Bad News for Palin
Matthew Continetti ·
Feb 8, 2011 at 7:59am
A new CNN poll suggests that Republicans are more interested in nominating a candidate who has a chance against Obama than one who agrees with them on every issue. It's another sign that Sarah Palin would be better served—and would become more influential—if she decides against a presidential campaign.
Another interesting finding in the poll is that Mike Huckabee continues to lead the pack, both in terms of the horserace and in overall favorability. I continue to believe that the most important x-factor in the 2012 contest is whether or not Huckabee decides to run.
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Dec '10
Re: Bad News for Palin
Matthew, I always look to CNN to take the pulse of Republican voters. I'll bet Sarah Palin does too. Or not.
You think maybe CNN has a vested interest in Mike Huckabee leading the pack? Personally, I'm hoping that CNN and Politico decide that Haley Barbour will do Republicans the most harm. As it is, they've chosen "mostly harmless" as their favorite potential candidate.
Aug '10
Re: Bad News for Palin
Yet, for the last week, we have been treated to the core principles of the best president in my lifetime. Pres. Reagan was about letting principles drive action. The unspoken quest for the Republican Party in recent memory has been to discover the next Reagan. I heard Pejman Yousefzadeh talking about Jon Huntsman the other day (Radio New Ledger Podcast) and declaring that his resignation as Governor of Utah to accept the position of US Ambassador to China doesn't pose too high a bar to his candidacy because he has been "serving his country". The thought that came to my mind is that Governor Palin's resignation meets the same test, she resigned her position to become the ambassador of conservative ideals to the American people.
Huckabee loses me because of his incitement to religious bigotry in the 2008 primary - (He mentions to a NYT reporter, "don't Mormons believe that the God and the Devil are brothers?" and then tries to backtrack by saying he didn't understand it would get the play it did.)
Romney - Romneycare 'nough said
Newt - Cap and trade, Ethanol, couch with Nancy Pelosi. Same as Romney.
Oct '10
Re: Bad News for Palin
Can it be that Sarah Palin is in the mold of Chris Cristie. She simply means it when she says she is ambivalent. Personally, I'm a sold out Palin enthusiast, and I also believe that at this time the pond has been polluted to the point of unelectability. At least, for the present moment. It is self evident that a stream of fresh water will, given time, dilute the pollution and make the pond fresh as well.
But from whence commeth the refreshing waters? Six more years of the bitter waters of stream Obama will either wake up the electorate, or Sarah Palin is moot. No political messiah could redeem an unrepentant America.
Dec '10
Re: Bad News for Palin
Like that Huckabee probably can't beat Obama either, and they'd love painting him as a theocrat in the general election?
I think their polling is crap based on what I've read on right-of-center sites all over the internet.
I don;t have hard empirical evidence, but I don't recall seeing anyplace where Huckabee is a favorite among right-of-center people -- not even close.
May '10
Re: Bad News for Palin
Huckabee makes Palin look electable. Go Midwest, young man, go Midwest. Pawlenty is quietly building a nice platform...maybe not conservative enough for me in areas, but it's going to take a right of center person to make Obama look properly leftist. A hard-core conservative will allow Obama to continue to feign centrism; we need the force people to realize he's a lefty.
Aug '10
Re: Bad News for Palin
In my tribe (US Military), we don't look at CNN, maybe HLN, but not CNN proper anymore. Almost everyone I know looks at FNC with a side order of the Daily Show.
Sep '10
Re: Bad News for Palin
I thought Huckabee was running to be the next Lawrence Welk.
Oct '10
Re: Bad News for Palin
Didn't we do that last time, let the media pick our candidate for us?
Dec '10
Re: Bad News for Palin
It puzzles me that the same people who sneer at Palin as a "quitter" simultaneously long for Chris Christie as their 2012 candidate. Wouldn't Christie have to, you know, QUIT as Governor to take the top job?
Jan '11
Re: Bad News for Palin
Is Huckabee really considered more electable than Palin? Objectively I can see problems with Palin's electability, but those thoughts have a way of vanishing into thin air when I hear her speak. No such thought-vaporizing has occurred when listening to Huckabee.
