Sarah Palin announced that she is not running

Ted Belman

I am very disappointing and surprised. On July 3 when she made her crony capitalism speech, I believe she was running. Something happened in the last month to throw her off course I believe.

Could it have been Joe McGinnis smear job or could it have been that Bristol was verbally harassed in a bar. Or could it have been her low numbers?

Whatever.

Yamit was right. Did he say she wouldn’t run or couldn’t win?

October 6, 2011 | 36 Comments »

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36 Comments / 36 Comments

  1. In other words, you can’t win. And what is that?- like TOO MUCH affirmative action. I’d love to see people complain that the only black candidates that are legitimate are Democrats. Sounds like discrimination to me.

  2. Sort of like TOO MUCH affirmative action. The only black candidates that are legitimate candidates could only be Democrats? Sounds like discrimination to me. Such a ticket would be the ultimate referendum on merit as the basis of selection. That, in and of itself, would make for a worthwhile scenario.

  3. “Think a Herman Cain / Allan West ticket…”

    Very nice indeed; but the Demo’s would simply say the GOP was grinding an axe (“Look at the phony Republicans: ‘see? — we’re not racists’… “).

  4. “Obama may be an anomaly in the White house, but he at least had an inkling of the duties of the vice president.”

    Really?

    As demonstrated how & when?

    What are the ‘duties’ of VP? — attending state funerals andbeing a motor-mouth, like Biden?

  5. The early debates shuffle the deck, but too soon to write either Perry or Gingrich out of the real contest. Cain has zero ground organization, and if it comes down to Obama versus Romney, America is toast.

    Mitt is a talking waffle, even on whether Gilo and Ramat Shlomo are “settlements”
    from PBS Newshour interview on Friday, Oct 7, 2011, only the first Q&A was actually broadcast:

    FULL TRANSCRIPT http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/july-dec11/romneyfull_10-07.html
    JUDY WOODRUFF: I do want to ask you one or two other international-related questions.

    Direct question on the Middle East, pretty much up or down. This administration and most Western countries criticized the recent announcement by the Israelis that they were going to continue to build more apartments in Jerusalem, saying this is counterproductive. Do you agree with that?

    MITT ROMNEY: What I – what I believe is that when you have an ally that shares your values, as does Israel, that if you disagree with them, you do so in private. You don’t want to in any way encourage the adversaries of your ally to assume that perhaps they can get a better deal by going around Israel and negotiating with you directly. And so I think it is a mistake on the part of the president, as he did at – in his first address at the United Nations, to criticize Israel for building settlements and not mentioning that Hamas has launched thousands of rockets into Israel.

    JUDY WOODRUFF: Well do you think it’s fine for – or do you think it’s all right, acceptable for Israel to build housing settlements in any of the areas that were occupied in the 1967 war?

    MITT ROMNEY: Again, I would tell you that the role of a person running for president or a person who is president, in my view, is to stand by our ally and if we disagree do so in private. If I were to tell you that I disagreed I’d violate my own rule. And in this – in this case I believe that my opinions on Israel’s posture in negotiating with the Palestinians would be something I would keep to myself and to Bibi Netanyahu and leaders of the minority, Tzipi Livni, and others.

    That’s something I would not share with the public. Instead, link arms with our allies and make sure that our public posture communicates our commitment to peace there. And recognize that some of the things Israel does, I’m sure, have negotiating elements to them and they do things from which they will strengthen their negotiating hand.

    JUDY WOODRUFF: So voters, you’re saying, don’t need to know what you think about this? Is that what you’re saying when you say it should be done in private?

    MITT ROMNEY: I think in dealing with a ally like Israel that’s in a conflict with the Palestinians, where the two are, hopefully, at some point, going to negotiate progress there, that our job is not to tell Israel how to negotiate or how we would draw the line, but instead to publicly stand with Israel and to lock arms with Israel, not to show a dime’s worth of distance between us.

    Now, other candidates may have different views. That happens to be my view: that in a setting of this nature, particularly one as fragile as Israel right now – I don’t think I’ve seen Israel in as fragile a setting as we’re seeing them today. And this is not a time for America to be – to be dictating to Israel how they should negotiate.”
    .

    Rick Perry had the guts to stand next to MK Danon in Manhattan, and I know Perry’s speech challenged Obama to make his speech at the UN a bit more inclusive of actual Israeli history

  6. I like your analysis even if you say you’re not a prophet. It’s still encouraging that the Republicans can still put up a decent ticket that can defeat Obama now that Sarah Palin is not running. A Romney-Cain ticket could just do it. I HOPE It should get interesting. If Cain got the nomination, who would be his running mate.

  7. Sarah Palin is out of the Republican presidential sweepstakes for 2012. The same for New Jersey Fats. Most of the others talked about are dim-light wannabes. End of story.

