OK, why was my first thought “So would I?”

ZED!

Yeah, throwing the election to Obama by nominating a hugely unpopular lightweight will really teach those East Coast liberals a lesson.

Maybe that’s their plan?

I mean, let’s see. Torture? Still occurring AFAIK. Holding those accountable for torture? Nope. Warrentless wiretapping? Check. Indefinite detentions? Check. Stimulus bill loaded with tax cuts instead of actual, you know, stimulus? Check. Two wars, likely “surging” in one of them? Check.

Maybe that is the Republican’s plan, just throw the election to this President.

Judging by her poll numbers, Ms. Palin isn’t generating as many starbursts as she used to. And speaking bluntly, for a politician whose appeal is based largely on her looks, a 4-year election cycle is not her friend.

Somehow, I suspect that 2012 will be a bit past the “use by” date for Palin.

Who is this putz kidding? Last time I checked, every Republican President with the exception of Ronald Reagan has been a member of the so-called “Eastern Elite.” Even the Gipper deserves an asterisk since he was a member of the Western Elite that is one of the favorite whipping boys of wingnuttia more commonly known as “Hollywood.”

The GOP just can’t quit her.

I’d better start stocking up on popcorn for the debates now…

ouch, but right on.

For the teabagging right, being an uneducated, unqualified, Christian whacko from an isolated part of the country is a big plus.

Add sanity, some qualifications, a more moderate religous background and some sanity and these folks lose interest.

The teabagging right have had people making fun of them all their lives and now see a chance to elect some of their own.

That, plus a pretty face, is what Palin has going for her.

GOP wants appeal or moderate and the tea-baggers want the belt-popping right. This party is in shambles and has no identity. You can speculate all you want, the fact of the matter is, is that no-one can predict what is going to happing in 2012. Your best is to bet on Obama.

The GOP nominating Palin is the Dems’ wet dream, which is what makes it extremely unlikely to happen.

The RNC was able to get the nomination for McCain in 2008 in spite of the GOP base’s distaste for him the because job one for a political party is to win elections. They’re not going to ride a horse in a winner-take-all race if it will only place. Palin’s going to the glue factory.

All of you know very well that the candidate is going to be Michael Steels s/

I doubt you will find moderates voting for Palin. If all she has is those toothless, hillbilly teabaggers, then she might as well stay home and enjoy the show.

LMFAO

How many Woman votes did she bring the GOP?

I didn’t say that she’d win. I tried to point out that the teabagging right likes dumb and whacky….the rest of us just don’t get it.

Geddy-up!

If Obama is going to be tough to beat, the question becomes almost a philosophical one: If you’re going to lose anyway, is it better to lose atop the horse you really want to ride?

No because when its a race you could win your favorite horse will be tired and you might lose riding your second choice.

Does anyone (men or women) ever actually base their vote on the VP?

I’ve voted my whole life and I can’t recall ever really considering who the VP was.

Agreed. Ugh. I hate that I have to share the same air with these neanderthals.

Mr. Lewis’ expert opinion notwithstanding, there is not a fucking chance in hell the GOP will nominate Caribou Barbie in 2012. Forget Obama…Romney, Jindal, Pawlenty, Barbour, hell even Thompson have their oppo research on her ready to go. Imagine the primary ads, “Sarah Palin resigned as Governor of Alaska long before her term was up. Do we really want a quitter in the Oval Office?” She’ll be out of it before she’s even in.

No, I’m thinking Gingrich will start rehabilitating his image as the stable, reasonable, grandfatherly statesman who’ll rescue America from the radical Obama administration and its homosexual socialist agenda.

Sarah Palin will be a regular (with W) on the “Get Motivated” business seminar circuit and RedState cruises.

Steel, Jindal, Sarah none of them can talk well, Jeb is tied to his brother, Mitt ran a hedgefund that might be in trouble business experience looks good on a resume but after Bush, Failed or Failing Business experience will not look good on a resume.
Huckabee is the last man standing then if Ron Paul decides he is to old to run. I guess what I’m saying is not who will lead the GOP but rather who can?

