This was an interesting view on the 2012 Republican candidates. I think Charles is one of the most brilliant and insightful political commentators out there. However, I must differ from him in regard to Palin.
Since 2008, Sarah Palin has been a busy bee- or a roaring Momma Grizzly, either way. She has clearly become a political force at the polls. She has exposed herself in numerous states as she campaigned in 2010 and she has built up a significant amount of political capital. Charles, and he is echoing the opinion of many, claims that her main liabilities is a lack of foreign policy and her inability to connect to the middle of the road folks.
I disagree. Firstly, it is hard to see how much foreign policy knowledge Palin as acquired over the last few years. One thing is certain: she has been studying. I think most people are going to be impressed with the amount of knowledge she demonstrates. Secondly, her base is clearly the Tea Party. While it is obviously a movement built on Conservative ideas, many Americans feel a connection on some level to the Tea Party.
Last month, Rasmussen released a poll which showed that while 50% of people on the East Coast think that the Tea Party is good for America while only 20% consider themselves part of the group. In full disclosure, I am not a pollster. However, it seems relatively clear that the theme of the Tea Party and its overall goal is something that resonates with Americans, even those on the East Coast.
Throughout this nation, more Americans are moving to the center of the Right, if not completely over the the other side. Palin is the champion of the themes which have fueled this movement and which define our nation’s worries. In 2012, hope in a better America will be the key issue. People are forgetting everything that has made this nation great. They feel that America’s shine has dulled and all that made this the greatest nation on earth has eroded. We need someone to restore our belief in America and the American dream; someone to restore the shine to the city upon the hill. Sarah Palin is the only candidate who has that ability as far as I can tell.
Craig Shirley, in his amazing account of the 1980 election Rendezvous with Destiny, describes the political climate that surrounded the beginning of the Reagan campaign. Following the failed insurgency campaign in 1976, Reagan was viewed as “too extreme” to be elected. He constantly made gaffes on the campaign trail and the Republican establishment shuddered at the very mention of his candidacy. Many of the elements that existed than prevail now and the traits that made Reagan the perfect candidate than exist now in Sarah Palin. I will skim through the book and offer a more detailed explanation later this week. In the meantime, I am going on the record saying that if Palin runs, her assumed vulnerabilities are in actuality her strongest assets.
