Sarah Palin’s 2012 strategy has now become so obvious that even the mainstream media can’t miss it. She is out to sell herself to Republicans as the heir to the legacy of Ronald Reagan. From her real American stories to constant name dropping of the former president, Palin seems stuck in the 1980s, and obsessed with reanimating the corpse of a political era that has long since past.
Yesterday for the 66th Anniversary of D-Day, Palin took to her Facebook page to reprint some quotes from Reagan’s 26 year old D-day speech. Her strategy of name dropping Reagan has become so obvious that even the mainstream sites and bloggers like The Huffington Post and Marc Ambinder have picked up on it. They both note the fact that Palin kept name dropping Reagan while in Illinois, and they used the mentally challenged kids over at Conservatives for Palin as their reference to push the rumor that Palin will announce her presidential candidacy on February 6, 2011. This is a rumor that I will knock down in just a little bit.
Palin has been sowing the seeds of her plot to cast herself as the new Republican messiah for quite a while now. Her bombed out Fox News special was titled “Real American Stories,” and their website claimed that their mission was to, “This campaign was created to share American stories and to help us appreciate who we are, where we come from, and how truly fortunate we are to be part of the American experience.”
It sounds like Sarah is really trying hard to inspire this kind of mood:
Palin’s new book is described by her publisher Harper Collins as, “Framed by her strong belief in the importance of family, faith, and patriotism, the book ranges widely over American history, culture, and current affairs, and reflects on the key values—both national and spiritual-that have been such a profound part of Governor Palin’s life and continue to inform her vision of America’s future. Written in her own refreshingly candid voice, America By Heart will include selections from classic and contemporary readings that have moved her-from the nation’s founding documents to great speeches, sermons, letters, literature and poetry, biography, and even some of her favorite songs and movies. Here, too, are portraits of some of the extraordinary men and women she admires and who embody her deep love of country, her strong rootedness in faith, and her profound love and appreciation of family.”
Palin is not only attempting to inherit Reagan’s legacy, she wants to be Reagan. It is obvious that Palin is going to wrap herself even tighter in flag in the hope that patriotism, not intellect can carry her to the White House. Palin’s strategy is destined to fail, because it isn’t 1980, or 1984 anymore, Barack Obama is not Jimmy Carter, and Sarah Palin is definitely not Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan was a two term governor of a large state, but Palin could survive a half term in quite possibly the most obscure American state.
Reagan was an outstanding campaigner. Palin memorizes one stump speech and repeats it over and over, and over again. Reagan never backed down from an interview. Palin never grants an interview to anyone other than Fox News. Reagan had a clearly defined political direction for the country. Palin has a clearly defined vision to pad her bank account. As much it must hurt her followers to hear, Sarah Palin is no Ronald Reagan. Heck, Sarah Palin isn’t even Bob Dole, and even Dan Quayle is more accomplished than Palin ever likely will be.
Lastly, let’s put this stupid right wing wet dream of Sarah Palin announcing her presidential candidacy in Illinois during Ronald Reagan’s 100th birthday to bed. There is one simple reason why Palin won’t announce her candidacy on Reagan’s 100th birthday. If The Huffington Post, or Marc Ambinder or anyone else pushing this rumor would have done two minutes worth of research, they would have realized that February 6, 2011 is the date of the Super Bowl.
No presidential candidate, unless they want absolutely zero media coverage, would ever announce their candidacy on Super Bowl Sunday. This would be like announcing your candidacy on Christmas. Super Bowl Sunday has become a national holiday, and it would be a waste of time and resources for a candidate to announce that day. Plus, why would Palin announce in a state, which she has zero chance of carrying? The Reagan’s birthday thing sounds like a rumor made up by fan boys. Palin will announce, but look for it to be in a Red State, possibly at a big event like the Tea Party convention. The Reagan’s birthday rumor makes zero political sense.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
Didn’t you know – she’s going to announce during the half-time show right after John Rich sings a patriotic number. And this even meets the Red State criteria since the Super Bowl will be in Dallas, although she’ll be announcing live by satellite from Reagan’s birthplace.
Wonder how long it will take her fans to start repeating this as gospel.
“Palin seems stuck in the 1980s”
Given her propensity for garish orange couture blush and big hair, I’d say she stuck in the aforementioned decade in more ways that one.
I am hoping Tonya Harding gets the VP nod from $arah!
@DEO,
I have long said Palin is the Tonya Harding of politics and if this were still up for debate, I only have to show the photos of Palin at the Belmont.
It’s not about money or class — it’s about personal dignity and respect; Palin is obviously bereft of those two values.
0bama isn’t Jimmy Carter, he’s worse than Carter. Palin will be able to defeat him handily in 2012.