I think she’d do better by merchandising her bad self on some tire flaps.

I think a VP like Dan Quayle or Sarah can bring up enough negative attention that people who were going to vote against you anyway will make sure to vote.

Ok Newt could lead the GOP and run for President. But then Sarah as VP otherwise the 20%ers stay home.

Yeah, if you are older than Methuselah, then the VP choice really starts to matter, even if you think you are going to live forever…

The great comeback of Macaca Allen? You’re right. They’re running out of viable options.

Replace Yosemite Sams face with hers. I would pay for that!!!!

Eric Cantor or Mike Pence for 2012? I despise them both but can’t think of anything to beat them down with other than they are GOP.

Palin/Man-On-Dog Santorum ‘12 … just for fun

You betcha! :P

Petro!!!!

Lieberman/Spector 2012

“Ever since [Reagan's] time, Republicans have been convinced that charisma is king”

But there would be BIG differences between the charismatic presidency of Saint Ronnie and any of Sarah Palin — even beyond the latter’s likelihood of decorating the Lincoln bedroom with black velvet paintings of pit bulls playing poker.

The most prominent of these IMnsHO is that Reagan was a professional actor, and knew his role. He hit his marks, spoke lines scripted by others (when necessary prompted by Nancy) and stayed out of the way while Bush Senior ran things from the OVP. Much the same figurehead relationship that Bush the Lesser had to Cheney. His ‘reign’ could best be summarized by the line, “I’m not the President, I just play one on TV.”

You’ll never get that kind of performance from someone with an ego as big as Sarah Palin’s.

Palin is the only potential candidate on the Republican side with star power. It’s hard to quantify that trait, but Reagan had it. Ever since his time, Republicans have been convinced that charisma is king.

WTF, wasn’t that why they were so critical of Candidate Obama? The cognitive dissonance is astonishing.

“When liberals continuously deride her, many conservatives take it as an attack upon themselves.”

She blew an interview with Katie Couric if Katie is to High brow and High pressure for Conservatives if they truly feel Katie was mean, then what do they call what Rush does?

Theme song of the Republican base.

IOW, Reagan knew it was an act. Palin believes her own schtick.

Also, Reagan never quit. And I can’t remember if he ever bit any of the hands that fed him like Pitbull Palin has.

Dosido !

Will Haggis switch back to the Repug side ? I certainly think HoJo will be front and centre supporter for the Repugs

That would be great! Then we can finally start teaching Genesis in the science classroom. Go Santorum.

A mystical being creating the earth like the molding of Play-Do and humans from sand instead of evolving form single-celled organisms.

I don’t know. I was just conjuring up a ticket for the Undecideds…

Perfect celebrity endorsement would be from Brett Favre.

If they could get him to make up his mind…

Shhhh. Don’t let them know that we want Palin. As Brer Rabbit might say, please don’t nominate Palin and Jindal in 2012.

heh heh heh!

should I stay or should I go now?

Wait…I just got that commercial!!!! LOL.

Nope, Nixon and Eisenhower weren’t either. Nixon’s the one who started the wingnut “East coast establishment” jihad.

ooooh, I love Bobby Jindal. He’s sooooo very very weird!

The beauty of your ticket is that any time a reporter asks an inconvenient question the favored retort is: What is this? A witch hunt?

please!!!

The GOP should go all in … Gingrich/Limbaugh ‘12

And for added entertainment, Biden should be replaced by HRC … just to see Rush’s face during the Veep debates !

Huckabee/Gohmert ‘12

Reagan was also very popular, unlike Palin. Another thing Lewis conveniently ignores.

My favorite line from Tootsie at about :14

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnHqiipcw6g&feature=player_embedded#

What about a certain blood-soaked, McChrystal Meth Generalissimo? If he doesn’t get his AfPak cannon fodder, could very well see him pulling a “stabbed in the back” scenario not unlike a certain little German corporal.

What of the Beckster?

