Rove/maddow consensus: palin will run

It's counter-intuitive and a little amazing: Karl Rove and Rachel Maddow agree: Sarah Palin will run for president in 2012.

Rachel tweeted last week: “Why is it political common wisdom that Gov Palin is not running? What’s her new Iowa ad for, if not for a campaign?” Rachel has voiced her view that Palin's not out several other times on-air and otherwise.

And political maestro and GOP money-mover Rove claimed on Fox News Saturday that Palin “has a schedule next week that looks like that of a candidate, not a celebrity.” On Fox News Sunday, he referred to the slick, expensively produced video recently released by Palin‘s Political Action Committee, events in Iowa next week as evidence that Palin woud be soon jumping in. No telling what he mioght say on Fox News Monday...

The lamestream NBC News' First Read observed, "This Palin video is too well produced for someone who doesn’t want people to think she’s at least thinking about running for president."

We're still incredulous. (and GOP pollster Frank Luntz would agree with us). She's never shown an inclination - even when she was the VP candidate - to do the necessary homework to be a serious national contender. Since that fateful 2008 Katie Couric fiasco, Sarah Palin appears to be unwilling and/or incapable of doing an interview with a real reporter asking hard questions.

But then... If she doesn't run, what's left for her?

She deserted her elected office in favor of being a celeb and making money (Hubnoid Todd Palin defended that decision over the weekend arguing with an Iowa woman who accused Sarah of being a "sell-out)."

She's been cock-teasing about 2012 for a year or two; that's really helped sell books and kept the media dutifully trailing behind to catch every word let fly from her yummy lips.

With this economy, Republicans smell fresh blood in the water and have renewed hopes that Obama is weak enough that even posers like Palin (and Rick Perry, for that matter) have been given fresh hope.

The lamestream focused on her is precisely what she needs to get what she wants: either the nomination or more money and fame.

But if Palin does nothing ever again but ride elegant buses around battleground states making blithering quotables, posing for glamour shots, and signing Boomer males' thighs with a Sharpie, how long can the media amazement last?

We can't answer that, but when they're gone she's got nothin'. (Of course, if she loses another election, she's got even less).

Shit, maybe she will run... we certainly hope so.

Comments

[StarTheWonderDog]

Well, you know she just might! She probably figures how could she do worse than Bachmann who's gaffe's are slowly destroying her. Latest, apparently is indicating in a speech that the countries we should most be worried about are China, India and the Soviet Union. Man I'm starting to think she has a handler that is trying to sabatauge her campaign. I mean she's just f'ing up by the numbers. As I've said she is part of my dream ticket either with Perry or with Romney, but I'm starting to have second thoughts. Of course all bets are off if the NJ governor, Christie decides (or is pushed into) that he is running. He would be my ultimate choice.

[David Allyn]

Running for VP got her one level of fame, but it isn't quite the same as the coveted "also ran" status she would get by running for the top slot.

She has no chance of winning, nor do I think she really wants to win. But running can only increase her brand value, and that is really the bottom line for Sarah.

At the end of the day, it is all about the money.

[Sarah]

Gawd, I hope she runs. As I've said that would be a giant bonanza for SNL and all of the other late night comedy shows. I so look forward to her participating in a debate with people of intelligence. Seriously, what must her IQ be? Shouldn't that be revealed to the American public so we can see what an idiot she must be. As was stated in this blog posting, I don't believe she has ever done an objective interview where tough questions about our countries and or our world issues were discussed. This could be the greatest of comedy shows in the making. I do believe she's in it for the money and that she will make a great (within limits of here ability) speech in support of the tea bagging crowd, but I don't seriously expect her to run. But, like Michael it would make my day to see her in it. What a laugh that would be.

[joanie]

I don't know if I can take another Palin run. Didn't we have enough "you betcha" and the wink the first time around?

i wonder how much of her latest effort is controlled by Todd? Is she a submissive wife like Bachmann?

Another season of "you betcha" and the wink? What a dreadful thought.

[Blip]

"As I've said she is part of my dream ticket either with Perry or with Romney" - Yuri Nazole

[The Original Andrew]

I'm puting my money on "makes up some bullshit reason (most likely to blame family) for why she can't run 'right now', but doesn't rule out running in 2016."

[ExPatBrit]

Well Dog, your dream ticket sounds more like a nightmare to me. If those two nut cases are on the ticket I will reluctantly vote for Obama.

Bachmann and Perry probably do not have a chance, with the end of the GOP "winner take all" primaries. Rove will scupper both of em, might be the first time ever I might agree with him.

Palin is in it for the $$$, nothing to see here her 15 minutes were up half an hour ago.

[joanie]

"Under President Bachmann you will see the price of gas come down under $2.00 a gallon."

If she can do that, she might get my vote.

I wonder what Palin's got to offer. This might get interesting.

