I'm getting the sensation that the Palin pick is all about 2012, not 2008.

[stevietheman]

The GOP has got to know McCain is going to lose this big -- this can be easily derived by how extremely ugly the McCain campaign is acting in this race, while talking very little about issues.

It seems mostly like the GOP is using this campaign as a showcase for their already anointed candidate Sarah Palin in 2012. Putting her out front of McCain, and coordinating the most splashy news about her seems to fit this mold. Also note that if all the bad things come out about her in this election, it will be "old news" in 2012.

Just my thought today.

[patrice]

1. I've been thinking that from about day one of this VP pick. Job #1 is solidify those who will vote

for a Re :puke: NO MATTER WHAT!

[babylonsister]

2. I seriesle doubt she'll be any smarter in 2012. And what about her

church? So many issues, so little time.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=385&topic_id=194256

[stevietheman]

4. But in four years, she'll be well-trained to take on President Obama...

the GOP knows what a "hot property" they've got -- and she will definitely be their new puppet.

[babylonsister]

6. I bet she'll be but a memory after November. She's a loser with

a capital "L", and people are starting to recognize that.

[tosh]

9. Yes...obscurity bound.

[stevietheman]

11. Well, Reagan was a loser after 1976 too. Just sayin'!

We shouldn't underestimate the GOP's political instincts and gimmickry for one second. They'll figure out a way to make her have a comeback... something like "she was hamstrung by a poor Presidential candidate!".

[babylonsister]

13. But there's that little 'troopergate' thing they're running from.

What are the implications there? I hope she winds up in jail myself.

And her lying, about everything? I'm hoping people have learned their lesson (I know, diehard optimist here).

[pnwmom]

29. It's too early to know how that one will pan out.

She had the legal right to fire him -- regardless of whether it was ethical (which we all agree it wasn't). I don't see jail in her future, at least on this issue, unless she goes on to commit provable perjury.

[Captiosus]

39. It's not impropriety that matters, but rather the APPEARANCE

of impropriety, and she's been thrown smack into the national spotlight. Every single one of her decisions are being looked at under a microscope and Alaska is rapidly becoming the brunt of a lot of jokes for electing her. She's done this year when they lose.

She's going to be done in Alaska politics because she won't have the McCain campaign financial juggernaut sending teams of lawyers up there to cover her ass. She's painting herself into a corner by refusing to testify or even participate in Troopergate and when she gets back up there to her job after this little VP Vacation, she's not going to have anything insulating her from the flustercuck she's turned this whole thing into. And that's just Troopergate. How do you think Alaskans will respond to her now that they know how she forced rape victims to pay for their own kits?

I think Alaska is going to be tired of being in the spotlight for shitty politicians.
In the last year they've had to deal with Stevens' getting called out, and now Palin.

[pnwmom]

42. According to various news reports, most Alaskans are rallying around her.

We'll see if that lasts.

[Sebastian Doyle]

48. Reagan had the Bush Crime Family propping him up.

Jeb isn't going to play second fiddle to Moosealini. Assuming Jeb tries to run in 2012. We might not be out of the financial hole yet, so he may not. (The Bush Crime Family only wants to be in power if there's money to steal. Why do you think they were so desperate in 2000 that they had to have the Supreme Court install the Dumbass? They wanted that surplus bad.)

[high density]

8. Stupidity didn't hurt George W Bush

She's a female clone of him as far as I can tell.

[pnwmom]

28. I think the OP is right. Think Ronald Reagan.

Few people expected him to come back the way he did. And now he's considered to be some sort of giant -- among the Rethugs.

I think she's the horrifying future of the Republican party.

[saltpoint]

3. It could be, although I doubt if anybody has told McCain about it.

McCain thinks he is within reach of his ultimate goal and the cranky, irritated McCain we're getting is maybe a consequence of his growing perception that he's about to be defeated in Virginia, Colorado, New Mexico, New Hampshire, Ohio, and maybe Florida and Indiana, along with all the other Kerry-now-Obama states, and he ain't likin' it much.

Good news and bad news, Senator McCain. The good news is you are closer than ever before to your dream of becoming president. The bad news is you are going to get your ass kicked.

[patrice]

10. I wonder how mr macho feels being a place-holder for a woman.

[saltpoint]

14. McCain's masculinity is a kind of pre-Eisenhower masculinity --

and I can't see him ever evolving to the point where he'd appreciate your question.