Hey, Matt, this riding of horses that you speak of, does it involve whips and spurs? Rogue mavericks? Do you have some sort of protection for your teabags or do you just sling em over the saddle like a pair of saddle bags?

frighteningly possible.

The goopers have to pick someone who can afford to buy their own clothes, I think.

Another striking similarity.
Reagan served two full terms as CA Governor.
Palin resigned eighteen months prior to the completion of her first term.

Gingrich and Limbaugh might be even more of a dream ticket than Palin/Jindal. That ticket might not even hit 40%.

But it is John Bush’s turn.

I think we have a winner the GOP can rally around a General who will blame Obama not Bush for losing the wars.

Gosh, it’s fun beating up on Palin!

I’ve through the desert on a horse with no shame
it felt good to get out of the rain

King/Bachman 2012!

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/10/21/bachmann-king-president/

(smacks forehead) Of course! The loopier the better!

dontcha know? it’s the spurs that create those star bursts.

lol, I was just thinking that!

Who’s beating up on her? I just read through all the comments and most of them don’t even talk about Palin specifically. The few that do aren’t kind, but there’s hardly any “beating up” going on.

I don’t know you, but I have to assume that, like most right-wingers, you’re simultaneously ruthlessly vicious *and* incredibly thin-skinned…

I wasn’t a fan of Reagan’s, but Palin pales in comparison to Reagan. Reagan wasn’t just a charismatic mouthpiece. He was the former governor of a highly diverse, populous state. And he had strong principles (I didn’t share them, but they were there). If any Conservatives see a resemblance between the two, more power to them. I cannot imagine her winning, unless Obama’s presidency becomes a real disaster, beyond what he inherited…

By the way, I wonder what Obama thinks of Oprah giving Palin an opportunity to pitch herself on her show.

Its a strategy session Palin could very well be the GOP nominee for President. No reason why we can’t have fun though:)
Laughter has taken down more tyrants than armies although the armies would say otherwise.

eggzackly. I think that was the point in not withdrawing before they got outta town. somebody else is going to have to pull the plug and take the “loss”.

My take on the Karzai intervention goes like this:

Hey, Karzai, take the recount. We know you’re going to “win” again, but this will take the heat off. Then, in return, we will recognize your govt, give you big money to go after whoever we tell you to, and we’ll skedaddle.

All this will be declared a big “victory”. Or else lose in 2012 to the generals.

just a theory. YMMV.

it says here that see can’t seal the deal: the empress has no close.

Rush can tell a reporter to sit on a fire hydrant, Beck can joke about poisoning Nancy Pelosi’s tea there is a mean violent sense to GOP humor we tend not to do.

Reagan had the more solid resume than Palin that’s for sure.

Oprah had already passed on interviewing Palin saying she would wait until after the elections. Now Palin has a “book” out, so I don’t think Obama would have any objections at all, even if that were relevant.

I honestly don’t see a better scenario for the GOP.

But she can still sea Russia out her window?

Oprah isn’t above the ‘anything for ratings’ – especially since hers are falling. The woman who brought us Dr. Phil can’t have much taste.

I don’t know if McCrystal would be the nominee, but I could see Gates and/or Petraeus stepping up to the plate. I surmise that Gates, being a reasonable person, would be reluctant and smart enough to say “no thanks”. Petraeus is more politically ambitious imo and would go for it.

McChrystal has way too much baggage with the torture stuff.

see shells see-saws by the seals, sure.

No taste is right. Local teevee news recently showed Oprah at the Texas State Fair extolling the virtues of Deep-Fried Butter Sticks.

I’m not an Oprah fan, but she has her place in TV Land. I admire her success. I just don’t think it’s an issue that she have Palin on her show. It seems consistent with lots and lots of other shows she has done.

no way! are you kidding? Help, I can’t tell! LOL.

Torture might very well be a plus on the GOP side but yes a General would be better than anyone the GOP currently has.

Emptywheel has a fresh cross-post up for us: “Ezra: Workers Don’t Understand So an Excise Tax Will Work”

gotcha.

new post up!