[KS blathers for the halibut]

There will not be a female president in 2013. If she runs, it will be confirmed that her ego is as big as Mr. Obama's, especially since the latest Gallup poll shows her losing to BO by 17 points - she would be wasting her time besides distracting everyone else. Rove is also full of himself.

[Pete]

The Bush family (and their enablers, like Rove) despise Rick Perry. Rove's speculation about Palin could simply be an effort to divert attention from Perry as the latest Hot New Thing in the race.

Palin's got to be torn. On the one hand, Perry and Bachmann are leading the polls doing the schtick Palin pioneered: doubling down on Teh Crazy every time they make a gaffe or factual error (which is several dozen times a day). Palin's got to be asking herself why that's not her leading the charge.

Of course, there's a simple answer: Perry and Bachmann both have a work ethic. Sarah has a need to be loved, a lot, but that "taking an oath" stuff is strictly her means to the end. And she has to know that if she doesn't put any work into being a candidate - more than random bus tours - her stock will plummet even more than if she doesn't run at all. She may be willfully ignorant, but she is not stupid.

[Puget Sound Blathers]

I really doubt I would vote for Palin as President, but as Pete says she isn't stupid.
She has a schtick that she plays as a persona for big cash among the great unwashed.
What is amusing are posters like 'Sarah' with little to show that like to call others 'stupid.'
That 'Sarah' also aligns herself with a nut-job like Joanie does not recommend 'Sarah' as someone of high intelligence.

[Ray]

I say we have a Palin/Mr. Magoo ticket. It would make sense, both of them are cartoon characters.

[Puget Sound Blathers]

'Good' point Ray, I guess that's why MSNBC continues to pay such close attention to her.

[joanie for Railfan]

TV is all about celebrity. That anyone takes TV seriously is beyond me.

There are different kinds of stupidity and different kinds of smart. To be willfully ignorant is one kind of stupidity. I haven't seen the word "smart" used much. She is a celebrity. That's for sure. Politically speaking, I don't see much there there.

[joanie for Railfan]

Having said that, there are people who will vote for celebrity. Painfully low-information voters. Personally, I think Perry is more celebrity than politician. He was created by Rove and may be destroyed by Rove. We'll see.

[joanie]

removing the railfan - sorry

[excessive moderate]

Lookie here, a republican owning up to a bigoted statement by his wife, maybe the republicans recognize the crazies have taken over their party… the baggers, not so much.

[Jovita]

6.0 earthquake felt up and down East coast. My guess is Chris Christie just jumped into the race. LMAO

[Radio Queen]

At the end of the day, Palin/Bachmann/ Perry will all be too right-wing for most independents to stomach. Romney is running under the media's celebrity radar and might be the only viable republican candidate who can actually win. BTW Michael, your use of terms like "cock-tease," "yummy lips" and "glamour shots" in writing a story about a female politician is nothing more than a print version of the now-infamous Bachmann corn dog pic. Skewer Palin for her politics and lack of intellect, but lose the sexist undertones.

[joanie]

I think Huntsman is the dark horse in this race. I agree about the sexism. It is so entrenched in our culture that people don't realize it's effect.

[Pete]

RQ, Bla'M's word choice would be more problematic if it were a female politician who didn't consciously trade on her looks. (Say, Clinton or Olympia Snowe.) Given that Palin in her heyday spawned a whole slew of MILF/GILF-themed sites and comments from her admirers, it seems pretty appropriate to me.

I always thought the liberal narrative that Palin was popular only because of horn-doggy conservative guys was way overstated, but it's clearly been a factor, and any number of articles and memoirs from people once close to her have suggested that Palin's been exploiting her looks ever since high school. If your concern is stereotypes that make people take female politicians less seriously, the first target of your ire should be Palin herself. She not only reinforces, but banks on about six of the worst stereotypes of women in high places.

[Radio Queen]

Geez, Pete, you're right back where you started. I actually disagree that Palin has exploited her sexuality. She dresses conservatively & wears glasses, she hunts & fishes like one of the guys, and she possesses a very unique kind of charismatic appeal that isn't even necessarily feminine.

Joanie's right--many still don't realize the subtle effects of sexism. They either deny that it exists or blame women for somehow bringing it on themselves.

[joanie]

Darn, I didn't know where to post this! KS, I think you've been the Perry guy so what do you think of this:
Rick Perry Sought State Profits From Teacher Life Insurance Scheme">

According to the notes, which were authenticated by a meeting participant, the Perry administration wanted to help Wall Street investors gamble on how long retired Texas teachers would live. Perry was promising the state big money in exchange for helping Swiss banking giant UBS set up a business of teacher death speculation.

All they had to do was convince retirees to let UBS buy life insurance policies on them. When the retirees died, those policies would pay out benefits to Wall Street speculators, and the state, supposedly, would get paid for arranging the bets. The families of the deceased former teachers would get nothing.

The meeting notes offer the most direct evidence that the Perry administration was not only intimately involved with the insurance scheme, but a leading driver of the plan.

I think we haven't seen the real Perry yet. But we will.