Sarah Palin increased speculation this week that she is running for president in 2012 after meeting with 50 national conservative leaders in Palm Beach, Florida. The event was organized by conservative weekly Newsmax (one of Palin's favorite sources) where, U.S. News reports, Palin "discussed economic and diplomatic policy and led some to declare that she's in the race." Among the conservatives in attendance, president of Americans for Tax Reform Grover Norquist and Evangelical Christian activist Ralph Reed.
The hosting publication, Newsmax, is quickly rising as an influential publication for presidential aspirants. Fmr. Mass. Governor Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush have both given the magazine interviews due to its standing amongst Republican donors and conservative leaders. Leading one conservative to tell U.S. News: "Palin's trip to Newsmax was the strongest sign yet that she's planning to run." And the publication has not shied away from encouragement. Newsmax boss Christopher Ruddy presented Palin with a fictional cover, but one they hope to publish in the future if Palin runs for president. It features Palin on the cover with the headline "Yes in 2010" (see photo).
"This was an indication that she's strongly considering running. She was very knowledgeable and gave intelligent answers, despite how she's been characterized," said one conservative. Adding: "And she was extremely charming."
Until recently Sarah Palin has been coy about running for president, but recently told Fox News' Greta Van Susteren she would consider running if no one "stepp[ed] up the solutions."
“A reason to run is if nobody else were to step up with the solutions that are needed to get the economy back on the right track and to be so committed to our national security that they are going to do all that they can, including fighting those on the extreme left who seem to want to dismantle some of our national security tools that we have in place.
“If nobody else wanted to step up, Greta, I would offer myself up in the name of service to the public. But I also know that anybody — anybody — can make a huge difference in this country without a title, without an office, just being out there as an advocate for solutions that can work to get the country on the right track. And that's where I am now," said Palin.
Whatever her intentions, Palin currently is not the leading Republican among the field of likely candiates:
“Mitt Romney and Sarah Palin are the clear leaders of the 2012 Republican presidential primary field, according to a new Gallup poll out Thursday [...] with Romney receiving 19 percent, Palin getting 16 percent.” (Politico)
Comments
I love Sarah Palin but she is too contentious for a presidential candidate. Mitt Romney please!
NO,NO,NO! REMEMBER , HE PASSED HEALTHCARE IN HIS STATE .... AND LOOK AT THEM NOW. WHAT DO YOU THINK HE WILL DO WHEN HE IS IN OFFICE....PALIN ANY DAY OVER ROMNEY,
Since Romney is invisible to left's obsessive hate-mongerers his three-point advantage is not at all impressive and might suggest he is not going the distance at all.
Palin has now been "vetted" infinitely more rigorously than Romney, who still is going to have to find out how to do an end run around his state's comprehensively consumer-unfriendly healthcare.
You want to see that lead disappear? Wait for the debates that compare Mitt's healthcare program with Obamacare.
What exactly does "too contentious" mean? Can you give me an example of what acceptable contentiousness is and the criteria that make it excessive?
Palin has sort of been vetted - but those who still support her despite her dubious ethics, her quitting public office to sell herself for money, her refusal to learn more than the most shallow talking points, and her constant need for media attention even if it means she has to make outrageous statements or accusations, they won't care. The rest of the nation, however, will sit back and laugh. Sarah will NEVER get close to the presidency, and all the wishing and pretending she's just like Reagan (don't forget Reagan won the presidency only AFTER he served two FULL terms of governor in California) won't make it happen. Most people are just too smart to vote for fact-free rantin' Palin for the highest, most important office of this land.
You mean she quit like Hillary Clinton did in NY? You mean she's as dumb as Obama, the least qualified Jr. Senator we had? Whom voted 96 "Presents" out of 104 votes. At least she's not a racist like Obama. You go Palin ... our next President.
I love Sarah Palin but she is too contentious for a presidential candidate. Mitt Romney please!
Romney is a loser, and unfit for office, I don't vote for men who have women and kids beaten up, so that means Romney doesn't get my vote.
NO !!! Making too much money for herself !!!
Let's see, Hilary Clinton quit the senate because her president asked her to take the position of secretary of state. Can that really be compared to Sarah Palin's decision to walk away from her governorship to... to... write a book? Are you seriously comparing the two?
And comparing Sarah Palin to President Obama is like comparing homemade hooch to Cognac. Please, oh please cite your credible references to display Obama's racism - and what kind of argument is that anyway? Has anyone suggested that Sarah Palin is racist?
Stay in your fantasyland. Sarah Palin won't get anywhere near the White House unless she's invited to dinner or something similar. She hasn't got the integrity to be a viable candidate, and she certainly hasn't got the commitment. She has no understanding of well, just about anything, and she just wouldn't be able to handle the fact that millions of Americans don't like her and would be very vocal about her inconsistancies and inability to articulate a complete sentence without a lot of outside help.
What an idiot! She left the senate (and used the people of NY as a stepping stone) to run for President. Obama had nothing to do with it.
i think that obama likes Palin:)
How much did they have to pay her?
I like Sarah, I think she would make a great President. Palin 2012!
I think Sarah would make the worst president ever. Maybe she should just stick to ranting from Facebook. She doesn't even have to write the material or do the typing and she'll get loads of attention.
So Obama had nothing to do with Clinton leaving the Senate? Really? Hellooo, she would still be Senator if she wasn't Secretary of State. I am not a Clinton fan - she would have been only marginally better at president than Sarah Palin, and only because she truly does have brains and experience - and I agree she has used the people of NY as a stepping stone. BUT she WORKS in public office for a living, she doesn't gallivant around the country whining about the people who don't like her, and she doesn't hide behind Facebook or Twitter like the cowardly Sarah Palin.
"So Obama had nothing to do with Clinton leaving the Senate? Really? Hellooo, she would still be Senator if she wasn't Secretary of State."
Do you even read your own dribble? She left to run AGAINST BO ... he wasn't President yet moron.
H. Clinton took a 'leave' from the senate to run for President, just as Obama, Biden and McCain did. All but McCain have positions in the Administration, and if you will notice, McCain is still a senator. If Obama had not appointed her to Sec of State, and if Obama and Biden had not won the election, they'd all still be senators. At any rate, they are all still public servants. On the other hand, Sarah quit so that she could.....???..... irritate us on a full time basis?
Hear hear, Hilary Clinton would not make an effective president. I was not so enamored of the Dem choices in 2008 - shrill Clinton with her "I was tired" excuse for making up a story about ducking fire in the Balkans (this after running an ad asking promoting herself as the better person to handle a middle of the night crisis phone call!) - or a barely experienced guy with a mouthful of promises - but I was absolutely appalled at McCain's running over to the right and choosing the most unqualified running mate in the history of presidential elections. Until then, I was pretty sure he was my man. What's happened to the GOP? It's clear they've lost their way, but have they also lost their minds? There is nothing about Palin that's electable, and no reason to keep her as anything but a fundraiser, although I suspect she's the cause of fundraising for the other side just as much as she raises for the GOP.
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