“Naming and the marketing is everything,” she said. “So, change the thing to fried biscuit and you’ll have a lot more customers because it’s not a fried stick of butter like everyone thinks. Everyone thinks it’s a stick of butter, but it’s like buttering a biscuit and then frying the biscuit, delicious.”

http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa091011_wz_apoprah.20873e3e8.html#

It’s confirmed — Oprah ate the fried butter! In fact, she called it “the best treat of the fair.”

I missed Nixon, but not Ike. By virtue of graduating from West Point, Eisenhower should be considered a member of the Eastern Elite. Moreover, he served as president of Columbia University after WWII.

Who you calling “like most right-wingers, you’re simultaneously ruthlessly vicious *and* incredibly thin-skinned…”

Talk about shooting blind from the hip!!

At least you got the “incredibly thin-skinned” part right.

*Bows to the Master* … and also for # 70

I don’t know who this Matt Lewis is, but he seems pretty comfortable making airy prognostications without any visible evidence. In any case, I wonder why he’s so dismissive of Huckabee. He’s Palin without the looks but with brains, which IMO makes him more dangerous.

Petro! see = she

Hmm. I know Ike was born in Texas, but you make a good point about West Point and Columbia.

When is She going to be rode out, warn out, and forgotten. A dim bulb eventually burns out.

Matt Lewis wrote:

“Palin is the only potential candidate on the Republican side with star power. It’s hard to quantify that trait, but Reagan had it. Ever since his time, Republicans have been convinced that charisma is king.”

Palin’s charisma is the kind that comes from over-confidence based on unintelligent simple thinking. When you think simply, everything seems obvious, so you become confident, then you have charisma. And that gets you places, especially in America.

Ah, the exhilaration of simple thinking!

I know … twas brilliant !

It cetainly is enjoyable to envisage the campaign strategies for a 2012 presidential Idiotarod race with the Snow Princess heading up the GOP ticket, and the delicious wailing and lamentations in the camp of the Conservatards after Lady Sparkle Wolverine has her inevitable flame-out, by a margin that could make the weak performance of John McCain last year look, in retrospect, like The Return of the Gipper.

However, I am not convinced that what remains of the GOP macher class, which has always paid the bills and therefore called the dance, are willing to allow such a self-inflicted immolation exercise ruin their chances of (continued) world domination, just to humor those morans of the Rapture-Ready base that see Sarah Palin as their latter-day Joan of Arc-tic.

The historical Joan did not lead the armies of France to victory; instead she found her destiny, with a bit of “help” from Charles VII of Burgundy, as a martyr. This is frequently the fate of members of the rabble who go up against a macher like Prince Charles, later King Charles VII. Just saying.

Sarah, if you plan to run in 2012, you would be well-advised to run on foot. At all costs, avoid travel in small private aircraft.

Two words to the wise: Paul Wellstone.

Well, that comment sparked a long ago, almost forgotten memory. I decided to force myself, simply as a scientific experiment, to watch only Fox News for several days. It was, alas, one of the more painful experiences in my life, however, it yielded amazing insight. After several days I noticed that the ceaseless hypnotic brainwashing actually resulted in moments of mindlessly agreeing with whatever was being discussed. Fortunately, I had retained a sufficient number of brain cells to be able to retrieve the remote, and turn off the TV. Never underestimate the effects of authoritarian simplicity, particularly if you had the misfortune of having been born into a family of true believers (and I would like to point out that it doesn’t matter much what they believe in.)

I thought Palin was going to go into entertainment, perhaps a talk show, perhaps a reality TV show. The family is already pretty much a reality TV show. Originally, I thought it might be something like an update of the Partridge Family. But with Jon and Kate breaking up – perhaps a Todd and Sarah plus 8; Todd, Sarah, 5 kids, 1 grandkid, Levi. Or with Sarah – Going Rogue- whatever that means- it might be like the Amazing Hulk with Lou Ferigno as Sarah whenever she goes rogue and turns green. With Special guest stars like Octomom, Howie Mandel as balloon-head boy, and with David Letterman, Huckabee character-like villians.