Sarah Palin’s 2012 Hopes Go Up In Smoke After She Endorses Marijuana

Last updated on February 10th, 2013 at 03:12 am

Real former governor Mike Huckabee (R-AK) took the gloves off when he showed a clip of half-term governor Sarah Palin endorsing pot from Fox News’ Freedom Watch Show.

Palin mid-huge political gaffe

Palin got carried away with her free-wheelin’ AIP secessionist style, because saying pot is OK if you do it in your own home is a major political gaffe of epic proportions for any politician, let alone a law and order conservative. Pot was, of course, legal at one time in Alaska and Palin has admitted to smoking it, “I can’t claim a Bill Clinton and say I never inhaled.” Indeed, Ms. Palin

Watch here:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_XitNJOSGs….

While talking about the legalization of marijauna, Palin said, “If we’re talking about pot, I’m not for the legalization of pot, because I think that would just encourage, especially our young people, to think that it is okay to go ahead and use it, and I’m not an advocate for that. However, I think that we need to prioritize our law enforcement efforts, and if somebody is going to smoke a joint in their house and not do anybody else any harm, perhaps there are other things that our cops should be looking at to engage in, and try to clean up some of the other problems that we have in society that are appropriate for law enforcement to do, and not concentrate on such a, relatively speaking, minimal problem that we have in the country.”

This forth-rightness on her part is really one of her more genuine moments, albeit perhaps unintentionally — but it does show the sort of candid realness that she sold to Alaskans fed up with the corruption of the Republican machine in Alaska. This is one of those moments that in a state smaller than many American cities, can play as charming and mavericky — but on a national level, is a disaster. One wonders why it didn’t occur to her that the man questioning her, leading her to the guillotine, is a man who would very much like to see her fail. Miserably.

I can see the 30 second ad now. Her opponent cuts out all the stuff about her being opposed to legalization and shows the clip of her saying that law enforcement has better things to do than bust someone who is smoking a joint in their house. (I do wonder if the someone she is referring to happens to live in Wasilla, Alaska). It is absolutely forbidden according to the Gospel of Reagan for a Republican to be soft on drugs. It doesn’t matter if Palin’s comments made some sense, and might have been the most lucid thing that she has said in months. (I can’t believe that I just typed that). Republicans JUST SAY NO, and by saying maybe just one joint, Palin hurt herself with the social and evangelical conservatives that she is so desperately courting.

For someone who’s been busy playing the party line ever since she was picked in 2008 as McCain’s running mate, this was an odd departure. Perhaps it represents Palin’s idea of running her own PR. Knowing Palin’s paranoia, it’s easy to understand how she continuously leans on herself and her entourage of enablers rather than listen to the harsh words of experienced political operatives. Still, if it weren’t for her utterly proud ignorance about legislation, our government, and almost every issue (save this one) that I care about, I can almost see what her flock thinks they see in her. She’s spunky alright.

And speaking of spunky, Huckabee mocked Palin for appearing high, drawing unwanted attention to her manic behavior. Sure, Palin is a pitbull with lipstick, but she can’t handle it when she’s not in control. And she most definitely was not in control during this episode, which came soon after the Bill O’Reilly melt down (an episode so fraught with an eminent breakdown on Palin’s part, it was painful to watch).

Her fellow potential 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee responded with a joke that implied that Palin is soft on drugs, “After Sarah Palin made these comments, she then produced a gram of coke from her purse and did line after line on the glass table.” Huckabee’s shot at Palin demonstrates why it is bad politics for any potential candidate, Democratic or Republican to look soft on drugs. Palin made a huge gaffe that is certain to come back to haunt her if she runs for the Republican nomination in 2012.

h/t to Crystalwolf

Sarah Jones

Listen to Sarah on the PoliticusUSA Pod on The Daily newsletter podcast here.

Sarah has been credentialed to cover President Barack Obama, then VP Joe Biden, 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and exclusively interviewed Speaker Nancy Pelosi multiple times and exclusively covered her first home appearance after the first impeachment of then President Donald Trump.

Sarah is two-time Telly award winning video producer and a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Connect with Sarah on Post,  Mastodon @PoliticusSarah@Journa.Host, & Twitter.