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Edited on Wed Nov-12-08 09:58 PM by spin
she may win in 2012. You will disagree, but she has charisma that will attract the Republican base and many independent voters. The media wanted Obama to win and trashed Palin before the election. But the media is fickle and if Obama stumbles in any way they will cast Palin in a far better light. They love to promote the underdog for President. A close race improves their ratings. It's also far cheaper to have endless talking heads sit in front of their cameras and babble. Reporting on real news is expensive and requires sending reporters into the field.
Bill Clinton faced Bob Dole in the campaign for his second term as President. Bob Dole, who had the charisma of an undertaker, had zero chance of winning, but the Republicans had to run someone and it was Dole's turn. They had absolutely no candidates that could run successfully against Bill Clinton.
When Al Gore ran in the following Presidential Election, the Republicans ran a relatively unintelligent but charismatic character, George W. Bush. Gore had the personality of a tree and while he would have made a far better President, he lost. True, in reality, he might have won and quite possibly the election was stolen. But if Al Gore had just a little more likeability, the election would not have been close enough to steal.
In the next election, John Kerry ran against W. While it was another close race, Kerry tended to waffle on his positions and came across as an elitist. Bush was able to convince people that he was the better choice in the post 911 environment.
During his second term, Bush seemed to lose interest in the job. His handing of the Katrina fiasco was a total disaster. The war in Iraq proved a quagmire and he had no idea of how to overcome the problems he faced. Somehow, I suspect he was a mere puppet of the military industrial complex, Haliburton, and the corporations who benefited from the war in Iraq.
McCain, who backed the "surge" which did improve the situation in Iraq, became the Republican candidate in the last Presidential race. He ran a poor campaign and failed to distance himself from President Bush. He was a "war hero" but that was long ago in another universe. He looked old and tired and to a great extent sickly. He decided to pick an unknown VP candidate, Sarah Palin, because she had charisma and could appeal to the Republican base. Unprepared for the situation she was cast into and over controlled by the McCain campaign she was initially unable to cope with the media attention. In the end she probably helped McCain in several states and prevented the election from being a totally Democrat Tsunami.
I expect and hope Obama will do great, but the Bush administration left one hell of a mess behind. It's almost like they knew McCain would lose and purposely set a mine field in Obama's path.
The average President would have a hard time leading a successful administration in this environment. With all the bailouts the Republicans are pushing through on their way out, it will be very difficult for Obama to fulfill his campaign promises. If Obama is unable to deliver on heath care and many other important issues he may become vulnerable in 2012. It will not be his fault, but the average American has a short memory and little understanding of news or politics.
In 2012, the Republicans will produce a candidate who can appeal to their base and to independent voters. A winning candidate does not have to be the best choice or the most intelligent in this modern age of TV and 30 second sound bites. It is necessary to be attractive and have a winning personality that appeals to the average voter. All too often in Presidential races, it is not necessary to hold a logical or informed position. Our educational system has produced an electorate who can't understand the issues coherently enough to form a rational viewpoint. Many voters cast their ballot for the candidate they would most like to have over for dinner or have a beer with.
Sarah Palin has four years to be coached and perfected. All too often we on DU ridicule her and if we continue we may encourage many people to be sympathetic to her. I personally feel that degrading a potential opponent is a not a good way to win the next election. The media may well decide that now that Americans have elected an African American President, the next great historic moment will occur when we elect a woman. Obama will run in the next election as he is an incumbent President, which eliminates Hillary.
Beware; four years might make Palin a dangerous candidate for the office. We might be better off if we just ignore her. She's had her fifteen minutes.
Why keep attacking her and giving her more time on the national stage.
edited for spelling
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