Only 19% of Americans say they'd vote for Sarah Palin for president in 2012

July 9, 4:29 AMProgressive Politics ExaminerKaren Harper

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Much has been said in the last couple of days about a recent Gallup poll that showed that 71% of Republicans would likely vote for Sarah Palin if she ran for president in 2012.  While that has cheered some of Sarah Palin's fans, it doesn't really mean much.  Only 21% of Americans identify themselves as Republicans.  71% of that 21% of the population comes out to around 15%.

The Gallup poll showed that overall, only 19% of American voters say they would be very likely to vote for Sarah Palin if she decided to run in 2012.   

Sarah Palin has left her fans, supporters, and detractors alike puzzled over why she quit the governorship of Alaska.  Palin claimed that the "frivolous" lawsuits against her were costing the state of Alaska "millions" of dollars but the figure is much closer to $300,000.  According to the Anchorage Daily News, the "bulk of the expenses -- $187,797 -- appear to stem from Troopergate, the messy case involving Palin's former brother-in-law, a state trooper, who got on the wrong side with Palin and her family."  

Since Palin's announcement she was quitting as governor of Alaska, there has been rampant speculation as to her motive.

Though the reigning theory by both Republican and Democratic pundits suggest that she is quitting to focus on running for president in 2012, Sarah Palin has a number of problems that will continue to plague her should she decide to run for political office in the future.

First, she often exaggerates facts.  An example is the one above where she claimed the ethics investigations against her were costing the state of Alaska "millions" of dollars.

Second, she complains frequently that the media is hard on her.  But Sarah Palin continues to put herself in the spotlight, like a moth drawn to the flame.  

Quitting in the middle of her term as governor of Alaska won't help her pursue a future political career.  When considering whether or not to vote for her as president or in any other elected capacity, voters will ask themselves how reliable she would be, and wonder if she would walk out on the job if she got fed up with media attention.

Unfortunately, Palin is a blatant hypocrite. Watch here as Sarah Palin criticizes Hillary Clinton last year for being sensitive to media criticism. 

But perhaps the biggest barrier to a presidential run by Sarah Palin is her lack of knowledge of American history and about current issues.  After she and John McCain lost the Novemeber election, a number of Republican strategists recommended that she go back to Alaska, fulfill her duties as governor and study American history and the U.S. Constitution.  She might have been a formidable opponent to President Obama in 2012 had she chosen to follow such advice but Palin likes her self-appointed role as 'maverick'  and chose to ignore a 'learning' strategy.

Palin has worked hard to align herself with the 'Joe the Plumbers' and 'Joe Six-Packs' of the world but as we now know, those Joe Six-Packs and Joe Plumbers aren't always what they appear to be.  Palin has culled an image for herself,  that she is one of the every day guys and gals and to some extent it has worked.  The Carhartt work clothes-wearing Joe the Plumbers she has reached out to don't see the irony of Palin wearing Prada one day and inviting the media she loathes to interview her wearing fishing waders the next.

Lawrence O'Donnell spoke with Republican strategist Ron Christie and Salon editor, Joan Walsh yesterday about Sarah Palin and discussed the reasons Palin might have for quitting as governor of Alaska. 

Ron Christie said that Palin made a balanced decision to quit as governor with altruism as a motive (to better serve Alaska) but Palin gave several reasons for quitting. In her announcement that she was quitting as governor of Alaska, she said she had a "higher calling."  One can only speculate what she means by a higher calling.  A higher calling is a term usually used by those who are considering giving their lives over to the church. 

When only 19% of Americans are likely to vote for Palin for president in 2012, it seems unlikely that Palin will run for president at any future date.  The problems that plagued her as governor of Alaska will follow her in any political setting.  Palin would be much more successful in the private sector.  She could do well financially by going on the speaking circuit.  She is able to energize crowds and should be an asset in GOP fundraisers, especially in Southern and other very conservative states.