    The surviving Republican candidates are now Mitt Romney, Herman Cain, Rick Perry and Ron Paul.

    Of these, Paul is least likely. He already is in his late 70s, and Americans never elects geriatrics to the presidency, at least not for a first-term run. In addition, his hard-edge libertarianism does not go over well in presidential elections.

    Also probably out of the running is Rick Perry. His views on the US Social Security system and on educational assistance to children of illegal immigrants, plus his general ineptitude at most of the Republican debates, has robbed him of much of his suddenly-developed support base during the last week of the Iowa Republican Straw Poll events.

    That leaves Romney and Cain.

    Romney is the most electable of the two. But many right-wing GOP activists a Republican in name only (RINO), which to them is as much a cuss-word as a political tag. In addition, there is a certain amount of increasingly-stated religious prejudice against him from not a few Southern Baptists and Evangelical Christians, based on his Mormon background. Some Christians do not consider the Latter Day Saints (LDS Church) as Christian. But Romney has a vast political campaign war-chest, and the Republican moneyed establishment can unleash almost unlimited additional capital.

    Now we come to Cain. As an authentic Black Christian American, a self-made multimillionaire, a hard-core conservative, and a man who means exactly what he says and who says exactly what he means, Cain has become the most interesting candidate of all. In fact, he reminds me of a Republican version of the Democratic Harry S Truman. He beats the hell out of Romney among the social values-oriented Republicans, and they are the ones who show up firstest with the mostest at the Republican primary elections. (Yes, the play on the quote from the famous Confederate general was intended.)

    We are now only about three months away from the swarm of Republican state primary elections. Much too late for any newly-arising candidates. Unless Obama quits, in the style of Lyndon Baines Johnson, the Democrats are stuck with him in November 2012. As for the Republicans, I think it either will be Romney or Cain. A rather appropriate choice would be Romney for president and Cain as his vice presidential running mate.

    But thinking a lot about American politics doesn’t make me a prophet. So I’m accepting no wagers.

    Arnold Harris
    Mount Horeb WI

  8. To take Sarah Palin’s comment about Russia out of context when all she was doing was being folksy is to show how shallow and easily influenced you are by the Tina Fey’s of the media. Can you really judge someone just like that. Is that all you can say about her. It really goes to show that it is you who do not have a mind of your own if you can be so easily influenced. At least argue for or against on the merits of what her policies and politics have been. As far a choice of VP goes we see how wonderful Joe Biden really is. Apparently, Obama’s “inkling” was to use him to do his dirty work and
    Biben happily goes along.

  9. Madame Sarah Palin? God forbid. Obama may be an anomaly in the White house, but he at least had an inkling of the duties of the vice president. Poor Sarah thought she knew all about Russia because she could see its eastern reaches from her beloved Alaska. Wow! What a recommendation to become the president of the United States.
    Let’s face it, Laura, Sarah Palin, as president, would have done more damage to the prestige of this country than I care to think and tremble about!

  10. If she could’nt handle the Katie Couric softball “What do you read?” – she could never handle the 24-7 questions and exposure she’d get in the Presidential fishbowl. Like it or not – Romney will be the nominee, and I think Obama will be re-elected in a very close election.

  11. “[Palin] must have concluded that [BHO’s] billion dollar campaign was more than she could cope with…”

    She’s a helluva fundraiser, Ted, and consistently a FAR better draw than His Wonderfulness. Don’t think this was even remotely about the bucks.

    I wouldn’t be surprised if she is talking to the the RNC, Perhaps she will be asked to head it.

    A real possiblity. That occurred to me about a year ago (& I mentioned it here), precisely BECAUSE she was showing such promise as a fundraiser. But I still think she’s got her eye on the Senate.

  12. “Yet she can sit in her home office overlooking beautiful Lake Lucille in Wasilla, AK, and influence events across the country with every Tweet and Facebook entry and appearance on Fox News, without leaving home.”

    Yes, although it looks like “home” is going to be in Scottsdale, Arizona — not Wasilla. The Palins bought a nice, comfortable house there last spring: just two months after Jon Kyl, 3-term US Senator from the great state of Arizona (and Senate Minority Whip) announced [Feb 11] that he’d not be seeking another term after this one ends. . . .

    The Senate ratifies treaties & other international instruments.

    As Senate Majority Leader, this good friend to Israel would be well-placed to be concretely effective in that regard.

  13. “I am very disappointed and surprised. On July 3 when she made her crony capitalism speech, I believe she was running. Something happened in the last month to throw her off course I believe.”

    No reason for surprise.

    I told you long ago

    and many, many times that she wasn’t interested.

    She’s got a special needs child.

