AM EDT

What did Obama lie about to get elected??? And if you put Palin up against him, you may as well give him the key to White House for Four more Years!! At least Obama did not lie to START A WAR THAT HAS KILLED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE!!!!

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Cherishfan | Sep 14, 2010, 10:41 PM EDT

Sarah Palin is a joke. Real Republicans will surely choose someone else to run. You can bet the Democrats are hoping she's the Republican candidate. I am! Obama's working to pull us out of the mess the Republicans got us into.

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jimgordo1 | Sep 14, 2010, 05:32 PM EDT

Niall -- I hate to diaagree; but I agree with Larry Sabato. Sarah Palin is the worst thing to ever happen to the Republican Party. So, go ahead GOP. Out Sarah on the ballot in 2012 and reelect Obama! She doesn't have national support, even among Republicans. Big deal -- small-town mayor becomes governor of largest land-mass in U.S.. then quits before her term is up. Why? Who knows? Then surfaces to run as Republican VP candidate with somebody she can't stand; whose principles are not hers. She may be loved by the Tea Party'ers; but they are as someone famous said: "Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing!"

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