@greg, Don’t be silly Greg. Obama has accomplished more in one year plus for the nation than Carter did in a full term. Obama has fulfilled 400 of his 500 campaign promises already. Palin will get no Democratic or Independent support, and her 35% approval rating will lead the GOP to a disastrous defeat, if she is the 2012 nominee.
@Jason Easley,
Oh, thanks for setting me straight about poll numbers, I forgot that they are set in stone 2.5 years from an election. That’s why 0bama is still an unknown Jr Senator from IL, and Hillary beat Rudy and is now the 1st female president.
Alright, I’ll bite, list the 500 campaign promises and indicate the 400 that have been kept.
@greg, Nice way to be dismissive without doing any actual research. The poll numbers aren’t from 2.5 years ago. They are from 2.5 months ago. See I do regular posts on polling, and if you search this site, you will find lots of poll numbers. There is not a single poll that indicates that Palin’s popularity extends beyond a segment of the GOP. That could change, but Sarah has been on a downward trend since October of 2008. Recent polls reflect a continuing slide. Some politicians, just aren’t popular with the electorate at large, and this will be an anchor on her potential presidential candidacy.
@greg, With all the ludicrous statements Palin has spit out her chances of ever reaching the nomination to run are well below 20%. In fact she will never make it past the first few debates.
In my mind she will be asked not to run by the GOP simply due to the stuff she has been saying.
@Jason Easley, good reading comprehension there pal. The way you are talking is that Palin’s numbers in the dubious poll you site will stay frozen for the next 2.5 years. Wouldn’t count on that if I were you.
@Shiva, Wouldn’t count on that, if I were you.
@greg,
I would start to count if I were you.
@greg, her lying about Trig will bring her down on its own. And she has 2 more years to continue to make a fool of herself. You can ignore what she has said, but I wouldn’t count of the rest of the country doing that, if I were you.
@Shiva, A real life, honest to goodness Trig Truther, how pathetic. That alone discredits anything you have to say.
@greg,
Maybe you should help us all out then and tell us why Palin never submitted the birth certificate to the insurance company or why it was never posted on the hospital website or why Palin flew for over 12 hours after leaking amniotic fluid and starting labor with a special needs baby in Texas during a speech?
I mean, just explain it since Palin refuses to.
The President of the United States showed his birth certificate. Why won’t Palin show Trig’s to Americans, let alone the insurance company? why did the doctor who Palin claims gave birth to Trig bring her lawyer to the ADN interview and say she could not verify that Palin birthed Trig?
They are simple questions. Any person with a brain would wonder. Or are you suggesting Americans have no right to question Palin? That certainly has been her take on things, but that’s not how this country operates. FYI.
@Sarah Jones,
Sarah is a douche!!!!!!
@greg,
Sarah is a carpet muncher!
@Sarah Jones,
Two things that you have none of!
Go back and lick the ladies!
@greg, I will wait your reply to Sarah. I am sure it will be interesting yet without content.
What about 0bama’s kids, haven’t seen their birth certs either. Maybe he kidnapped those kids, ya think? What a bunch of loons.
It would be frightening for Sarah Palin to be the Republican nominee in 2012… it would be scary from the standpoint of how out to lunch the Republican party is… It ultimately hurts our democracy.
On the other hand, it would be a good thing for helping President Obama get reelected. I think there are many people who are not thrilled with Obama who would nevertheless get out and vote for him if Palin were the alternative.
@greg,
It’s so sad how the Right tries to defend Palin — as bad as people defending Blago. You could care less what she did or does to people, or whether or not it’s legal or right.
And you still haven’t responded to my questions above.
A reality that eludes Palin is that the country has changed since Reagan’s time, and not even he would be able to pass the ridiculous litmus test on far right ideological purity. She also has a long list of lies, misstatements, and hypocrisies that will continue to haunt her, and I have no doubt that even a Republican opponent would take advantage of that fact. Her defenders are just as bad, because they enable her self-deception by making excuses for her stupidity and ignorance. There are a lot of silly and juvenile defenses for her, but the one that takes the cake is that liberal woman are jealous of her looks. Anyone who swallows that nonsense doesn’t have too high an opinion of women. What they fail to realize is that we see right through her and are not taken in by that phony aura of folksiness. Fortunately, there are many men who also are not taken in. A woman who is intellectually incurious and proudly ignorant is the anti-thesis of what so many women have
struggled in the past to achieve.
I also voted for Obama, and while I don’t agree with everything he has done, voting for someone so far to the right is only asking for more of the same that we had to deal with under GW.
@Sarah Jones,
Yes I have Carpet Muncher!