    A Down’s Syndrome child needs constant attention & supervision.

    She’s going to stay national

    and will likely go for higher office eventually.

    As I’ve said, I think she’s got her eye on Harry Reid’s job:

    — Senate Majority Leader.

    But she’ll have to become a Senator first

    — and my guess is that this will happen after Jon Kyl’s 3rd term as US Senator from Arizona ends.

    But we’ll see.

    She could have won.

    Easily.

    She’d have eaten BHO for lunch, picked teeth with the bones.

  14. One of the things Sarah Palin recognizes, which no one else is talking about, is that it is just as important for the Republicans to win the Senate and hold the House, as it is for a Republican to win the Presidency. Any of the current Republican candidates, except the crackpot Ron Paul, would make a far better president than the clueless Obama. However, without winning the Senate and holding the house it would be virtually impossible to make the changes that need to be made to save the country and lead the rest of the world out of the current self-induced economic malaise.

  15. Clinton wrote:
    I dont think Sarah would beat Obama, but Sarah was still my choice

    If he ran as a Republican, Elmer Fudd would beat Obama:

    http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/Obama-Republican-Gallup-2012/2011/07/14/id/403633

    The country is waking up to the most clueless president in its history. Obama’s support among Jews is down to 45% from the absurd 78% in 2008. In the African American community, shaken by 16% unemployment, 49% for black youth, Obama’s support is down to 58% from 96% in 2008. His support among whites is down below 50%.

    Laura posted Sarah’s announcement in No. 4 above. She is not going anywhere. She will continue to be a voice for conservatism and a leader of the Tea Party movement. She will continue to work to boot Obama in 2012. That is her primary objective as it should be for all right thinking Americans. We cannot afford 4 more years of this far-left-wing radical activist who is doing everything he can get away with to destroy the American economy and weaken American foreign policy, which also makes him dangerous to Israel and the world in general.

    I believe Sarah Palin’s major strengths would have been severely constrained if she were President, which is only one of the three legs of US governance. Now she can be a conservative watchdog – which is necessary no matter who is President, including a Republican, as anyone with more than half a brain should know by now.

    Left unsaid in her announcement is that she cannot afford the pay-cut that would come with being President. She does not come from a wealthy family. It takes only four paid speeches for her to exceed the President’s annual salary. Yet, she can sit in her home office overlooking beautiful Lake Lucille in Wasilla, AK, and influence events across the country with every Tweet and Facebook entry and appearance on Fox News, without leaving home.

    Robert Barnes writes:
    But there’s a much better option, Herman Cain.

    This is clearly the best choice for real conservatives. If he doesn’t win the Republican primary he should be nominated for the VP position. We need someone like Cain to turn this country around.

    Herman Cain is an exemplary role model for all Americans especially African Americans, which is why their leadership and the Democrats will try to tear him down. They see him as a threat because it deprives them of using the race card against Republicans, and they fear that their constituency will see that their phony leadership, who are in the pockets of the Democrat Party, is what helps keep them poor and downtrodden.

    Cain grew up in the Jim Crow south but holds no grudges against whites today who had nothing to do with that era and he makes no excuses based on his race. He has a REAL African-American lower-middle-class background and shows what minorities can achieve in America once they jettison the mentality induced by their leadership, which has a vested interest in keeping them dependant on government.

    Herman Cain’s mother was a maid, his father worked as a janitor, chauffer and barber. He says growing up he had no idea he was supposed to be disadvantaged, which is a real tribute to his parents. He went to all-black Morehouse College, majored in mathematics, worked for the Navy as a ballistics expert. He has an MBA from Purdue, worked his way up the corporate ladder at Cocal Cola and Burger King and finally as CEO of Godfather’s Pizza where the options were to turn it around or shut it down. He turned it around.

    While CEO of Godfather’s Pizza he helped scuttle the Clinton attempt to impose a national health care plan when he demonstrated in a few articulate sentences to a national audience in a debate with Bill Clinton that the costs would be unsustainable for small and medium sized businesses.

    After beating Stage 4 colon and liver cancer he became a successful radio talk show host.

    His biggest strengths are that he says what he means and means what he says, is secure and unafraid to admit his mistakes, and can admit he doesn’t know something and then goes out and catches up with what he missed. He demonstrated this when he admitted that he was unfamiliar with the Palestinian “right of return” issue. Now he knows more about it than most people.

  16. With Obama up for re-election, and considering some of the “weird” lack of info (control, manipulation of info) concerning Obama’s background, and the sleazy tricks that the left is bringing to an art form (with personal attacks on family members and outrageously nefarious allegations that spread on facebook, twitter, etc), I can hardly believe ANYONE would want to be in a campaign against Obama. This promises to be an especially dirty campaign coming from the left–and the not-so-moderate right against anyone who is more conservative.