Some of the web reports indicate that when Palin joins him for campaign stops, the crowds are larger than when he appears solo, but then (I love this part) they leave after she's done speaking.

I bet life is tough on the trail for McCain's staffers. They probably are bearing the brunt of his fury. And things ain't goin' too good right now.

[patrice]

30. Rachel M interviewed one of the female journalists traveling with the Palin/McCain campaign,

sorry I can't remember the young lady's name, and she said their group is DEFINITELY highly "emotional".

[saltpoint]

51. I'm willing to believe it.

And I love your Yeats signature line.

[ginnyinWI]

5. I've thought that too.

If they're smart, they'll make it 2016.

[stuntcat]

7. your thought might be right

The evangelists have already decided she's the one. And if everyone doesn't wise up fast they'll spread their mania over the whole country.. it's what they mean to do, I swear.

[Upton]

12. Polls show a close race

I have no doubt it will be that way on election day, there is no evidence that anybody is going to lose "big"

[stevietheman]

17. But it looks like Obama is going to be ahead going into the debates, which McCain will probably lose

I do believe that Obama has the momentum, and will actually win big.

[DFW]

15. I see this like the old Redford movie "The Candidate"

They picked Palin with that little hand-scribbled note "you lose." At some point,
she decided to try to prove them wrong, but I don't think it will work like it
did in the movie. The Republicans are probably as surprised as anyone that this
has gotten as close as it did, but they were doing like they did in 1996: they
picked an old has-been to give him the shot at the White House he always wanted,
and in a year where logic dictated that he shouldn't have a chance.

They are already handing Obama a totally impossible financial mess that only a
serious tax increase can begin to start to address. Ergo, the next president,
whoever it is, will be tax-and-spend. Bush was don't-tax-but-spend-anyway, and
it got us into such a mess they don't want to be around when "le deluge" hits
in such a way as to make Katrina seem like a spilled bottle of Evian.

What they are really doing, IMHO, is setting up 2012 for a candidate they REALLY
want, and will be as shocked as anyone if they win this. If McFailin' should
actually pull this one off, they will be asking themselves, after the surprise
victory in the film: "what do we do now?"

[JeanGrey]

16. I don't think they think they are going to lose "big" at all.

And yes I think Palin is about 2012. Four years for McCain and then she takes over.

[TeamJordan23]

18. She will not survive a GOP primary. I can guarantee you that. nm

[stevietheman]

23. She'll get most of the media attention though... it will be hard for other GOP candidates to...

take her on... unless they have their own Obama next time. :)

[mitchum]

24. Exactly (n/t)

[Bubbha Jo]

19. I don't believe that.... she was a rushed pick with no prior planning

simply in an attempt to grab the female and religious right vote. There's too many more qualified and more electible possible candidates they could run next time.

[stevietheman]

21. She was rushed as far as McCain is concerned, yes... but GOP operatives likely picked her...

well in advance.

[mitchum]

20. No, she'll be heading back to her corrupt little backwater

[Terran]

22. I doubt it

Losing VP candidates tend to fall into obscurity for the most part. I don't think the GOP can possibly see her as a serious contender for the presidency. If they want a woman as their candidate, they need someone without all the baggage, who can hold her own intellectually, and who can attract more than just the far right wing to the polls. Palin is not that person. And they certainly have several women who fit the bill, except that many of them are pro-choice.

[stevietheman]

25. Now, re-evaulate using "GOP logic" and the outcome is different. :) n/t

n/t

[Terran]

26. well, you have a point there...

=] buuuut...they're not ALL stupid. If we can see what a horrible choice she is, so can the repubs who actual wield influence in this area.

[immoderate]

27. I don't think so. This election shatters the Repub coalition.

The plutocrats who own the franchise have been successful with the coalition of fundies, authoritarians, racists, perverts, hunters, and pseudo-patriots up until now. They may have trouble keeping these groups together for the future. They don't really deliver on anything except to the money interests. They may have trouble finding a winner in the future. It will require finding another media phenom like Reagan. Sarah Palin, IMHO, is not it.

