President 2012,  Sarah Palin

President 2012 Poll Watch: Is Sarah Palin Showings Signs of Reluctance About a Race for the Presidency?



Poll graphic courtesy of Real Clear Politics

It appears so and why not? Sarah Plain needs to protect her brand and her future.

After weeks in the shadows with only a flicker of Facebook postings, Sarah Palin emerged Thursday for a lucrative and surprisingly revealing question-and-answer session before the Long Island Association, a business group used to hosting former presidents. During an hour in which she was quizzed in a more probing fashion than is often the norm on Fox News, Palin proved that she can create more headlines from a single luncheon than are possible from six months on the Mitt Romney beat.

Palin tantalized her audience (who paid $300 and up for the privilege, with a backstage photo-op starting at $9,500) by offering her latest proclamation of uncertainty about seeking the presidency: “I’m still thinking about it. Certainly in my mind, I could not make a decision yet.” She turned a warning about inflationary pressures in the economy — including rising milk prices — into a bizarre swipe at the first lady: “It’s no wonder Michelle Obama is telling everybody you need to breast-feed your babies.”……

The psychology of whether to run and gamble it all in the cauldron of ambition (Barack Obama) or to play it safe (as such winter-book Democratic contenders as Evan Bayh and Mark Warner did in abandoning their 2008 explorations) is at the mysterious heart of presidential politics.

Sarah is not doing well in the polls – particularly against President Obama, where in a five field candidate race she finishes near the bottom in most every poll. Her favorable vs. unfavorable poll ratings are negative in most state polls.

You have seen most of the polls reported here at Flapsblog.

I said many weeks ago that Sarah Palin could win the GOP nomination, if she wants it. But, what would be the point if she were to lose to President Obama – and lose big. It would then be the end of the line for Sarah politically.

But, by not running, and helping Republicans in races from Congress, to state houses to the Presidency, she helps her political brand and makes friends for a later race. Palin keeps her powder dry for another time, so to speak.

Even if she never runs for office again, Sarah will still be in demand on Fox News, could develop her own television or radio show, write books and might replace Rush Limbaugh when he retires.

Why risk it all?

5 Comments

  • nathan hale

    You really haven’t been paying attention, this is someone who has quoted from the Book of Esther,” if I perish, I perish’ she wanted the easy thing, she wouldn’t have taken as many risks as she has.

      • Brad S

        I’m inclined to think when it comes to electoral politics for Sarah, it’s ’12 or nothing, Presidency or nothing. I’m also inclined to think that Sarah has a keen eye for what happened to Hillary Clinton when she waited until 2008 to go for the White House, instead of taking Bush43 head-on in ’04. Strike while the iron is hot.

        And what on earth would make you think that Sarah Palin has any real obligation to support whomever the GOP puts up as a nominee in ’12, if she were to receive very strong signals that she should step aside?

        • Gregory Flap Cole

          I don’t think anyone from the GOP will suggest that Sarah step aside and she is under no obligation to endorse. But, she would have a hard time not to endorse say Mitt Romney or Mitch Daniels.

          I mean, she ran with McCain who is arguably less conservative than both of them.

          Sarah is smart and can read the polls. She is also young with plenty of potential.

          She will not throw it away by running prematurely.