    I, too, am disappointed that Sarah Palin is not going to run for president at this time. Disappointed, not really surprised, and very sympathetic. She’s still my favorite choice. She has smarts, guts, and joie de vivre. She is passionate about the truth, the future of this country, protecting ALL individuals, and her family. She’s a winner in my book.

    But the world of politics is such a heavy power game–even here, in the USA, with perhaps the best chance in the world literally of “fair politics.”

    At this point my money is on Rick Perry. He’s not perfect, but he’s better than the rest and actually good on a lot of issues. I wish we could see a Perry/Palin ticket, but that’s dreaming…

    Sarah, blessing on you and your family.

  17. I agree Laura, plus other Republicans running would of gave her a hard time, as I said in the past number one thing I like about her is her very strong pro Israel pro Jewish, and plus I also like that when she thinks the Republican party is wrong she is not afraid to buck her party I like that alott.

  18. Actually the last poll numbers I saw of Sarah vs Obama, Sarah was within only a few percentage points. I think she did not want to subject her family to the media firestorm.

  19. Like her as a person, like her values, but she’s too much of a hot potato and she knows it. But there’s a much better option, Herman Cain. I’ve been very impressed with him so far, and as far as brains and business experience he runs circles around both Romney and Perry. And he seems to be a genuine conservative.

  20. I agree with u Ted, I am disappointed to, the only Republican I can see is Herman Cain that mite be able to beat Obama and that is a long shot, as of now I think Mitt Romney will get the nomination, but I think that Mitt Romney beating Obama is a longshot, I think Herman has the best chance, but half the time I am wrong, time will tell.

  21. Palin kept stressing that the number one goal is to defeat Obama. She did not march up well with Obama and must have cocluded that his billion dollar campaign was more than she could cope with.

    I think she will endorse the person with the best chance even if it is Romney. Then she will work to get conservatives in Congress and Senate. I wouldn’t be surprised if she is talking to the the RNC, Perhaps she will be asked to head it.

  22. That’s right. Which only goes to show how morally clear and unselfish her vision is. But I am sorry that she’s not able to run now. Hopefully the Republicans will put up a candidate that she can support with the same kind of fervor that she would have had in her own campaagn. Right now, I don’t know who that would be.

  23. Just as I said, she wants to spare her family from the leftist attack machine. It’s a damn shame. It is America that loses by being deprived of Sarah’s leadership and moral clarity.

    http://marklevinshow.com/Article.asp?id=2303165&spid=32364#.TozXOKqfLxc.twitter

    The former Alaska Governor and VP candidate sent the following letter to her supporters on Wednesday:

    October 5, 2011
    Wasilla, Alaska

    After much prayer and serious consideration, I have decided that I will not be seeking the 2012 GOP nomination for President of the United States. As always, my family comes first and obviously Todd and I put great consideration into family life before making this decision. When we serve, we devote ourselves to God, family and country. My decision maintains this order.

    My decision is based upon a review of what common sense Conservatives and Independents have accomplished, especially over the last year. I believe that at this time I can be more effective in a decisive role to help elect other true public servants to office – from the nation’s governors to Congressional seats and the Presidency. We need to continue to actively and aggressively help those who will stop the “fundamental transformation” of our nation and instead seek the restoration of our greatness, our goodness and our constitutional republic based on the rule of law.

    From the bottom of my heart I thank those who have supported me and defended my record throughout the years, and encouraged me to run for President. Know that by working together we can bring this country back – and as I’ve always said, one doesn’t need a title to help do it.

    I will continue driving the discussion for freedom and free markets, including in the race for President where our candidates must embrace immediate action toward energy independence through domestic resource developments of conventional energy sources, along with renewables. We must reduce tax burdens and onerous regulations that kill American industry, and our candidates must always push to minimize government to strengthen the economy and allow the private sector to create jobs.

    Those will be our priorities so Americans can be confident that a smaller, smarter government that is truly of the people, by the people, and for the people can better serve this most exceptional nation.

    In the coming weeks I will help coordinate strategies to assist in replacing the President, re-taking the Senate, and maintaining the House.

    Thank you again for all your support. Let’s unite to restore this country!

    God bless America.

    – Sarah Palin

  24. Sorry Ted. I told you same in private. Besides, Palin still DOES have more influence outside the pit than in it, and I hope she does everything she can to stop Romney.
    It may have come down to the Palin’s unfortunate belief that they can only trust each other. You need to deploy trusted ground troops to actually win in Iowa and NH, and now in Florida.

  25. Whatever.

    Yamit was right. Did he say she wouldn’t run or couldn’t win?

    Both, I said she couldn’t win and therefore would not run