--IMM

[dkofos]

31. By 2012 she'll have 5 more kids, and 15 grandkids to pawn off on other people.

[Mme. Defarge]

32. I think the Bush faction

has not only cut McCain loose, but is sabotaging his campaign behind the scenes. It's all about Romney in 2012.

[Tutonic]

44. I agree completely. Cheney can't be too thrilled with "the skirt"

Palin. Schuneman, Davis and the other brown shirts were considered losers before this thing got underway. They've allowed the "other" John McCain to inhabit this world and thrown this election.

[TheDonkey]

33. No, Palin was a gimmick to win 2008. She will implode by 2012 rolls around

she's just another corrupt Alaskan politician.

[dansolo]

50. She will implode by 2010

At this rate, she won't even win re-election for Governor, probably being defeated in the primary. At that point, she will have absolutely no shot at the presidency. The fundies would have better luck with Huckabee.

[Symarip]

34. It's possible, but I have a different take on it

I think Palin is worthless to the Republican party. There is no way she could ever be a real threat to anyone on the national political scene. My bet is that this was a last ditch effort to save a little face and protect the real 'stars' of the party from having to deal with a losing ticket. She'll scurry back to Alaska after all this is over and we'll never hear from her again.

[Overseas]

40. Maybe Sitcom Sarah will be the first Govna to have her own reality TV show ! /nt

[President Decider]

35. People outside the lunatic fringe dislike Palin now, by 2012 she'll be that most HATED person on

the planet ....

[Stop Cornyn]

36. I think Palin is all about 2008 -- all about the '08 down ballot races in traditionally "red states"

[stevietheman]

53. Interesting point... hadn't thought of that. n/t

n/t

[blue_onyx]

37. I do think Palin will be a candidate in 2012

No matter how bad of a VP candidate she is, she is a star of the Republican party now. Assuming Obama wins, the 2012 Republican nomination I think would be between Romney and Palin...although things change quickly so who knows who will actually be a candidate 4 years from now.

[votetastic]

38. She's just a bone for the extremists in the religious right

.. and when they lose big, they will have to accept that they can't have "one of their own" on the Republican ticket.

[ladjf]

41. No way. By 2012, Palin will no longer be the "darling of

the Republican Party".

[Hamlette]

43. She was picked by the religious right

if they take over the GOP completely, then its Palin 2012 but they are having a hard time getting 100% control.

[anonymous171]

45. She will have to fight Romney for it.

[mamalone]

46. I tend to agree with Mark Shields

This is her highest point. I think after this election she will be seen as an albatross that was around McCain's neck, and his decision to take her on will go down in history as one of the dumbest political moves ever made. She'll be reduced to doing local teevee advertising spots for used car dealerships.

OK, that last part was mostly wishful thinking on my part, but you get the picture:P

[Oak2004]

52. I envision a future for her

in entertainment, as a Tina Fey impersonator ;)

[stevietheman]

54. Or will McCain be painted as the albatross around Palin's neck?

That's what I think the GOP gimmick will be.

[Cha]

47. Not if she keeps hiding it ..it won't be old news in 2012..

It will be FULL BORE Explosion:nuke:

They also may think mccain could get in now and palin will run on her own with todd as the vp in 2012.

[RooseveltTruman]

49. Ugly Republicans

"The GOP has got to know McCain is going to lose this big -- this can be easily derived by how extremely ugly the McCain campaign is acting in this race, while talking very little about issues."

The Republicans always act ugly, starting with Gingrich and continuing on through Bush. I can't read too much into this strategy, because it's the one they've always employed since '94 and the one they've employed while on top.

While I've NEVER been a fan of Reagan, one can at least appreciate that he kept things to a somewhat civil discourse with his political enemies.

[Orsino]

55. This is one of the two ways Republicans have to reproduce.

Generally, they prefer the society only of their own kind, and so tend to anoint their offspring as hereditary princes. Once in a while, however, a commoner learns to step 'n' fetch so well that (s)he is offered a seat at the big table. Often, that turns out to be a ruse, and the chair is pulled out from under the newcomer as soon as (s)he is no longer useful, as with Katherine Harris.

Palin's talent seems to be that she is still pretty, but that might not be so for much longer. She may have been chosen as a way to build the bench for a future GOP, but I doubt that the plutocrats are seriously invested in her.

[TheWraith]

56. Bad mistake for them, then.

The electorate rarely embraces previous losers.