Re: Bad News for Palin
I think this is a popular way to get the news, Instugator. It would make Jon Stewart's head explode if he knew how many people get their news this way.
Re: Bad News for Palin
I'm not surprised by this poll. Maybe it's because it's so early in the process, and everything is so unformed, but it makes sense. Huckabee in front -- with Palin, to be honest, at only a couple of points behind him, and Romney neck and neck with Palin, doesn't seem all that surprising. All three were either in the primaries or the general last time.
My guess is that these polls are going to be repeated, breathlessly, by the media until Palin comes out on top, and then it'll be a steady drumbeat of headlines -- "Are Republicans driving over a cliff?" etc. -- because it will soothe them to think of an Obama vs. Palin race.
They'll be wrong to be soothed, I think, but they don't know that.
Dec '10
Re: Bad News for Palin
Rob Long
I think this is a popular way to get the news, Instugator. It would make Jon Stewart's head explode if he knew how many people get their news this way. · Feb 8 at 10:27am
Believe me, he knows.
A strange and wond'rous world we live in when The Daily Show and Onion News Network are more reliable sources of hard news than the broadcast networks.
Dec '10
Re: Bad News for Palin
Rob Long: My guess is that these polls are going to be repeated, breathlessly, by the media until Palin comes out on top, and then it'll be a steady drumbeat of headlines -- "Are Republicans driving over a cliff?" etc. -- because it will soothe them to think of an Obama vs. Palin race.
They'll be wrong to be soothed, I think, but they don't know that. · Feb 8 at 10:34am
I seem to recall that Hillary was very, very pleased initially when the primary race in 2007 shaped up to be her vs. Obama, who was "unelectable."
May '10
Re: Bad News for Palin
Tell you this: if Huckabee is the nominee, then I'm staying home.
I won't support Palin or Jeb as the nominee, but I would vote for them in the election if that's the way my fellow Republicans feel at the end of the day. I won't vote for Huckabee, though.
Dec '10
Re: Bad News for Palin
David Jones: Tell you this: if Huckabee is the nominee, then I'm staying home.
I won't support Palin or Jeb as the nominee, but I would vote for them in the election if that's the way my fellow Republicans feel at the end of the day. I won't vote for Huckabee, though. · Feb 8 at 11:36am
That would be one tough choice: Obama vs. Huckabee. I tend to agree with you, David, except that I probably would feel compelled to vote in order to prevent a second Obama term.
Jul '10
Re: Bad News for Palin
I would vote for Beelzebub before I would vote for Obama. As to whether I would vote for Beelzebub before I'd vote for Palin, Huckabee or Romney, I'll have to leave that to that agonizing moment of the soul when the voting-booth curtain closes behind me.
May '10
Re: Bad News for Palin
Exactly. I *always* assume an agenda in these MSM polls. They are once again trying to drive the agenda and convince Independents and the right of who is the most "electable."
Also, I agree with Instugator about Huckabee. Not only is he not a conservative, but the way in which he exploited religious animosity towards Mormons in the 2008 campaign disgusted me. He was never a strong candidate in the first place (didn't he only win Iowa--based on his appeal to evangelicals?), so I'm just not buyin' it that Huckabee is "leading the pack."
May '10
Re: Bad News for Palin
The problem with this interpretation is that this was the second "early quit" in a row for Palin. I understand her rationale, given the ugly Alaska conflict law, but she also jumped ship as oil & gas commissioner. This starts to look like a habit- when things get tough, jump out for a more congenial position.
Dec '10
Re: Bad News for Palin
Duane Oyen
The problem with this interpretation is that this was the second "early quit" in a row for Palin. I understand her rationale, given the ugly Alaska conflict law, but she also jumped ship as oil & gas commissioner. This starts to look like a habit- when things get tough, jump out for a more congenial position. · Feb 8 at 2:24pm
Seriously? Quitting as oil and gas commissioner helped out the suspect practices of a fellow commissioner (of her own party!). She walked away from a six-figure salary to get out from under the Alaskan law that required her to stay silent, and then went public with what she knew about the other commissioner's ethics violations. There was no other "more congenial position" awaiting her.
Apparently the non-quitter's standard is to reach accommodation with corruption rather than leave office and take one's fight against corruption public.